Technology supports the writing process in several ways:
· Work is easily shared among peers and with teachers;
· Work is easily stored and reproduced;
· Revising/editing is simplified.
The more skilled teachers and students are with digital writing, the more educational benefit they will realize. Below are some guidelines for gaining proficiency with computer technology in this area:

Key Learnings (Benchmarks)

Novice Level

Writes using a word processing program incorporating upper and lower case letters and basic punctuation.

Intermediate Level

Uses keyboarding skills to incorporate numbers, symbols and correct punctuation; uses basic formatting of paragraphs, alignment, and changing fonts.

Advanced Level

Combines text, charts and pictures effectively in a word processing document; is able to do a research paper with bibliography according to MLA guidelines.

Superior Level

Creates complex documents using desktop publishing software to present text, charts and pictures effectively; is able to use a variety of formats (multi-column, variable margins, imported graphics, captions, header, footers).