Editors' Note: When this article was posted in Reading Online in November 1999, readers were invited to comment on it through a bulletin board feature that was discontinued when the journal was redesigned in July 2000. Following are the comments posted to that bulletin board.

Readers who would like the opportunity to comment on this or other articles in the journal are invited to contact the authors directly (an e-mail address is available on the opening page or to post messages through ROL Communities.

Post 1

Author: Andrea_Bachman
Date: 11-30-1999 14:17

"Printed Page to Multimedia" offered a wonderful way to integrate use of the computer with a regular classroom. I know that I rely to much on the software packages on the market today. While the programs are rich in practice skills, they don't offer my students knowledge about what computers are capable of doing. Right now I still have limited knowledge of programs like hyperstudio, I have only one computer in my classroom (although my students attend weekly computer classes in a lab), and I struggle to get through my curriculum. Despite these obsticles, I am inspired by the creativity displayed by the authors of this article.

Reply 1a

Author: Brian_Martin
Date: 12-02-1999 13:13

Like Andrea, I enjoyed reading through this article. Personally, I'm not a strong advocate of using computers explicitly in the classroom, mostly because I don't use the computer a lot in my personal life (except for e-mail). I would almost always rather sit down and read a book than surf the net. Yet, I thought this was an appropriate and engaging way to use computers to encourage students to write, research and present their work publicly.

This activity incorporated those who already had computer skills into using the softward instead of teaching other students how to do so (no doubt because of the limited computer time and young age of the students). If available, I think it would be good to allow more students to be involved in the actual usage of the software, perhaps having the students who have more experience work with those who don't. That way, it would become even more cooperative.

Neat idea!

Reply 1b

Author: Tiffany_Walker
Date: 12-06-1999 22:55

I truly enjoyed the article and it's strong push towards using computers in the classroom. It sure would be nice if every school system could have access to numerous amounts of computers for the students to learn from, and hopefully someday they will. The authors of the article are correct when they say computers can be used in a variety of different means. Not only are the students motivated to learn, they gain control of their individual learning, and are introduced to a large quanity of informantion that could be exteremely useful to them not only in second grade but throughout their lives as well. This article took a wonderful look at the benefits of using media in the schools and nicely illustrated a way in which it could be used by discussing the newspaper the second grades created, learning not only about computers but newspapers and the writing process as well. All students should get this great opportunity!!!

Reply 1c

Author: David Lund
Date: 12-16-1999 11:33

Tiffany, thanks for your encouraging support. It was a lot of fun and the students did, in fact, learn a great deal about newspapers and writing. Like you, we hope to see more use and availability of all technologies in classrooms, and hope that new teachers will be better prepared to use them.

Reply 1d

Author: Julie_Williams
Date: 12-09-1999 01:35

As with everyone else that has responded, I was very impressed to read about the year-long newspaper project completed by second graders. I think it is imperative to provide students with as much opportunity as possible to use computers regularly in school from an early age. By doing this, students will become more successful and more capable of navigating computers. This project involved all students in a very meaningful way and showed them how computers can be an amazing tool. I agree with the authors of the article that computers are a strong motivator for students. The children in this partiulr classroom were eager to write, edit, and revise because they knew that other people would be reading their work, both an acutal paper-edition newspaper and an on-line version. Students will be more eager to work on a task when they know that they will be sharing their outcome with others outside their classoom community.

The article raised challenges teachers face when teaching with computers. First of all, many educators srugle because they only have one computer in the classroom. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this problem. Teachers need more technology available in the classroom. Second, teachers are very busy with planning lessons and evaluating students' work. It is difficult to find the time to learn new programs like Hyperstudio. Despite these difficulties, as well as others, the authors found their project to be very rewarding for themselves and their students. What a great learning experience!

Reply 1e

Author: David Lund
Date: 12-16-1999 11:41

Julie, Thanks for you response. Since this project was completed, we have learned a couple of things about computer use and teachers' time--if you will some tricks to help in both regards. The school now has four computers in each classroom--money came from grants written by the school and from a business partnership with a local hospital. In addition, the grants provided funding for teachers to learn the programs by having substitute teachers come in for half days, while teachers received specific training on how to use the software. Last year we branched out and had the teachers learn to construct web pages; they in turn taught the students, and various projects were incorporated into the curriculum--for example, 5th graders wrote interactive books, 3rd graders created a website discussing the various biomes found in North America, etc. I believe as time goes on--quickly I might add--it will become easier to integrate such projects as children become more and more familiar with the technologies.

