When all is said and done, we know what works! Use this opportunity to share a successful lesson, unit, or practice with your classmates. This could be the MOST valuable sharing we have done.
I am trying to teach the writing process to my students. They do great on prewriting, spending quality time gathering ideas and organizing them. Then comes drafting. Once they write a draft, they’re done! My students turn in rough drafts for final, polished drafts. They want me to edit FOR them, so they can quickly correct them and be DONE with it. Consequently, I’ve been preaching the process to them, having them check off each step, showing me the revisions, etc… As a result, the revision process has improved dramatically, but editing is still suffering. The bane of their papers is run-on sentences. We have practiced and practiced with smart lessons, worksheets, and different smart lessons and worksheets, all to no avail. There was no significant improvement in their writing even though their lesson assessments were proficient. On a recent assignment, I decided to take a portion from each student’s paper and make a worksheet for editing. When I typed the sections out, I corrected any other grammar or punctuation errors and left only run-ons (which there were plenty of, and no one was immune). We went through a couple of sections each day, with the students correcting on paper first, and then one of them coming to the smart board and making corrections. Focusing just on run-ons in their own writing, as well as asking them to read the sentences out loud, has helped tremendously. When I felt they were recognizing run-ons proficiently, I gave them back their “polished” final drafts and asked them to re-edit them. The improvement was significant, and they were much easier for me to read and score. I was a little worried about projecting student work, but it actually worked out well. I did not show “bad” examples. I told them we were practicing our editing skills and emphasized that it was a step in the writing process that we all need to do. No names were put up, and they could claim their words or remain anonymous. They actually showed great interest and enthusiasm in each other’s papers. I was really pleased with the final result and feel like they have a much better idea of what editing is. It’s a lot of work, but the reward is higher scores in sentence fluency.
Joyce,you gave a great example of how modeling and practice work! Many of my students struggled with "re-writing" at first because they thought it was so boring “to do the same paper”. I tried to be consistent with the writing process, focusing on modeling during direct teaching and giving specific suggestions during individual conferencing. It took a while for the kids to realize that their papers were no longer “the same”. With a lot of practice practice, I saw that they go it: editing does not have to stop with the final draft. Even though I gave the students options of selecting their best pieces for portfolios, some included their first “final drafts” as before-and after comparisons. I published the anthology of students ‘selection of their best work (have you tried lulu.com?). Each had a chance to autograph the pieces of their writing in a “real book”. We also included students’ poems in our annual Class Books.
I have also started using student work to highlight grammar issues my students are having and I have found the same thing as Joyce. The students like seeing each others' writing and it has had a positive impact. I also go step-by-step through the process, starting with the prompt itself. Students have to identify what is actually being asked of them and restate the prompt in their own words. I check to make sure they can do that before we begin our prewriting activities. I have access to My Access, an online writing program that ASD wants us to use. It has sample papers at each scoring level (1-6). I always show the 4 papers, especially, because that is the "proficient" level. Most of my students are surprised when they see what a 4 paper looks like. They have this idea in their heads that in order to score proficient you have to write a perfect paper. The model papers help dispel that myth and they see that they could actually achieve that level of writing themselves. Once they've gotten a 4, we look at the 5 and 6 papers to see how they need to elevate their writing to get to a higher level. If you have access to models, they are very useful tools.
In my AP English class one thing that works for me is assigning an AP essay every, every week. The kids come to expect it, so much so that for awhile there when I assigned them on Monday's, they rather sarcastically dubbed it Funday Monday. On these essays I try to grade rather rigorously, and the kids like to see their improvement, even on some kind of schedule. It's easy to forget that big kids like routine, too.
One thing that works with my students is to give them clear expectations for their assignment. Writing is extremely difficult for my students so I find that if I can get them so see what they need to have in their papers before the even begin it makes it easier to work towards that. I use a self assessment rubric for my students writing. Kind of like a checklist for what they need to have in their writing. They seem to look forward to these checklists, in a weird way they hate writing but like the checklist. I am not really sure where this is coming from but it works. I have also tried to add a little bit to each writing assignment as the year has gone by. Changing something in the writing so that I am looking for more specific concepts or having students add a grammar topic we discussed that week into their writing. Maybe past-tense verbs or commas, something as a review of the language arts topics we have covered.
