Running head: 21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

Integrating a 21st-Century Writing Workshop into a Chinese Immersion Language Class

Jia-Fang Eubanks
Metropolitan State University of Denver

Author Note
Research conducted by Jia-Fang Eubanks for Capstone Educational Research,
instructed by Dr. Hsin-Te Yeh, Metropolitan State University of Denver.Correspondence
regarding this paper should be addressed to Jia-Fang Eubanks, 2034 S. Owens Ct.
Lakewood, CO 80227, jiafange@gmail.com

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

Table of Contents
Abstract....................................................................................................................3
Introduction..............................................................................................................4
Literature Review.....................................................................................................5
Methodology............................................................................................................8
Setting..........................................................................................................8
Participants...................................................................................................8
Procedure/Data Collection...........................................................................8
Findings..................................................................................................................12
Data Analysis.............................................................................................12
Survey........................................................................................................14
Observations..............................................................................................19
Summary and Conclusions....................................................................................23
Summary and Implications........................................................................23
Limitations and Recommendations............................................................25
References..............................................................................................................26
Appendix................................................................................................................27
Writing Attitude Survey.............................................................................27
Parental Permission / Consent Form..........................................................28
Verbal Assent-Student................................................................................29

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

3
Abstract

This paper is an exploratory study of a second grade immersion elementary school Mandarin
program students ability and attitude towards writing by integrating a 21st-Century writing
workshop that includes a story map, recording technology (iPad recording app), an iPad camera,
and the Book Creator App. The literature reviews and journal articles used in this research
proposal concluded that technology has increasingly played a more important role in the writing
process. Integrating easy-to-use technology into stages of the writing process enhances
elementary students ability to plan, write, and create digital stories. The study confirmed that the
writing barrier decreases when the Chinese immersion program students utilized assistive
technology for the writing workshop and if the writing ability and attitudes of the Chinese
immersion program students improves after the celebratory completion of their 21st -Century
writing workshop. Students took two surveys to assess their attitudes toward Chinese writing and
conducted a digital writing workshop.
Keywords: Chinese immersion school, writers workshop, digital writing workshop, 21st
century writing workshop, mixed methods

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

4
Introduction

Mandarin immersion language schools have shown enormous growth in the US in recent
years. Currently, there are five public and private full Mandarin immersion elementary schools in
the state of Colorado. However, very little research has been conducted on the Chinese language
curriculum and instruction in U.S. Mandarin immersion schools. Students face difficulty in
developing their writing skills in Chinese language immersion schools due to cultural differences
and a lack of a Mandarin-speaking environment at home. However, writing is a crucial part of
childhood education for many reasons. First, it allows students to communicate their thoughts
with the audience in a formal way. Second, it helps students to develop critical thinking skills.
Writing appears to be a major and essential part of students academic success. Due to the
language difficulty and complexity of Chinese characters, many students lack the skills and
motivation to write effectively in an elementary school Mandarin immersion language program.
A 21st Century writing workshop involves technology. Technology has increasingly
played a more important role in the classroom. Some educators have embedded online or
software-based writing programs for writing instruction. But one of the challenges that educators
face in teaching writing skills is that students need frequent practice to build up their writing
stamina. The barriers of difficulty and complexity of Chinese writing often reduce students
writing motivation. The digital writing process not only helps educators identify students writing
strengths and weaknesses, but also motivates their writing and increases their writing ability.
A study by Liu, Lee, Huang, and Hsieh (2012), for example, notes that a writing system
makes a significant difference in students writing performance in the areas of argumentation
and organization and structure, two essential elements of Chinese essay writing. Bogard &
McMackin (2012) also indicate that using non-digital and digital resources continues to be

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

engaging and supportive for young writers. Jang (2008) reports that the integration of writing
and network technology benefits knowledge construction. In their study, participants found that
integrating technology in writing is exciting and motivating. Finally, Mann (2011) explains that
technology can motivate and empower students to participate more actively in their own
education.
The purpose of this study is to explore whether a 21st-Century Writing Workshop will
have an effect on students ability and attitude towards writing for those who are enrolled in
Chinese language immersion programs. This study determined that the writing barrier was
reduced when participants conduct assistive technology for writing workshops, and that the
writing ability and attitude of participants improved after the celebratory completion of their
21st-Century writing workshop.
The research question for this study is: How does a 21st-Century Writing Workshop have
an effect on students ability and attitude towards writing for those who are enrolled in Chinese
language immersion programs?
Literature Review
Writing is an essential part of a students growth and performance. It helps students to
understand and communicate their own thoughts. The skills and strategies that are taught in a
writers workshop support students as critical thinkers and writers. A tremendous amount of
research has proven that writers workshops improve students academic achievement and
motivates students to become confident writers. Writing in the 21st Century often involves
digital technology. Integrating the proper technology into the writing process can inspire students
to develop new communication skills and to be actively engaged in their learning, especially for
students who are enrolled in Chinese language immersion programs.

