Color-Coding as a Writing Tool in the Korean Classroom

Bryan Fox, Hanseo UniversityKOTESOL National Conference, October 17, 2010

What are some problems our students face

when writing in English?

Which of these parts don’t students like to do?

Prewriting and Planning

Drafting, Revising, and Editing

Creating a Final Copy, Proofreading, and Sharing

Expository vs. Narrative

The keys to an effective paragraph:

• A title

• A topic sentence

• Transitions

• Good explanations and examples

• A conclusion

Expository paragraphs need:

The Five Elements of Expository Writing

Organization is the key.

Transitions are the glue.

Conclusions tie it all together.

Topic sentences and thesis statements are the heart.

Examples, evidence, and explanations are the meat.

Golf is a great sport to play. It’s fun to hit a golf ball around for nine to eighteen holes. However, to become good you need lots of practice and mental toughness. It’s also pretty expensive, and you need a lot of space. Practice is easy to come by, but we need toughness too. Personally, I need a lot of mental toughness. Golf can be really fun if you are playing well, but if you are playing badly, it can cause frustration.

Is this an effective paragraph?

BRAINSTORMING is a good place to start...

Golf

frustrating requires practice

18 holes

mental toughness

Expensive!

fun!

need lots of space...

Tiger Woods – yikes!

What is ‘Brain Dump’ Writing and why does it

occur?

“Our brains do not think in the same logical sequential order that we expect writing to occur.” “Our brains think in a brainstorming manner. As adults, our brains have been trained to think in a logical sequential order when writing.” “Our students’ brains have not been fully trained.” “Teaching writing is teaching students a way of thinking.”

Ok, let’s get visual!

I said ‘visual, not ‘physical’...

Write a topic sentence.

Go!

Give a reason, detail, or fact. Use a transition.

Slow Down!

Support.Give an example.

Stop!

Remind the reader of your topic.

Go Back!

TopicReason/Detail/FactSupport

Reason/Detail/Fact

Conclusion

Support

SupportSupport

Using Colorsto Teach Organization

Topic Sentence:• Green means “go.”

• Green asks the writer to decide —“What am I going to prove?”“What am I going to explain?”“What information will I share?”

Using Colorsto Teach Organization

Reasons/Details/Facts:• Yellow means “slow down.”• Introduce key concepts to

support the topic sentence.

Using Colorsto Teach Organization

Support:• Red means “stop!” – support

your position.• Present evidence.• Provide explanation and

examples.

Using Colorsto Teach Organization

Conclusion:• Green means “go back to your

topic.”• Restate the topic and the position.• Do not introduce new information.• Use synonyms and leave your

reader with something to remember.

TopicCats protect themselves in two ways.

Reason/Detail/FactFirst, they are able to get away quickly from their enemies.

SupportTheir ability to climb trees will help in the escape.

SupportCats are fast runners when in danger.

Reason/Detail/FactNext, cats are excellent fighters.

SupportCats’ sharp claws can cause serious pain and stop the attack.

ConclusionClearly, cats can defend and take care of themselves.

SupportThey can also use their teeth to bite their enemies when necessary.

Informal Outlines (T-Chart)

Topic = Cats can protect themselves

R/D/F

(First) get away from enemies

- run fast

- climb trees

(Next) excellent fighters - sharp claws

- teeth

Conclusion = defend, take care

Support

Accordion ParagraphsEight Sentence Paragraph:

Topic SentenceReason/Detail/Fact

Support

Reason/Detail/Fact

Support

Reason/Detail/Fact

SupportConclusion

Twelve Sentence Paragraph:Topic Sentence

Reason/Detail/Fact

Reason/Detail/FactSupportSupport

Conclusion

Support

Support

Reason/Detail/Fact

Reason/Detail/Fact

Support

Support

Accordion ParagraphsSix Sentence Paragraph:

Topic SentenceReason/Detail/Fact

Support

Reason/Detail/Fact

Support

Conclusion

Step By StepBrainstorm:

“Fun ways to spend

1,000,000,000KRW”

Informal Outlines

Topic = Fun ways to spend a billion won

R/D/F

Shopping

Travel

Support- new wardrobe, cars

- Spain, the World Cup

Conclusion = happy, excited, rich

(First,)

(Next,)

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it.

Outline to Paragraph

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it.

Outline to Paragraph

First, I would take a week and have a fabulous time shopping at my favorite stores.

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it.

Outline to Paragraph

First, I would take a week and have a fabulous time shopping at my favorite stores.

A new wardrobe would be essential, and I’d buy a few cars to play with.

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it.

Outline to Paragraph

First, I would take a week and have a fabulous time shopping at my favorite stores.

A new wardrobe would be essential, and I’d buy a few cars to play with.

Next, I would take several weeks to travel to places I’ve always wanted to go.

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it.

Outline to Paragraph

First, I would take a week and have a fabulous time shopping at my favorite stores..A new wardrobe would be essential, and I’d buy a few cars to play with.

Next, I would take several weeks to travel to places I’ve always wanted to go.

Visiting Spain has always been a dream of mine, and I really want to go to this year’s World Cup.

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it.

Outline to Paragraph

First, I would take a week and have a fabulous time shopping at my favorite stores.

A new wardrobe would be essential, and I’d buy a few cars to play with.

Next, I would take several weeks to travel to places I’ve always wanted to go.

Clearly, if I had a billion won, I’d know just what to do with it!

Visiting Spain has always been a dream of mine, and I really want to go to this year’s World Cup.