I have found success in students evaluating each others writing. One things that is successful is when I photocopy the top five pieces of writing and ask the students to choose the one or two they think should be published in the school newsletter. I give them categories on which to focus (descriptive writing, powerful verbs, exciting dialogue, etc.) They talk in table groups, pull apart the writing and give their advice. Not only does it give the top students a great workshop atmosphere, but it pushes all the students to excel and try to get in the top papers. (And, no, it's not always the same students; I frequently end up with unlikely candidates, especially when we focus on something specific.)
If I had to choose the one activity that really enhances my reading and writing instruction, I would say it would be Daily News. Every morning 3 students have a chance to share something with the class and I write it down on chart paper. Early in the year many students are even struggling to come up with one sentence on a topic and as the year goes on they get better at this and we work on adding details to their topic, where were you, when did it happen, etc. As I write their sentence it becomes a guided writing lesson, we sound out words together, repeating the sentence several times as I am writing (many kindergarten students have trouble retaining a sentence as they struggle with getting the words down on paper). After the sentence is written I draw 5 name sticks and those students come to the chart and underline one thing that they can read. This may be a letter, student's name, high frequency word or a word they can sound out depending on the time of the school year and the ability of the student. After the 5 students underline I go back and underline high frequency words and letter patterns. This portion of the activity is great for providing a little extra for those students who are above grade level. It is the beginning of 4th quarter now and I would say that virtually all of my kindergarten students recognize most simple long vowel patterns, ing, and ed endings, and sh, ch, th patterns. These are not formally taught until 1st grade but we see them so often in Daily News that the students pick them up through exposure. Most of the students are also able to transfer a lot of this knowledge to their own reading and writing. Through the modeling that is done at Daily News the students are comfortable with trying to sound out words as they write and they are better able to compose a sentence and retain it as they try to get it on paper.
A writing activity that I do several times a year (my students aren't here very long) is to ask the students to write from an olfactory perspective. It’s a fun exercise that gets them to think of their world in different way. I set up the exercise by reading the opening page and several other passages from Patrick Susskind’s novel, Perfume. Most fiction is written from a visual perspective. Perfume is written from an olfactory perspective. It’s an interesting, if somewhat flawed, novel about a serial killer in Seventeenth Century France. Like Ayn Rand’s Anthem, it suffers from being a one dimensional way to present a story. It’s a dark novel and some parts are not appropriate for middle and high school students. However, the parts I read are descriptive passages that focus on the smell of Paris, the smell of a baby, and how the main character (who has no oder of his own, but an abnormally heightened sense of smell), learns how to distinguish various species of trees from logs in a wood pile. This quote from the opening passage paints a vivid mental picture of the smell of Paris:
“In the period of which we speak, there reigned in the cities a stench barely conceivable to modern men and women. The streets stank of manure, the courtyards of urine, the stairwells stank of moldering wood and rat droppings, the kitchens of spoiled cabbage and mutton fat; the unaired parlors stank of stale dust, the bedrooms of greasy sheets, damp featherbeds, and the pungently sweet aroma of chamber pots.”
After I read the passages, I hand out objects that have smells, such as unlit, scented candles, sandalwood, fresh cilantro, and anything else that I can find that has a distinct oder. I ask the students to smell and swap the samples. Then, I describe my favorite olfactory memory: sitting on my grandfather’s lap after dinner when I was three. He would read to me and we’d sip hot chocolate. He wore Old Spice after shave that smelled masculine, clean, and sweet. I use Old Spice deodorant largely because of that memory.
Hopefully, the students are inspired at this point as I pass out paper and ask them write about their own olfactory memory. We usually have a lot of fun writing and sharing our memories.
I had a writing victory last week! I have starting a reading log blog for my students to house their reading logs. (check it out at http://middleschoolreadinglogs.blogspot.com/ if you want!) So far, I had only asked my students to write each day after SSR reading. They had to write about what they read that day, or today I asked them to tell something about the book that they don't like and why they don't like it. So anyways, last week I gave my class a chance to just explore the blog and read what everyone else had written. I was monitoring on my computer, when I received an email alert that one of the students had posted on the blog. What happened was one of my 6th graders read what another 6th grader wrote about a book and posted a question they had and a comment about what the student had written!!!
I had wanted to get there eventually, having the students comment and ask questions on what the other students had written. I never imagined they would come up with it on their own!