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

Technology tools for writing are becoming more user-friendly. There are many
affordances of educational tools that can be employed to enhance the writing performances of
students. Liu, Lee, Huang, & Hsieh (2012) investigated students performance while writing
Chinese essays using an interactive online writing system by conducting an experiential design
research. This study took place at two 7th grade classes in Taoyuan, Taiwan. They found that the
use of the CWB (Conditioned Writing-Based) online interactive system made a significant
difference in students writing performance in the areas of argumentation and organization
and structure, two essential elements of Chinese essay writing. The online interactive system
assisted students with Chinese essay writing and influenced students writing performance. The
convenience of computer networks helped students to retain better control of their writing
process and reflect on their work.
On the other hand, Kang (2011) also studied computer-based and paper-based writing for
beginning-level and intermediate-level Chinese learners' writing. The researcher used mixed
methods to examine participants Chinese writing. Surveys and interviews were conducted to
examine participants' views of Chinese writing and their attitudes toward computer-based and
paper-based writing. After two groups of participants conducted paper-based and computer-based
writing sessions, Kang found that there was no difference between computer-based and paperbased writing when participants wrote unfamiliar genres of writing. The participants wrote
Chinese essays better with paper-based writing in terms of writing clarity and organization.
Computer-based writing only helped participants produce fewer character errors.
Another research project entitled Building 21st Century Writers was conducted by
Demski (2012). She studied students at Littleton Public Schools in Colorado who used basic
netbooks, cloud-based, and open source tools to support a district-wide writing initiative. With

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

Web 2.0 and social media tools, wireless connectivity, open source word processing and
presentation software, cloud-based collaborative writing tools, and web-based writing tools have
brought classrooms as a whole into the 21st century and made a significant impact on student
learning. The killer app for 21st century learning is a good teacher, and well-developed
technology makes good teachers into great teachers.
Web 2.0 tools are new ways of creating, collaborating, editing and sharing user-generated
content online. Li, Chu, Ki, and Woo (2012) conducted a research study of using a wiki-based
collaborative process writing pedagogy to facilitate collaborative writing among Chinese primary
school students. Fifty-nine 4th graders from a primary school in the city of Shenzhen, China
participated in this study for two months. The results showed that students perceived that Wikibase Collaborative Process Writing Pedagogy (WCPWP) was beneficial in boosting writing
motivation, increasing group interaction, and extending the audience for their writing. This study
also provided practical recommendations for primary school Chinese language teachers in the
integration of Web 2.0 tools (wikis, Google Docs) as well as the use of effective pedagogical
strategies in the teaching of Chinese writing.
A study conducted by Bogard & McMacklin (2012) found that recorded oral rehearsal
and digital storytelling were powerful tools for writing. Using both non-digital and digital
resources engaged and supported young writers in the 21st century. The researchers specifically
focused on each stage of the recursive writing process with flip cameras, digital cameras, audio
recorders, field notes, students surveys and writing samples. They found that integrating easy-touse technology into stages of the writing process enhanced how elementary students plan, write,
and create digital stories. Using audio recordings allowed the students to verbalize and elaborate

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

their developing stories. I modified this method and used it in my research with different
technologies and Chinese language immersion school students.
Methodology
Setting
The research was conducted at Ms. Yus 2nd grade class of Global Village Academies
Language Immersion Elementary Schools Mandarin program. The physical address for the
school is 403 S Airport Blvd, Aurora, CO 80017.
Participants
The participants in this study were twenty-four 2nd grade students from Ms. Yus 2nd
grade class of Global Village Academies Language Immersion Elementary Schools Mandarin
program. Seven boys and seventeen girls were included in this group. Students were 7-8 years of
age and had been in the Mandarin program for one to two years. Also involved in the study was
one 2nd grade classroom teacher. All students participated in a 21st-century writing workshop
that used a story map, recording technology (iPad recording app), an iPad camera, and the Book
Creator App. Finally, the audience of the writing celebration included the twenty-four 2nd grade
students and their parents.
Procedure/Data Collection
This case study was conducted over a three-week period of time. Data was collected by a
pre- and post-survey, completed participant observation, and audio-visual materials collection for
analysis. The study for all participants took place at the end of November and December of the
2014. All students took a pre-survey and a post-survey (see Appendix) that asked them to check
their attitudes towards writing. The survey is a Likert scale similar to the scale used to measure
attitudes towards reading in the study conducted by McKenna, M.C. & Kear, D.J. (1990).