Reply 1f

Author: David Lund
Date: 12-16-1999 11:30

Brian,

You are correct in your thinking regarding getting more students involved. It has been interesting as I have continued to work on similar projects since this one was completed in 1997. I am now finding that more than half of the students are fairly well versed in many aspects of computer use. In fact, by 3rd and 4th grade, if they are not learning to properly keyboard, it is very difficult to teach them to do so. My own philosophy is not to make the computer the only source for reading and writing activities, but to use it to its fullest potential, given individual classroom and school circumstances, as another tool in the classroom. To do less is a disservice to children, as they will more than likely be required to use these new technologies in their future careers.

Reply 1g

Author: David Lund
Date: 12-16-1999 11:25

Andrea,

Thanks for your kudos. We had a great time in a classroom with only one computer--and no computer lab in the school. This was one of several projects of this nature. I think the trick is finding the time to learn the software. It has been relatively easy to integrate computers into our tight curricula after we knew how to use the tools.

Reply 1h

Author: Bianca_Rivera
Date: 02-20-2000 12:10

In reading this article, I can not help but think of the school that I am at. Although in this article, it was second grade who participated in this project, in our school it 2nd through 5th who get to write the articles and plan the newspaper. I think it is a great project to do with any grade level. Realistically it takes a lot of time and planning, but in the end it is worth it. The children find the content and skills meaningful and relevant.

Reply 1i

Author: David Lund
Date: 02-23-2000 11:46

Thanks for your comments. I think you are correct in saying that students of any age can create such projects. The key is in not adding to the curriculum, but in using the technologies to do the things you arleady do.

Reply 1j

Author: Barbara_Romero
Date: 02-23-2000 19:52

This article is an excellent resource for teachers who are interested in finding new ways to integrate the use of computers into their instructional programs. I found the classroom scenario to be very realistic since many classrooms have a limited number of computers. I strongly agree with the authors when they mentioned that the use of computers in the classroom gets students motivated about learning. The use of computers in the classroom provides students with a new alternative to the traditional methods of writing and the writing process. I hope to one day implement a similar project with my future students.

Reply 1k

Author: Grace_Benitez
Date: 02-23-2000 23:13

As I was reading this article, I realized that I can certainly relate to the authors in that I teach 2nd grade and my class is currently working on a newspaper project. I have also encountered the same difficulties in my project as in the one discussed in the article, including lack of equipment, lack of time, and lack of training. I found the descriptions of the software Hyper Studio to be quite useful.

Reply 1l

Author: Allen_Breeding99
Date: 02-23-2000 20:41

The research presented in this article is very interesting. Since most of us only have one computer in our classrooms, it is nice to see that teachers are finding ways to use them effectively in their classrooms. I like the use of computers and hypermedia programs to create a school newspaper. Although the activities may seem time consuming, students will learn a lot about newspapers and how to use technology for reading and writing purposes. I strongly agree with the author's theory that computers motivate students to read, write, and transfer new information. I see this happening in my first grade classroom everyday. In the future, I hope to develop a similar project to implement in my classroom.

Reply 1m

Author: Laurie_Fabritius
Date: 02-23-2000 21:50

After reading this article, I agree with Bianca's comments. I think this is an excellent writing project for any grade level. It incorportates all of the different content areas. A newspaper also provides a very meaningful outlet for the students to work on their writing skills. This meaningful activity would also keep them in touch with current events. Although a school newspaper would definitely be appropriate for all grade levels I think the time constraints would definitely be a problem for me. I teach 6th grade where each period lasts 60 minutes. By the time I take attendance, get the students settled, and allow enough time for cleaning up at the end of the period we probably have about 45 minutes availabe. The production of a quality newspaper would definitely take u a huge amount of this time. I think it would however work great as an elective for students in the upper levels. Another option that I feel would be feasible in my school would be perhaps a monthly or bi-monthly newsletter/newspaper. It would not be as current. However, I think this could definitely be an option for teachers that have a limited amount of time with their students.

Reply 1n

Author: Lori M._Fernandez
Date: 02-22-2000 22:11

I enjoyed reading this article. I liked the fact that the production of a class newspaper provided these second grade students the ability to practice implementing the writing process. It was evident that the students enjoyed composing this newspaper and they realized how important computers are to the learning environment. However, the limitations of this project consist of the amount of time it takes to complete a project like this. The article stated that only one computer was used throughout this lesson, which makes it even more time-consuming than I thought. It is not an ideal project to do when using only one computer and a class full of excited, active, eager, children!

Reply 1o

Author: David Lund
Date: 02-23-2000 11:50

Lori is correct in the amount of time for one computer (our school received no Title One funding and in the school district in which we lived, that meant no computer lab) Most schools have a computer lab now and doing the project in the lab would be quite manageable. We did learn how to do it, and the children really did learn a great deal about computers. Many of them did other HyperStudio projects throughout the year on the single classroom computer.

Reply 1p

Author: Charlotte_Zeitsiff
Date: 02-23-2000 19:57

This article proves that there are very few limitations to what a bunch of eager children can do, when they have a motivated teacher and support from outside of the school. After all, the project was supported by a grant from a major corporation!

In looking at the facsimile of the paper, I must admit that I was really impressed! The children accomplished so much more than was even obvious. They had to learn to work together cooperatively. There had to be a great deal of "give and take" on ideas and editing, and last, but certainly not least, these students had the experience of starting a project and then seeing it through to the very end. That process in itself is quite an accomplishment!

I found it extremely interesting that the authors made a point of telling us that the newspaper itself was not part of the second grade curriculum. I feel that the learning that went on with those second graders was far superior to anything that the curriculum could have offered. Based on this opinion, I am led to believe that school systems must truly head in the direction of project-based education. The concept has been around for several years now, but technology has made this type of education much more feasible than could ever be imagined.

As a high school teacher, I look to this possibility with positive anticipation!

Reply 1q

Author: Michelle M_Garcia
Date: 02-23-2000 22:12

I too, enjoyed reading this article. I liked reading about how these second grade students worked cooperatively to create the newspaper. I too feel that more could have been accomplished if the students would have had more computer access. It is amazing, as the article mentions, the degree in which computers play a role in the classroom situation, when thay are available. It was mentioned that computers have been used over the past two decades for a variety of purposes. In my cflassroom, I have had the opportunity to use five computers to help my students learn and practice their English. I have seen what a difference it has made for my students. I believe that more students should have the opportunity to use computers in their classrooms. I also believe that teachers would be able to integrate more projects such as the one mentioned in the article, if they had the opportunity to have the computers in their classrooms as well.

Reply 1r

Author: Kathryn L. Rohan
Date: 02-23-2000 22:36

I am currently working on a computer/internet based writing project with my students. As in Lund and Sanderson's (1999) article, I am struggling with time constraints and the access of one computer for all of my students. Contrary to that, I feel that they are enjoying their time researching their topics and just enjoying having the hands-on time with the computer. Next year (when I have more computer availability) I would like to have my students work on a class newspaper. The added dimension of hypertext would be incredible!

Reply 1s

Author: David Lund
Date: 02-23-2000 11:21

Thanks Andrea for your comments. It is not always easy to find time to use the computer in the classroom, but it can be done. We looked for ways to use it within the curriculum we already taught. We just happened to have HyperStudio, but you could do the same thing, including the multimedia aspects using html format (the stuff web pages are made of" and the software to do so can be free (Netscape Communicator has a composer for html in it that does not require html knowledge--it is as simple as using a word processor). If you have computer lab time, you could probably have your students create web pages, or even an online class newspaper for their parents!! Let your imagination run away with you--don't add technology curriculum, just use it to do what you already are doing.

Reply 1t

Author: Melissa_Prado
Date: 02-24-2000 08:58

David Lund,

How exactly can netscape navigator be used to do a project such as this? Please let me know the web address or detials as to how to go about it. I am very interested and computer literate, but have never made my own web page.

Thanks, Melissa

Reply 1u

Author: Melissa_Prado
Date: 02-24-2000 08:54

I was very imprest with this article and excited at the fact that it may be possible for me to try it myself. The major seventh grade project will be to organize and print a series of newspapers. This article gave me an idea as to how I can improve this simple project. I agree with the article on the effects that computers have on students and feel that they would greatly benefit from using the computer in this manner. As I was reading the article, I recognized the name of the computer program she used and realized that I got a Hyperstudio CD in a conference I attended. I was not sure what it was and am not sure if it is a sample or the real thing. What I do know it that I will be looking into it and leaving my response as to how it works.

