EWriter, a free online writing and collaboration tool that aims to improve learners' language proficiency, is now available.
The application gives pupils the option of making their work accessible to users all over the world and enables them to invite reviews from fellow pupils and teachers.
Developed by Vanesh Gokal, principal at Burnwood Secondary School and finalist in the Microsoft Partners in Learning Innovative Teacher Forum Awards, EWriter is a cloud-based tool that allows learners to save their writing online. Once pupils have saved their work on EWriter, they are able to access it from anywhere, even via a mobile phone.
Gokal believes poor performance across all subjects can be largely attributed to a poor understanding of language. “EWriter improves language understanding, as it encourages pupils to read and write, and allows for collaboration.”
He added that with the tool, pupils' “often beautiful work” is not lost when they throw away their books at the end of the year.
Teaching tool
Gokal says it is not just pupils who stand to gain from collaboration, but teachers too. For example, he notes, teachers can write their analysis of a poem into EWriter, and it will be accessible to other teachers and students.
He points out that in SA, subject advisors are not able to visit all the schools often, but with EWriter, they are able to make their advice and analysis available online, and accessible to all schools.
“The product also allows teachers to write in their lessons, which can be accessed remotely.”
However, while Gokal says EWriter does not require any specific software, pupils and teachers do need a browser to access the tool, which means it is only available to students in SA with an Internet connection, either phone or computer.
EWriter is available online here.
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