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

The model of the 21st Century workshop is similar to the combination of traditional and
new literacies described in a 21st-Century writing workshop study conducted by Bogard, J. M., &
McMackin, M. C. (2012). First, all students were instructed to collect ideas that could potentially
be developed into personal narratives. Students collected their written ideas from quick writes
with pictures, oral sharing, and brainstorming with classmates in their notebook. Following the
idea collection, the students chose an idea and wrote their own narratives. They created story
maps that focused on the beginning, middle, and end of expected stories. Next, students
developed their stories through recorded oral rehearsal using touchpad technology (iPad). Then
students had their partners listen to each others recordings and conferred together. According to
students recording and the feedback from other peers, they created three-part storyboards that
include narration, sketch, and digital media (Book Creator App) as planning for their digital
stories. Last, students published their digital storytelling on the classroom website and shared
with their parents for celebration. (See Figure 1)

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

10
Figure 1

This study took place during the Guided Chinese reading and writing period from
12:10pm to 1:30pm daily in Mrs. Yus 2nd Grade Mandarin class at Global Village Academys
Aurora Campus. The 21st century writing workshop was embedded into the regular small group
writing instruction that replaces the traditional paper and pencil writing.
During the small group guided time, the 24 students were divided into five groups; each
group was rotated for small group writing instruction. Each student was assigned to use an iPad
for his or her writing that includes oral recording in Chinese and Chinese digital story writing.
The following activities and procedures were being added to the classroom specifically
for this research study.
Chinese Input Method
There are two types of input methods for students to input their Chinese writing
Handwriting Input (see Figure 2) and Pinyin Input (see Figure 3). The Handwriting Input
Method is the same as the regular character writing that students have been writing for two to
three years. The Pinyin Romanization method was introduced to students at the beginning of the
2nd grade. Students were allowed to choose their input method depending on their personal
preference.

Figure 2 Chinese Handwriting Input

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

11

Figure 3 Pinyin Input

Observation
The researchers observed students attitudes toward to their Chinese story writing during
three periods of time that included story developing oral rehearsal in Chinese by using iPad voice
recording, inputting Chinese story writing in the digital media (Book Creator App), and the final
published recording of their writing in the digital media (Book Creator App). The lists below
were used to record students attitudes toward their Chinese story writing.
1. Story developing oral rehearsal in Chinese by using iPad recording.
a. Motivated
Reason:
b. Frustrated
Reason:
c. Other
Reason:
2. Inputting Chinese story writing in the digital media (Book Creator App).
a. Motivated
Reason:
b. Frustrated
Reason:
c. Other
Reason:

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

12

3. Final published recording of their writing in the digital media (Book Creator App).
a. Motivated
Reason:
b. Frustrated
Reason:
c. Other
Reason:
Findings
Data Analysis
The data collected for this research study took place in November and December of 2014
through a mixed methodology approach. Before the study, besides collecting principals approval
and parental consents I also verbally asked students for their agreement to participate in the
study.
iPad iPad
iPad
iPad
English Translation: Children, over the next three weeks, we will be using iPads as a
part of our Chinese writing to see if it will help you get better at writing. If you do not want to
use iPads for Chinese writing, you will use pen and paper as before. If you want to join us in this
activity by using iPads, please raise your hand now. All twenty-four students raised their hands
and agreed to participate in the study.
During the study, I collected students audio-visual materials including their story maps,
recording sound tracks, planning stories, and final digital published writing. The pre- and postsurveys were collected as well. Observations were collected by the researcher. Two categories of
data were collected by observation: engagement and improving writing ability. These were used

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

13

to measure the 21st-Century writing workshops effectiveness on students ability and attitude
towards writing.
There were six questions in the survey. 1) How do you feel when you write a note to a
friend in Chinese? 2) How do you feel about writing at home for fun in Chinese? 3) How do you
feel about getting a new notebook, journal, or diary as a gift? 4) How do you feel about writing
Chinese in your free time at school? 5) How do you feel when it is time for writing Chinese in
school? 6) How do you feel when you have to write about what you just learned in Chinese? The
purpose of the survey is to evaluate students interests and motivation on writing in Chinese. The
surveys use a Likert scale. The answers are leveled from Wonderful (4 points) to Bad (1 point). I
used a paired t-test to compare the pre- and post-survey of study students attitude towards
writing being improved or worsened. I used the raw data including field notes from the
observation, and collected students work samples data for analyzing students engagement and
improved writing ability. It involved a detailed description of the setting followed by
interpretation of the data of each writing stage.

Survey
Pre-Survey vs. Post-Survey Responses
Chart 1 shows the differences in responses to the first survey question, How do you feel when
you write a note to a friend in Chinese? There was a significant difference between the scores
on the pre-test (mean = 3.13, standard deviation = 0.74) and the scores on the post-test (mean =
1. Howdoyoufeel whenyouwriteanotetoafriendin

3.75, standard deviationChinese?

= 0.53) conditions; paired-sample t(23) = 3.16, p = 0.0044 for the two20

19

Pre-Study1

Numberof Students

tail assumption .
Post-Study

115
The two-tail condition assumes
that the outcome of the workshop could either
11
increase
or
decrease
students
attitudes
toward writing. If we assumed that the
10
8
workshop could, for5 example, only increase the attitudes we could use the less
4

5
0

Bad 1

1
Okay2

Good 3

SurveyResponse(Pre- vsPost-Study)

Wonderful 4

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

14

Question 1
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
Before
After
Mean
3.13
3.75
Variance
0.55
0.28
Standard Deviation
0.74
0.53
Observations
24
24
Hypothesized Mean Difference
0
df
23
t Stat
-3.16
P(T<=t) one-tail
0.0022
t Critical one-tail
1.7139
P(T<=t) two-tail
0.0044
t Critical two-tail
2.0687

Chart 1: Pre-and Post Test Results, t-Test analysis for Question 1

These results suggest that the 21st-Century writing workshop improves students feelings
toward writing notes to friends in Chinese. The p = 0.0044 indicates that there is only a 4.4 out
of 1000 chance that the above findings are due to chance.
Chart 2 shows the differences in responses to the second survey question, How do you
feel about writing at home for fun in Chinese? There was a significant difference between the
scores on the pre-test (mean = 3.46, standard deviation = 0.66) and the scores on the post-test
(mean = 3.92, standard deviation = 0.28) conditions; paired-sample t(23) = 3.11, p = 0.0049 for
the two-tail assumption.

2. Howdoyoufeel aboutwri ngathomeforfunin

Chinese?

Numberof Students

25
20

22

Pre-Study
Post-Study
13

15
9

10
5
0

Bad 1

Okay2

2
Good 3

Wonderful 4

stringent one-tail
analysis. For this analysis, we
SurveyResponse(Pre- vsPost-Study)

Question 2
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
Before
After
Mean
3.46
3.92
Variance
0.43
0.08
Standard Deviation
0.66
0.28
Observations
24
24
Hypothesized Mean Difference
0
df
23
t Stat
-3.11
P(T<=t) one-tail
0.0024
t Critical one-tail
1.7139
P(T<=t) two-tail
0.0049
t Criticalt-test.
two-tail
2.0687
chose the two-tail

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

15

Chart 2: Pre-and Post Test Results, t-Test analysis for Question 2

These results suggest that the 21st-Century writing workshop improves students feelings
toward writing at home for fun in Chinese. The p = 0.0049 indicates that there is only a 4.9 out
of 1000 chance that the above findings are due to chance.
Chart 3 shows the differences in responses to the third survey question, How do you feel
about getting a new notebook, journal, or diary as a gift? There was a significant difference
between the scores on the pre-test (mean = 3.50, standard deviation = 0.83) and the scores on the
post-test (mean = 3.92, standard deviation = 0.28) conditions; paired-sample t(23) = 2.20, p =
0.0383 for the two-tail assumption.

3. Howdoyoufeel about ge nganewnotebook,

journal, ordiaryasagi ?

