We are living in a time of unparalleled literacy evolution. Instantaneous communication worldwide is changing creative and collaborative processes. What is now evolving is a whole new set of skills that are hard to compartmentalize -- the focus on being plugged into the network; the eternal now of the wiki space where writing is always subject to revision; the incessant exchanging and developing of information; the use of visuals and animation and streaming video to replace written texts; and the use of social networking sites to develop knowledge.

In short, we want the emphasis on individual achievement to be balanced with an appreciation of and rewards for collaborative work.

We want to balance the emphasis on winning and individual effort with an appreciation for the values of sharing knowledge and collaborating to develop knowledge.

And, perhaps most importantly, we believe we need to revise our writing classrooms so students have access to the collaborative writing tools and practices that are required to be literate in the

21st Century. We want to acknowledge that the days of the solitary author in the garret have given way to the development of professional communities online where like-minded people intertwine their stories, developing a rhetoric, perhaps a rhetoric in response to the rhetorics of other professional communities.

In conclusion, whether you agree or disagree with us, if you believe you can add to our analysis, we invite you to visit this essay on the Web and rewrite it. Don't be shy. Go ahead and add yourself as a coauthor!