The Electronic Red Pen

My nephew called me after school the other day. He had written an essay for his eighth grade English class and it was due the following day. He wanted me to review it and make suggestions for improvement before he turned it in. Unfortunately for us, we live several hours apart and time was too short to get together in person.

Instead, we used e-mail and the collaborative features in Microsoft Word to polish his essay before he turned it in to his teacher. The Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word allows a reviewer to make changes and comments to a draft document and to have those changes be visible just as if the reviewer had marked up the draft document with a red pen.

My nephew was able to look at my comments and at the changes I recommended--my electronic mark up. He accepted some of my recommendations, saved a final draft, and printed a clean copy to turn in to his teacher.

Maybe I can't always sit around the kitchen table helping my nephew with his homework, but at least the collaborative technologies of today help me to be there when he asks for my help. Even at the last minute.