ABSTRACT
Many writing instructors teach their classes in a computer lab one day a week or more; for some, the computer lab replaces the traditional classroom entirely. Whereas these instructors embrace electronic technology as an engaging, powerful resource, others see the computer as unnecessary, distracting, and stressful. Teaching composition is a difficult enough job, they argue; why introduce a complex, and sometimes unreliable, technology that will require instructors and students to adapt to new software, upgrade their skills from year to year, and seek technical support when their equipment goes awry? Administrators also have their concerns: Computer labs are expensive, require maintenance and security measures, and need to be upgraded every few years. But anyone who uses a word processor to write, e-mail to converse with friends and colleagues, or the Web to find information will understand the attraction of this technology: Computers make research, writing, revising, and collaborating easier. Or more simply, nowadays, people write with computers; our teaching is enhanced when we acknowledge and build on this fact.
