View the video and read the week's assignments. Take time to begin or contribute to a conversation about one of the readings. Do you have any rules for students communicating online? How will our communication here differ from those in a regular classroom? What do you think of Richardson (Digital Footprint) on technology in education? I am interested in finding effective uses of technology that augment our teaching of writing rather than just adding more for the sake of technology. What do you think? Ponder a bit!
The report Writing Next published by the Carnegie Corporation is a heavy read, but one that we might consider referring to throughout the course. The "meat' of the material is between page 11 and 34. You can skim the rest. It contains eleven key recommendations that are worth "unpacking" as we move through our discussions. The report is considered one of the most comprehensive reports on writing since the 1990's. It makes a good companion to our text which we will start reviewing in a few weeks. Does this report contain ideas particularly true to your experience, ideas that you find puzzling, or ones that run contrary to your beliefs?And last but not least, comment on the many hats we must all wear as teachers of writing as described in Raising Writers.
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ReplyDeleteI agree. Writing Next is a heavy read. One passage particularly resonated with me:
ReplyDelete"Effective writing instruction acknowledges that the smooth deployment of the higher-level writing strategies needed to plan, generate, and revise text depends on easy use of lower-level skills such as handwriting, keyboarding, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and access to appropriate vocabulary."
In my Honors English 9 classes at Dimond, my focus is on higher-level writing strategies. I find the writing efforts of many of my students being sabotaged by limited lower-level skills. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and access to appropriate vocabulary often hinder students rather than provide a solid foundation upon which to build.
I agree with you about the basic grammar skills. I teach 6th grade and they can really hurt student writing if they cannot form basic sentences and put them together in a cohesive way. Also, unfortunately, grammar is one of the skills that is tested for the SBA's. I think it is important to try to balance the teaching of grammar and basic sentence structure with the actual writing process.
DeleteI found myself, a first grade teacher, thinking "Why in the world am I reading this if it's intended for middle & high school teachers?". But as I read, I made lots of connections back to my 6 & 7-year-olds. If you Becky need lower-level skills in place and not holding kids back, then it's partly my job to teach those skills from the get go and hope that other grade levels do as well so that when my kiddos get to you, they can learn the higher-level writing strategies that you're teaching them.
DeleteThat is a very intriguing quote. Teaching in rural Alaska to English Language Learners, I find this to be true every day. We spend a lot of time brushing up on the basics, and the lack of many of those lower-level skills are definitely holding back my students from writing at a higher level.
DeleteJaime - I appreciate that you are concerned with the upper levels. Understanding where your students will be going - even a decade after you have them is relevant to seeing the big picture. I was trained to teach elementary and am currently teaching high school. Should I ever make it back down to the lower grades, what I've learned teaching high schoolers will be of great help to me...I hope.
I also agree that teaching the basics can sometimes be a struggle. I am still working on basic writing skills. I have tried to teach editing and peer editing, but some of my students still do not know what to look for, so it can be a challenge.
DeleteDigital Footprints
ReplyDeleteIn todays society kids are always using technology. This article makes me wonder if any of my fifth graders blog. For me this is the first time I have ever used a blog. To me it is a little unnerving to think of what kids can do in today's world from there rooms. However, it is also inspirational to read about the ten year girl who started a blog after her grandfather died, and has accomplished so much through it.
I think when I get a chance I am going to see if any of my students blog. It would be interesting to know if they did. Also being I have never blogged before it would probably be good for me to see what is out there. However, I wouldn't even know how to find other bloggers.
It is scary and exciting at the same time. Think of the great impact the students can have on the world! One person in a remote village in Alaska has the potential to reach millions! That is an awesome amount of power!
DeleteA Day in the Life YouTube Clip
ReplyDeleteI have used aspects of Writing Workshop in my classroom. I find kids love to write what they want to write. The video did not present any new ideas to me but I did find the fourth comment very interesting! I wonder why that teacher thinks the way she does? I found that the grammar lessons were more meaningful to my students and "stuck" better when they were able to use it in their personal writing.
I started reading "Digital Footprints" but got distracted when I started wondering what would pop up on a Google search of me. So... I opened a new window and found: 1) that my age is not a secret, there it was for all to see, 2) a picture from my church confirmation, 3) several Facebook related things and 4) a lesson plan for the Alaska Science Consortium. No brilliant pieces of writing to my name. Should I be worried?
The article brought up several thought provoking nuggets. Communication is changing so rapidly. What does that mean for the future classroom? How do I prepare my students? Do I even have the skills to teach what is need? How do I get the skills to teach what the students need now, much less later? What should I teach? What will be the most relevant?
I have not finished reading the article, I will do that tomorrow when I have time to really sit and think about the issues discussed.
Your second paragraph made me smile. I did the exact same thing. Just deleted an old MySpace account. Everything else that came up was pretty safe. But it brings up a second point.
DeleteI have used blogging in my classes - both ones I taken and ones I taught. They offer a powerful means of collecting information. But they also offer a crazy number of places to get distracted on. I read somewhere - and I will work on finding the link - that reading comprehension and speed decrease as links increase. Think about it - every link you come across, whether you are conscious of it or not, your brain does a mini-evaluation: "Should we go or stay?" Your experience, and mine, attest to that.
Researcher by the name of Nicholas Carr - interesting results on reading comprehension and the use of technology. Something to keep in mind if blogging or teaching how-to blog to students.
