Taking an online class can be a daunting experience in and of itself, but if students choose the proper tools, it will save them time and frustration, and learning online will be viewed as a very rewarding experience. Perhaps the most important tool for a rewarding online education is the correct browser. Currently, there are several browsers that a student might choose, and as with everything, each has pros and cons. The two most popular browsers are Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

First, let me say that I used Internet Explorer as my browser of choice for the first eight to ten years of being online. Then, about five years ago, I came across some sites that claimed to work better with Firefox as a browser. So, wanting the best possible experience, I downloaded and started using Firefox as my preferred browser and found that it really did work better on many sites.

However, being a creature of habit, I could not completely let go of Internet Explorer, and I found that many sites still worked best with it. In fact, at that time, many learning platforms (such as Blackboard) worked best with Internet Explorer. In the last few years, Mozilla has perfected Firefox to the point where more and more learning platforms and websites now work better with Firefox. For instance, Moodle (the platform we use here at Time4Writing) works better with Firefox than Internet Explorer.

For instance, when using Internet Explorer, do you ever receive those pesky error messages that say Internet Explorer has had a problem and needs to be shut down? You know what happens next; you lose all the hard work you’ve just completed. Grrr! However, I have been using Firefox as my primary browser for over three years now, and have never had such a problem.

Firefox will also help Time4Writing students in other ways. For example, Firefox has a built in spell checker that underlines a misspelled word in red dots as soon as it is typed and has a space or punctuation placed after it. One click fixes the misspelled word, and students can continue on with their typing.

Firefox will also allow students to highlight a word or phrase, right-click it, and then use it to “Search Google.” This is a handy function for students writing essays, especially when wanting to know more about their topic.

Finally, if something unexpected does happen, like a power failure and the computer shuts down, Firefox saves your settings. With Internet Explorer, nothing is saved. You would have to go back to each and every page on each window to continue working. With Firefox, as soon as the power comes back and you open your Firefox browser, everything is just as it was before the failure. This feature alone keeps me using Firefox as my preferred browser.

Both MAC and PC users have found that Firefox is the best browser for achieving great results while working in Moodle (Time4Writing’s learning platform). Of course, there are other browsers and each individual needs to find the one that works best for their endeavors. If you want to know more about Firefox, you can visit and download a free version of the browser at http://www.mozilla.com. Downloading and setting up takes very little time or effort.

When I was a student, back in prehistoric times – or at least pre-computer age times — all instructors had to teach us about writing were the basics. We learned about parts of speech, sentences, paragraphs, essays, and other essentials of becoming a literate writer. A writing teacher’s biggest challenge was getting us to realize that not every plot was like a Saturday morning cartoon.

These days, teachers are competing with video game systems, computers, and phones that do everything except feed you. As an online writing teacher, why would this prove to be a nuisance to me? The answer to this question is what I call, “computer speak.”

“Computer speak” is the language that students use to communicate when IM-ing, speaking in chat rooms, and texting. It has become quite a challenge to explain to students that the way they write and spell in these venues, is not the way one writes formally.

LOL – Laugh out loudly; IDK – I don’t know; and s’ up – what’s up for the computer-age language challenged, are great to use when sending messages. They are not, though, acceptable when writing a narrative or expository essay.

Happy face emoticons are also not formal writing appropriate. In fact, when training a couple of years ago to grade SAT essays for college entrance, scorers were told to count off for texting abbreviations and smiling or frowning faces.

So, each time I receive Time4Writing assignments filled with computer speak, I must explain to my students that while it is perfectly fine when communicating with friends online or on the phone, it is not acceptable to use when writing an expository essay about the treatment of the elderly. I try my best to show them the difference, but I am never quite sure they totally see their error.

IDK s’ up with these kids today. L Oops! Is it contagious?

We recently interviewed the teacher in charge of many of the high school level writing courses at T4W…introducing:  Mrs. Viki Gardner!

First of all, Mrs. Gardner, what could you tell us about yourself?

I live in Texas with my husband, Michael, and two dogs, Rosie and Buttercup. Our children are grown and have left the nest, so I have lots of time for teaching online.  Prior to teaching, I worked my way up in the publishing industry from manufacturing assistant to book designer, and eventually changed direction to become a publisher’s sales representative.  While working in sales for a school book fair company, I decided to change careers in midlife.  Determined to fulfill a childhood dream of being a teacher, I went back to college and obtained my BS in Elementary Education with a Reading Specialization from Texas Woman’s University in 1992.  To be sure I could teach at any grade level, I also obtained a secondary license to teach English Language Arts and Reading.  After teaching for 12 years in a traditional (brick and mortar) classroom, I returned to graduate school and obtained my MAED in Adult Education/Distance Learning from University of Phoenix in 2005. I have been teaching online (and loving it) ever since.

What is your favorite part of teaching online?

Working from home (and communicating one-on-one with my students).

What do you think are the biggest benefits or drawbacks for students taking an online writing course?

