On the Mechanics of Writing

After reading Sheldon's posts (and trying to comment on the one on 'Writing' and getting an 'Error in Sending' message) I have decided to research and discuss this business of the mechanics of writing. Sheldon stated in his post that the students should concentrate on both the content and the mechanics of writing when they are writing. But in my opinion, I think the students have the previous knowledge and experiences to satisfy the demands of the content but demanding that the students concentrate on the mechanics of writing is where the major problem to our students' relunctance to writing lies. Unintentionally, teachers tend to channel students' writing to conform to a particular style or type of writing (as they prepare the students to be successful, academically, at their written exam). However, according to the Board of Education of the City of New York (1999), "To some degree, writing is an idiosyncratic process. How students learn to write, the tools they prefer to use, the style they ultimately develop, the strategies they routinely use to revise and edit - all of these vary from student to student."
Most of our students do not want to write - and writing as we know it is putting letters and words on paper. There are many reasons for this, such as, some of them have messy handwriting and are embarrassed by it; some find the mere process of forming the letters difficult; what they have written would be viewed and critiqued by the teacher, and some are threatened by that prospect. What needs to be done is to find ways and means of keeping the students motivated to write outside of the pen and paper mechanics/experience. One such avenue, of which I am presently researching, is through blogging. Through blogging students are offorded the opportunity to create, collaborate, edit, publish and share content, not only with the teacher but with a whole social, community of users.
Due to my intensive research into the prospect of blogging, I anxiously await the day when the powers to be realize that students can succeed, academically, in their written exam with whatever style and/or type of writing they think would be most appropriate to convey their desired meaning.