Using the blog as a writing showcase has already made a big difference in my reluctant writers. They now know that what they are writing is being read by more than just me and they are having a blast reading and commenting on each others writing.
Such great ideas!. BC, the daily news makes an excellent guided writing practice and you are modeling well for them. Meghan, the blog sounds like a success especially in that it promotes writing for a purpose and publication. I know how exciting technology is when the students are a step ahead in getting involved. I love that! Rick, I am going to check out the novel Perfume because I find teaching writing descriptions about smell difficult and many student cannot come up with effective ways of describing smell either. Joyce, using student writing works so much better than the regular practice sheets. I sometimes include a few of my own sentences that I find in my proofreading. They love correcting my typos and errors. I also create crazy sentences using student names for correction. Keep those ideas coming, everyone!
A recent JH lesson to help reinforce sentence fluency/variety of sentences. Subordinating Clause Poetry: I’ve been teaching sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex). I use “familial” relationships to draw out the ideas of each. Simple sentence = One independent clause = a single adult living independently (no children). Compound sentence = Two independent clauses combined with a coordinating conjuction (FANBOYS) or semi-colon = two adults living together (I draw them holding hands to show a connection) Complex sentence = One independent clause with a subordinate/dependent clause (A WHITE BUS) = a single, independent parent with one or more children (dependents/subordinates) Compound-complex sentence= Two independent clauses combined with a coordinating conjunction/; with one or more subordinate/dependent clauses = Two adults holding hands with one or more children I use my “extraordinary” artistic talents to draw stick figures to illustrate these. I find my ELL students can better grasp concepts with a visual aid to which they can easily relate. We’ve been doing some poetry to help enhance their understanding of these sentence types. Recently we wrote Subordinate Clause Poetry, two stanzas of five lines each. The first four lines must begin with a subordinate conjunction (I use the acronym A WHITE BUS to help them remember some of these), followed by an independent clause in line 5. Here’s my example: When I ponder the results of the test, As I ruminate which ones are best, While I contemplate on all the rest, How I might reteach the concepts, Because each must know these to the depths, My mind wanders off in a daydream.
As my mind soars to a different place, Even though the gears
One thing that works every time is MODELING! I know others have said it too but every time my students' writing is not what I expected it is because I did not model the process. My fourth graders are very bright and independent and so many times I think they can read my mind. When we go through the entire process, step by step it works!
I agree, modeling works! Put the piece of a great writing (or your own writing; there is nothing wrong about considering your own writing to be great, right?) under the desk camera or on the overhead and start showing what is going on. I also used my students' drafts (with their permission, of course) and working in small groups the students were working on how to make improvements to that particular piece. Later we compared the drafts, edited them and voted for the best to select for the classroom "anthology".
I know this is supposed to be about writing, but one of the best ways I get to interact with students and their writing is through our silent reading log. At least twice a week, I have my students read silently in a chapter book for twenty minutes, and then respond to their reading in a silent reading log. These are logs I have assembled for the students with preprinted pages. Each response includes, of course, title, author, date, and pages read. It also has a spot for a brief summary of what was read, a spot for connections made while reading, and a spot for predicting what will happen next. There is also a small space for an illustration about what was read. I have each child bring their log to me as they finish and I have a mini conference with them. I check to make sure they are sticking with the same book and making reasonable progress, then I read the description of what they have read, asking for clarification of details and relationships, etc, in the book and ask them to correct what they have written to make it clearer. I also make the give me an in depth description of a connection made while reading and will send them back to revise that. And the prediction has to be detailed. Usually one revision is sufficient, we don't publish these, they just have to be clear for me to understand. I don't make a big deal out of conventions in these, I'm more looking for clear, concise expression of their thoughts and ideas. It sounds complicated, but the whole process of them filling out their logs and my conferencing with each of them can be done in 15 minutes. There isn't a lot of room on the pages, so they have to be concise, and they know I'm going to read it so it has to make sense and have some "meat" to it. I love this whole process and the way it enables me to connect with each student on a more personal level in terms of their literacy. I know what book each child is reading and love interacting with them as they progress through it.
One thing that works well for me is providing my students with a rubric, as well as giving them time to write one thing done well on another student's paper. It's a nice motivator and really helps my students take ownership of what they've written.
