A note on Users

I Can Write uses information about the logged-on user to present frameworks and store work. In Microsoft Windows operating systems, whether on a networked workstation or stand-alone machine, the logged-on user may have access to a personal My Documents folder; I Can Write creates its own folder inside this folder and saves work here by default. The location of the My Documents folder will depend on the setup of the computers.

The Administrator can also decide which users have access to which frameworks (see Configuring I Can Write).

If an individual is logged on with a personal identity, only saved work of that individual is available. If the individual logs on with a group identity – for example, Class 3 – then all the work of the group can be seen and all members of the group can see the same frameworks. They will also be able to use the same User Profile, depending on the settings made by the Administrator (see Profiles in the Configuring I Can Write section).

Please note that different versions of Windows – and administrative systems used to complement Windows – may use different protocols, and practices may differ from those outlined here. We strongly recommend that you liaise with your ICT Coordinator to get the best use out of I Can Write and your computer systems.

Icons

The icons in I Can Write have been designed to be simple, obvious and similar to those found on the Windows desktop and other Windows applications. Most icons are common to both writing modes.

	Picture Prompt
	Writing Prompt
	Work The User's Work icon on the Menu screen is a short cut to the work folder set in the Profiles setup (see Profiles in the Configuring I Can Write section). By default this is My Documents\I Can Write folder. Double-click to open the folder and double-click on the work you wish to load.
	Speak • In the writing areas, click on the icon to hear the text in the writing area spoken. • In Picture Prompts, a speech icon will appear when the mouse is rolled over an image. Click on these icons to hear the text associated with the image. • In the Writing Prompts section, click on the icon next to a word or prompt.
	Copy Copies work to the clipboard – text does not have to be highlighted.
	Save Click to save your work. It will be saved using the title displayed at the top of the writing area in the default area: My Documents\I Can Write directory as an ASCII (text only) file. If the My Documents\I Can Write folder is used by a group, or an individual saves a second file with the same name, a number is added to the file name so that work saved earlier is not overwritten. The name has a .icp or .icw suffix, but can be opened in any word processor if the file type in the 'Open' dialog box is set to 'All Files (*.*)'. Files may be saved in other areas; see Configuring I Can Write > Profiles.
	Print Prints out work.
	Move through Picture Prompts Previous page/Next page
	Prompt Click to see the next prompt.
	Review Prompts Move through the Prompts list.
	Word list Displays the alphabetically arranged word list. Words relevant to the current framework are shown in bold. The remaining words are those in one of the high frequency lists, based on the Literacy framework lists. All lists can be edited – see Configuring I Can Write. Click on the icon again to close the display.

Using Picture Prompts frameworks

I Can Write is supplied with two Picture Prompt frameworks. You can also make your own. The following instructions are based on the file called About Me which can be opened from the main menu.

At the bottom of each screen, two buttons control your forward and backward movement through the document. You can also use the ENTER key to go on to the next screen.

Pressing ESCAPE or clicking the Window Close icon will take you straight to the final writing screen (see below).

The first screen which is displayed requires a name to be entered, either by the learner or the teacher. The next screen requires an age. If you wish, any screen can be ignored and the learner can go on to the next one. The next screen offers a choice of 'girl' or 'boy', after which each screen offers a choice of up to six alternatives. If none of them appeal, a different word or phrase can be entered using the keyboard. You can also go back at any stage and alter what has already been done.

Eventually, you will come to the final writing screen where the pupil's work is displayed. At this point the work may be edited, for example, adding adjectives ('I have light brown hair' combining to form sentences such as 'My hair is black and my eyes are brown' or adding detail ('My pet is a cat called Furry'). Text manipulation tools (drag and drop, cut, copy and paste) are available using standard keyboard shortcuts.

This is a good point at which to review what has been written. It might be useful for the writer to print out a copy of the work so that he or she can take it to the teacher for comments. This review might lead to some further editing by the user. These comments can then be incorporated into the written work.

For more extensive editing of the presentation, the saved work should be opened in a fully featured word processor, see below: Transferring your work to another application.

Users should always be encouraged to save their work before printing.

If you select Save, work will be saved to the My Documents\I Can Write directory as a simple ASCII (text only) file. The name has a .icw suffix but can be opened in any word processor if the file type is set to 'All Files (*.*)'.

The file is automatically named About Me. If the My Documents\I Can Write folder is used by a group, or an individual saves a second About Me file, then a number is added to the file name so that work saved earlier is not overwritten.