Numberof Students

25
20

22

Pre-Study
Post-Study

16

15
10
5
0

5
1

Bad 1

Okay2

2
Good 3

SurveyResponse(Pre- vsPost-Study)

Wonderful 4

Question 3
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
Before
After
Mean
3.50
3.92
Variance
0.70
0.08
Standard Deviation
0.83
0.28
Observations
24
24
Hypothesized Mean Difference
0
df
23
t Stat
-2.20
P(T<=t) one-tail
0.0191
t Critical one-tail
1.7139
P(T<=t) two-tail
0.0383
t Critical two-tail
2.0687

Chart 3: Pre-and Post Test Results, t-Test analysis for Question 3

These results suggest that the 21st-Century writing workshop improves students feelings
toward receiving a new notebook, journal, or diary as a gift. The p = 0.0383 indicates that there
is only a 3.8 out of 100 chance that the above findings are due to chance. This is still within the

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

16

standard statistical threshold of p = 0.05, but it is the lowest probability of all six questions on
the survey.

Chart 4 shows the differences in responses to the fourth survey question, How do you
feel about writing Chinese in your free time at school? There was a significant difference
between the scores on the pre-test (mean = 3.25, standard deviation = 0.85) and the scores on the
post-test (mean = 3.88, standard deviation = 0.34) conditions; paired-sample t(23) = 3.50, p =
0.0019 for the two-tail assumption.

4. Howdoyoufeel about wri ngChineseinyourfree

meatschool?

Numberof Students

25
20

Pre-Study

21

Post-Study

15

5
0

11

10
1

3
0

Bad 1

3
0

Okay2

Good 3

SurveyResponse(Pre- vsPost-Study)

Wonderful 4

Question 4
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
Before
After
Mean
3.25
3.88
Variance
0.72
0.11
Standard Deviation
0.85
0.34
Observations
24
24
Hypothesized Mean Difference
0
df
23
t Stat
-3.50
P(T<=t) one-tail
0.0010
t Critical one-tail
1.7139
P(T<=t) two-tail
0.0019
t Critical two-tail
2.0687

Chart 4: Pre-and Post Test Results, t-Test analysis for Question 4

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

17

These results suggest that the 21st-Century writing workshop improves students feelings
toward writing Chinese in their free time at school. The p = 0.0019 indicates that there is only a
1.9 out of 1000 chance that the above findings are due to chance.

Chart 5 shows the differences in responses to the fifth survey question, How do you feel
when it is time for writing Chinese in school? There was a significant difference between the
scores on the pre-test (mean = 3.46, standard deviation = 0.66) and the scores on the post-test
(mean = 3.92, standard deviation = 0.28) conditions; paired-sample t(23) = 3.41, p = 0.0024 for
the two-tail assumption.

5. Howdoyoufeel whenitis meforwri ngChinesein

school?

Numberof Students

25
20

22

Pre-Study
Post-Study
13

15
9

10
5
0

Bad 1

Okay2

2
Good 3

SurveyResponse(Pre- vsPost-Study)

Wonderful 4

Question 5
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
Before
After
Mean
3.46
3.92
Variance
0.43
0.08
Standard Deviation
0.66
0.28
Observations
24
24
Hypothesized Mean Difference
0
df
23
t Stat
-3.41
P(T<=t) one-tail
0.0012
t Critical one-tail
1.7139
P(T<=t) two-tail
0.0024
t Critical two-tail
2.0687

Chart 5: Pre-and Post Test Results, t-Test analysis for Question 5

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

18

These results suggest that the 21st-Century writing workshop improves students feelings
when it is time for writing Chinese in school. The p = 0.0024 indicates that there is only a 2.4
out of 1000 chance that the above findings are due to chance.

Chart 6 shows the differences in responses to the sixth and final survey question, How
do you feel when you have to write about what you just learned in Chinese? There was a
significant difference between the scores on the pre-test (mean = 2.92, standard deviation = 0.93)
and the scores on the post-test (mean = 3.75, standard deviation = 0.53) conditions; pairedsample t(23) = 3.61, p = 0.0015 for the two-tail assumption.