Deletehttp://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/05/ff_nicholas_carr/all/1
The key point of the research in Carr's words:
“Links are wonderful conveniences, as we all know (from clicking on them compulsively day in and day out). But they’re also distractions. Sometimes, they’re big distractions – we click on a link, then another, then another, and pretty soon we’ve forgotten what we’d started out to do or to read. Other times, they’re tiny distractions, little textual gnats buzzing around your head. Even if you don’t click on a link, your eyes notice it, and your frontal cortex has to fire up a bunch of neurons to decide whether to click or not. You may not notice the little extra cognitive load placed on your brain, but it’s there and it matters. People who read hypertext comprehend and learn less, studies show, than those who read the same material in printed form. The more links in a piece of writing, the bigger the hit on comprehension.” (Taken from a different website - http://hightalk.net/2010/06/16/do-hyperlinks-endanger-reading/)
Eric, it's certainly soemething to think about as we move further into the digital age. I find myself frustrated and distracted with the technological demands of living even way out in Bush Alaska! Teachers must use these tools carefully, as a means of learning the medium rather than trying to learn through a funnel. And yes, advertisements and links are a huge waste of brain power!
DeleteThank you for your replies!
DeleteI find that I am distracted by all of the "extra" on a web page. I feel my stress level go up when I have to do my class work on the computer (although I do not have much of a choice here if I want to take classes, so I am learning to deal with it). I guess that is why I always print a copy when I can. It always seemed like I could understand it better -- and now I know why!
A Day in the Life of YouTube Clip
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I have never used Writing Workshop in my classroom. I have always wanted to. Perhaps I feel I do not know enough to implement it well so I shy away from it. I also have a fear that my first graders would struggle with using their time wisely. How do you "train" them in all the components of Writing Workshop? I know that I could be teaching writing more effectively in my classroom. I just do not know how to yet… Our writing block is only 30 minutes a day. Is it even possible to do Writing Workshop for 30 minutes a day? I know the mini lessons are only about 10-15 minutes but that doesn’t leave a lot of time for my students to write.
Lydia responding to Sara on starting writers workshop
DeleteSara, I have been using the writers workshop for years and would like to encourage you to start using workshop methods one step at a time. It doesn't take a lot of time to get started. When I start with a new group of students I plan for three things, talk about writing, quiet writing, and sharing. Once they begin to count on this every day, their minds start to work on stories and if we miss writing they complain. Reluctant writers will be motivated to try by the fun everyone else is having.
Start a conversation about something that everyone wants to tell a story about. It might be pets or moose encounters, but cut them off when the energy is high and insist on quiet, no side talk and journals open. I've told the class that only those who have something written or who drew a picture are going to be able to share when the timer goes off. I circulate to give free spelling help and lots of encouragement.
The sharing time is volunteer only and is oral, so no one sees the errors or handwriting. Some volunteers even ask me to read their work for them and I gladly agree. Again run out of time, so the "need to write or need to share" energy goes with them into free/choice time or out the door and home.
I hope you try it. I think you will like it. I have to be sure to do my math lessons first, so I don't spend all day on writing.
Sara,
DeleteI feel the same as you. I know that writer's workshop is an effective strategy for teaching writing, and, more importantly, for developing real, authentic excitement for it. I've tried it a few times and LOVED it, yet somehow have not yet figured out how to make it a routine for my class every year. I will never forget one of my most reluctant writers coming to school one day saying, "I can't wait for writing. I was thinking about my story last night."
It was awesome, but that was a different (easier) group of students that I currently teach. Even my current students have loved writer's workshop the couple of times this year that I've tried to use it. I'm hoping to finish out the year with writer's workshop in full force.
A resource that has been really helpful for me is called Launching Writer's Workshop by Denise Leograndis. It's a scholastic publication geared specifically for grades 3-4. I love it because the author has included photos of every aspect of the writer's workshop so you can see what it really looks like in a real classroom. Perhaps there is a similar publication for younger grades available? I haven't looked yet, but I wonder if there is. Perhaps I'll keep my eyes peeled for you.
I googled "launching writers workshop" and came across this link:
Deletehttp://www.wrsd.net/literacy/WWlaunch.cfm
it looks like it may have some good lessons for all grades for the writing workshop.
Digital Footprints
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to Google your name. I did so after reading the article about digital footprints. My name came up many times. One of the first hits was for my page on the Anchorage School District website. It also brought up the name of my action research project I completed for my masters. We really do leave “footprints” all over the Internet. There are all sorts of links to Facebook, where I have lived, and websites I have been involved in.
We have a lot of technology in our school. We have a mobile lab, a computer lab, and smart boards in every classroom. I think our students are exposed to a lot of technology but I have not used it for writing in my classroom. When is it appropriate to start teaching student about online publishing and ownership? What does this mean for the future of our classroom?
This year I tried something in my self-contained 7th grade classroom to bring internet writing into the classroom without actually using the internet. We all made "Classbook" profile posters which were hung around the room. They had student's pictures and basic info on them (similar to a Facebook profile page), as well as a "status box" where students could update their status twice a day (profiles were laminated so we could use dry erase). It was a really fun project, and a chance for the students to do some informal writing every day, even if it was just a sentence or two. I like to think of it as the classroom-friendly Facebook..engaging with students on real Facebook is a big teacher no-no, but with this project we had our own (safe) little classroom social network to play with.
DeleteI really like that idea. It's similar to something I did in college when we were learning about Facebook and other social utilities. I considered having a Facebook like format for making character sketches in reading class and in writing as well. I think that having those personal touches in the classroom, the Classbook idea, is really engaging and motivating for students. It validates them. Cool idea!
DeleteLydia on the hats we wear as we are "Raising Writers"
ReplyDeleteI've often visualized the tub of hats I could collect as I work the many jobs we do each day at school. Just for the writing class this article lists a tub full. Modeling is the one I tend to skip recently. I can use an old reference or a student's piece to work from and don't always take time to show the class my writing process. I'm thinking this class might get me back into that part of the workshop, since I will have to do some "new" writing.
