Great Grammar?: An Exploration of Quill's Effect on Middle School Writing Skills

As COVID-19 forced schools to quickly pivot to virtual and hybrid teaching, many teachers lacked awareness of how to successfully engage students while still delivering content. Even those who considered themselves technologically-savvy found themselves confronting how to best integrate the multitude of resources available online. In this article, a teacher researcher works to clarify how technology can support both teachers and students with a middle-level grammar curriculum. First, the author examines several philosophies and recommendations for how technology strengthens learning in an ELA classroom. Using the tenets of authentic and focused technology-integration, he then selects one grammar platform (Quill) and incorporates it throughout the 2020-2021 school year. In analyzing students’ raw data, writing samples, interview comments, and observations, the educator determines the overall effectiveness of this grammar program. Combined with personal anecdotes and observations, he recommends strategies for teachers to balance the accessibility of online platforms with the importance of emphasizing diversity of the English language and its so-called grammar ‘rules.’