Three-D Without the Glasses

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Meg McCaffrey -- School Library Journal, 07/01/2003

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Essays, poems, and lab reports aren't what they used to be. Now they're available in 3-D. A new software program called 3DWriter (created by a company with the same name), lets students turn standard word-processed documents into the equivalent of Web pages—complete with hyperlinks connecting to other documents, streaming video, and the Internet. The innovative program also enables students to insert images. Meanwhile, it serves as a tool to develop both writing and technical skills. "My motivation for creating it was to improve writing across the curriculum and get people using technology," says Art Wolinsky, chief executive officer of 3DWriting, Inc., and the program's designer.

The recently released version 2.0 allows users to save their work as text files, unlike the first version, which only saved documents in HTML format. The program can run on any computer, with Web browsers such as Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher.

"The software is a language arts teacher's dream, because it allows the students to write without distractions and eventually construct Web-based products," says Mike Ott, a language arts teacher at Parkside Middle School in Manassas, VA.

Unlike other writing programs or Web-site tools, 3DWriter lacks bells and whistles. That's a good thing, says Jackie Cowley-Donaldson, a teacher at Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, NJ, who teaches English and computer applications. She's found that the software provides students with the right kinds of tools to create interactive projects without all the unnecessary flash. That way, students can focus on their writing, rather than getting caught up in experimenting with style features like colors and backgrounds. Students can even use the product in their own living rooms, since the community licensing agreement is so affordable—for $249, a school can install it on every PC. For more information, visit www.3dwriting.com.