The screeches of the train passing a few blocks away soothes me, bringing my mind back to my trips to New York City and Boston, to the rides on the Metro and the T, to the amazing friends with which I shared those journeys. I ache for even a glimpse of the snow that they have been getting recently!
I sit outside with me readings today because the birds are singing and the wind is blowing softly. They sing as though there is not almost a full month left of winter, as if it is not as cold as it may seem. My body can almost feel the swinging seat in my backyard, and the sight of the pine trees and the herb garden. But it is too soon for Spring.
My mind has been on the future recently, and chapter 2 in the Daniels et al. has allowed me to envision how I can set up and support students throughout the writing process in my future classroom. The Write-Alouds and collaborative group work resonate with me deepest beliefs about how students learn to write, how they can learn from feedback and from each other.
Let me explain why.
I see writing as a process students begin when they learn how to write words. Writing words evolves into writing phrases which develops into writing a complete sentence which leads to students putting a sentence together with another sentence, gradually forming a paragraph, which will grow into writing a paper.
Though this may sound fluid, students can hit so many snags along this road, and I believe that students can learn from parents, teachers, tutors, and peers about how to organize and refine writing; I also believe that the more students talk about writing, especially their own writing with each other, the more productive writing activities can prove for these students.
Like Daniels, Zemelman, & Steineke book Content-Area Writing (2007) I believe you can't just assign a paper, then take red ink to all the mistakes in hind sight. Clear expectations and supports must be implemented at the beginning and throughout the writing process.
Students must be engaged, feel safe to share writing, and feel motivated to write about a topic they care about, and the passion to feel as though they have a voice worth sharing.
One way to get students engaged, the Four Corners Activity, is my favorite idea from this chapter. This creates an environment where different opinions are celebrated and discussed in a respectful manner, and students can find a platform from which to positively and respectfully find their own voice.
As students gather information they are learning content; and if students are checking in with each other, they are not just learning content themselves.
Organization proves the most challenging step for students who struggle. Pre-writing graphs, outlines, brainstorming sheets, T charts, there are so many suggestions for how to get students organized before writing a paper. But many times I have seen students not fully comprehend how to transfer these to a paper, nor how to use these tools as a reference when they get stuck in the writing process.
So how do we help students with this step? That is my greatest concern moving forward. The Four Card Stud if a great start, because students are getting their ideas down and selecting what they want to talk more about on each card; but what happens when a student gets stuck? One thing that I have seen is the option for a student to consult with a peer or teacher to talk about what they are thinking, where they are going, and how they want to get there in their writing.
And one of the most important steps: Letting It Rest. This is so pertinent for students; they need a break, then a time to come back to their writing with fresh eyes and new ideas. Steps like this also help students to feel liberated instead of bogged down or burdened by a writing task.
The assessment portion left me disappointed; I think that setting a student goal should be more long term than one paper, and I think they should have talked about getting feedback and a second chance to fix mistakes before the teacher records a grade. That way if a student has an error, the teacher knows that more intensive support is needed, and if the teacher finds something wrong afterwards, the student already had a chance to fix problems. Rubrics are useful, but students need to know the criteria that will be used to judge their work.
These readings have really allowed me to think more deeply about how I can set up and implement a writing workshop for students. How would you set up a writer's workshop? What subject would you choose? What would you ask of your students? Who would students write for? How would you make it a genuine and authentic writing activity?
I sit outside with me readings today because the birds are singing and the wind is blowing softly. They sing as though there is not almost a full month left of winter, as if it is not as cold as it may seem. My body can almost feel the swinging seat in my backyard, and the sight of the pine trees and the herb garden. But it is too soon for Spring.
My mind has been on the future recently, and chapter 2 in the Daniels et al. has allowed me to envision how I can set up and support students throughout the writing process in my future classroom. The Write-Alouds and collaborative group work resonate with me deepest beliefs about how students learn to write, how they can learn from feedback and from each other.
Let me explain why.
I see writing as a process students begin when they learn how to write words. Writing words evolves into writing phrases which develops into writing a complete sentence which leads to students putting a sentence together with another sentence, gradually forming a paragraph, which will grow into writing a paper.
Though this may sound fluid, students can hit so many snags along this road, and I believe that students can learn from parents, teachers, tutors, and peers about how to organize and refine writing; I also believe that the more students talk about writing, especially their own writing with each other, the more productive writing activities can prove for these students.
Like Daniels, Zemelman, & Steineke book Content-Area Writing (2007) I believe you can't just assign a paper, then take red ink to all the mistakes in hind sight. Clear expectations and supports must be implemented at the beginning and throughout the writing process.
Students must be engaged, feel safe to share writing, and feel motivated to write about a topic they care about, and the passion to feel as though they have a voice worth sharing.
One way to get students engaged, the Four Corners Activity, is my favorite idea from this chapter. This creates an environment where different opinions are celebrated and discussed in a respectful manner, and students can find a platform from which to positively and respectfully find their own voice.
As students gather information they are learning content; and if students are checking in with each other, they are not just learning content themselves.
Organization proves the most challenging step for students who struggle. Pre-writing graphs, outlines, brainstorming sheets, T charts, there are so many suggestions for how to get students organized before writing a paper. But many times I have seen students not fully comprehend how to transfer these to a paper, nor how to use these tools as a reference when they get stuck in the writing process.
So how do we help students with this step? That is my greatest concern moving forward. The Four Card Stud if a great start, because students are getting their ideas down and selecting what they want to talk more about on each card; but what happens when a student gets stuck? One thing that I have seen is the option for a student to consult with a peer or teacher to talk about what they are thinking, where they are going, and how they want to get there in their writing.
And one of the most important steps: Letting It Rest. This is so pertinent for students; they need a break, then a time to come back to their writing with fresh eyes and new ideas. Steps like this also help students to feel liberated instead of bogged down or burdened by a writing task.
The assessment portion left me disappointed; I think that setting a student goal should be more long term than one paper, and I think they should have talked about getting feedback and a second chance to fix mistakes before the teacher records a grade. That way if a student has an error, the teacher knows that more intensive support is needed, and if the teacher finds something wrong afterwards, the student already had a chance to fix problems. Rubrics are useful, but students need to know the criteria that will be used to judge their work.
These readings have really allowed me to think more deeply about how I can set up and implement a writing workshop for students. How would you set up a writer's workshop? What subject would you choose? What would you ask of your students? Who would students write for? How would you make it a genuine and authentic writing activity?
Victoria--
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your thoughts on the importance of "letting it rest"! I know that this is a step I always take in my own writing. After I finish a paper, I always wait a few days before revisiting it to edit/revise and ultimately, submit. I think it's important to explicitly teach this skill to young children so they don't feel like they have to rush through their work and can take the time to evaluate their writing with fresh eyes.
Sophie
I think that is sometimes the hardest step for me! Instead of "letting it rest" I just want to turn it in! But it's a great skill for myself and for my students!
DeleteVictoria - What a beautiful response to what we have read! I completely agree that with both the authors and your summation of their writing. The writing process is one which students learn from many sources. They grow as writers by seeing good writing modeled, by sharing their ideas in a safe environment, and by revisiting their work. The writing workshop gives us the structure we need to support them in this writing process.
ReplyDeleteYou asked some very poignant questions at the end of your post, one that even I am asking myself. I think that the answers will vary from year to year, from classroom to classroom, from grade to grade. The organization of the process will be dependent on the children with whom you will work. Beyond that, understanding the process for yourself is the closest you will come to having those answers.