marilou jasnoch educational service unit #3 [email protected] 2009 esu #3 writing extravaganza

Marilou JasnochEducational Service Unit #[email protected]

2009 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza

AgendaWelcome and Introductions

Introducing the Traits

Using Rubrics and Student Papers

Trait by TraitFound in the Writing ProcessLanguage to look forScoring student workTeaching and learning activityLiterature

Statewide Writing Assessment


What you already know about what makes“good writing”

ON YOUR OWN: Think about what makes “good writing” List the qualities that come to mind

AS A TABLE GROUP:Share ideasConsolidate ideas into a list of characteristics your table group identifies as what makes “good writing”


Ideas Organization

Voice

Word Choice

Sentence Fluency

Conventions &Presentation

• The heart of the message; details, examples, information relevant to the topic

• The internal structure of the piece; supports comprehension

• The feeling, conviction, depth of knowledge the writer has for the topic

• The precise language chosen to convey meaning

• The rhythm and flow of the language

• The mechanical correctness (grammar, usage, spelling, etc.) & the appropriate format for the message and audience

THE SIX TRAITSPage 3


Why use the Six Trait model?

It provides…

Common language

The “how to” for revision

Consistency in assessment


The six traits of good writing are not an invention but simply a way of describing the qualities of good writing that have been with us as long as writing itself.

Vicki Spandel


What do you notice?

• Boring-- it put me right to sleep.• Flat, empty.• Safe.• She was writing just to get it

done.• Mechanics are pretty good.• It doesn’t say anything.• The organization isn’t too bad.• What Redwoods? The title

doesn’t go with the paper.• She (he?) seems like a nice kid- I

want to like it.• It’s not that bad for fourth or

fifth grade-- I assume that’s what it is right?

Page 52009 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza

What do you notice?• I can just see it. I feel like I’m

in that car.• I love the line “her eyes were

as big as her fists.”• He’s having a good time

[most readers assume the writer is male].

• I know these people.• Lively!• I sympathize with Mom-- I

hate mice too!• I like the pickle jar-- I can

even smell the pickles.• Great images-- love Dad

backing into the tree and mom in her nightgown.

• You get every point of view- even the mouse’s!

Pages 7-8 2009 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza

AgendaWelcome and Opening Activities


Using Rubrics to Assess Student Writing




What IS new is the use of rubrics – written descriptions that capture what the key qualities of writing look like at various levels of performance.

Vicki Spandel


Variety of Rubric TypesVariety of Rubric Types

Holistic (e.g. used by the NDE for the Statewide Writing Assessment)

Analytical(rubrics for each trait used for instructional purposes)


Holistic Scoring: How well the writing meets the traits overall

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT


Analytical Scoring: Writing receives a score for each trait

Page 9

DIAGNOSTIC

DIAGNOSTIC

ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT


Rubrics can be used to assess ...

creative/personal writing

informational /technical writing


Rubric and PurposeRubric and Purpose

Creative/PersonalPage 9

Technical/InformationalPage 10


Components of a Components of a RubricRubric

Criteria (traits)

Performance Levels

Performance Indicators


Why a 6-Point Scale?Why a 6-Point Scale?It serves multiple purposes:

1.Breaks the mid-point score to a 3 – 4 split

2.Provides a “place” for performances that meet and exceed expectations

3.Clarifies performance through a description at each level

4.Provides language for even modest growth


Language of Assessment

Beginning (1-2 performance level)

Developing (3-4 performance level)• 3 = middle level score leaning

downward• 4 = middle level score leaning upward

Strong (5-6 performance level)


The simple question…

Did this piece of writing “Leap the

River?”•Just made it into the “land of proficiency”(4)

•Not quite; lost footing and slid into the water(3)

1 2 3 4 5 6


Keep in mind…• There is no “right” score…but it should be a defensible score

• 1 indicates beginning, not failure

• 5 & 6 represent strength and proficiency not perfection

• Consider grade level, but don’t make it a factor

• Be aware of bias


Does this piece of writing “Leap the River?”


Clarifying the TARGETTARGETAssessment is not the private property of teachers. (Students) must take part in this…it is central to the growth of writing. Even before they write, they need to know about what makes writing strong or effective. And they need to know the criteria by which their own writing will be judged.