One of the areas of coaching that has been a challenge for me is working out partnership and friendship issues in my third grade writers' workshop. Students often want to work together and start out fine, then the inevitable difference of opinion happens and adjustments and negotiations start. That compounded by the sensitivities of parents sometimes is a challenge for me. Students learn from the process of working with partners and adjusting plans when needed, but there are pros and cons. I have to work harder if I allow partnerships, meeting with them often to iron out problems, checking to be sure both are doing all the steps of the assignment, making sure all partners have ownership in the final product, etc. Often times for the next project the student or I(or the parent) will decide that they will not be in a partnership this time.
The hat of assessment is a hat that changes shape and needs to be adjustable. For fluency building I put less emphasis on correcting, editing, and rewriting. For those pieces that we choose to take to publication, there is another set of criteria. I might assess peer editors and their helpfulness using my coaching hat. Samples of writing are taken for careful examination for pre and post evaluation of growth. These may demand a hat with flip down spectacles for a very close and careful look. The results of this close look can determine future conferences with the student or mini lessons for the class. Rubrics, like hats, can be made-to-fit the task at hand.
Planning for workshop and combining the roles of the workshop teacher do make the job challenging, but the results, in my mind, are worth it. Raising writers isn't easy and it isn't done without challenges (patience, perseverance and passion) but the difference it makes for children makes the work worthwhile.
I've always thought about using real hats to demonstrate the different roles of a writer in the classroom. The "Punctuation Police," the "Sentence Sleuth," or the "Capital Conductor" would help the students visualize all the jobs they perform while working on one piece.
DeleteI think "Teacher as Organizer" needs to be added to this list. The skill of keeping track of all their writing, finding a specific piece, collecting samples, and doing "sentence surgery" is a major undertaking for a fourth grader and the teacher. I know how I would organize my own work, by keeping it all in a notebook and that's really the style I've used with them. But when it comes to publishing, then they want to tear things out, they never but everything back in a folder (if they can find it), and no name papers float around the room. I think I'll ask at our team meeting tomorrow how everyone organizes their writing process pieces.
In Response to “Footprints in the Digital Age”
ReplyDeleteJessica Theroux
In his article “Footprints in the Digital Age,” Richardson surmises that every American middle-school student comes from a culture or background that relies on networking and internet connections to conduct meaningful and worthwhile activities. I believe that his contention could be more applicable in a college classroom. I can see the social and professional importance of having public web presence for an adult. For students, though, I think we are walking a fine line of appropriate levels of engagement, and as educators, we must first educate ourselves.
Being “well-Goggled,” according to Richardson, is becoming “woven into the fabric of almost every aspect of our lives.” This is the reality for much of the American population, and although internet and networking are having positive impacts in global affairs with new voices gaining ground, extensive learning definitely needs to take place before it is implemented into a classroom. Learning on both the teacher’s part and that of the student.
I’m not even sure I’m “well-Googled.” When I type my name into the search engine, nothing of much consequence surfaces. The fact that I am expected to be well-Goggled, and the additional shock that I should expect my students to be, is waking me up to a rapidly spreading pocket of existence in which the human ego has extended itself and wrapped it’s spiny tentacles around the globe in infinite swirls. If only McLuhan could see us now…
I agree that we as educators should be expected to help children navigate truth from fiction in cyberspace. Learning how to use the internet’s infinite resources is an important educational endeavor. However, possessing and maintaining a dynamic web presence is not a social or professional requirement at age thirteen. We need to be researching and finding the tools that will contribute to our lessons and allow students to engage with the those tools, but the extent to which they create a Google-able web presence should match social developmental levels. I view going public as more of a collegiate assignment. When children are still minors, their work should remain private in the school setting.
Richardson does note that many precautions must be taken when teaching children to use the internet. Still, he overall tone of the article focused on the suggestion being “well-Googled” and visible on the internet are important life skills. Students can develop a meaningful web presence but I think that involvement must be determined by the teacher’s comfort level with the technology, student’s developmental level, the instruction prior to and during the use of the internet, and the educational purposes for using a particular digital tool. It has to fit with the assignment.
Imagine a crowded city street, complete with various dangers, situations, and people from every corner of existence, all over the world. Very great things are happening all over: theater, poetry slams, art museums, and political rallies to name a few. But the same dangers that exist in any crowded city are more than abundant here. Would you allow your thirteen-year-old children or students to ramble around in that scenario aimlessly? Of course not! They might get lost, kidnapped, worse… This is the internet. The same dangers exist there. Some adults aren’t safe. People make bad decisions. It is up to us as educators to protect our students. A middle-school-aged child does not need a public web presence.
Jess
DeleteThe digital footprint article was a wake-up call to me too! I love your analogy about wandering the streets. That is exactly what our students are doing online, and we need to teach them how to navigate safely and responsibly!
In response to the "Day in the Life" YouTube clip—Becky Norsworthy
ReplyDeleteThe YouTube video “A Day in the Life of a Writing Workshop” made me think that perhaps I should have been a first-grade teacher. Those little guys are so earnest and so into what they’re doing. I think it is more difficult to achieve that kind of feeling and atmosphere with the older students, including those in my Honors English 9 classes, but it can be done. One barrier is the unbendable schedule in my high school. Our 50-minute class periods don’t allow for relaxed writing workshop time.
When I watched that video, I became aware that the novelty of different writing intruments never really leaves us, even into middle and high school grades. Even as adults. I am very fond of my black pilot roller ball pens, and even more thrilled with the purple and green colors!
DeleteI noticed that the teacher set out Spacemaker boxes with various writing utensils for students to use. They were also encouraged to decorate and include visuals with their final product.