I am posting for Shirlie who is having computer problems--
What Works by Shirlie Khoeschen I really find the way you teach sentence types very interesting. While I was reading your description I made some good connections as well as visual imagery; a great idea.
I totally agree with Zan on modeling. Students need to know what good writing looks like in order to improve. I think modeling is so important in the writing process.
An activity that I used focused on peer editing. I secured enough play dough so that each student had their own container. The direction was to create an object; no limits to what they could create/build in the 10 minute time frame. During the construction time I gave each student response papers to be used later in the activity. I then gave them two minutes to add anything else they thought their creation needed. Next I gave them two minutes to take away anything they didn’t want. They gave their final piece a title. Students then moved about the room for 10 minutes responding to each others creations. After the 10 minutes students returned to their desks to read through their personal responses. I asked them to share a response. I then had them look at their responses again and pick one they thought would help them to make their piece better. We compared/contrasted the two responses and once this discussion started it became quite lively. The wrap up activity was to write a response in their writing journal about what they had learned, how it would help them to become a better peer editor, and what they thought about the activity. This last activity made sure every student had a voice.
One thing that works is to set a writing time that focuses on thinking and just writing. I am learning to do it for myself as I am going along in this class, but I have started to set some time for it (like twice a week every other week) during the class when students just focus on whatever is in their thoughts and to write them down. I had never seen them write in their own words instead of just plain word to word translation from English. They are working hard!
This year’s best writing has been when the final product was a result of much class discussion, reading, notes, and writing prompts. As we read a novel, students continually were asked to respond to questions individually, in small groups, and as a whole class. Many, though not all, of the responses were recorded in their reading notes. At least once a week, they responded to a longer writing prompt asking them to analyze some facet of the novel and provide textual evidence for their response. At the end of the novel, they were presented with a choice of 6 writing topics. Five of the topics had been the subject of a previous prompt, while the 6th had been a part of class discussion. Students were asked to write a thesis-based 5 paragraph essay. First they crafted their thesis statement, second they wrote a rough draft in the computer lab. They brought their rough drafts to class for a round of peer-editing with guiding questions. They then had final drafts due along with a self-evaluation based on the 6-traits. I think the high quality of their writing was the result of their discussion and classwork with the reading. They had all read the book, discussed it, and by the time they were ready to take a stand in their thesis, back it up with evidence from the text, they were all very comfortable with the material and the writing seemed the easy part.
Trying to get my students with reading and writing specific learning disabilities to write is something in which I'm happy to say I've had some success. During writing class, it is a challenge to get them to write more than one sentence. One of my students is such a perfectionist, he won't write unless he is damn sure every word is spelled right, therefore he doesn't get very far on a topic. Another student will write such simple words and sentences (again, because he knows how to spell them) that he cannot convey much. To get these guys writing, I have tricked them. I've found that if the writing is NOT during writing class, but during math, for example, they don't even hesitate! So we're writing word problems. They read them aloud to me, and we solve them. It shows them the importance of the plural form of words, of the question mark, of stating all the facts. They write the number sentence to go along with the problem, and they draw a picture to represent it as well. They are happy to edit their word problems, to make sure they make sense. Woo-hoo!
There are so many good ideas from everyone, I'm so impressed and I want to do them all! There are lots of things related to writing that "work" for me, so I will stick to two: one is is student time for sharing their writing in class (such as author's chair), and the other is student choice. I teach 5th grade, and although it seems at time that adolescence has kicked in fully - my students still very much enjoy sharing their writing and hearing the writing of others. Just as it helps us adults to be exposed to what others are doing to give us ideas, show us good examples, and keep our minds and thoughts provoked and working - I believe student sharing or some sort of author's chair does the same.
I also believe that student choice has such a huge impact on the quality and interest students produce in writing. I always get the best results and the most interesting, passionate writing from students when able to have students have some choice in what they write. I often can still have them write in specific genre or within a specific category while still giving them some choice in what they do - and it always pays off in the end!
We all prefer to write about what matters to us more than what matters to the teachers. The sad outcome for some students is that they THINK they are only writing for the teacher, not for themselves. Many of my college students are just wanting to write about what they THINK I want to hear. I frustrate them when I ask them to pick their own topics. Too many are afraid to make those choices and write about things that matter to them.
