Irene Lietz -
"Beyond Paper and Pencils"

As you enter the cozy office area, you see a computer perched on the desktop and an iBook G4® adorning the desk. Flash drives, antiplagiarism software, word processing applications, and an electronic blackboard surround you. The ticking sound of the keyboard reverberates off the walls as messages are relayed to students. The rustling of students' papers has diminished because technology has transformed the area where papers once lay. Where is this place? It is the office of
Irene Lietz, Instructor in the Professional Writing and English programs at Carlow University. Her office area has changed since she began teaching full-time in August 2001. Where did the paper and pencils go?

Technology has not only transformed Irene's surroundings, but it has also enhanced her teaching. The writer's tools are no longer just paper and pencils. They have transcended to bits and bytes of computer memory. Among the tools in Irene's writing toolbox are Blackboard, (Carlow's course management system), antiplagiarism software, Microsoft Word, and electronic grade books. These tools help her to provide more timely feedback to her students and enable them to become better writers. For example, using the tracking changes feature in Word decreases the turnaround time for student feedback. Students are able to more quickly identify their mistakes and correct them. She is able to provide more thorough comments to her students. She says, "The more feedback I give them, the better they do. Good writing is about revision. And, research has shown, people who write papers on computers are better writers."

Irene's integration of technology into her teaching did not occur overnight. She has been teaching for almost thirty years at both the high school and college levels. Her strategy has been to take small steps toward incorporating the technology. She has carefully evaluated the technological tools to determine which ones would be most appropriate for her students. With all the technological resources available, she wanted to be selective to make sure students benefited from a seamless integration into her teaching. The technology should not be the center focus. She says, "Like the saying goes, the tail should not wag the dog, rather the dog should wag the tail."

As Irene has integrated technology over the years, she has seen a development in students' writing abilities. "Students are better researchers. The technology increases access to information. They read and write at a higher level." Realizing students benefit from technology integration, she has also changed the way she teaches the research paper component of her college writing course. She no longer uses index cards for reference sources. Instead, students provide the entire article with their notations and highlighting, and she can review not only the source but also the content to determine if the student misinterprets the information. In addition, the use of antiplagiarism software allows students to determine how to cite appropriately and learn how to paraphrase rather than plagiarize. Students identify more valid sources of information, thereby augmenting their research skills.

Irene's recommendation to fellow colleagues is straight-forward. She says, "Start small. Think about the match between what technology can do and your goals for student learning. Make use of the resources available to you. Go to the Computer Café sessions and seek help. It's there for you." With the resources you have available, you can also transform your teaching beyond paper and pencils.

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