Incorporating visual art and exposing students to choice really livens up the task. The next day in class, I set out all of my new pens and all of the pencils I had and let my students find a comfortable spot in the room for some brainstorming about their persuasive essay topics. Though my eighth graders are past the age of crayons and markers for writing, jotting ideas in colored pen is not a problem, and can enhance the experience for the writer. i also gave them notebooks exclusive for writing and brainstorming ideas and let them decorate it.
I like this post. My ninth-graders may be in high school, but they love things like this.
DeleteI think that incorporating an artistic element into writing, even if it is something as small as using a pen that "inspires" you, can be a powerful aspect of writing for kids of all ages - adults too! Since beginning this class, I have been trying to write a little bit every night, and I find that when I am stuck, if I just doodle for a minute or jot down song lyrics, whatever it is, just to get my pen rolling, inspiration strikes sooner or later. This semester, I have made a concerted effort to get my kids into producing art to go along with some of their written pieces (these are middle schoolers, mind you, but they still love their coloring). I think the next step is to start out with the art and from there go into writing. It seems to work for me in my own writing pursuits!
DeleteI love that your 8th graders were up to the hidden task. The writing teacher on my team (we teach 7th grade) has them highlight parts of their essays in different colors. But I like the idea of giving them different writing tools and even different paper outlines to help them. I ONLY use purple pens. A student tried to forge a pass from me, but it was in blue so security questioned it! I let students write in whatever they want, but I don't offer them anything. I think I will hit Costco soon and get some special "writing pens" for them! Again I am so glad that it worked for you!
DeleteWatching this video had made me realize that my fourth graders are still young in some ways, and I probably don't give them enough time to illustrate as often as I should. Those kids were making simple books and my students would love that. My goal for this class is to focus on the publishing and sharing of student writing. We did do sharing the first half of the year, limiting it to five sharers a day. It took about ten minutes, but it slowly got cut from the schedule as other mandatory curriculum needs took over. I need to reassert it for my kids, because that is why they were enjoying their writing, to share it. I need to also let them use photobooth or imovie more often to record their readings so we could have a digital library for other students to view.
DeleteIn response to Jessica's post—Becky Norsworthy
ReplyDeleteI have all of those concerns and more. I also wonder how school district guidelines on student internet activity will change within the next few years as more opportunities arise for in-school involvement. In my district (Anchorage School District) we have the odd situation of having an ASD Facebook page on the official ASD website that cannot be accessed at school because of the district's own web blocking software.
Interesting... I think that this issue will reach further into the future of education than we currently realize. Educational institutions will nee to look more carefully at how and why they are using internet resources and what will be appropriate for students.
DeleteIn many cases, right now, I feel like technology can be a hindrance. It becomes the focus and steals the attention away from the real issues and learning goals. I already seem to use technology extensively in the classroom. I believe appropriately. There are just so many things that a person needs to experience without the buzz and flash of a screen and a wi-fi connection. These things are still worth teaching.
Sometimes, technology is a hindrance. My classroom has more computers than most (desktops across the back of the room plus a cart of netbooks), and I use technology more than many of my colleagues. Our student newspaper is hosted on the American Society of Newspaper Editors website for high school publications, and students must master the technology required to get their stories and photos online. All of my students write using their ASD Google Docs accounts. My ninth-graders submit all of their writing to turnitin.com, even if they generate printed copies for me, as well. I have graded their work in turnitin's grading portal, but I have not yet transitioned to using that exclusively. MyAccess! is another type of technology our district provides for ninth-graders. We assume that students are comfortable with technology, but I have seen and felt the tension and frustration of students when they are beyond their depth or when the technology goes wrong. At that point, the focus is on the technology, not on the writing.
DeleteDigital Footprints
ReplyDeleteI found the author’s point fascinating about how we are judged by how Googleable we are in this day and age. I was so intrigued by the idea that I Googled myself to see how I was presenting myself to the world. The first thing it wants me to do is change the spelling of my name, but after that you can see my Facebook page (which is private), my homepage for the ASD, my class website’s homework page (apparently I post to many things there) and my Alaska Staff Development Online Personal profile (which I do not remember creating). I found it interesting to see the results and am reminded that towards the end of my Masters program, they cautioned us about what was available to be seen on our Facebook and other such accounts because people do use it to gain information about others, whether a future employer or a student who wants to see what their teacher is up to. It is a truly interesting concept and one to keep in mind when teaching our children.
Raising Writers and Writing Next
I thought that both articles brought up good ideas for teachers to adopt and refine skills that will help us teach our students to become better writers. When reading these articles, I discovered some strategies that I am using in my classroom and some that I need to work on implementing. I do a fairly good job of having students work collaboratively and implementing the writing process and prewriting strategies. I need to improve on my role in teaching writing. I know that modeling is really good for teaching writing but I sometimes struggle to implement this. I also need to improve on giving feedback to students.
I found it interesting how Writing Next emphasized that writing is essential in many workplaces and most students need to take remedial writing classes in college to catch up and be prepared. I am hoping to take some of these ideas to help bridge the gap and work on emphasizing the importance of writing.
In response to “Raising Writers,” by Debi Rickardson and Shirl Hawes
ReplyDeleteDebi Rickards and Shirl Hawes approach to teaching writing and the article that explains the procedure, I think, is an excellent model for how an active writing class should be taught.
Of course any teacher will agree that targeting students individual writing needs is difficult in any classroom setting, even more so with four sets of twenty-five students a day. Developing a highly organized system built from the state standards and curriculum goals is the only way to conduct such instruction. The focus on fulfilling each role of the writing teacher is an excellent perspective to help shape instruction. Each role is invaluable when considering the various duties that a teacher must perform to give students a diverse and comprehensive writing experience.
