Mark Clevidence

Clevidence's "Write All About It" project uses assisting technology as a tool to provide functional and motivational writing opportunities to special-education students in the second and third grades. Students learn to use specialized computer software to develop compensatory strategies for their writing handicaps as they engage in the production of a quarterly school newspaper. Along with non-handicapped peers, the students select topics, gather information, and write and edit articles. The project gives special-education students the opportunity to improve academic and social skills while building self-esteem. Their newspaper also increases positive communication between the school and its community.