Hi Ladies~
Well well-this article was much easier to read through than the one I had originally picked and I'm sure you all feel the same way. My initial thought as I read this was how interesting it would be to get involved in a case study of my students through a school-based research program. If you think about it, we already analyze our students' writing on a weekly basis. But if we were using that analytical approach and applying it to research, we would be that much more knowledgeable about our students and children's learning styles in general when discussing writing.
Because I found this article confirmed my own feelings about using the writing process in the classroom, I could relate to a lot of what the findings in research were. I think the biggest factor that affects how children grow as writers is having the ability to reflect on what they've written through discussion. I found a connection with what I do in my classroom as students work through the writing process. Before I edit a piece of their work, they have to revise with a partner and work down a checklist of items. In paying attention to those literary devices that make a piece stronger, they in turn become stronger writers. Any thoughts?!?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Ladies-
I too enjoyed this article and yes, Jodi, thank you for the change!
I think this article has shown me that I need to analyze my students' writing more. Unfortunately, because of the push towards persuasive writing, there is not as much time for narrative writing. I would like to incorporate narrative writing more both because I think it is more interesting for the students and second because I would like to be able to analyze how effective narrative writing may help with the persuasive process.
We do have to do something similar in my school where we do three different persuasive writing prompts-Sept., Dec., and Feb.--and then show the students their progression. We show them how they have improved in certain areas, such as persuasive details and appropriate language. I feel that it is important to show students their improvement because it makes them, I think, more internally motivated.
I tried the revising process for the first time during my BEST portfolio (for the 1st time because we don't do enough writing to have a revision process) and I found that my kids were unfamiliar with it, but responsive. Some took it very seriously and said later that they thought it helped them a lot. This shows me that I definitely need to employ a discussion aspect to my writing units next year.
Jodi, thanks for this article. It definitely gave me some things to think about for my next year's classes.
How sad that you can no longer focus on narrative writing quite as often. This is one perk of working for a private institution...I can teach what I want as long as I meet our benchmarks by the time they leave the Upper Elementary.
I am an advocate of getting students involved in the reflective process of writing..only then do they grow as writers.
Asking students to revise each other's work can be a struggle if you don't model exactly how it should look and sound. I have writing bins-each student has his/her own folder and when they are ready for me to edit, they must put their REViSED copy in the folder. Each revision sheet includes the six traits of writing and the student must have it filled out by a friend before I edit. It works really well after the first month of school and I strngly recommend that every teacher use something like this!
It is sad that we don't do more narrative writing. I clearly remember this being an aspect of middle school that I loved and that influenced me to become a Language Arts teacher.
Moreover, I think that narrative writing would only increase their writing skills (including the persuading ones) rather than hinder any CMT scores--not CMT rant, I promise!
Narrative writing and good revision is definitely something I am working on incorporating next year!
I definitely agree that this was a good article. It directly relates to our district’s new adoption of Writer’s Workshop (following the Columbia Teacher’s College model). Each of our writing mini-lessons we provide opportunities for teacher and student modeling, using mentor text, student interactions using their own pieces of writing, and providing strategies to help with problems. I definitely think that it is important to include many opportunities to allow for student discourse with teachers and peers.
Another idea from the article that I thought was interesting (and that we can all probably relate to) is the idea that students had difficulty perceiving problems with their own writing or did not want to make the necessary changes. I find this happens often in my own class. I don’t want to force students to make changes but I think it is important that they understand why the changes are helpful in making the piece better and improving the writer. One way I try to manage this problem is to praise and share examples when students take my advice. This works for the students that are motivated by positive praise. I am not sure how this would work in the middle school grades though. Any comments on this?
Ladies-
I wish that my school had a writing program. Right now, all we do is the persuasive unit from Empowering Writers and we make that up totally on our own. We take what lessons we want and use them whatever we want. There is not a set curriculum for that. We also do a research unit, but again, completely up to our discretion. I think I would really like Writer's workshop--for those of you who have it--what do you like about it, dislike about it, etc. How do you think it would work for middle school?
Jess--I am right with you in terms of our kids not being able to critique their own writing. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they don't/don't want to reread. There have been so many times when I am reading something and I will call the student up and ask them to read the sentence. They realize it makes no sense, but I stress to them that they have to be the ones to realize this BEFORE they hand it into me. I try to manage this by having them self-evaluate, but most of the time, it is the same situation--they think that they writing is fine and deserves all the points.
Jess, I think you have a good management plan in terms of praising and sharing examples. I think that it would work okay with middle school students, but then I always think of those students who are not motivated by praise and/or students who just don't care about revising their writing. Another way I learned last semester in my writing course, was to model to the students how you revise your own writing. Lots of times when I am teaching new writing, I will show kids how I go about starting writing, talking myself through writing, realizing something doesn't sound right and changing it. While I am doing this, I am commenting to the students--
"see what I am doing? see how I am going back and REREADING!!"