6. Howdoyoufeel whenyouhavetowriteaboutwhat
youjustlearnedinChinese?

Numberof Students

20
15

19

Pre-Study
Post-Study

10

5
1
0

Bad 1

1
Okay2

Good 3

SurveyResponse(Pre- vsPost-Study)

Wonderful 4

Question 6
t-Test: Paired Two Sample for Means
Before
After
Mean
2.92
3.75
Variance
0.86
0.28
Standard Deviation
0.93
0.53
Observations
24
24
Hypothesized Mean Difference
0
df
23
t Stat
-3.61
P(T<=t) one-tail
0.0007
t Critical one-tail
1.7139
P(T<=t) two-tail
0.0015
t Critical two-tail
2.0687

Chart 6: Pre-and Post Test Results, t-Test analysis for Question 6

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

19

These results suggest that the 21st-Century writing workshop improves students attitude
toward writing about what they just learned in Chinese. The p = 0.0015 indicates that there is
only a 1.5 out of 1000 chance that the above findings are due to chance.

Observations
Based on the three categories of observations, the following are the findings from the
observation of twenty-four students work.
1. Story developing oral rehearsal in Chinese by using iPad recording.
All twenty-four students were fully engaged during the oral rehearsal in Chinese by using
iPad recording. Based on students story maps, they verbally described their stories and recorded
them in the iPad recording app. Every student repeatedly recorded their story at least three to
twelve times. Then they chose the best one for their writing. During the recording, five students
felt frustrated because 1) they had a hard time expressing their ideas in Chinese; 2) they were not
interested in the topic they had chosen; or 3) they felt frustrated coming up with writing ideas.
The elements of frustration did not discourage their learning. Instead, after they received help
from the teacher, they were able to produce better ideas for recording. The positive results of the
motivation for recording from the observations were 1) after multiple times of repeated
recording, students were able to self correct their writing ideas; 2) students added more detail to
their stories; 3) students learned new Chinese vocabulary; 4) students learned to organize their
ideas in sequences; 5) students organized writing ideas into different sound tracks; 6) students
developed Chinese speaking fluency by recording multiple times; 7) students listened to their
own voices; 8) students were inspired to write more ideas verbally; 9) students self-corrected

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

20

their Chinese pronunciation; 10) students remembered the writing ideas they recorded for later
writing.

2. Inputting Chinese story writing in the Book Creator App.

Two methods of Chinese typing were introduced to the students1) handwriting, and 2)
Pinyin input. All students chose the handwriting method to input their writing. However, two
students occasionally used Pinyin input when they encountered problems with handwriting input.
Based on students recording, they chose the best one for their writing. Students constantly
checked their recordings and their story maps as they tried to input their stories into the iPad
Book Creator App. Based on the observation during the time students input their stories into the
iPad app, the positive motivated results were as follow. (1) Students practiced their Chinese
handwriting skills and improved their ability to write Chinese characters since the handwriting
input method was the same as normal handwriting. (2) Students learned to select the appropriate
Chinese characters from a set of candidate homophonic characters that appear during pinyin
input. This helped students to read, recognize, and remember the characters. (3) Students noticed
other new Chinese characters that they had just learned recently from the keyboard hints when
they input characters. (4) Students realized the importance of the Chinese stroke order writing
rules, because when they wrote the strokes in the wrong order, the characters would not show up
in the keyboard hint. (5) Writing the characters and finding the correct one from the keyboard
made students feel like they were involved in a game type of activity. All students were engaged
and focused on their typing. On the other hand, three students felt frustrated by their lack of
knowledge of Chinese character stroke order writing rules. As a result, they were unable to find

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

21

the characters they wanted from the keyboard hint. In addition, some students were interrupted
by being pulled out for English intervention.

3. Final published recording of their writing in the Book Creator App.

Students recorded their final writing verbally in the Book Creator App. During the final
published recording, students constantly practiced reading their writing aloud. They were
motivated by reading their own writing, listened to their own recording, and building up their
reading fluency skills on their own writing. Based on the observation during students final
published recording of their stories in the Book Creator App, the positive motivated results were
as follows. (1) Due to the fact that students had to reread their writing during the final recording,
the final published recording served as another revised stage for students. Many students were
able to identify their writing mistakes and revised their finial published writing. (2) Reading
students own writing motivated and engaged all of them during the recording task. Students
were excited to record many times and listen to their own recordings in order to get the best
results for their published writing. (3) Reading students own writing reinforced them to
remember the Chinese characters that they had learned or forgot. They also were able to
recognize and read some characters that they have not learned before based on the semantic and
syntactic cues. (4) After repeated recording, they were able to self correct their pronunciation and
tones by listen to their own recording. (5) Students reading speed and fluency increased during
and after the recording. Most of the students were able to memorize their writing and recite the
stories to the teacher and their classmates. (6) After the final published recording, students were
proud and happy to share their writing to their teachers, classmates, and parents. I did not notice
much frustration during the final published recording except that some students could not read a

