University e-mail mentors forelementary students with disabilities: Attitudinal and literacy effects

This paper presents the results of an investigation conducted to determinethe effects of implementing technology to facilitate written communication for students with learning disabilities and other special needs. The technology was used for several purposes. First, it was used to establish whether a mentor relationship could be established between a university student majoring in education with students with disabilities. Second, it was used to evaluate whether students with disabilities writing would improve because of the additional practice writing e-mail notes back and forth to the university student. Analysis of results suggests that both quantitative and qualitative improvements were made in written communication as a consequence of the e-mail mentor project. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.