Authorship As a Pedagogical Tool: Teachers'' Perspectives on Authorship to Develop Voice

This study explores the differences between traditional teaching of writing as the acquisition of communicative skills, and authorship in the classroom, a pedagogy drawing on the work of Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy and grounded in transformative education. This study asks whether the use of authorship in the elementary classroom, including authoring and self publishing books, has an effect on the development of voices of students, teachers, and parents. The study also explores the need, use, and potential of assistive technology as a tool to assist in the authorship process. Using participatory research, dialogues with practicing preschool and elementary school teachers, administrators and teacher educators revealed the significant impact of authorship on student literacy and voice. It can also be used with assistive technology to help students with special needs. Authorship has an impact on the development of teachers'' own voices and teaching effectiveness. It also helps teachers understand their students and improve relationships with students'' families. Authorship unifies different aspects of literacy and expands vocabulary.