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

22

few of the new characters that they had never learned before. However, after the recordings, they
enjoyed listening to their own recordings and later they were able to remember the sentences
they wrote and recited them to their classmates or the teachers. Even though a couple of students
were interrupted by being pulled out for English intervention, they were still excited and quickly
finished their final published recording.
Both of the recordings, especially the final published recording, helped students to
recognize the importance of the tones for Chinese. Compared to their previous work, all students
were able to produce significantly more writing during the workshop. I also noticed that they
were not only using the sentence structures they had learned before, but also increasing the usage
of new vocabulary. In addition, they were able to express their thoughts and wrote stories that
connected to their own experience. Some students indicated that they enjoyed writing on the iPad
because their hands didnt feel sore anymore. Last, students confidence in writing increased, and
they were proud to share their writing with their classmates and other audiences.

Summary and Conclusions

Summary and Implications
This research study sought to find out if the 21st-Century Writing Workshop has an effect
on students ability and attitude towards writing for those who are enrolled in Chinese language
immersion programs. The findings on these second grade students in the Aurora school district in
Aurora County Colorado showed significant increase in students Chinese writing ability,
engagement and motivation. In addition, the results also showed evidence of improvement on
students speaking, reading, and listening skills as language learners. Finally, the survey results

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

23

demonstrated a statistically significant positive attitude towards writing Chinese in various

situations including at home or school after the 21st-Century Writing Workshop.
As the result of these positive findings, there are important implications for world
language and immersion school Chinese teachers to note. First, the positive responses on the
survey about increasing and improvement on attitude towards to Chinese writing imply that if
teachers adapt this 21st Century Writing Workshop design in their classroom, there would be a
positive effect on students motivation and engagement toward Chinese writing. Second, the
workshop showed positive results not only in improving students Chinese writing ability, but
also in improving students reading, speaking, and listening skills. At the same time, students
build up communication skills based on the three modes Presentational mode, Interpretive
mode, and Interpersonal mode for language learning. Finally, the publications of students
writing become the new e-books for classroom library. (See Figure 4) Students enjoy reading
their own and peers writing stories. The publications also can be served as students e-portfolio.
It is a good evidence to show students growth to the parents during the parent-teacher
conferences.

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

Figure 4. Classroom Libraries

Figure 5. Students Writing Samples

24

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25

Limitations and Recommendations

There were several limitations of this study. First, due to the small number of students
participating in the study, generalizations were difficult to determine. Second, the study was
conducted over a short period of three weeks. It is highly recommended that the study take place
over the course of the entire school year, so that more data could be collected. Doing so might
yield more accurate results. Third, there is a possibility of bias in the study due to only one
researcher conducting observations. A different perspective that collects qualitative data from
other points of view is also recommended. Finally, there is a difficulty in collecting accurate
surveys from such young participants. It is possible that students did not understand the survey or
accidently marked the survey answers wrong.
In conclusion, the goal for this study was to motivate and increase students attitude and
ability in Chinese writing. The results of this study determined that after the second grade
students followed the 21st-Century Writing Workshop, the writing barrier decreased after using
the assistive technology. Students were able to produce more Chinese writing while enjoying
themselves during the writing workshop process.

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

26
References

Bogard, J. M., & McMackin, M. C. (2012). Combining traditional and new literacies in a 21stcentury writing workshop. Reading Teacher, 65(5), 313-323.
Carroll, S., & Feng, J. (2010). Writer's workshop vs. writing prompts: the effect on first graders'
writing ability and attitude towards writing. Georgia Educational Research Association,
2010 25 pp. (ED533063)
Demski, J. (2012). Building 21st century writers. T.H.E. Journal, 39(2), 23-26.
Jang, S. J. (2008). The effects of integrating technology, observation and writing into a teacher
education method course. Computers&Education,50(3),906-914.
Kang, H. (2011, January 1). Computer-based writing and paper-based writing: a study of
beginning-level and intermediate-level chinese learners' writing. ProQuest LLC.
Li, X., Chu, S., Ki, W., & Woo, M. (2012). Using a wiki-based collaborative process writing
pedagogy to facilitate collaborative writing among Chinese primary school students.
Australasian Journal Of Educational Technology, 28(1), 159-181.
Liu, Y., Lee, W., Huang, T., & Hsieh, H. (2012). Improving students' Chinese writing abilities in
Taiwan with the "conditioned writing system". Turkish Online Journal Of Educational
Technology - TOJET, 11(3), 189-201.
Mann, M. (2011). Helping students express their passion. Learning & Leading With Technology,
38(6), 10-15.
McKenna, M. C., & Kear, D. J. (1990). Measuring attitude toward reading: a new tool for
teachers. Reading Teacher, 43(9), 626-39.