Initially, the construction of such an integrated teaching method must be very time consuming. I have implemented certain singular aspects of Hawes’ writing workshops approach, but even strike a match to the level of complexity and well-oiled functionality of her targeted approach. I look now at my fledgling attempts at teaching writing as some half-hearted tinkering, with little scraps of good instruction just plopped blindly into the bubbling mix of students writing hopes, fears and desires.
I owe it to these kids to develop my skills so I can match the intensity of Hawes writing workshops. I owe the students who hate writing, the ones who can’t write a good topic sentence. The ones who won’t try any harder than they think they have to. The students who are so intimidated by writing they don’t slow down to complete a sentence. The students who have so much to say but don’t believe their voice belongs in school. When kids see you’re invested in them personally, they will put more work into themselves to see the success reflected in their mentor’s eyes.
Treating each writer as an individual is hard in a classroom full of kids, and many times we get caught up in only the technical aspects of writing, quickly scanning and grading each paper based on grammar, organization, and spelling only. Often times, we feel we did not spend enough time teaching each detail. Writing is one of the most complex yet versatile academic subjects. Young people learning to write are just as complex. Writing instruction does not need to be complicated and difficult, but it can be well-planned and organized to address it’s inherent complexity.
I think that Raising Writers was my favorite article. I'll admit that I really LOVE rules, and this article really breaks down the role of writing teachers into 5 identifiable categories. I know all of the roles truly blend and cross lines, but to see delineation written in black and white does wonders for my motivation to try. For me, it seems a little less overwhelming when provided with a "list" of things to do. I can try one or two things at a time, master them, then add a few more.
DeleteI've tried and really enjoyed writing workshop before, but just haven't been able, for whatever reason, to maintain the structure. Or perhaps, it's my passion for the structure that's hard to keep going. Perhaps by applying a "list strategy" writer's workshop will become as comfortable for my classroom as understanding 2 + 2.
I also consulted the website, primarily writing, and was glad to see a number of resources available. I assume that many of them are directly related to sections of their book. Once we're given the go-ahead to purchase our small group books, this will be another one that I get as well.
Though I teach 3rd grade, my suspicion is that very few students have writing workshop experience. The primary nature of the book will serve both my students and I well as we embark on this journey together.
A Day in the Life of a Writing Workshop
ReplyDelete-I do focus lessons based on GLEs, HM curriculum or student needs. I created a character called Writing Dude and I use my SmartBoard to deliver his lessons. I’m curious how often (per week) others do a focus lesson?
-I should use my Author’s Chair at the end of a writing session as a way to share!
Digital Footprints
This reading wasn’t great and I didn’t gleen a lot from it. But the analogy about the school bus being driven by kids who are just figuring it out on their own stuck with me. Personally, I learn best when I try to figure out something first and then have help available if and when I need it.
Raising Writers
I liked Lydia’s response to this article ☺
Breaking down the teaching of writing in 5 roles was great, because I was like, “Yeah I do all those things and each is like wearing a separate hat.” I think, for me, being a coach is the first step to a writing lesson because you get the kids excited for what it is that they’re about to write and activate their prior knowledge (stretching). Then I model, and kids always pay more attention when I use examples from my own life. Then the coach hat goes back on as kids start to write.
“Teaching young writers is a complex process that requires teachers to play five important roles: model, coach, assessor, planner, and consultant.”
Writing Next
I was not looking forward to reading this article because right on the cover it says “middle and high school students” and I teach 1st grade, which is worlds away from that ☺ But as I read this article I found myself making connections back to my 6 & 7 year-olds and thinking “It’s my job to build a base and hope it’s carried on and added to by teachers in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc grades so when my kids get to middle school they won’t be in the 22-26% proficient group of the NAEP tests.
Of the 11 elements of current writing instruction found to be effective for helping adolescent students learn to write well and to use writing as a tool for learning, I think I employ 5 elements: Writing Strategies, Specific Product Goals, Sentence Combining, Prewriting and Process Writing Approach. I may employ more and maybe I should be employing more.
“However, although reading and writing are complementary skills whose development runs a roughly parallel course, they do not necessarily go hand in hand.” this quote struck me because, in working towards my National Boards in Literacy-Language Arts, I read over and over about how reading & writing are SO intertwined and never totally agreed with that and this quote I think sums up what I’ve felt.
My lasting thought while reading this article was that, in my opinion, we need a writing curriculum with a scope and sequence to help guide and homogenize our teaching of writing. Just including it within a reading curriculum (HM) is not enough or appropriate.
I have some general reactions to the various pieces we viewed/read this week...
ReplyDeleteFirst, my reaction to the workshop video. I have tried workshop components in my writing class (mini-lessons, quiet writing time, conferences, sharing work) and most of my experience with it has been a struggle. The main factor behind that struggle being that I have many behavior problems in my classes which make independent, self-guided work time difficult to orchestrate. During the days where we are in the thick of a project and students are writing busily or clamoring for conference time with me, I find myself wishing I could split myself in two. One of me could stay and conference with students, helping with the editing and revising process or with idea generation, and giving feedback. My clone, in the meantime, would be patrolling the room, squashing behavior before it became a distraction for those actually working on writing. I hope to someday be in a situation where I can spend the majority of my day teaching rather than re-directing behavior. In the meantime, I do the best I can with the kids who are excited to write and engaging in what I have for them.
When I read the article about digital footprints, all I could think of was the number of times I see "u" in a student's writing where I should see "you". I worry that the digital age is corrupting the English language and creating a generation of lazy writers. While I do believe there are many "right" ways to incorporate "internet writing" into the classroom, we need to remember that student privacy and our own personal privacy can be easily compromised in the "anything goes" world of the internet.