Other Picture Prompt frameworks work in a similar way to the About Me file. Some, Ten Little Aliens for example, will not allow the user to go on to a subsequent screen without making a selection. This is to ensure that the final piece of writing is complete. Others will not allow any text entry apart from the text on the screen.

Ten Little Aliens can be used in a variety of ways. It is an engaging way to encourage reluctant writers and give them confidence as well as demonstrating verse structure, including rhyme and scansion. Once users have created a poem (and saved it) they can be asked to make changes to it in order to create a version of their own. They should aim to keep the rhyme pattern but vary the events that befall the aliens, for instance. More able pupils can try making more significant changes, replacing aliens with other creatures, for example. It also makes a useful collaborative activity prior to freer interpretations of 'ten little . . .' whether shared or individually written.

Using Writing Prompts frameworks

In contrast to Picture Prompts, the Writing Prompt part of I Can Write consists of a single writing screen. However, this single screen allows a much wider range of writing activities. The program provides an environment in which to write a first draft. The writing area offers basic text editing, but is not intended to be a full word processor.

The screen consists of the writing area, a prompt box and a number of buttons.

The writing area can be rescaled, although there will always be a proportion of the prompts and writing areas visible no matter how far up or down the window the separator bar is moved. To do this, click and drag on the bar just above the writing area.

At any point, the writer can click on the Prompt icon to bring up a prompt to assist in the process of the writing, or scroll back to review the prompts already offered. Some prompts take the form of questions, others are beginnings of sentences.

For some frameworks, for example in the writing up of an experiment, it is important that the writer works through all of the prompts in the order in which they are presented. In others, for example story writing, some prompts may be ignored and others used in a different order.

Remember that the prompts are only a guide. They can be edited by the teacher beforehand (see the Configuration section) or as part of the drafting process, i.e. sentence beginnings can be pasted into the text area and altered. When the pupil starts to do this, it shows an additional level of control over the tools available and over the writing process itself.

Sometimes it may be appropriate to paste all of the prompts (or the prompts which are required) into the writing area before any new text is added.

Word lists

Further assistance is available through the word lists. Two lists are combined in the word list display. One is always tied to the topic about which the learner is writing and is displayed in bold. The other consists of one of two high frequency lists.

The first (Level 1) is appropriate for reception and Level 2 could be used for an older pupil. Either of these can be chosen, or others created by the teacher (see the Word list section of Configuring I Can Write).

Using the writing area

Text may be entered from the keyboard or by clicking the mouse button on the framework title, prompt or word in a word list.

If you wish a word from the word list to be pasted in with a capital letter, press SHIFT at the same time as clicking on the word. Click on the Prompt button to show the next prompt. When all the prompts have been displayed, the Prompt button is greyed out. To go back through the prompts, click on the up/down arrows to the right of the prompt display box.

Normal editing functions apply in the writing area: hold the left mouse button down and drag the mouse over the text area you want to highlight. This area can then be cut, copied or deleted.

As in Picture Prompts, work can either be saved, printed or copied to a word processor for further drafting, formatting and printing.

Loading saved work

The User's Work icon on the Menu screen is a short cut to the My Documents\I Can Write folder. Double-click to open the folder and double-click on the work you wish to load.

To delete a file, select the file and press the DELETE key. Alternatively, go to the directory where the user's work is stored and right-click on the file to be deleted.

Transferring work to another application

Click on the Copy button to transfer all of your work to the clipboard – the text does not need to be highlighted. Your work can then be pasted into any other application using Paste from the Edit drop down list, or by pressing CONTROL + V.

If you have saved your work, it can be loaded into another program from the My Documents\I Can Write directory. Files have a .icp or .icw suffix, but can be opened in any application that can read text files if the file type in the 'Open' dialog box is set to 'All Files (*.*)'.

At this point, a further review of the writing can be carried out and changes made to the presentation of the document including alterations to the presentation of the text (for example, alter font, colour, size, centre the writing) or the insertion of one or more pictures.

The work could then be saved and printed. Of course, the processes carried out at this stage depend entirely on the capabilities of the word processor being used.

You must have Administrator rights to modify settings or create and edit frameworks. However, individual users may change their own Profiles; Administrators may only change a User's Profile by logging on as that user.

On the Menu page, hold down the SHIFT key and click on the ICW System icon at the top left of the window. Select Configure from the menu. For security reasons the Configure option will be greyed out if the SHIFT key is not pressed first. Alternatively, press CONTROL + F2.

