The Mark My Words toolbar installed on MS Word is convenient for teachers to comment on students' work. One of the merits is that lists of comments and explanations are ready for selection, and thus saving a lot of time for teachers. Another handy function is the resources links, which provides Google and other useful links for the learners. A third advantage is that the teachers can give marks on the grammar of the writing by clicking the 'comment summary' link, which shows all categories of grammar errors with frequencies.
But there are some points to be aware of. First, weaker students may probably need training in how to make use of the resources in a quick and efficient way, because these students tend to copy the sample sentences word by word, they would in an attempt to memorise its usage. This is not recommended since it is too time-consuming and inefficient. So, when using the resource links, the students need to know quick referencing skills.
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Hi Robbie
ReplyDeleteI tried using Mark my words on the day that Professor Milton came over to our class. I find it really useful when it comes to marking. Teachers can simply type in feedback and send it to students directly after marking. You know, in Hong Kong, it's common for teachers to keep students' wiritng essays for weeks before returning them to students. In a way, it saves much time.
I also agree with your thoughts regarding weaker students. Teachers may have to provide extra technical support to students.