School writing, technologies, and textuality

The major concern of this study has been to identify the contribution of the word processor to changes brought about in a school writing context. Whilst technology might be seen to alter particular human practices, and also to alter human attributes, such effects upon human agents do not occur unless technological implements are utilised in a cultural setting. Writing is identified as a technological activity involving cultural and material technologies which dialogically and dialectically confine and yet enable meaning-making. Three technologies used in school writing are identified and through an examination of the foundations upon which they have been constructed these are shown to be Through an examination of a community setting, the teacher and his classroom, and taking three students and their work as a sample, these three technologies are shown to be modified by students in the service of composing text. Taking into account cultural and political factors, it is shown that the word processor does provide opportunity for students to modify writing activities and practices but only as cultural and political factors allow. The word processor does not, of itself, alter the writing complex. Implications from these findings suggest that it is only as the school community, teachers and students recognise a need for cultural and political change will the word processor provide opportunity for writing in a variety of ways not usually attempted in classroom settings — that is, for a reconceptualisation of compositional practice