One of the best ideas I gleaned from the 'Raising Writers' piece was something small but mighty: the idea of doing a 'final conference' with students every time they finish a piece of writing. I spend lots of time conferencing and guiding revision while students are working on a piece, but I don't do enough to celebrate or reflect with my students once they complete a writing project. A quick chat to get some feedback from them on what they are proud of about their finished work, or things to do differently next time, or plans for a follow-up project could be something very powerful that I could easily incorporate into my existing routine. Now, if I only had that clone I mentioned earlier to run interference for me, all would be well in the world...
In 'Writing Next', I was not surprised to see that teaching writing strategies to students has a dramatic effect on their abilities. I have been a student of Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Learning Strategies for the past year and a half, and I am currently working to become certified as a trainer of SIM strategies. I have seen firsthand the power that using a strategy can have in student improvement. A strategy is nothing more than a way of doing something; many times students use strategies without even knowing it. For struggling learners, learning a strategy that other students may use naturally without knowing it can make a huge difference. Sometimes, as teachers, I think we take for granted what our students know (or don't know). Teaching writing has been more of a challenge than I thought, because I am a naturally strategic writer, and many of my students are not. It's that extra 'tool' in their tool belts that I came by naturally, but they need to be taught.
-Jane Demme
Jane, you remind me that teaching writing is teaching thinking!
DeleteOn the wall of my classroom, I have these words in huge letters: "Learning to Write Is Learning to Think." I've had those words displayed in my classroom for most of the years I've been a teacher. When I moved from the old Dimond building to the new one I made new letters, but they say the same thing.
DeleteI agree that sometimes we have lazy writers. As a science teacher I usually grade just for content. But sometimes I get an essay or a report and I am confused on what kid wrote it. I teach a lot of ELL students, and so I am used to cutting them a little slack on sentence structure but focus on did they use the correct format and did they attempt to make complete sentences. I leave the hard stuff to the real english teachers :)
DeleteMainly because I am not trained to do so! I don't know how to explain it to them. I am learning though I promise.
Back to my point.....sometimes I read a paper and I am surprised at the lack of effort that was put into the assignment. I have been known to hand it back and say try again. If they complain, I offer to show it to a parent or another teacher who, like me, knows they are capable of more.
Writing is hard, it doesn't mean you don't have to try. I say this to them all the time.
@ Becky
DeleteI really like that poster. I may have to steal the idea. I have been in the habit lately of telling my history students to "turn on their brains" when responding to prompts and questions. @ Shannon - I grade for content as well, but am making a conscious effort (actually my school is) to eliminate laziness in writing and speech. It is an uphill battle though. Encouraging, however, to have a student start a sentence, then stop midway through to clean up their statement/question.
In response to Jess' post
ReplyDeleteI really like the outline of the roles teachers play in the classroom to help teach writing. I find myself often struggling to determine the best way to go about teaching writing. This article was very helpful for me to remember the various roles that I need to try to incorporate in my instruction. I need to work on wearing more of the "hats" in order to help my students become better writers.
I do not really let my students communicate online and after reading the article Digital Footprints it really made me aware of how careful we need to be. I do let my students use Google Docs to write, but that is something that I am constantly monitoring and only my students have access to. When things are on the internet anyone is able to see them and it is difficult to erase. Last year I had a blog about my first year of teaching. People I did not even know would comment on it. I could also look and see what people were searching to find my blog which was even creepier.
DeleteI think growing up kids and even myself would sign up for all these accounts and websites not thinking that they never actually go away. I think it is important to teach children how to have a leave a healthy "digital footprint".
In response to the hats we wear as teachers.
ReplyDeleteThis year I have noticed how important it is to model for my students when writing. Normally I like to show them a piece of my own writing and how I created it. I may even write something in front of them. We then do a sample together and the students write it down in their journals. I think it is important for students to see and understand all the different roles and parts that go into writing.
@ Alicia I think it's also important to self-talk (aloud) while writing in front of your students. It lets them know what kinds of questions and thoughts pop into your head as you write, because that will happen to them too :)
DeleteI read digital footprints first and had to agree that it spoke to me the most. My students don't know how to type an essay, but they can "social network" like professionals. My niece is 5 and she can get on the computer, find her pre-school games and play all alone without our help. If she gets stuck on a game she finds a new one. She also unlocks my cell phone, finds my husbands picture and calls him. She has been doing this for a year, but just learned to write her name. My point is that children take technology and the internet for granted. When researching they just type in a search to google, and get a random myriad of answers. They do not realize how connected topics are. And that they too are google-able. They google me all the time. Tell me they found a picture of me fishing, found my home phone number, which I don't even use.I would love for my students to collaborate with students in other schools, cities, countries, but I am not sure how to do that. And how to monitor it responsibly. How awesome would pen pals be for my students, but what does that look like!?? I don't know! So I will take the 5 steps to heart and see if I can make something happen by the end of the school year. We have laptops available for our classes and maybe I can put them to even better use.
ReplyDeleteLike many others I found the ideas in raising writers pretty awesome. Some I do, and some I need to work on. I did my year-long internship in a High School, but got hired in a Middle School. I learned rather quickly that I cannot just say "make a poster", "draw a diagram" or "write an essay". Modeling all of these assignments is so important. Students may see posters and diagrams every day, but knowing how to make one is a totally different thing. I think that modeling the correct way to do things is SO IMPORTANT for our students to be successful. How can they meet a standard if they do not know what that is?
Digital Footprint
ReplyDeleteI had a friend in a village a couple years ago who set up a blog for his writing class. They posted all their assignments and commented on each other's work. He also set up a connection with another classroom in another village, so they were consistently checking and posting about their work. He said that the kids would get really stoked every time someone left a message about their work.
