Raise the Roof on Student Writing Authentic Writing Experiences Rowan Literacy Consortium

Steve Zemelman

Raise the Roof on Student WritingAuthentic Writing

Experiences

Rowan Literacy Consortium

On one side of card: a step your team has taken; or one great new idea or strategy you’ve introduced.

On second side of card: one question you have about writing (not that I can address everything in a day).

When finished, share with a partner.

(By the way, this is a writing-to-learn activity.)

Let’s hear from you First!

First, your current status and thinking.

A few concepts (briefly) about “authentic” writing and Common Core plusses & minuses.

Building engagement for writing: responding to short, real-world nonfiction articles.

Work time for application to your projects.

Building engagement: Writing on students’ own questions about self & world.

Additional work time.Some handy tools for formative

assessment.Going beyond individual classrooms.

Our Agenda

“Authenticity” – real audiences, real purposes, issues that matter & that students care about.

Student choice.Writing as a tool for learning (useful in school as well as step to engagement).

Building Student Engagement in Writing

Three types of writing (not just argument).

Recognizes importance of writing process.

Values the role of audience & purpose in shaping writing.

Research gets an entire standard.Frequent writing of variety of types

& purposes.

Good things about Common Core Writing Standards

Listed elements of writing types are pedestrian, uninspiring.

Not much recognition of writing to learn.Young kids can do more than standards say.No logic to grammar & mechanics at various

grade levels.Implementation focuses on argument – but

story is equally important in human activity.No explanation WHY a given skill matters.Tone is joyless.

Limitations to Common Core Writing Standards

But teachers can go beyond the limitations and raise the

roof to make writing exciting and meaningful for

our students.So we focus today on

creating engagement to get writing started.

Video Game Addiction a Real Problem

Dementia Risk in NFL FootballBoss Hog: the bacon we love means vast, deadly pig waste on farms

The Superbug in Your Supermarket

The Long Walk – Navaho suffering during 1863 forced march.

Writing in response to nonfiction articles –

Choose one

= This is important.! = This is surprising to me.X = I disagree with this.? = I’m puzzled by this.Then add a phrase with your comment.

Sticky-Note Annotation Symbols

On first card: Jot words or phrases related to the article. Refer to your sticky notes as you do this.

On second card: Pick one thing that stands out from the first card, something you can tell more about. Write to explain about it.

On third card: You have a choice. Tell about another item from the first card. Or write a statement about what the article is trying to show.

Five Card Writing Starter

On fourth card: Same choices as third card. Or if you wrote a statement about what the article shows, use info you marked with sticky notes for evidence that backs the statement up.

On fifth card: Same choices as fourth card.

When finished, each group member share one bit you wrote on one of your cards.

Five Card Starter, Continued

Strategies we experienced:Short, engaging, nonfiction readingParticipant choiceSticky notes with annotation symbols

(tool to help students spot & use evidence)

Five card starter (helps writers elaborate, explain evidence, & then organize their ideas)

Importance of modelingThis activity could expand into a larger inquiry project.

Let’s debrief -

Let’s take a look at a first grade teacher Kristin Ziemke’s students using sticky notes in science books on animals.

What about applications in early grades?

How about 10 minutes.

Time for a Break!

Tell us how you wish to use the time. Options:

Plan application of a strategy used just now, for your team project.

Work on plans you’ve already begun to develop.

Work time for teams

Actual writing gets done.Teacher gets to observe students writing.

Student choice is important.Mini-lesson provides direct teaching.One-on-one conferences enable individualized instruction.

Builds community – sharing at end of period.

Using writers’ workshop to organize classroom work

I do while you watch.We do together.You do with my support.You do with partner or group.You do independently.

A key aspect of writers’ workshop.Makes visible to students what good

writers do.Shows teacher as a competent adult.

Gradual Release of Responsibility

Elements of the type of writing being taught (such as marshalling evidence, for argument writing)

Modeling curiosity, questioning, everything, really

Making thoughtful choices, so student choice works well

Noticing important ideas in readings usedUsing annotation symbols & sticky-notesSearching for reliable info on web (but not

copying)Choice of lessons depends on grade-level

Types of Mini-Lessons in Workshop

Fold a sheet of paper in half. On top half: Jot questions – things you wonder – about yourself and your life.

On bottom half: Things you wonder about the world around you.

Writing Based on Questions About Oneself and the World

Each team choose a scribe to record questions on chart.

Each team member share one question from your “self” list. Share in repeated rounds until most questions are listed.

On chart, group similar questions together.

Then do the same for “world” questions.

Finally, each team identify one question that all or most members would like to learn more about, to find answers.

Compare questions in teams

Each person write briefly about the chosen question – why it’s important, what you think about it, or further questions it brings up.

On my signal: In your teams, each person pass your writing around the circle to your right.

Respond to the ideas in the writing handed to you.

Pass to the right again.Read the two entries and add your

response.Continue until sheets get to original

owners.

Write-Around

Turn and talk to a neighbor: How could this process be adapted in various grade levels, subject areas? Or for a novel?

Activities covered:Starting with students’ self and

world questionsSmall group workWrite aroundTurn and talk, itself

Debrief–

Tell us how you wish to use the time. Options:

Plan application of a strategy used just now, for your team project.

Work on plans you’ve already begun to develop.

“Rolling break” as needed.

Work time

Writing goals sheetWriting strategies logWriting strategies log with categories

Status of class chartObservation/conferring sticky-note chart

Writing conference record sheetRevising and editing checklist

Tools to Support Formative Assessment

Bonnie Campbell Hill, Cynthia Ruptic & Lisa Norwick, Classroom Based Assessment (out of print but available on Amazon)

Harvey Daniels & Nancy Steineke, Texts and Lessons for Content-Area Reading.

Harvey Daniels & Steve Zemelman, Content-Area Writing.

Harvey Daniels & Steve Zemelman, Subjects Matter: Exceeding Standards Through Powerful Content-Area Reading (2nd edition out in April, 2014).

Ralph Fletcher & JoAnn Portalupi, Writing Workshop.

Stephanie Harvey & Harvey Daniels, Comprehension & Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action.

Professional Resources

Many great teaching initiatives fail to take hold in schools. Why??

Plans must address change process that works with the social dynamic in a school.

Mandates from above vs. mutual responsibility, leadership, & support among teachers.

Single focus instead of “Christmas tree” of initiatives.

Structure that involves teachers, a development process, specific goals & timelines.

Thinking About Change in Schools

Teachers represent grade levels and/or departments.

Team develops norms for working together, solving disagreements, getting tasks done.

Team communicates with & gets feedback from all teachers.

Identifies a specific teaching/learning strategy.

Plans a well-defined implementation process.

Reviews progress in the school as a whole.

Organize whole school growth with an Instructional Leadership Team

How a Development Cycle Might LookProfessional Learning Cycle-1 Overview

School __________________________________ Targeted Instructional Area: _____________________________

Cycle 1 Input - Training

Safe Practice Professional Reading

Observations coaching/feed-

back

Team Discussions LASW/ Data

Targeted Learning

Walks

Week1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 7

You do this good work – does community know?

We educators don’t toot our own horns – but negative views of public education are rampant.

We need to tell positive stories in public media.

Many administrators will support this. (Example: Western Mass. Writing Project newspaper stories)

Help for this is at: http://teachersspeakup.com

TEDx talk examples: search TEDxWellsStreetED on Youtube.

Building Support in the Wider Community

I’ll want to hear about your progress as the year continues.

-- Steve Z.

Thanks for a great day working together!