"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Northwest Halifax High Northwest Halifax High SchoolSchool

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

"I'm not sure my students have even opened their textbooks."

"They're just covering the entire chapter in yellow highlighter."

"She says she read it, but I don't think she understood one word."

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the Curriculum Writing Across the Curriculum

What is it?What is it?

Teachers across the disciplines Teachers across the disciplines use use writing-to-learn and writing-to-learn and writing-to–demonstrate- writing-to–demonstrate-

knowledgeknowledge to enhance the to enhance the learning of students in all learning of students in all

disciplines. disciplines.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

WAC practices and principles improve writing skills, stimulate higher level thinking skills and deepen understanding of content.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

Incorporating writing and Incorporating writing and writing instructions into the writing instructions into the classroom practices “time on classroom practices “time on task” and allows students to task” and allows students to deepen their understanding deepen their understanding of content knowledge and/or of content knowledge and/or demonstrate their demonstrate their understanding.understanding.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

Writing-to-LearnWriting-to-Learn

A writing-to-learn strategy is one A writing-to-learn strategy is one that teachers employ throughout that teachers employ throughout and/or at the end of a lesson to and/or at the end of a lesson to engage students and develop engage students and develop

big ideas and concepts. big ideas and concepts.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

Writing-to–Demonstrate- Writing-to–Demonstrate- KnowledgeKnowledge

A writing-to- demonstrate- A writing-to- demonstrate- knowledge assignment is one knowledge assignment is one

that teachers employ when they that teachers employ when they assign reports, essays, assign reports, essays,

persuasive writing, and creative persuasive writing, and creative or expressive writing, as well as or expressive writing, as well as

research papers. research papers.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

Writing-To-Demonstrate-Knowledge: English Language Arts Technique: Writing GuidelinesGeneral Writing Guidelines provide a roadmap for thinking ahead

about the requirements for any writing assignment. They provide a context for "project management" to further define the topic, set timelines, identify gaps in information, pace writing around other tasks, etc.

What does it do?The guidelines offer a planning tool that can be used as a checklist

for producing a writing timeline that considers all aspects of writing needed to successfully complete the written project within a context.

How to implement:Introduce the guidelines below at the beginning of the year or course.

Ask students to plan ahead. They should consider the elements listed and then set up a timeline that works given due dates within the English course and across all class assignments.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the Curriculum

Example Guidelines for Planning and Producing Writing Find an idea or topic. Formulate a thesis - narrow the topic. Generate details - facts, examples, and support. Outline if this seems helpful. Write the first draft. Let the ideas used incubate. Revise. Consider the paper from the reader's point of

view; reorganize and add explanations where necessary. Let things rest (think about the paper) again. Revise/proof again. Write a final draft. Proofread three (or more) times - once aloud, once for

errors habitually made, and once backwards. Develop final copy and publish/present. Adapted from: www.owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/reportW/generalguidelines

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing Across the CurriculumWriting Across the CurriculumWriting-To-Learn: English Language Arts

Strategy: Predict-O-Gram WritingPredict-O-Gram Writing is a strategy that provides an

opportunity for students to predict what they will be reading by pre-categorizing vocabulary words into their anticipated roles within a story. The strategy can be extended to include additional word sorts (Gillett and Temple, 1983; Allen, 2007; and Daniels, 2004).

What does it do?The Predict-O-Gram asks students to make informed

guesses about how certain words will be used in the text prior to reading. The graphic organizer is useful because it alerts students to vocabulary they will encounter as they read. Used as a post-reading strategy, the confirming/correcting of original predictions helps students become more aware of their prediction abilities. They begin to take note of the meanings and possible roles of words they encounter. The process inspires curiosity about their predictions and heightens engagement with the reading.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Strategy: Predict-O-Gram Writing How to implement:The teacher models with the large group how to pre-

categorize the words and fill in the graphic. Together, before reading, the class or small group picks the category into which key pre-selected words might be used. Students work independently after learning the procedure.