I tried setting up a blog/wiki for my classroom last year in the hopes of turning it over to my students, and letting them take turns to write a daily reflection. I did well for about a month then we had to change servers, so I had to save the writing in a word document and repost once the blog was on the new server. That killed my passion for it right there. I would like to start it again next year, making it a part of our writing time, maybe having a "news team" assigned every week to update it.
I also think this could be a neat way to interact with penpals. As much as I support and encourage real letters on real paper going through the mail, it would be a good template for making online connections in a safe environment.
Google Docs is an experiment I am trying with the 8th graders in Kipnuk for our persuasive essay. This is used mainly for a revision tool, but I think I will work peer editing into the Google Docs format rather than paper. We shall see what happens!
DeleteI used Google Docs in my elective this year. I finally took some time to figure out how to work it. I enjoyed being able to write comments on their work so that they could fix it before we started printing and finalizing. I made them print them and see how their crazy fonts and spacing looked. They like to change every setting possible. That is the only downside of google docs that I have found.
DeleteRaising Writers
ReplyDeleteTeaching high school students in writing is a challenge. But what I wanted to comment on was their writing ability in other classes (in particular US History).
The the "Teaching as Planners" the author mentioned that primary teachers plan out writing pieces, and also plan out writing pieces across subjects. Teaching high school I don't always have this luxury and I cannot assume that my students know how to write an essay, or how to write a response to a question from the text. I think it is important to keep in mind that a major reason for teaching writing is so that it can be applied later - in other classes, in later grades, and in real life.
Perhaps my most successful writing unit so far was the one where I told my class that their letters were indeed going to be mailed. I have never seen them work so hard to get things right. It was a good reminder that we are preparing them not to get good grades, and not to impress their parents and the community, but to be functional members of a larger society.
In response to Jane and 'Raising Writers'
ReplyDeleteI really like doing conferences with students after a piece is published. In my class we do a week of practice on a mode of writing where they write every day for 20 min. The second week we take that same mode of writing through the entire writing process. That means we publish a new piece every two weeks. I have found it difficult to meet with students after every piece but I really do try.
These were all excellent and worthwhile reading materials.
ReplyDeleteRaising Writers
The section of this article that stood out most for me, was “Teachers as Coaches.” I have always played that role when teaching reading. In reflection, I am a learning coach in all subject matters. I like the idea of creating teams, supporting the team, celebrating success and treating mistakes as learning opportunities. The article was packed with good strategies to raise writers.
Writing Next
It was fascinating to read about the Eleven Elements of Effective Adolescent Writing Instruction, that were research based and proven to be effective for teaching writing. According to this article, teaching Writing Strategies dramatically improves student’s writing. I have been teaching the strategies for years, and it is good to know that research supports my methods. I am interested to learn more about the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD). As a special education teacher, it seems that would be a valuable approach for teaching my special education students. Each of the eleven elements are strategies I have, or will use in my writing instruction.
Footprints in the Digital Age
This article prompted me to do an immediate Google search to find my own digital footprint. I was inspired by the idea of teaching students to build connections and network online. That is a new concept to me, but a very useful one. I am responsible to be teach my students to create a strong digital footprint. A footprint could impact millions. I have seen it happen with the Hallelujah Chorus from Quinhagak. It is possible for one student, in the remotest part of the world to impact millions with a digital footprint. As an instructor, I am responsible to assist students to do this in a responsible manner. What an exciting task to be a part of this digital age.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTechnical Question: does anyone know why when I post, my profile picture and other profile information does not appear? My posts appear to using different profile information.
ReplyDeleteI think that some of us have Google Profiles and Blogspot profiles. Double check both of them and see which one has the wrong info.
DeleteResponse to Resource Readings
ReplyDeletePamella Carter Simpson
You Tube
“A day in the life of a writing workshop”
2/21/12 9:25 A.M.
This video was very exciting and informing. I loved seeing the students sitting in special places set aside for writing alone or with a partner. Everyone had their own box of materials with pencils, markers, crayons, and paper. Students were partnering to help each other with writing, spelling, and socializing.
After writing, they partnered to share their piece giving suggestions and praise. The students also had the option of sharing to the whole group while sitting in a rocker.
While students were writing alone or with a partner, the teacher was pulling individual students for writing conferences. Many happy faces were shown showing their completed works. They were only 1st graders. Wow! There were lots of writing and pictures
At the end, students select one of their stories to publish on the computer using photo shop or other programs.
At this age, we tend to think students can’t write. We don’t give them enough credit for how much they are really capable of.
Pamella Carter Simpson
ReplyDelete“Digital Footprints”
2/21/12 9:41 A.M.
Wow! Since I don’t do Facebook, twitter, or blogs, I was profoundly impacted by this information. Up until now, I did not participate in order to protect myself from possible persecution from students and parents of students I have taught. I have heard many a horror story about teachers who have lost their jobs over Facebook.
However, I now have a paradigm shift in my thinking toward this. I have a responsibility not just to myself, but also to my students. As I find my way through this digital age, I now see it is my responsibility to help prepare them as well by teaching and showing them the way.
As the author said, students are teaching and publishing themselves without anyone to lead them. Therefore, they are not doing a great job of it. They are leaving a poor “digital footprint” that will haunt them the rest of their days. What they publish could possibly cause much hardship and stress in the future due to its content being open to intended and unintended audiences they have not thought about.
I have a lot to learn in order to be in a place to help them.
Pamella Carter Simpson
“Raising Writers: The Teacher’s Role”
2/21/12 12:53 P.M.
This article talks about the teacher’s role in helping students to see themselves as writers,
providing a supportive environment, and encouraging emerging writing skills.