I am trying to teach the writing process to my students. They do great on prewriting, spending quality time gathering ideas and organizing them. Then comes drafting. Once they write a draft, they’re done! My students turn in rough drafts for final, polished drafts. They want me to edit FOR them, so they can quickly correct them and be DONE with it.
ReplyDeleteConsequently, I’ve been preaching the process to them, having them check off each step, showing me the revisions, etc… As a result, the revision process has improved dramatically, but editing is still suffering. The bane of their papers is run-on sentences. We have practiced and practiced with smart lessons, worksheets, and different smart lessons and worksheets, all to no avail. There was no significant improvement in their writing even though their lesson assessments were proficient.
On a recent assignment, I decided to take a portion from each student’s paper and make a worksheet for editing. When I typed the sections out, I corrected any other grammar or punctuation errors and left only run-ons (which there were plenty of, and no one was immune). We went through a couple of sections each day, with the students correcting on paper first, and then one of them coming to the smart board and making corrections. Focusing just on run-ons in their own writing, as well as asking them to read the sentences out loud, has helped tremendously.
When I felt they were recognizing run-ons proficiently, I gave them back their “polished” final drafts and asked them to re-edit them. The improvement was significant, and they were much easier for me to read and score.
I was a little worried about projecting student work, but it actually worked out well. I did not show “bad” examples. I told them we were practicing our editing skills and emphasized that it was a step in the writing process that we all need to do. No names were put up, and they could claim their words or remain anonymous. They actually showed great interest and enthusiasm in each other’s papers. I was really pleased with the final result and feel like they have a much better idea of what editing is. It’s a lot of work, but the reward is higher scores in sentence fluency.
Joyce,you gave a great example of how modeling and practice work! Many of my students struggled with "re-writing" at first because they thought it was so boring “to do the same paper”. I tried to be consistent with the writing process, focusing on modeling during direct teaching and giving specific suggestions during individual conferencing. It took a while for the kids to realize that their papers were no longer “the same”. With a lot of practice practice, I saw that they go it: editing does not have to stop with the final draft. Even though I gave the students options of selecting their best pieces for portfolios, some included their first “final drafts” as before-and after comparisons. I published the anthology of students ‘selection of their best work (have you tried lulu.com?). Each had a chance to autograph the pieces of their writing in a “real book”. We also included students’ poems in our annual Class Books.
ReplyDeleteI have also started using student work to highlight grammar issues my students are having and I have found the same thing as Joyce. The students like seeing each others' writing and it has had a positive impact. I also go step-by-step through the process, starting with the prompt itself. Students have to identify what is actually being asked of them and restate the prompt in their own words. I check to make sure they can do that before we begin our prewriting activities. I have access to My Access, an online writing program that ASD wants us to use. It has sample papers at each scoring level (1-6). I always show the 4 papers, especially, because that is the "proficient" level. Most of my students are surprised when they see what a 4 paper looks like. They have this idea in their heads that in order to score proficient you have to write a perfect paper. The model papers help dispel that myth and they see that they could actually achieve that level of writing themselves. Once they've gotten a 4, we look at the 5 and 6 papers to see how they need to elevate their writing to get to a higher level. If you have access to models, they are very useful tools.
ReplyDeleteIn my AP English class one thing that works for me is assigning an AP essay every, every week. The kids come to expect it, so much so that for awhile there when I assigned them on Monday's, they rather sarcastically dubbed it Funday Monday. On these essays I try to grade rather rigorously, and the kids like to see their improvement, even on some kind of schedule. It's easy to forget that big kids like routine, too.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that works with my students is to give them clear expectations for their assignment. Writing is extremely difficult for my students so I find that if I can get them so see what they need to have in their papers before the even begin it makes it easier to work towards that. I use a self assessment rubric for my students writing. Kind of like a checklist for what they need to have in their writing. They seem to look forward to these checklists, in a weird way they hate writing but like the checklist. I am not really sure where this is coming from but it works. I have also tried to add a little bit to each writing assignment as the year has gone by. Changing something in the writing so that I am looking for more specific concepts or having students add a grammar topic we discussed that week into their writing. Maybe past-tense verbs or commas, something as a review of the language arts topics we have covered.
