The following quotes are from students, writers, and teachers, who over the years have participated in WiER and been affected by the positive impact it has had on the process of writing.

"I can think of two of my writers who matured before our eyes as a result of this project. One had long discussions with me about how she found critiques which were not fulsome in their praise difficult to take but was now trying hard to accept feedback of her creative work in a positive light. One other has a very difficult time socializing with his peers, but boy did he come through during this project and when I was really concerned that the reply of a group of students might crush him, he never blinked an eyelid but got right onto his reply. I think that if he was the only one of my group to benefit from WiER (and I know he’s not) I would consider it a very successful undertaking."

Jean Anne Lowis, Teacher, Mount Prevost Middle School, Duncan, B.C

"Julian came alive with WiER. Nelly was hugely appreciative of [the writer’s] responses and Rachel has blossomed as a poet. She wrote that poetry wasn’t her thing until this year when she was exposed to so much of it through our work on it all first term and then through WiER. This was my first year working with WiER, and I was most impressed. Congratulations to you all for a fabulous idea, well-implemented."

Cynthia Kerkham, Teacher, Glenlyon-Norfolk School, Victoria, British Columbia

"I clearly saw development of critical thinking skills in students over the WiER term. They learned to really think about what was offered for their appraisal and how to respond to it meaningfully, gently and honestly. They genuinely considered the suggestions given to them and made personal decisions to change their work or to keep it as is and - even more importantly - were able to justify their decisions."

Chris Hill, Teacher, Russell P.S., Russell, Ontario

"When I was in high school our creative writing teacher signed our class up for WiER. My poem about frogs was chosen as the "Cool Poem of the Week". I thought I should share with you the news that just last year I had my first book of poems, Small Arguments, published by Pedlar Press. I wanted to say thanks for setting up a community where we can get feedback from practising poets. It's hard to find someone who will take you as seriously as you do when you are young."

Souvankham Thammavongsa, Poet, Toronto, Ontario

"It has been an amazing experience for this class. Several of them have made radical changes from apathetic and cynical to eager, enthusiastic and empathetic - the power of being truly seen and heard can work (I was going to say ’minor’, but some are more than that) miracles."

Léa Lund, Teacher, Parrsboro Regional High School, Parrsboro, Nova Scotia

"Before this process I didn’t really respect my stories and just treated them as another piece of homework. Obviously I tried hard, but I did not give my stories the attention and depth they deserved. Now, I find I treat my stories as if they are real. Because of Wired Writers I have a great new appreciation and respect for writing stories and even poetry."

Emily, Student, Malvern Collegiate, Toronto, Ontario

"I enjoyed very much the whole process, seeing the motivation of the students to participate in every aspect of the WiER program, using technology in a very meaningful way."

José Salvador, Teacher, Toronto French School, Toronto, Ontario

"It has been six years since I taught the first WriteStretch pilot and participated in WiER. I started with one salon of 30 intermediate students from two different schools. Now there are more than 150 students in Grade 1-12 from every school in Delta participating in six WriteStretch salons...WiER is a wonderful program. It's life-changing. WiER creates possibilities for talent to emerge. It's a Canadian treasure."

Dr. Elizabeth Sparks, Teacher, Cougar Canyon Elementary School, Delta, British Columbia

"I’m a short story writer, poet, free-lancer (of whatever comes along), editor (at Coteau Books, in Regina) and, oh, yeah, I teach writing classes now and then. Of all the teaching I’ve done, workshops I’ve given or lead etc., WiER is the most interesting, stimulating and fun, by far."

Dave Margoshes, Writer, Regina, Saskatchewan

"WiER has turned some kids on to writing and got them to do revisions like nothing else I’ve seen in 26 years in the classroom. I head over [to two boys sitting at adjacent computers, no teacher nearby] thinking they are probably off task, but before I jump on them, I listen. They are discussing which of two verbs is more powerful to use in one boy’s opening sentence. That’s WiER!"

Jan Truchot, Teacher, Sundance, Wyoming

"Special thanks go to our writers who have made writing come alive in new ways to us this term. Although the professionals know that English has a peculiar paucity of rhyming words, and that we are often driven to strange syntactical contortions because of this lack, it’s always news to the students! And you told them kindly but firmly how to express their poetical notions without being fettered by rhyme. Thanks also for reminding them that the greater part of writing is the revision and rewriting that makes the idea come across more clearly and more fully."

Anne Osborne, Teacher, Glynn A. Green Public School, Fonthill, Ontario

"It was my favourite time in all of school. [Responding to other people’s work] sharpened your critical abilities. You learn to be constructive and specific."

Chantelle Oliver, 1992 graduate of Owen Sound Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Owen Sound, Ontario

"This is a wonderful achievement in support of writing, learning, literacy and the future!"

John O’Leary, President, Frontier College, Toronto, Ontario

"The program puts all these young writers in touch with real writers living in Canada. It allows them to see that literature is immediate and part of our culture. Kids begin to understand that a writer doesn’t have to be a person who lived in England 100 years ago."

Daniel David Moses, Playwright, Toronto, Ontario

"I had no idea I was about to embark on one of the most exciting experiences in my teaching career.... The students at Churchill Elementary School, North York, Ontario, have been involved in the written world of computer-based telecommunications with our participation in Writers In Electronic Residence.... The students are continually being introduced to the conventions of writing, editing skills, keyboarding techniques and telecommunications. [They] have become more confident, successful writers and are looking for every opportunity to ‘logon.’ Thanks to Emily Hearn and the entire school community, our program has been a huge success and WiER write on at Churchill!"

Marywinn Milne, Resource Centre Librarian, North York, Ontario

"It was as if I had four writing teachers for six weeks. I signed up for writing this year so I could receive input from more experienced writers. WiER really helped with that."

Karen Andreassen, Student, Claremont Secondary School, Victoria, B.C.

"The program can really benefit aspiring young writers. Not only can we have our work read and reviewed by professional Canadian writers, but also from our peers across the country. People come from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, so each evaluator can offer a unique perspective. From the evaluations, I am made more aware of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. There is a flip side to the program: we read work from a broad range of sources and critique these works from our own point of view. This allows us to expand as critical readers. By giving encouragement and offering suggestions, we learn to become more particular and precise, as well as articulate, in our evaluations. Evaluating the work of others also helps us to become more critical of our own work."

Boon H. Chang, Student, Malvern Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario