Writing with Digital Natives

    It is so hard to get my fifth graders to write anything that is what I consider a good piece of writing.  They resist adding details and organizing information in a way that makes it easier to understand.  I finally decided to embrace the digital natives inside them and broke out the laptops.  What a difference.  I won't say that I've noticed a huge impact on the quality of my students' writing, but I hear a lot less whining and the students are more likely to try to write a quality essay.  I'm trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy each small victory.  I have faith that we will have some good writers by the end of the year if I can just keep them intersted and keep them practicing.