ReplyDeleteI have found success in students evaluating each others writing. One things that is successful is when I photocopy the top five pieces of writing and ask the students to choose the one or two they think should be published in the school newsletter. I give them categories on which to focus (descriptive writing, powerful verbs, exciting dialogue, etc.) They talk in table groups, pull apart the writing and give their advice. Not only does it give the top students a great workshop atmosphere, but it pushes all the students to excel and try to get in the top papers. (And, no, it's not always the same students; I frequently end up with unlikely candidates, especially when we focus on something specific.)
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose the one activity that really enhances my reading and writing instruction, I would say it would be Daily News. Every morning 3 students have a chance to share something with the class and I write it down on chart paper. Early in the year many students are even struggling to come up with one sentence on a topic and as the year goes on they get better at this and we work on adding details to their topic, where were you, when did it happen, etc. As I write their sentence it becomes a guided writing lesson, we sound out words together, repeating the sentence several times as I am writing (many kindergarten students have trouble retaining a sentence as they struggle with getting the words down on paper). After the sentence is written I draw 5 name sticks and those students come to the chart and underline one thing that they can read. This may be a letter, student's name, high frequency word or a word they can sound out depending on the time of the school year and the ability of the student. After the 5 students underline I go back and underline high frequency words and letter patterns. This portion of the activity is great for providing a little extra for those students who are above grade level. It is the beginning of 4th quarter now and I would say that virtually all of my kindergarten students recognize most simple long vowel patterns, ing, and ed endings, and sh, ch, th patterns. These are not formally taught until 1st grade but we see them so often in Daily News that the students pick them up through exposure. Most of the students are also able to transfer a lot of this knowledge to their own reading and writing. Through the modeling that is done at Daily News the students are comfortable with trying to sound out words as they write and they are better able to compose a sentence and retain it as they try to get it on paper.
ReplyDeleteA writing activity that I do several times a year (my students aren't here very long) is to ask the students to write from an olfactory perspective. It’s a fun exercise that gets them to think of their world in different way. I set up the exercise by reading the opening page and several other passages from Patrick Susskind’s novel, Perfume. Most fiction is written from a visual perspective. Perfume is written from an olfactory perspective. It’s an interesting, if somewhat flawed, novel about a serial killer in Seventeenth Century France. Like Ayn Rand’s Anthem, it suffers from being a one dimensional way to present a story. It’s a dark novel and some parts are not appropriate for middle and high school students. However, the parts I read are descriptive passages that focus on the smell of Paris, the smell of a baby, and how the main character (who has no oder of his own, but an abnormally heightened sense of smell), learns how to distinguish various species of trees from logs in a wood pile. This quote from the opening passage paints a vivid mental picture of the smell of Paris:
ReplyDelete“In the period of which we speak, there reigned in the cities a stench barely conceivable to modern men and women. The streets stank of manure, the courtyards of urine, the stairwells stank of moldering wood and rat droppings, the kitchens of spoiled cabbage and mutton fat; the unaired parlors stank of stale dust, the bedrooms of greasy sheets, damp featherbeds, and the pungently sweet aroma of chamber pots.”
After I read the passages, I hand out objects that have smells, such as unlit, scented candles, sandalwood, fresh cilantro, and anything else that I can find that has a distinct oder. I ask the students to smell and swap the samples. Then, I describe my favorite olfactory memory: sitting on my grandfather’s lap after dinner when I was three. He would read to me and we’d sip hot chocolate. He wore Old Spice after shave that smelled masculine, clean, and sweet. I use Old Spice deodorant largely because of that memory.
Hopefully, the students are inspired at this point as I pass out paper and ask them write about their own olfactory memory. We usually have a lot of fun writing and sharing our memories.
I had a writing victory last week! I have starting a reading log blog for my students to house their reading logs. (check it out at http://middleschoolreadinglogs.blogspot.com/ if you want!) So far, I had only asked my students to write each day after SSR reading. They had to write about what they read that day, or today I asked them to tell something about the book that they don't like and why they don't like it. So anyways, last week I gave my class a chance to just explore the blog and read what everyone else had written. I was monitoring on my computer, when I received an email alert that one of the students had posted on the blog. What happened was one of my 6th graders read what another 6th grader wrote about a book and posted a question they had and a comment about what the student had written!!!
ReplyDeleteI had wanted to get there eventually, having the students comment and ask questions on what the other students had written. I never imagined they would come up with it on their own!
Using the blog as a writing showcase has already made a big difference in my reluctant writers. They now know that what they are writing is being read by more than just me and they are having a blast reading and commenting on each others writing.