-Marjorie Frank


Cranial Clarification Moment…• What rubrics do for writing

instruction and assessment

• Difference/Similarity between holistic and analytic rubrics

• Difference/Similarity between creative/personal and informational/technical rubrics

• What it takes to “leap the river”


Agenda

Welcome and Opening Activities


Using Rubrics to Assess Student Writing

Learning About the Traits - Trait by TraitFound in the Writing ProcessLanguage to look forScoring student workTeaching and learning activityLiterature



The Writing Process: The Writing Process: What Writers DoWhat Writers Do

Reflect/Self AssessReflect/Self Assess

Pre-write Draft Share

Revise Edit Publish


Building a Foundation

Ideasand

Organization


IDEAS•Clear main message, point, thesis, storyline

•Narrow, manageable topic

•Rich, intriguing details

•Insight

•Knowledge from experience, research

•Compelling, holds attention


•Use the rubric for creative-personal writing on page 13

• Does this paper “leap the river” for the trait of IDEAS

•Discuss your score with someone at your table

• Be prepared to give the rationale using language directly from the rubric

Let’s read and score …

For the trait of IDEASPage 15


““Making Making Decisions”Decisions”

Page 16


Does this piece leap the river for the trait of IDEAS?

Use the informative/ technical rubric on page 14 to make your decision

Confer with tablemates

Teaching the trait of Ideas Talk about where ideas come from.

Model differences between generalities and good details.

Read aloud from books with striking detail or strong imagery.

Use questions to expand and clarify a main idea.


Let’s Write …


Cranial Breathing…• Think about the mental

processes used in the first brainstorm, and then the second. How were they different?

• How did these two brainstorming opportunities impact your writing experience?

• How might you use this in your classroom?


Recognizing ORGANIZATIONORGANIZATION

Strong LEAD pulls reader in

Effective and varied TRANSITIONS guides the reader

Clear DESIGN enhances understanding

ENDING wraps up discussion


ORGANIZATION Activity• On each table is a packet

• Remove the sentence strips from the ring and organize them into a fluent paragraph

• Monitor the strategies the group uses to complete the task

• Be prepared to share your paragraph AND strategies


How the Universe Looks – At First

When our ancestors looked up at the sky at night, they assumed they were looking right at heaven. They thought the stars were on the “ceiling” of a great dome and that the Earth was flat. The Earth sure looks flat at first, especially when we look at a big smooth lake. Now, we all know it’s round – we’ve seen pictures from space, for crying out loud. There’s the Earth – round! Piece of cake, for us! But our ancestors didn’t have that luxury. They had to figure it out for themselves. To start with, our ancestors watched the sun. They kept track of the time of day so they knew when it would get too dark to walk around. Then they kept track of the days and months so that they would know when to plant their crops, when to harvest them, and when to have big wild parties. No kidding. Lots of ancient people had parties on the summer solstice (SOLE-stiss) – the longest day of the year. Some people around the world still hold big solstice parties.


Assessing for the trait of ORGANIZATION

2009 ESU #3 Writing ExtravaganzaPage 21 Page 22

“How to be a good driver”

For the trait of Organization• Use the creative/personal writing rubric on page 21

• Score the paper for ORGANIZATION only

• Discuss your scores with someone at your table

• Be prepared to give the rationale for your score using language directly from the rubric

Page 23


Let’s try scoring for the trait ofORGANIZATION

•Use the rubric forInformational writing on page 22

•Score for organization only•Discuss your scores with table group•Be prepared to give the rationale for your score using language directly from the rubricPage 25


Ways to Organize Writing…

Spatial organizationSimple to ComplexSequential orderProblem – SolutionChronological orderKey Points or QuestionsAlphabeticalDeductive ReasoningInductive Reasoning

ACTIVITY: How would you organize it?

Page 272009 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza




Revise Edit Publish


Adding Flavor:

Voice

Word Choice

Sentence Fluency


VOICE:VOICE: Look for the following… Look for the following…

•Individual, distinctive

•A “read-aloud” piece

•Passionate, energetic

•Speaks to readers

•Confident, self-assured

•Writer is present on the page

•Appropriate to purpose


Assessing for the trait of VOICE


Try this one for VOICE

““COMPUTER BLUES”COMPUTER BLUES”Page 33Page 33

•Use the rubric for creative/personal writing on page 31

•Score the paper for VOICE only

•Discuss your scores with your table group

•Be prepared to give the rationale for your score using the language from the rubric


Let’s try assessing a student sample

For the trait of For the trait of

VoiceVoice• Use the rubric for

informational writing on page 42

• Score for VOICE only

• Discuss your scores with table group

• Be prepared to give the rationale for your score using language directly from the rubric

Pets are Forever: An Investigative Report

Page 35-36


Activity - Whose VOICE is it?Page 37

Eleanor Roosevelt

Scar (from Lion King)

Garrison Keillor

Martha Stewart

Napoleon Bonaparte

Coretta Scott King

Harry Potter

Carl Sagan

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Shakespeare

Dave Barry

Edgar Allan Poe

Maya Angelou

Jerry Seinfeld2008 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza

Teaching the trait of VOICE

Read aloud from works that have strong voice.

Share numerous voices.