Fun Being Rich – a color-coded version

If I had a billion won, I would have a great time spending it. First, I would take a week and have a fabulous time shopping at my favorite stores. A new wardrobe would be essential, and I’d buy a few cars to play with. Next, I would take several weeks to travel to places I’ve always wanted to go. Visiting Spain has always been a dream of mine, and I really want to go to this year’s World Cup. Clearly, if I had a billion won, I’d know just what to do with it!

If you want to be a hit next time you go to the noraebong, you should remember a few simple things. First of all, practice at home so you’re sure you know all the words. Even if you’ve listened to a song dozens of times, that doesn’t mean you know all the lyrics. Second, be wise with your song selection. Just because it’s a pop song doesn’t mean it’s easy. Lots of people get up and try to do power ballads like “Don’t Stop Believing”, but they don’t realize that Steve Perry actually had an amazing vocal range. Finally, drink enough to get the courage, but not so much you can’t stand up. A few beers might help with your confidence, but if you are slurring your speech, you aren’t going to impress the crowd. Also, all the hard work you did learning the lyrics will be for naught. In conclusion, anybody can be a superstar in the noraebong if they practice, choose wisely, and stay (relatively) sober.

Showtime ! Color code this paragraph…

If you want to be a hit next time you go to the noraebong, you should remember a few simple things. First of all, practice at home so you’re sure you know all the words. Even if you’ve listened to a song dozens of times, that doesn’t mean you know all the lyrics. Second, be wise with your song selection. Just because it’s a pop song doesn’t mean it’s easy. Lots of people get up and try to do power ballads like “Don’t Stop Believing”, but they don’t realize that Steve Perry actually had an amazing vocal range. Finally, drink enough to get the courage, but not so much you can’t stand up. A few beers might help with your confidence, but if you are slurring your speech, you aren’t going to impress the crowd. Also, all the hard work you did learning the lyrics will be for naught. In conclusion, anybody can be a superstar in the noraebong if they practice, choose wisely, and stay (relatively) sober.

Showtime!

Now let’s try one!Let’s do an accordion-style

paragraph on the following topic:

“Using color-coding is a great way to help our students write paragraphs.”

First, do a quick brainstorm. Then, use the stickers and folded paper to help you visualize.

Different Kinds of Paragraphs

Use the Accordion method for writing:• summaries• process paragraph• list paragraph• compare & contrast• persuasive• descriptive

• information• cause & effect• problem/solution• entertaining• current events• math (?)

So now you’ve learned the

basic form…but it’s still not

spicy enough, is it?

Adding the BluesTo enhance the thesis --

Yellow

Red

Yellow

Red

Blues

Thesis and PP

Conclusion

Blues

Adding the Blues to enhance the thesis –what are some options?

Anecdote Humor Quotation Question

Important fact

Bold Statement Example that

illustrates the topic

Without the Blues:Animals have many ways of protecting themselves from insects and other animals. Plants also have ways of doing this. There are three different ways that plants stay safe.

With the Blues:Anything that lives in nature lives in constant danger. Animals, for example, have ways to protect themselves from insects and other animals. Did you know that plants have ways to protect themselves, too? Actually, there are three ways that plants stay safe.

Essay

4.7

In my family, our holiday meals would be dull without my Uncle Al. With his great sense of humor, his ability as a chef, and his interesting stories, he keeps the whole family entertained. Most people in my family are pretty serious, but Al is a real joker. One time, at Thanksgiving dinner, he put sunglasses and a hat on the turkey before serving it to us! In addition, Al is an amazing cook. He went to culinary school, and he works as a chef at a fancy Peruvian restaurant now, so whenever we come together, we are getting a professional-quality meal! Finally, Al is a master storyteller. He was born in Peru, and he’s happy to share wonderful and bizarre stories about his time there with us. All in all, our holiday dinners wouldn’t be the same without my Uncle Al, the most exciting member of our family.

Do you have a unique relative who brightens up every family reunion? In my family, our holiday meals would be dull without my Uncle Al. With his great sense of humor, his ability as a chef, and his interesting stories, he keeps the whole family entertained. Most people in my family are pretty serious, but Al is a real joker. One time, at Thanksgiving dinner, he put sunglasses and a hat on the turkey before serving it to us! In addition, Al is an amazing cook. He went to culinary school, and he works as a chef at a fancy Peruvian restaurant now, so whenever we come together, we are getting a professional-quality meal! Finally, Al is a master storyteller. He was born in Peru, and he’s happy to share wonderful and bizarre stories about his time there with us. All in all, our holiday dinners wouldn’t be the same without my Uncle Al, the most exciting member of our family.

Family get-togethers can often be a real drag. Who wants to listen to grandpa complain about “the way things used to be” and hear your little cousins fight and scream for two hours? In my family, our holiday meals would be dull without my Uncle Al. With his great sense of humor, his ability as a chef, and his interesting stories, he keeps the whole family entertained.

First of all, even though most people in my family are serious, Al is a real joker. One time at Thanksgiving dinner, he put sunglasses and a hat on the turkey before serving it to us! Another time, at Christmas, he put everyone’s gift in a box with someone else’s name on it, and we had to find out whose gift was whose!

In addition, Al is an amazing cook. He went to culinary school, and he works as a chef at a fancy Peruvian restaurant now, so whenever we come together, we are getting a professional-quality meal! Not many families get fresh ceviche and platanos fritos at Christmas meals, but we do!

Finally, Al is a master storyteller. He was born in Peru, and he’s happy to share wonderful and bizarre stories about his time there with us. He is one of eleven children, and the stories about his homeland keep us entertained for hours, on end.

With his pranks, his excellent meals, and his wonderful storytelling, my Uncle Al makes sure that our family reunions are never dull!

So that about wraps it up…Questions? Comments? Thoughts?