Such great ideas!. BC, the daily news makes an excellent guided writing practice and you are modeling well for them.
ReplyDeleteMeghan, the blog sounds like a success especially in that it promotes writing for a purpose and publication. I know how exciting technology is when the students are a step ahead in getting involved. I love that!
Rick, I am going to check out the novel Perfume because I find teaching writing descriptions about smell difficult and many student cannot come up with effective ways of describing smell either.
Joyce, using student writing works so much better than the regular practice sheets. I sometimes include a few of my own sentences that I find in my proofreading. They love correcting my typos and errors. I also create crazy sentences using student names for correction.
Keep those ideas coming, everyone!
A recent JH lesson to help reinforce sentence fluency/variety of sentences.
ReplyDeleteSubordinating Clause Poetry:
I’ve been teaching sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex). I use “familial” relationships to draw out the ideas of each.
Simple sentence = One independent clause = a single adult living independently (no children).
Compound sentence = Two independent clauses combined with a coordinating conjuction (FANBOYS) or semi-colon = two adults living together (I draw them holding hands to show a connection)
Complex sentence = One independent clause with a subordinate/dependent clause (A WHITE BUS) = a single, independent parent with one or more children (dependents/subordinates)
Compound-complex sentence= Two independent clauses combined with a coordinating conjunction/; with one or more subordinate/dependent clauses = Two adults holding hands with one or more children
I use my “extraordinary” artistic talents to draw stick figures to illustrate these. I find my ELL students can better grasp concepts with a visual aid to which they can easily relate.
We’ve been doing some poetry to help enhance their understanding of these sentence types. Recently we wrote Subordinate Clause Poetry, two stanzas of five lines each. The first four lines must begin with a subordinate conjunction (I use the acronym A WHITE BUS to help them remember some of these), followed by an independent clause in line 5. Here’s my example:
When I ponder the results of the test,
As I ruminate which ones are best,
While I contemplate on all the rest,
How I might reteach the concepts,
Because each must know these to the depths,
My mind wanders off in a daydream.
As my mind soars to a different place,
Even though the gears
One thing that works every time is MODELING! I know others have said it too but every time my students' writing is not what I expected it is because I did not model the process.
ReplyDeleteMy fourth graders are very bright and independent and so many times I think they can read my mind. When we go through the entire process, step by step it works!
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ReplyDeleteI agree, modeling works! Put the piece of a great writing (or your own writing; there is nothing wrong about considering your own writing to be great, right?) under the desk camera or on the overhead and start showing what is going on. I also used my students' drafts (with their permission, of course) and working in small groups the students were working on how to make improvements to that particular piece. Later we compared the drafts, edited them and voted for the best to select for the classroom "anthology".
ReplyDeleteI know this is supposed to be about writing, but one of the best ways I get to interact with students and their writing is through our silent reading log. At least twice a week, I have my students read silently in a chapter book for twenty minutes, and then respond to their reading in a silent reading log. These are logs I have assembled for the students with preprinted pages. Each response includes, of course, title, author, date, and pages read. It also has a spot for a brief summary of what was read, a spot for connections made while reading, and a spot for predicting what will happen next. There is also a small space for an illustration about what was read. I have each child bring their log to me as they finish and I have a mini conference with them. I check to make sure they are sticking with the same book and making reasonable progress, then I read the description of what they have read, asking for clarification of details and relationships, etc, in the book and ask them to correct what they have written to make it clearer. I also make the give me an in depth description of a connection made while reading and will send them back to revise that. And the prediction has to be detailed. Usually one revision is sufficient, we don't publish these, they just have to be clear for me to understand. I don't make a big deal out of conventions in these, I'm more looking for clear, concise expression of their thoughts and ideas. It sounds complicated, but the whole process of them filling out their logs and my conferencing with each of them can be done in 15 minutes. There isn't a lot of room on the pages, so they have to be concise, and they know I'm going to read it so it has to make sense and have some "meat" to it. I love this whole process and the way it enables me to connect with each student on a more personal level in terms of their literacy. I know what book each child is reading and love interacting with them as they progress through it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that works well for me is providing my students with a rubric, as well as giving them time to write one thing done well on another student's paper. It's a nice motivator and really helps my students take ownership of what they've written.