• In narrative, use text elements as headings: setting, characters, action, problem, and resolution.

• In informational (expository) reading, the teacher in solo or with the help/input of students generates categories pertinent to the text being read.

• Use as a post-reading strategy. Students confirm or correct predictions following the reading through writing.

Example:Key Words from The Lady or the Tiger:king, prisoner, princess, tiger, door, arena, signal, jealous,

semi-barbaric

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Strategy: Predict-O-Gram Writing

SettingSetting CharactersCharacters ActionAction Problem Problem ResolutionResolution

arenaarena Semi-Semi-barbaricbarbaric

signalsignal jealousjealous

kingking prisonerprisoner

princessprincess

tigertiger

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing-to-Learn: Social Studies Strategy: GIST- Generating Interactions between Schemata and

Texts GIST (Cunningham 1982) is a strategy designed to help

students learn to write organized and concise summaries. Summaries restate only the author’s main ideas, omitting all examples and evidence used in supporting and illustrating points. For students who are at a loss as how to put a reading into their own words, GIST can be used as a step by step method.

What does it do? When students summarize paragraphs of text in “their own words” they are a step closer to making the information their own. Bloom identified summarizing as a method to increase comprehension.

How to implement: The teacher should begin with modeling the technique by coaching the class through a paragraph. After modeling assign a reading for students to do independently.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Strategy: GIST- Generating Interactions between Schemata and Texts

1) Read the first sentence and summarize its contents in fifteen words or less.

2) Read the second sentence and summarize the two sentences in fifteen words or less.

3) Read the third sentence and summarize the three sentences in fifteen words or less.

4) Continue until the paragraph is read.

5) Then summarize the entire paragraph in fifteen words or less.

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Writing-to-Learn: Social Studies

Strategy: Introduction to a Famous Person

Writing an introduction utilizes the RAFT writing strategy. Students (the ones making the introduction) must identify the role they are taking, and then prepare the introduction (format) of the person based on the audience, and when and where they are making the introduction (topic).

What does it do? Requires students to apply, analyze, and synthesize information.

How to implement: The teacher assigns student pairs the Role, Audience, Format (in this case an Introduction), and Topic. Teachers should model the strategy by creating an appropriate introduction by coaching the class through the elements. Working in pairs, students should then write an appropriate introduction to the person they were assigned. Here is an example from United States history: A Populist leader (r) speaking to a Populist/Democratic audience (a) making the introduction for the guest speaker-candidate William Jennings Bryan (f) at a political rally during the campaign for President of 1896 (t).

“My friends I have the honor of presenting to you one of Nebraska’s finest citizens, a man who knows the heart of the farmers and working men and women across this great land. A man not afraid to take on the conspiracy of the “gold bugs” whose one aim is to keep themselves wealthy and preventing honest families from making a living. A man who has already distinguished himself at his young age in the Congress of the United States by fighting against the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. My good friends I present to you our next President of the United States of America William Jennings Bryan.”

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Question & AnswerQuestion & Answer 1. How does WAC guide 1. How does WAC guide

classroom practice?classroom practice?2. To what extent does WAC 2. To what extent does WAC shape a school-wide literacy shape a school-wide literacy framework?framework?3. What makes a good 3. What makes a good writingwriting

assignment?assignment?4. 4. How can I avoid getting lousy student papers?

5. How can classroom teachers 5. How can classroom teachers embed more writing into embed more writing into their everyday instruction?their everyday instruction?

"Creating A Culture of Writing that Works""Creating A Culture of Writing that Works"

Works CitedWorks Cited

Gillett and Temple, 1983; Allen, 2007; and Daniels, 2004).

Writing acros the curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/SSWAC_225020_7.pdf

Writing acros the curriculum. (n.d.). Writing acros the curriculum. (n.d.). EnglishEnglish, , Retrieved from Retrieved from www.owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/rwww.owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/r

eportW/generalguidelineseportW/generalguidelines