I still think starting with narrative writing and moving into persuasive writing makes it easier for the students.
We are in our third year of writer’s workshop. It was challenging at first because we all felt that we had to teach a specific way with specific words, etc. After our third year we are realizing that we can put our own style into it. I have found that Writer’s Workshop really allows students to be independent writers. They are taught strategies that will help them along the way. The idea is that you are teaching the writer, not the writing piece. This gives students more independence in writing different genre. Some disadvantages are that some students need more guidance. As I mentioned above, there are many occasions where students do not want to take your advice. They think their piece is the best and do not want to make any changes. I am still working on a way to help solve this issue. I definitely think that it would work in a middle school. The students have a lot of choice in how they could write. As Jodi mentioned in another blog conversation, it really allows students to work on their voice as writers.
Lauren, it sounds like you already have the language down for writer’s workshop. It’s all about the modeling and think alouds. When students see how language is pieced together to compose pieces of writing, you are empowering them as lifelong independent writers.
I have been out of the writing loop in the past year since I am primarily responsible for academic reading, but I'll offer my two cents on the issue of writing in the middle school. Since 6th grade serves as the transition year from expository writing to persuasive writing, I've experienced the changes in attitudes from students. Many students are tired of writing expository and are looking for a new experience. 6th graders love to start the persuasive writing unit because they feel empowered that they have a voice that can convince others to convert to their point of view. I enjoyed the Empowering Writers persuasive unit. It made the transition easier for many students since so many have been exposed to the Empowering Writers expository writing style and language. I thought the examples they provided were worthwhile and encouraged the writer's workshop style and dialogue between students while developing a common language.
I found that modeling work on the SmartBoard (if one is available) is one of the most effective tools. I would often word process a student's writing and then we would work through the revision process as a class. I would have students underline lead sentences, supporting details, and closing sentences in different colors. We would then highlight phrases that were awkward and needed to be revised. Students would take turns coming to the board and adding their revisions. This was highly engaging to the students and they would often argue over whose paper should be the model for the revision process!
Middle school students may act like they don't want praise and aren't motivated, but they are secretly afraid of being judged or being wrong. The key is to create an atmosphere in which the revisions are not criticisms, but rather improvements that we all need. The psyche of an adolescent child is ever changing and fragile, and we always need to keep that in mind, especially in the high stakes area of writing.
Although it would be ideal to allow students free choice in their type of writing, we are often limited by demands of high-stakes testing. I know in my school there was a charge to put more narrative writing back into the curriculum, but when scores are just not where they need to be, choice is the first thing eliminated. It's a shame that we have to follow such dictates, but we also need to find other opportunities for enrichment and work outside the box. We should not cut students off from certain styles of writing just because it is no longer on the CMT. I certainly envy you Jodi that you do not face similar constraints!
One thing I am noticing is that this blog is bringing together people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience and that the conversation is serving nicely as a mentoring tool. (There are those who have taken Dr. Valerie's class, others whose curriculm incorporates writing workshop model, those who make use of Empowering Writers Program.)
Also as contained in other conversations the impact of high testing leaves its mark. I agree with Jenn that Jodi is in a unique and enviable postion.
Nice article selection Jodi! The content appears to empower both teachers and students- inviting them to reflect, analzye and use what they know to enhance teaching and learning.
One final comment…
As I read through the article again, I noticed a couple points that I wanted to bring up-
points about the article that I find mirror some of the things I do in my own classroom. The last paragraph states, “children gradually learned how to talk about language when discussing their own texts.” I think that teachers who helps students move through the writing process can see the progress they make throughout the course of the school year. However, because my school loops the grades, I’m able to witness an even larger growth. In fourth grade, I introduce the writing process as a series of steps that gradually builds to create the final product. I then explain to the students that a large piece of that process is the revision step wherein students discuss each other’s papers. It always takes a few times before I start hearing a writer’s dialogue” that I love to hear so much, and when it happens it really is quite amazing.
That verbal discussion then begins to transform to written suggestions on the papers and before I know it, students begin picking up on errors and making suggestions in the same places that I would. Not only are they doing this, but they are using the same terms that I teach them…terms like elaborate here, why, strong voice because…. It’s very rewarding for me and for the students.
Do any of you notice similar things in your classroom? It’s always nice to hear other teachers’ success stories with writing!
Lastly, although I value writing and attempt to impart that value onto my students, I find that finding the time necessary to focus on each step of the writing process is, at times, a difficult task. Do you find that there’s time for your students to move through the writing process?
Post a Comment