The Configure dialog box offers a number of tabbed panel choices:

• Frameworks

• Word lists

• Profile

• Speech

• About

Frameworks options

Click on the Frameworks tab to show existing frameworks and the accompanying dialog box. The left-hand pane shows the Prompts directory in a tree structure; click on the small + icon to open folders and sub-folders.

There are two Picture Prompt frameworks provided with I Can Write:

• About Me
• Ten Little Aliens

The Writing frameworks provided with I Can Write are as follows:

An (a) next to a framework signifies that the prompts will be in the form of unfinished sentences. A (b) signifies that they will take the form of questions.

As both Picture Prompts and Writing Prompts consist of a number of files, you should use the Import and Export buttons to move frameworks from one computer to another. The files are bundled together into a single file with a .ipf extension. When a .ipf file is imported into I Can Write, the files are separated, placed in the appropriate Prompts directory and any new folders are created.

Please note that Picture Prompt .ipf files can be very large and are unlikely to fit on floppy disks.

You can decide which frameworks are available to which students. When a framework has been selected, the Users button next to the Author details will become available. Type in the name the pupil uses to log on to the computer in an appropriate panel. The panel you choose will depend on the length of the list of potential users. Either list can be overridden by checking the Visible to everyone or Invisible to everyone boxes.

You can also decide which frameworks will be visible in the Big Editor, the separate support program that is designed for the development of frameworks as a group activity. Each framework (and Master word list) has an Editable checkbox. When there is a tick in one of these boxes, the item can be seen and changed in the Big Editor.

Making new Picture Prompt frameworks

A folder of unused graphics for use to develop a new Picture Prompt framework can be found on the I Can Write CD. Right-click anywhere in the area which displays the tree structure of genres and frameworks. Select New, name the framework Shopping and choose to create a Picture Prompt framework. Open the newly-created framework and choose the number of pictures you want on your first page: 0, 2, 4 or 6. In this example, choose four.

Use the text entry box on the left for the beginning of the sentence. Type in: 'I went shopping and I bought '.

The box on the right can be used for the rest of a sentence or phrase: finish this sentence with ' for my tea'. If you are finishing a sentence, always start this box with a space. If you are not using this box to complete a sentence, you may wish to put in some punctuation to complete the line.

Click in one of the placeholder graphics to bring up the picture selection dialog box. For this example, you will need to have the CD in the drive. Click on Import Picture. This will allow you access to your computer's hard drive, CD drive or network. Navigate your way to the CD and choose the 'ShoppingPix' folder. Select a picture to add to the store of images that you can put into your framework. You can add pictures to this list at any time. If you hold down the CONTROL key, you can select a number of pictures at the same time. Choose 'bread', 'cheese', 'milk' and 'bananas' and click OK. The selected pictures will be copied from their location and added to your list. When a picture has been copied to your list, it may be used as many times as you wish and, as it has been copied, you will not need the CD once the framework has been completed.

When you have enough pictures to use, you can preview your imported images by clicking a title. The graphic that is highlighted when you click the OK button is the one placed in the selected position in the framework.

Picture backgrounds of a single colour can be made transparent so that the image appears not to have a regular border. The software takes the colour of the pixel in the lower left-hand corner to be the colour to be removed, so use this option carefully.

Normally, pictures should not be taller than about 140 pixels or much wider than 160. The final values will depend on the number of graphics you are using on a page and the sizes of the user's window and screen.

Click on OK to place the selected picture in your framework.

Replace the other three placeholder graphics with one of your imported pictures.

Picture captions appear beneath the graphics. Type the word(s) which you wish to be added to the writing when the user selects a picture.

Tick the Force response box if you wish to prevent the user from skipping any screen in the file. If the Read only box is checked, students will be able to use only the words under the graphics, they will not be able to type in their own response.

Click on the Add page icon to add a further page to your framework. Go through the same process to add details to this page. You can use the back and forward buttons to move through your framework when you have created more than one page.

Click on Delete to remove the current page.

Editing Picture Prompt frameworks

If you wish to modify a framework but keep the original intact, click on the Duplicate button to copy the source framework before you start. You can then give your duplicate file a new name.

You can use the functions described above to alter existing frameworks or to add to them, for example, adding a page or two to the About Me section which is particularly appropriate to your school or class – or even an individual.

Creating new Writing Prompt frameworks

Right-click anywhere in the area which displays the tree structure of genres and frameworks. Select New, choose to create a new Writing Prompt framework and give the framework a name, for example, Zoo Visit. Select Writing framework and then choose the genre, in this case Recount, in which the new framework is to be placed.