The main benefit for students taking an online writing course at Time4Writing is the constant, personal and almost immediate feedback on their writing. Every  student at T4W receives personal, one-on-one attention from their teacher; this up-close and personal critique of their work is something students in brick-and-mortar schools don’t see unless they have a personal tutor. Teachers in traditional schools have many more responsibilities that take up their time. As for a drawback for students, the biggest would be time management. Many students struggle to keep up the pace of the class because just by being on the Internet, students are presented with many tempting distractions to take them from their work. Of course, that’s just my own opinion, based on what I’ve experienced teaching online.

What challenges do students who are new to the Time4Writing course often face?

It depends on whether students are familiar with the technology. Learning to navigate the course is the first challenge; learning my expectations is the next challenge for them. I invite my students not only to reach outside of their comfort zones, but to also pull from deep within their imaginations. And I expect them to do this while using good writing skills; this can be quite challenging and sometimes frustrating for the students, but I try to include lots of positive warm fuzzies for their efforts.

In your opinion, what is the importance of writing instruction to high school students?

Effective communication skills for the 21st century. Students may not write another essay after graduating from school, but they will use writing to communicate in almost every facet of their lives. Students who can write effective essays will be able to transfer that knowledge into their future careers and professions.

What do you see as your main contribution to each of your students in the Time4Writing courses?

The HS Mechanics Toolkit and the HS Exciting Essay courses have been very busy with their 30 and 20 participants respectively. The students been submitting assignments faster than I can grade them. Some days there are 25 emails waiting in the inbox and with every assignment I grade, I go back to see 25 more emails there waiting for me, time after time. I always critique the assignment and leave feedback, especially if the grade can be raised by revising the assignment. So as you can see, it is of my own doing, but that is what being a student advocate means to me. I have to remember to always do what is in the best interest of the students, and that doesn’t mean just to grade their work, but to help them learn and get high grades on each and every assignment.

A big thanks to Mrs. Gardner for this interview, and a chance to peek into the behind-the-scenes life of an online writing teacher!  If you would be interested in having Mrs. Gardner, or one of the other terrific writing teachers at Time4Writing help your child find their writing potential, then click here to find out more about our courses.

As toddlers, we are told by our parents not to touch anything that could be potentially dangerous. If we don’t listen to those directions, we either get hurt or are put in “time out” to learn our lesson.

Throughout childhood and the teen years, learning to follow directions needs to be reinforced all through a person’s education. Many activities have been designed for this sole purpose.  Standardized writing exams test this skill as well, as many students fail these each year due to ‘not following the directions.’

In the traditional classroom, teachers have developed non-traditional tools to demonstrate the importance of direction following. Some teachers have had students follow a recipe for a favorite age-appropriate food while purposely leaving out an important ingredient. Others have used a simple sheet of tasks numbered one through ten with activity #1 asking the students to read all of the directions before doing anything. The payoff to this lesson is task #10 that will simply say: Now that you have read all of the instructions, please go back and just complete #1 and #2. Of course, many students have jumped ahead and have already finished all of the tasks – not adhering to the first direction to read everything first.Activities as the ones described above can be duplicated by homeschooling parents providing the same lesson to young people.

At Time4Writing, our goal is not only to assist students in improving their writing skills; we also want to emphasize the importance of following directions. There are a set of guidelines at the beginning of each course that students are asked to read before they begin. They are directed to copy and paste their assignment instructions on to their individual text boxes so that they can have them in full view while working. Students are expected to follow these directions as closely as possible.

So, perhaps in years ahead, students who have taken Time4Writing courses will not have to redo their driver’s license applications, have insurance forms rejected, or have tax returns spit out because they were not filled out correctly. They will think back to that online writing course they took that showed them how to write and how to follow instructions.

This is a tragedy for students and parents who know that learning needs to be more than just going through the motions.  Gifted and talented youngsters need to be engaged and even challenged in order to reach their full educational potential.

Because gifted students often learn basic skills more quickly and easily than their peers, they can become discouraged by the slow pace of the classroom.  This can be especially true in the area of English writing.  Boys and girls who have accelerated writing skills need both targeted instruction and consistent feedback in order to excel and achieve a sense of self-efficacy.

If your child is not being challenged in the traditional classroom, or is a victim of recent cuts in local school budgets, there are still things you can do to help them keep their motivation toward higher learning.

• Encourage them to keep a journal – this is an important opportunity for self expression and understanding their place in the world
• Help them choose appropriate reading – studies show that readers who attempt literature at least one level above their natural reading stage will grow both their comprehension and vocabulary skills
• Support them in exploring a variety of different types of writing including persuasive, editorial, expository, multimedia, and fiction.
• Provide opportunities for them to practice their writing skills outside of the classroom

Time4Writing offers a variety of writing courses for elementary, middle school, and high school students.  Gifted and talented students may pick and choose the course and level of instruction that will best meet their needs.  These online courses are taught by certified writing teachers and provide personal feedback and support that both encourages and challenges young writers. And the coursework can be accomplished easily in the summer months, or as part of an after-school enrichment.

To find out more about the Time4Writing courses and how they can benefit your gifted and talented student, click here to learn more.