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Appendix

Writing Attitude Survey

1. How do you feel when you write a note to a friend in Chinese?
Wonderful 4

Good 3

Okay 2

Bad 1

Okay 2

Bad 1

2. How do you feel about writing at home for fun in Chinese?

Wonderful 4

Good 3

3. How do you feel about getting a new notebook, journal, or diary as a gift?
Wonderful 4

Good 3

Okay 2

Bad 1

4. How do you feel about writing Chinese in your free time at school?
Wonderful 4

Good 3

Okay 2

Bad 1

5. How do you feel when it is time for writing Chinese in school?

Wonderful 4

Good 3

Okay 2

Bad 1

6. How do you feel when you have to write about what you just learned in Chinese?
Wonderful 4

Good 3

Okay 2

Bad 1

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28

Parental Permission / Consent Form

Metropolitan State University of Denver

890 Auraria Parkway Denver, Colorado 80204
Master of Artsin TeachingElementary Program
Parental Permission/Consent Form
September 8, 2014
Dear Parents,
I am a student at Metropolitan State University of Denver in the Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary
st
Program. I am conducting a study on how a 21 -Century digital writing workshop improves and motivates
nd
students on Chinese story writing in Ms. Yus 2 grade class. Global Village Academy Aurora has allowed
me to contact you to request permission for your child to participate in the study.
st

The subject of my research project is Integrating a 21 -Century Writing Workshop into a Chinese Immersion
Language Class. Children who participate will be using an iPad to conduct a digital writing workshop and
take pre- and post-surveys. Students will not miss any instruction time. If any student indicates at any time
that s/he wants to stop participating in the study, the student can return to their regular classwork
immediately.
There are no known risks to your child for participating in this study, and instead your child may benefit from
increasing his or her motivation of Chinese story writing. Their grades will not be affected in any way if they
do not participate in the study. However, the data collected will lead to an increased understanding of
students Chinese writing ability and motivation. If you would like to have a report of the study when it is
completed, please indicate this at the bottom of this form.
The participation is completely anonymous. Anonymous means that I will record no information about your
child that could identify him or her. The research team is the only party that will be allowed to see the data. If
a report of this study is published, or the results are presented at a professional conference, only group
results will be stated and no individual students result will be included.
If you have any questions about the research, you may contact me at 720-220-4040 or via e-mail at
jeubank9@msudenver.edu. If you have any questions about your child's rights as a research participant, you
may contact my capstone advisor Dr. Yeh, Hsin-Te (Chuck) by phone at (303) 556-3362 or via e-mail at
hyeh1@msudenver.edu.
Your child's participation in this study is completely voluntary. Please sign and return the attached permission
slip if you are willing to have your child participate. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jia-Fang Eubanks
****************************************************************************** *********************************************
___________________________ __________ has my permission to participate in the research study,
Your Childs Name

" Integrating a 21st-Century Writing Workshop into a Chinese Immersion Language Class ", which will be
nd
conducted by Jia-Fang Eubanks in Ms. Yus 2 grade class.
Signature of Parent or Guardian ______________________________ __________ Date ______________________

Yes. I would like to receive a copy of the completed study.

No. I do not wish to receive a copy of the completed study.

21ST-CENTURY WRITING PROCESS

29

Verbal Assent-Student
The 21st-Century writing workshop is embedded in the regular Chinese guided writing
time in small group setting. During the instruction, if students agree to participate in this study,
then they will be introduced to use the 21st-Century digital writing by using iPad's writing app. If
students do not wish to participate in this study, then the students will use the traditional paper
and pencil to finish their writing assignment.
The verbal assent will be asked before the writing workshop. The following is the verbal assent
script (in Chinese).
iPad iPad
iPad
iPad
English Translation: Children, over the next three weeks, we will be using iPads as a
part of our Chinese writing to see if it will help you get better at writing. If you do not want to
use iPads for Chinese writing, you will use pen and paper as before. If you want to join us in this
activity by using iPads, please raise your hand now.