ReplyDeleteI am posting for Shirlie who is having computer problems--
ReplyDeleteWhat Works by Shirlie
Khoeschen I really find the way you teach sentence types very interesting.
While I was reading your description I made some good connections as well
as visual imagery; a great idea.
I totally agree with Zan on modeling. Students need to know what good writing
looks like in order to improve. I think modeling is so important in the writing
process.
An activity that I used focused on peer editing. I secured enough play dough so that
each student had their own container. The direction was to create an object; no limits
to what they could create/build in the 10 minute time frame. During the construction time I gave each student response papers to be used later in the activity. I then gave them
two minutes to add anything else they thought their creation needed. Next I gave them
two minutes to take away anything they didn’t want. They gave their final piece a title.
Students then moved about the room for 10 minutes responding to each others creations.
After the 10 minutes students returned to their desks to read through their personal responses. I asked them to share a response. I then had them look at their responses again and pick one they thought would help them to make their piece better. We compared/contrasted the two responses and once this discussion started it became quite lively. The wrap up activity was to write a response in their writing journal about what they had learned, how it would help them to become a better peer editor, and what they thought about the activity. This last activity made sure every student had a voice.
One thing that works is to set a writing time that focuses on thinking and just writing. I am learning to do it for myself as I am going along in this class, but I have started to set some time for it (like twice a week every other week) during the class when students just focus on whatever is in their thoughts and to write them down. I had never seen them write in their own words instead of just plain word to word translation from English. They are working hard!
ReplyDeleteThis year’s best writing has been when the final product was a result of much class discussion, reading, notes, and writing prompts. As we read a novel, students continually were asked to respond to questions individually, in small groups, and as a whole class. Many, though not all, of the responses were recorded in their reading notes. At least once a week, they responded to a longer writing prompt asking them to analyze some facet of the novel and provide textual evidence for their response.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the novel, they were presented with a choice of 6 writing topics. Five of the topics had been the subject of a previous prompt, while the 6th had been a part of class discussion. Students were asked to write a thesis-based 5 paragraph essay. First they crafted their thesis statement, second they wrote a rough draft in the computer lab. They brought their rough drafts to class for a round of peer-editing with guiding questions. They then had final drafts due along with a self-evaluation based on the 6-traits.
I think the high quality of their writing was the result of their discussion and classwork with the reading. They had all read the book, discussed it, and by the time they were ready to take a stand in their thesis, back it up with evidence from the text, they were all very comfortable with the material and the writing seemed the easy part.
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ReplyDeleteTrying to get my students with reading and writing specific learning disabilities to write is something in which I'm happy to say I've had some success. During writing class, it is a challenge to get them to write more than one sentence. One of my students is such a perfectionist, he won't write unless he is damn sure every word is spelled right, therefore he doesn't get very far on a topic. Another student will write such simple words and sentences (again, because he knows how to spell them) that he cannot convey much. To get these guys writing, I have tricked them. I've found that if the writing is NOT during writing class, but during math, for example, they don't even hesitate! So we're writing word problems. They read them aloud to me, and we solve them. It shows them the importance of the plural form of words, of the question mark, of stating all the facts. They write the number sentence to go along with the problem, and they draw a picture to represent it as well. They are happy to edit their word problems, to make sure they make sense. Woo-hoo!
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ReplyDeleteThere are so many good ideas from everyone, I'm so impressed and I want to do them all! There are lots of things related to writing that "work" for me, so I will stick to two: one is is student time for sharing their writing in class (such as author's chair), and the other is student choice. I teach 5th grade, and although it seems at time that adolescence has kicked in fully - my students still very much enjoy sharing their writing and hearing the writing of others. Just as it helps us adults to be exposed to what others are doing to give us ideas, show us good examples, and keep our minds and thoughts provoked and working - I believe student sharing or some sort of author's chair does the same.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that student choice has such a huge impact on the quality and interest students produce in writing. I always get the best results and the most interesting, passionate writing from students when able to have students have some choice in what they write. I often can still have them write in specific genre or within a specific category while still giving them some choice in what they do - and it always pays off in the end!
We all prefer to write about what matters to us more than what matters to the teachers. The sad outcome for some students is that they THINK they are only writing for the teacher, not for themselves. Many of my college students are just wanting to write about what they THINK I want to hear. I frustrate them when I ask them to pick their own topics. Too many are afraid to make those choices and write about things that matter to them.
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