There are five important roles a teacher can play in this process as a model, coach, assessor, planner, and consultant:
1. Model - Teachers provide models of good writing with well-written trade books, or mentor texts, and teachers write exhibiting how to use specific techniques such as using strong verbs and why we need them. Ask students to spot specific techniques such as strong verbs and ask students for exampes.
2. Coach – Teachers provide common class goals and activities, build social
bonds by establishing trust, using mistakes as learning opportunities, encourage risk taking, and support students as they grow in their abilities. Teachers encourage affirmations, and celebrations to motivate continued efforts.
3. Assessors - Teachers assess strengths and needs using rubrics for a common language between teachers and students. Students can be taught how to use rubrics for self-assessment.
4. Planners - A typical writing lesson should consist of three parts: a mini-lesson, a sustained writing period, and response time. Plans should keep in mind the state and district requirements and standards.
5. Consultant - Roving conferences (Avery, 1993), the teacher walks around the room and stops routinely to discuss a student's writing. After a student has finished a piece of writing, the writing teacher consults with that student in a final conference. The teacher helps the student to self-reflect to identify strengths and weaknesses and to collaborate to set one or two goals for the student's next piece. To get ready as a consultant, the teacher assesses students' work using rubrics and determines the skills on which each student scored the lowest and highest.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI moved the above two comments to Week Two.
ReplyDeletePamella Carter Simpson
ReplyDelete“WritingNext”
2/21/12 8:36 P.M.
My Response:
As a teacher of writing, I would choose strategies #1 – (.82% effectiveness) Writing Strategies, #5 – (.55% effectiveness) Word Processing, #6 – (.50% effectiveness) Sentence-combining, and #11 – (.23% effectiveness) Writing for Content Learning to teach writing. As a creature of habit, I would say the reason being is that I have used these strategies in my past 30 years of teaching. I was pleased to see their effectiveness showed in the research as well as in my experience with my students. I especially agreed with the use of Word Processing for struggling writers.
With the writing strategies, my favorite is the 6 Trait Writing process along with a rubric. I love this approach due to the gradual process it uses in making great writers of our students. The Six Trait Writing Assessment model gives teachers and students a non-bias, accurate, and objective evaluation tool, which in turn will help students and teachers alike to internalize good traits of writing. (Culham, 2003, pg. 6)
I was also agreed whole-heartedly with this article’s note on traditional teaching of grammar versus “…teaching students to focus on the function and practical application of grammar within the context of writing (versus teaching grammar as an independent activity) produced strong and positive effects on students’ writing.” (WritingNext) I definitely agree with this through experience with my students. Actual on-the-job training with functional writing seems to be more helpful in teaching grammar.
Lastly, I agree with strategy #11 – Writing for Content Learning. Very Important! - “In fact, the roles of learning to write and of writing to learn are interdependent. It was for this reason that Biancarosa and Snow (2004) recommended that language arts teachers use content-area texts to teach reading and writing skills and that content-area teachers provide instruction and practice in discipline-specific reading and writing. Using writing tasks to learn content offers students opportunities to expand their knowledge of vocabulary; to strengthen the planning, evaluating, and revising process; and to practice grammar, spelling, punctuation, modes of argumentation, and technical writing (Yore, 2003).” (WritingNext) I believe, if taken seriously by all teachers, this could be an excellent way to teach cross-curricular writing. The problem I have encountered in the past with this model is non-language arts teachers who say this is not their responsibility. Then, when they are told they have to do it, they don’t read the students’ papers, don’t take it seriously, and this feeling is picked up on by the students. Then the students don’t take it seriously.
Response to “The Write Way: Building Fluency with Students”
ReplyDeleteand a Loaded Memory.
This was my favorite article next to The Center’s research brief about the writing practices. I love music. I love writing. I love to combine the two. Lately, I have been bringing in music that matches the story we are currently reading. That meant Bessie Smith for the 7th graders and Billie Holiday for the 8th graders. I usually play it in the morning while they are getting ready and writing in their WEIRD journals.
Playing instrumental, global tunes while they write (anything) seems to me the best idea in the entire world. This is my next step in the classroom, including compiling all of their old writing work from the year into a portfolio.
When I was in 7th grade, I was working on a fiction piece I called The Silver Dagger. It was set in medieval times and told the story of two brothers who fought in the high lord’s army. Some craziness and deception ensues, and one of the brothers is murdered. I am not going to divulge any more, just in case I get the chance to write it again. The idea is still clear and dear to me, always lurking the depths of my subconscious.
Something I thought to be quite tragic occurred during seventh grade. I took that story everywhere, writing on it when I could in between schoolwork, bus rides and writers club. My grandma Tillie bought me a brown paper accordion style folder with several sections. It used a drawstring and round button fastener to secure the contents. My story was over one–hundred handwritten pages when I put it inside one of the unlocked gym lockers at P.E. one day. When I left class and went to retrieve the folder, it was gone.
Of course I looked in every locker in that locker room. I searched the garbage cans around the school, the gym, the cafeteria. My locker. My backpack. My classrooms. My room at home. Everywhere… nowhere. I remembered that earlier in the year, Sara Wickstrom had stolen my jeans right out of my gym locker during the class period. I had to wear my gym shorts home. The next day, I caught her wearing them and told the teacher. Recalling this incident, I decided to confront her about the story. Nothing. If she or anyone else in my class stole it, they weren’t confessing anytime soon.
I was never popular. Didn’t have very many friends in middle school. Anyone could have stolen the story. The classmates who snickered with cupped hands and piercing glares, the boys who flicked my ears and kicked in the backs of my knees in the lunch line, harassed me on the bus rides home, the girls who asked me if I thought I was “cool” or asked me what do you think you are looking at, girl? …out of the blue, for no reason. Or, Sara Wickstrom. Any of these people could have stolen the story. Or they all could have.