Pearson Writer

This app was very helpful.

I need it for school but it won't even let me log in

The research tools easily won me over in the beginning after purchasing this app. I was conflicted to which search engine was most appropriate for academic writing, so when i realized i could do everything in this one app for class it blew my mind. It connects all of your drafts, research, and works cited to create the ultimate college student app. Good resources throughout the entire program.

I would have to buy a six month subscription to even try the app to see if it works for me. I understand needing to make money, but not even offering a seven day trial for $1.99 or something close? Come on!

Testing

As an AP Language &amp; Composition teacher teaching at a school where learning is supported by technology, I am always looking for applications to better engage my students. I came across Pearson Writer through a friend of mine who works for the company. Per our conversation, I learned of many of the benefits associated with PW, so I decided to put it to the test in my classroom. Several perks include a diverse library of content to research, differentiated instruction for a variety of topics/disciplines, and an interactive project timeline. With that being said there is still room for improvement in the form of student connectivity, a slight disconnect between desktop vs. tablet usage, and a lack of opportunity for students to interact with data (you will find the specifics to all benefits and negatives, below). Overall, I really enjoy the application. As both an instructor and a graduate student, Pearson Writer is a great way to engage in the writing process. I give this application 4 stars!<br/><br/> <br/><br/>Areas of Strength<br/><br/>1. Research Capacity: I really love the website/application content library. Whether students were searching for a biography of Maya Angelou’ or information about the Ancient Egyptians, Pearson Writer offered plenty of credible sources for students to draw from. Additionally, the “cite source” tab makes annotating easy!<br/><br/>2. Project Timeline: The “My Projects” tab helped students visualize the project timeline by displaying the writing process, step by step. Additionally, the support PW gives for bibliographies is optimal. It trains students to seek a diverse set of credible sources for their papers and displays specific areas where students can improve their research. Lastly, the “notebook” is great for compiling key points and organizing them into logical sequences.<br/><br/>3. Writing Review: The Writing Review tab is great because it provides immediate feedback for student writing. The application highlights the specifics in the paper and on the side, users see the general areas in which they could improve their writing. This was great in my classroom because it answered general questions and freed up some of my time. I was then able to focus on the more struggling students.<br/><br/>Areas of Improvement<br/><br/>1. Document Sharing: I was really surprised when I learned that Pearson Writer did not offer real time document sharing. The absence of collaboration really limits the application to individual usage when so much of the writing process comes from classroom connectivity. I would have appreciated being able to edit my students work remotely, or having the option to share a single document and have the entire class edit it.<br/><br/>2. Website/Mobile Device Disconnect: Most applications look different than the web versions but Pearson Writer is relatively the same. The only real disconnect I saw was in the note taking ability on the iPad. On the desktop I have plenty of options to organize my thoughts but on the mobile device, I’m limited to simply color coating. Being that our school offers tablets instead of laptops, I couldn't really take full advantage of the note taking feature.<br/><br/>3. Relevant Data Use: With Pearson reshaping its efficacy framework, I expected there to be plenty of opportunity for students to engage in data usage. Unfortunately, it does not…at all. In the Writer’s Guide, you are able to look up different topics and it even presents the content in numerous ways, but it doesn’t assess student learning to show mastery of concepts. I believe the application would benefit from not only displaying the scores students achieve in the topic assessments, but also charting their progress towards larger learning goals. This would help teachers monitor achievement trends.

This helps me in every way possible. I love it and will continue to use it. Worth it!!!

Very helpful app, especially for students. Easy to navigate and understand. Definitely recommend this to others.