Help students develop appropriate voices for the situation

Help students identify an audience

Identify, describe and compare the voices of various writers

Let students hear your voice as you share your own writing


• Clear, aids readers’ understanding• Original, memorable• Concise• Natural• Strong, energetic verbs• Specific nouns• Paints word pictures

Word ChoiceWord Choice


Assessing for the Trait of WORD CHOICE


Let’s try scoring for WORD CHOICE

Use the informational rubric to score this piece for

Does this piece leap the river? Mosquitoes Page 43


• Each person at the table takes a different paragraph to revise

• Individually, revise your paragraph for improved WORD CHOICE

• Share your paragraphs with table mates

• Volunteers may share with whole group


Let’s go back to an earlier piece…

SENTENCE FLUENCY: What to look for…Easy to read

Enhances voice

Sentence variety

Rhythm and cadence

Natural dialogue

Effective “rule breaking” 2008 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza

Assessing for the trait ofSENTENCE FLUENCY


Let’s try one for Sentence Fluency…

Use the informational/ technical rubric

Score for the trait of SENTENCE FLUENCY

“NOVICAINE”Page 51



Let’s try another…

“Why I Write”Page 52

• Use the creative/personal rubric (Page 49)

• Does it leap the river for SENTENCE FLUENCY?

• Support your decision using specific language from the rubric

•Giant burrowing cockroaches have a common name

•They are diggers.

•They construct underground chambers.

•The chambers are one to three feet down.

•The chambers have a temperature of 20 degrees

centigrade.

•The temperature is the same all year round.

•The cockroaches live on twigs and dry leaves.

•They gather the twigs and leaves from litter around their

dens.

•Their digs are shared with centipedes and beetles.

•Their digs are also shared with silverfish and other roaches.

•Occasionally, their digs are shared with large frogs. 2008 ESU #3 Writing Extravaganza

Revise for sentence fluency

Revise for sentence fluency

“As their common name implies, giant burrowing

cockroaches are diggers, constructing underground

chambers one to three feet down, where the

temperature is a comfortable twenty degrees

centigrade all year round. Here they live on fallen

twigs and dry leaves, gathered from the litter that

surrounds their deep dens. Their digs are often

shared with centipedes, beetles, silverfish, other

roach species and occasionally, large frogs.”From The Complete Cockroach by David George Gordon


““Fishing”Fishing”Page 53Page 53

CHALLENGE:Use the creative/ personal

rubrics to score this piece for Sentence Fluency; what score would you assign it? Then assign a score for another trait; use the rubric to support your decision.





Revise Edit Publish


Framing the Picture

ConventionsConventions and

PresentationPresentation


How would you read this?

That ThatIs Is

That That Is Not Is Not

That Is It Isn’t It


Now try it with a little punctuation help…

That thatis, is.

That that is not, is not.

That is it,isn’t it?


Tips on Assessing the Trait of Conventions

1. Look beyond spelling. Spelling is important but not the whole of conventions.

2. Look for what is done well, not just the mistakes. Balance the two.

3. Only assess what has been taught.

4. Do not overreact. One mistake--or two or three-- cannot spoil the whole performance. Ask, how well does the student control and use conventions to make meaning and organizational structure clear - OVERALL?

5. Do not consider neatness of handwriting in assigning a score. Handwriting is a physical skill; writing is intellectual. Don’t confuse the two.

From Creating Writers


Assessing for the trait of CONVENTIONS


Teach editing marksTeach editing marksAssess performanceAssess performance


Cranial Breathing…Cranial Breathing…

Articulate the relationship between the Writing Process and the six traits of writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions.


How to beginStart with ONE trait that makes sense to

your learners and the content

Teach the concept and language of the trait

Share strong and weak examples from literature and samples of written work

Show students how to use the rubric to self-assess, teacher or peer conference

ALWAYS talk about writing using the language of the traits

“If students are to make knowledge their own, they must struggle with the details, wrestle with the facts, and rework raw information and dimly understood concepts into language they can communicate to someone else.

In short, if students are to learn, they must write.”

- The Neglected “R”: The Need for a Writing Revolution. The National Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges (2003)

AgendaWelcome and Introductions


Using Rubrics and Student Papers




2009-2010 NeSA-Writing2009-2010 NeSA-Writing


Assessment Window:February 1, 2010 ~ February 19, 2010

Scoring Events:Grade 4 March 11 – 13, 2010Grade 8 March 18 – 20, 2010Grade 11 March 25 – 27, 2010

Consider applying to be a rater for at least one of the scoring events – the training and scoring experience is a powerful professional development opportunity!

marilou jasnoch educational service unit #3 [email protected] 2009 esu #3 writing extravaganza

Documents

writing extravaganza

growth of writing

traits of good writing

student writing trait

qualities of good writing

writing process language

good writing list

piece of writing leap