A blank framework will be created in the Recount genre folder. Open the folder and click on your title.

All you now have to do is to type in your word list and prompts and save them. If you already have a word list or list of prompts prepared in your word processor, you can copy and paste it into the working area. Your word list will be sorted alphabetically if you click on Sort.

You can arrange for the insertion point to automatically position itself within a prompt, for example, 'We travelled . . . to the seaside.' where you want the user to enter 'by car/bus/train' etc. When typing the prompt, type a | (upright bar) where you would like the insertion point to appear.

An extension to the standard prompt file can be seen by selecting Miscellaneous > About Me 2. This file is simply another version of the About Me Picture Prompt file, but with alternative suggestions being presented as sub-prompts. Sub-prompts appear underneath the main prompt in the writing area and are created by starting the line after the main prompt by pressing the TAB key. To see this file in action, click on the Users button and make it visible to all.

This type of file is useful where additional support is required. It can also be used as a form of multiple choice activity or where suggestions for saying the same thing in different ways are needed, for example, in different social situations.

Note that you can also create new genre types. While I Can Write was designed to assist in the development of writing styles, a new genre type need not be limited: a folder here could just as easily hold History or Science frameworks.

Editing Writing Prompt frameworks

If you wish to modify a framework but keep the original intact, click on the Duplicate button to copy the source framework before you start. You can then give your duplicate file a new name and, if you wish, save it in a different folder.

Click on the icon of the framework you wish to edit.

The title, its author (if applicable) and the associated framework word list will be displayed.

To see the list of prompts, click on the Prompt icon. There is also an icon for Notes, which allows you to record any additional information, for example, 'Useful for Y6 History topic . . .'

The word list and prompt list can be edited by typing directly in the dialogue box. Right-click to access functions such as Copy and Paste.

The Sort button will arrange the word list into alphabetical order.

Word lists

This tab brings up the Master word list dialog box and enables you to select the list of words available to the user regardless of the framework chosen. Two default lists are included with I Can Write, based on the National Literacy framework recommendations. You may select either High Frequency 1 or High Frequency 2 from the drop down menu. If you do not want either, select None.

You can add as many additional word lists as you wish. Click on New, give the list a title and type in (or paste in) your new list. Files in .TXT format may also be dragged from the desktop and dropped in the word list area. Click on Sort to order your list alphabetically. Edit any word list by typing directly into the it.

The word list visible to pupils on the writing pages merges the framework word list (created when you make a new framework) and the Master word list. The words belonging to the currently selected framework are shown in bold.

You may wish to make a copy of existing word lists and save them elsewhere as a word processor file – just in case alterations are made within the program and you subsequently wish to revert to the original list.

The Master word list selection may be overridden at user level if a specific word list is chosen for a particular user. See Profiles, below.

Speech

This allows you to change the voice which reads the text in I Can Write. You can try out the different voices by entering text into the writable area and clicking on the forward arrow.

You may turn off the Speech option by selecting 'None'.

This global voice selection may be overridden at user level if a specific voice is chosen for a particular user. See Profiles, below.

Profiles

This allows you to set the appearance of I Can Write to suit individuals. Choose the User Profile from the drop down menu and then set the font face, size and colour, and the colours for Background (the prompts, writing area and word lists) and Border.

For some pupils a change of foreground, background and font colour can make a difference to legibility. Double-click in the Border, Background or Text colour boxes to show the palette.

Occasionally, the Master word list will not be appropriate for an individual. Selecting a word list on the Profiles tab will replace a selection made on the Word list tab. Choose None to default to the global selection.

Similarly, some voices may be more appropriate for some users and a selection may be made for an individual. Choose 'None' to default to the global selection.

There are a number of preset profiles which cannot be altered except by a person with Administrator rights. If the Allow user to select profile at menu box is ticked, users can choose from the various display profiles from the Menu screen.

Predictive typing is turned off by default (the Predict after is set to 0). When this option is set to predict after four or more characters, suggested words appear at the bottom of the screen. Click on a word to select.

By default, work is saved to the My Documents\I Can Write folder. If your operating system protocols provide a different location, this can be specified here. Alternatively, any folder can be chosen.

About

You will only need to access this tab when you update the licence for your software or if you wish to find version and licence details. Instructions on installing the software and updating licences can be found on a separate sheet. The About screen can also be displayed by pressing CONTROL + F1.