Reply 1v

Author: Ana_Lopez
Date: 02-27-2000 00:08

I also was very impressed with the article because of the courrage and enthusiasm that the teacher had to implement this project. I conducted a samll action research prroject on newspapers and it was wonderful. I would also like to look into the use of adding technology to that project. It would make a big difference.

Post 2

Author: Carmen_Morales-Gomez
Date: 02-21-2000 17:48

After reading this article you can conclude that where there is a will there is a way. I like how this second grade class was able to develop their classroom newspaper on one computer using several different software programs. This project shows that when students are engaged in meaningful learning good things come about. I also congratulate this second grade teacher for taking the time to show her students how newspapers come about and by creating one in multimeadia. You will never know how much the students writing skills will improve as a result of this project.

Reply 2a

Author: David Lund
Date: 02-23-2000 11:16

Carmen,

Thanks for your comments. We really did find that the writing of these students imporved remarkably as they wrote thier newspapers. Some of them even decided that newspaper work might not be so bad after all.

Reply 2b

Author: Cristina_Torres
Date: 02-23-2000 16:27

I agree with Carmen. It was exciting to see how motivated these students were. It's wonderful how this teacher took the situation she was in and made it beneficial for as many students as possible. Some teachers think they only have one computer so they usually just leave it turned off, but this teacher thought of a project that would expose these children to using the computer as often as possible, even though they had to share. I also found it interesting that the author included limitations. Inluding these makes this project more realistic. Sometimes, when you are involved in a project of this magnitude, you are going to have limitations and when you make someone aware of them, it helps them be prepared of the unexpected. Children need to be exposed to activities where they feel they are accomplishing important tasks, not just reguritating facts or processes. So much learning occured in this second grade class and the students were so excited about it.

Reply 2c

Author: Ana_Torres
Date: 02-23-2000 22:26

I found this article to be very interesting. I was amazed that the teacher could accomplish so much with her students with only one computer in the classroom. The way I see it is if you have a motivated, dedicated teacher you will get motiated, dedicated students. What a great project to motivate students with! I thought it was also a great way to help students become familiar with the newspaper so that they can become educated citizens. I was excited to see students so turned on to school and learning!

Reply 2d

Author: Allen_Breeding99
Date: 02-23-2000 20:51

This message is from Allen Breeding.

I enjoyed reading this article because it gives teachers an insight of how computers can be used in a classroom. Newspapers are a great way for students to interact with each other in a social setting as well as participate in activities that build their reading and writing skills. I like the way the authors discuss the success and limitations of the project. This really helps teachers who are planning to implement a similar project. I firmly agree that computers do motivate students' reading and writing interest. Computers seem to be the wave of the future and if more teachers include them in their instruction, we will be preparing our students for the future.

Reply 2e

Author: yoly_nielsen
Date: 02-24-2000 17:01

It was a joy to read this article. A brave teacher with real problems and good results is sometimes rare. I would love to do the same in my class, and if I follow the articles example I just might. Of course there are always the daily problems of: no time, no materials, no software, no computers, Did I mention, "no computers?"

I guess, if worst came to worst I could always buy the progams myself and HOPE the school will reimburse me. This is a great ego buster for the children, and one of the main reasons I liked it.

Post 3

Author: Tiffany_Connell
Date: 02-21-2000 23:02

Bravo, to this teacher and class. I would love to do something to this effect in my classroom. My technological knowledge is not an obstacle, yet I think I might have problems fitting it into my curriculum and day. I have a difficult time getting through things as it is, without adding on a project such as a newspaper. This is a terrific way to engage children in multimedia and active participation in their learning. If we were able to do more activities such as this, their learning would be more meaningful.

Reply 3a

Author: David Lund
Date: 02-23-2000 11:14

Tiffany,

The real trick is making this part of the curriculum, so that you don't have to add anything. The story about newspapers was in the basal, the writing was part of the writing curriculum in the second grade, that is to write about current events. It was amazing how little time it really took away from other "important" topics, while allowing students to learn about newspapers and writing. think of ways you can use the technology as a part of what you already do, rather than trying to figure out how to add new things in and you will have great success in implementing technology into your curriculum. Thanks for the Kudos, Mrs. Sanderson and I really appreciate them.

Post 4

Author: Karina_Miguelez

Date: 02-23-2000 22:36

It was refreshing to see how a teacher can take a classroom with only one computer and motivate her students to the point where they produced a newspaper. I agree with Cristina when she says that many teachers who have only one computer keep it turned off. However, I believe that one computer can help a great deal ! The proof is in the article. I liked the project and may try it out in my class.

