strategies for teaching writing in the content areas thomasville city schools
TRANSCRIPT
Strategies for Teaching Writing in the Content Areas
Thomasville City Schools
Activating Strategy
Results
Why Do We Need to Teach Writing?
• 2/3 of salaried employees in large American companies have some writing responsibility.
• More than 40% of large corporations remediate salaried employees with writing deficiencies.
• Most 4th grade students spend less than 3 hours a week writing, or 15% of the time they spend watching TV
• 66% of high school seniors do not write a 3- page paper as often as once a month for their English teachers
• 75% of seniors NEVER receive a writing assignment in history or social studies.
Survey of 400 Business Leaders
72% of high school graduate entry-level workers are deficient in the basics of writing
National Council of Teachers of English
Writing is an essential fundamental tool for thinking• in every class, • on every subject, • and on every level of learning
Skills in writing must be • practiced and refined.
Students must have
“frequent opportunities” to write,• across the curriculum.
Writing Learning
The act of silent writing, even for
a few minutes….
generates ideas, observations,
and emotions.
When Students Write
• They organize concepts in their own language
• They connect concepts with their own analogies
Writing Often…
… several times a week,
provides constant reinforcement of the
content.
Students Who Write in All Courses
• Think independently• Develop insight• Explore thoughts and feelings• Develop intellectual courage• Reason logically• Follow the thread of lessons in mind• Visualize concept and make it concrete by
writing down thoughts, questions, etc.
Stop and WriteSo far, how’s it going?
For 2 minutes, write about what you’ve learned so far and what questions you have as we move forward.
Writing Purposes
• Posing questions
• Discovering answers
• Checking understanding
• Stimulating discussion
Writing to Learn – When?
• 1 to 5 minutes at the beginning, during, or at the end of class
• Several times a week…
• Then Writing becomes a habit in the classroom.
“Low Stakes” Writing to Learn
“The goal isn't so much good writing as
coming to learn, understand, remember
and figure out what you don't yet know.”
~Peter Elbow (1994)
Why assign low stakes writing?• Improves high stakes writing (Writing Test)
• Eases student anxiety about writing in general and writing in your specific class
• Makes students active participants instead of passive
• Gives students a risk-free environment to try out new ideas and take creative risks
• Gives teachers practical information on what students know or don’t yet understand
And don’t forget….
Low stakes writing takes the least
amount of time and expertise from
teachers.
Most Surprising Research
• Student’s comfort level in school increases
• Students become more encouraged and optimistic about their future.
Writing to Learn does not seek finished product but rather focuses on higher order thinking, analyzing, and summarizing.
Writing to Learn helps build relationships, the third “R” between students and teachers.
Writing to Learn Learning to Write
1.Journals & learning logs Book reports
2. Lab logs and notebooks Research reports
3. Quick writes Essays
4. Short narratives Lab reports
5. Summaries Opinion editorials
6. Dialogues Technical writing
1. Journals and Learning Logs• Daily or weekly preferable• Practice over time is more effective than infrequent,
longer assignments
1. What did I learn today?2. What still puzzles me?3. Describe the process I went through in solving this
equation?4. What do I think about this topic?5. How would I explain this concept to someone else?6. How can I use this in my own life?7. Make a chart, table or graph of the information
learned.
3. Quick Writes• Allows students to digest what they’ve
observed and heard and to consider how it fits into their personal universe
• Writers need time to contemplate and record ideas
• Gives abstractions and deep thoughts form and shape
• No risk – safe way to express ideas• Teacher can (and should) comment
4. Short Narratives
Way to build bridges between content and students’ lives
1. Science – viruses they have contracted2. History/Literature – in the words of a
significant character, i.e., Paul Revere3. Technology – short history of their personal
journey with computers4. Math – how I use algebra/ geometry, etc. in
everyday life
5. Summaries
Comprehension of main points • Stop lesson and ask for quick write • Students read text and make short, summary
statements• Can use small groups for differentiation• Important for students to share their writing with
authentic audience (not always teacher)
6. Dialogues
Diversion from journal entries
• Teacher gives the prompt• Two students – exchange entries and write responses• Discovery of new ideas developed collaboratively• Students can also write teacher who responds back• Blogs
Your Prompt Pair off with a colleague. One of you answer
the following prompt and pass to the other for response.
What do you think so far about Writing to Learn? Is it do-able in your classroom?
This is what blogging with kids is like.
Writing to Learn Final Thoughts
• Way to focus students on topic and to immerse students in content
• Informal, unfinished, non-standard• Teachers ignore grammar, usage, spelling,
punctuation• Depending on circumstances, can be graded or
ungraded– Completion – Rubric
In response to a NY Times article about eco-burial sites:
“Personally, I think that the green burial cites are an amazing idea. We as people already use enough of the earth during our lives. The least we could do is give back some of what we took once we pass away. Some people might disagree and say that they won't be able to mourn their loved ones. I think that by burying their family and friends in biodegradable ways and planting some kind of greenery, they can show how much they care for and miss their loved one. As the memorial tree or shrub grows, each person will see that they too can grow and blossom without forgetting their lost friend or relative.”
Biology Blogging
Mitosis Children’s Picture Book
Students will . . .
Demonstrate the analogy of the cell while in interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis.
CTE Courses
• Use language appropriate for audience and purpose– Concise, clear, direct– 100% accurate and without errors
• Advertisements• Surveys• Progress reports• Business plans• Brochures• Travel itineraries
Brochure Projects
• Train student to summarize and synthesize information
• Give students opportunities to write descriptive texts
• Help student develop research skills and integrate skills into final product
• Help student acquire publishing software skills that combine text and images
BrochureComputer Applications I
• Students will learn to use Microsoft Publisher• Students will research clubs and activities on the THS
campus– Students will interview adult sponsors
• Students will synthesize and present their findings to peers• Students will present brochures to sponsors for use during fall
Open House
Pro Start
Student Reflection
“Looking back, I think I should have made more creative titles. Also, the next time I work in Publisher, I need to come in early and work on my layout because I didn’t have enough time in class to insert information and make my product look creative.”
DECA
KMHS Administration
Social Studies
• Warm-up free writes• Reciprocal Teaching
– Summarizer gives key ideas– Questioner responds about difficulties– Clarifier answers questions– Predictor gives ideas about what’s next– Switch roles for next section
• Three-Minute Papers – bridge for lecture• Graphic Organizers
Assessing Writing Across the Curriculum
Aligned with standards1. Formative: integral part of instruction that informs and
guides teachers and students• Not necessarily evaluated
2. Summative: determines what students have learned• Evaluated• Provides valuable feedback
Research Says
Only in schools where writing is a
school-wide program and is pursued
daily will students have multiple and
adequate opportunities to become
proficient writers and thinkers.