It's evident, with all the research that has been done, that Web 2.0 tools enhance students’ engagement in the classroom and increase achievement. Now imagine the impact that can be made in writing. Blogs, podcasts, wikis, and some incredibly fun software excite students, and while they write using these, their skills and creative thinking improves across all subjects.
I firmly believe that teachers that do this find a way to allow students to write for a large audience. Students write but they also start to recognize the challenges of having more people reading what they have produced. This engages the students, but it also challenges them to reach a new level of excitement and rigor.
Read this good article by by Maya T. Prabhu, Assistant Editor @ http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/07/18/technology-a-key-tool-in-writing-instruction/.