Introduction

As with most open ended programs, the software must be used intelligently. Real advances in the development of writing are only likely to take place where the software, the learner and the teacher are all engaged in the process. This does not mean that the teacher has to be there while the program is being used. It does mean that careful thought needs to be given to when the program is used, with whom and for what purpose. It also means that care must be taken in setting it up appropriately. None of this needs to take a long time. Indeed, with software as straightforward as I Can Write, the time taken to set it up and ensure the learner is happily on task will soon become minimal.

Whole class usage is not always appropriate or necessary. It may be that I Can Write is brought into use for particular pupils who are having difficulty, rather than with a whole class. However, a whole class familiarity is no bad thing. I Can Write can be used to stretch able children as well as to give support to those who are struggling. Used in this way, it does not become identified as a tool for the slower learners. Nor is I Can Write the only support which a teacher should offer to those who find writing difficult.

It is important that the pupil and the teacher use the prompts in a flexible way. Words may be deleted or substituted. Extra prompts may be added and it may be appropriate to ignore others. Writers should not be constrained by the form if they can produce a better piece of writing in their own way.

Picture Prompts

It should be possible for a whole class to use a Picture Prompt framework like About Me in a few sessions.

There are many teaching points which will arise from the use of About Me, whether with individuals or groups. The point at which the text is reviewed, either on screen or as a printed draft, is an excellent moment to consider greater specificity and to investigate language. Perhaps Katy's hair is light brown, not simply brown or she can swim a particular distance. You may like to combine some statements, for example 'My hair is brown and my eyes are blue' and discuss why these might go together.

Don't forget that pupils can also write about other people a brother, sister or friends, for example. It then becomes a meaningful language activity to make the necessary alterations to the text changing 'My' to 'Her', 'I can' to 'She can' and so on.

Not all children will have a pet. If this section has been skipped by the pupil, the opportunity arises to discuss other possibilities.

• I used to have a pet . . .

• I would like a pet . . .

Writing prompts

In many cases, it will be useful to have both paper and software versions of the prompts available, i.e. to create help-sheets on paper, based on the prompts which will appear on screen. To do this, select each prompt with so that they are pasted into the writing area. Leave space between each prompt. Save the document and print it out. Alternatively, you could copy the work to the clipboard to transfer it to another application for editing and printing. Duplicate as many as you need. You might also enlarge one to A3 or A2 size so that it can be pinned up for all to see. (Alternatively, you can write the prompts on the board but there are some advantages to using something which looks almost the same as the version in front of the each pupil.)

Word lists can be accessed and printed out in the same manner.

Whether one begins with paper or software, the outcome should be the pupils using both software and paper-based support independently. The final stage is the mastery of writing in a particular genre without any support.

As mentioned above, it should not be assumed that all pupils will need to use the framework approach of I Can Write. It will be particularly useful for children of moderate and low ability but also for introducing new genres to children who are already fluent writers. Able pupils often need encouragement to use new structures and I Can Write is an ideal way of encouraging them to move away from 'Then I . . .' towards 'Having read the map, I . . .' and equivalent phrases.

Nor should pupils be expected to use the program (particularly in unfamiliar genres) without preparation. Its use might often begin with discussion and teacher modelling before moving on to joint construction (teacher and students together) and then to the student undertaking writing supported by the frame. Some pupils, especially those with learning difficulties, may need many oral sessions and sessions in which their teacher acts as a scribe before they are ready to try their own writing using a framework for support.

Whether I Can Write is used with an individual pupil or a group or with a whole class is a decision to be made by the teacher. Whatever approach is taken, there is a further choice of using a paper-based version first or of going straight to the software version.

Projectors and interactive whiteboards

I Can Write is an ideal program to use with a whole class, whether using a projected image or a large monitor – or simply a normal monitor with a large font size. Bear in mind that it is not necessary to have an interactive whiteboard in order to use a projector. A projected image is quite adequate without having 'touch interactivity'. Indeed, as much of the input will be via the keyboard, the interactive whiteboard is often superfluous when a cheaper OHP screen or white wall will do!

The advantages of using a framework program such as I Can Write for shared writing will be obvious. Do not overlook the teaching and learning possibilities inherent in the setting up of a framework. Take suggestions from the class on the words likely to be useful in a new framework. Include as many of their prompts as possible, too. This kind of ownership is more than lip-service to pupil involvement and it will bring dividends when they come to use their framework.

The Big Editor is available from Resource Education to enable this kind of work to be undertaken easily. It lets groups create frameworks independently and word lists without entering the Configuration section. It also displays the editing functions of FrameWorks in a large, clear format which is easily shared by the teacher and the class.