Post 5

Author: Jessica M_Rivero
Date: 02-24-2000 11:40

As I read this article, I began to think of the computers in my classroom. I am very lucky to be able to have 3 computers in the class. Students are always required to attept there writing on paper first on paper and then they are given the opportunity to type. I disagreed with the article on the point that students should not type on the computer until they are taught typing skills. I wasn't taught typing skills until highschool and it would be horrible if students would have to wait until then. In the classroom situation where there is only one computer such as the one in the article due to lack of time, I can see how typing your own work can be difficult. I enjoyed the fact that students in the classroom mentioned in the article seemed to have benefited from a wonderful project eventhough there was only one computer. It goes to show that it can be done. After are the hard work is accomplished, students feel a sense of pride in their finished piece. Overall the article was interesting yet I think students should have more hands on experiences with the actually technology.

Reply 5a

Author: Ana_Lopez
Date: 02-27-2000 00:03

Jessica,

I understand what you mean by having more involvement with technology. But I want to say a comment on the typing deficiency of the students. Even though it may not be necessary to have formal training in typing skills, it is a need for the students to be familiar with the keyboard and the positioning of their hands. I teach in a fourth grade classroom with one computer and it is very difficult to have them type on their own. I let them do it, but I also recognize that there could be a better way. When I was in fourth grade myself I was taught the order of the letters in the keyboard, how to position my hands, and where the important keys were. I even had a typing tutor program to improve my familiarity with the keyboard. This is essential for our students to feel more comfortable with typing and writing. They get very tired of writing for so long. When they don't have time to finish they get impatient because they want to see their final product. Maybe typing programs are something that should be begun in the early elementary years.

Post 6

Author: daniela_blandon
Date: 02-24-2000 16:06

This article really gave me some great ideas on what I should be doing in my classroom to incorporate the newspaper. I am going to begin a newspaper in my school next month. My class is in charge of the editing. I enjoyed reading this article because it made me see some of the things that went right and some of the difficulties. Many times articles do not tell you what could go wrong or what actually went wrong. I am also fortunate to have computers in my room where students can do the word processing. I think that having students incorportate daily instruction using the newspaper is a great idea. I am looking forward to starting the newspaper at my school next month.

Post 7

Author: Alison _Gorf
Date: 03-01-2000 06:52

Thanks for your interesting article. I am currently studying for a Masters degree in Multimedia and Education and this semester we are looking at what constitutes multimedia and the design considerations for developing multimedia learning materials. It was very interesting to see the differences between the print version of the paper and the multimedia version as this highlights how much more can be done with tools like Hypermedia.To any teachers considering developing projects with their classes I say go for it. We have only one computer per class but we are starting to use them more and more in small ways at first using the wordprocessor but we have gradually got more software and are looking at ways of incorporating internet use and multimedia in our teaching. I am not a technology wizard but I have managed to learn to use Netscape Composer and write HTML and am just starting to learn Director to produce some material on descriptive writing. Believe me if I can do it anyone can!

Post 8

Author: A.J._Vargas

Date: 03-02-2000 14:51

I enjoyed reading this article. I like the concept of making classroom writing as interactive as possible. The study proved that the strategies used did motivate the students to become better writers. I also, likes the way the multimedia use incorporated the steps involved with the writing process, it really focused students.Consequently, the students were able to be more self sufficient as well as more invloved with literacy.

Post 9

Author: Erin_Doyal
Date: 04-20-2000 12:11

I will probably seem a little over excited as you read my response, I just love multimedia. I had the chance to work with multimedia in the classroom for the first time last year and I was hooked. Never had I see students so excited about and actively involved in the editing and publishing aspects of writing. The students wrote research papers using hyperstudio to publish their papers. Each paragraph had a separate page and the students recorded their own voices to add commentary to the text. Another exciting use for these kinds of multimedia tools is to use them in constructing portfolios. Each piece of writing the student includes can be given a separate page. The student can then use the audio tools to explain why the pieces are included or to point out areas of growth. These "portfolios" can then be shared with peers and parents. You can't imagine how proud students are when they see their hard work published in this exciting format. I encourage everyone to seek out ways to involve our students in computers. The more practice they can get the better prepared they will be for the "real world".

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