Writing Instruction and Assessment
The final task for my writing course was to synthesize all of my knowledge by outlining a 5-day professional development course on writing. Below is my outline and rationale. I hope to have the opportunity to present to fellow teachers, and would use part, if not all, of the presentation elements that I have referenced in my outline.|
|
Day One:
The Essentials
|
Day Two:
Struggling Writers
|
Day Three: Narrative Writing
|
Day Four: Expository Writing
|
Day Five: Writing Workshop
|
|
Hour One
|
Introductions
Review schedule for day and week
Write about your own writing experiences as a
learner. How has this impacted your
learning and teaching of writing?
Share written experiences in small groups and then in
large groups.
Why are we here and why do we need to be here? The importance of improving writing
education.
Powerpoint presentation using information from “The
Neglected R,” school performance information,
and Introduction chapter from Best Practices in Writing Instruction
|
Struggling Writers
Begin with writing simulation from Dr. Olinghouse’s
Presentation “Struggling Writers”
After simulation, discuss reactions in small groups
|
What comes to mind when you think of narrative
writing? What elements are critical?
Powerpoint Presentation- Include elements from Certo’s
presentation and Fletcher text (Module 3), especially elements of narrative
and plot structure.
According to Ralph Fletcher, a writer needs: specific details, characters, voice, solid
beginnings and endings, tension, setting, time, word choice and relevant
topics.
|
Begin with models of various expository texts- both
children and adult level. Ask groups
to make a list of what makes a text an expository text.
|
The format of writing workshop:
Brief overview
-minilessons
-conferring and independent writing
-small group instruction
-sharing
-celebration
|
|
Hour Two
|
Essentials- Importance of mentors- our role as educators
Fletcher- Chapter 1
|
Areas of Difficulty for Struggling Writers
Presentation combining information from Dr. Olinghouse’s
presentation “Struggling Writers” and “Effective Writing Instruction”
article.
|
Character: Persona,
physical being, details, dialogue, gestures
Discuss elements, share various instructional tools that
could support learning- including graphic organizers. Module 3, Fletcher Text
|
Share adaptation of Module 2 powerpoint presentation.
|
Mini-lessons
Using Best Practices in Writing Instruction provide an
overview of where and how to get ideas for mini-lessons.
Discuss ways to organize units around genres.
|
|
Hour Three
|
Writing Essentials- Writing Workshop and structure
Fletcher- Chapter 2
|
Continue Areas of Difficulty for Struggling Writers
|
Voice-
Discuss definition of voice, show examples of strong and
weak voice, discuss how to enhance voice in written work. Discuss instructional strategies for
teaching voice. (Fletcher text).
|
Introduce “k8 access center” website. Share different sections and how to use the
various tools available.
|
Provide teachers with time to write units of study
for writing. Teachers will have copies
of What a Writer Needs and Best Practices in Writing Instruction to
reference.
|
|
Hour Four
|
Essentials- A love of words
Fletcher- Chapter 3
Teachers of writers must be writers themselves
|
In small groups, discuss difficulties that appear in
the classroom with struggling writers.
How have they been addressed?
Are they effective?
Begin whole group discussion on ways to help struggling
writers become successful writers.
Discuss strategies, resources, and techniques to try.
Dr. Olinghouse presentation.
|
Beginnings and Endings
Using examples from Fletcher’s text, process through
various beginnings and endings to texts.
Look at various mentor texts as well.
Process opportunities to create interest for the reader. Discuss how to present these different ways
to students.
|
Grade levels discuss how the tools shared can be
used/adapted for their classrooms.
|
Welcome to the Digital World. Provide an overview of available digital tools to use with the writing workshop. Methods include- digital conferring, collaborative writing, digital notebooks on blogs/wikis |
|
Hour Five
|
As small groups discuss how the essentials are being
included and/or are missing in our classrooms. Brainstorm ideas for how to can facilitate
greater use of these essentials to create a more nurturing writing
environment for our students.
|
Discuss instructional and environmental strategies to
support struggling writers. Look at
low-tech and high-tech options to support learners. Dr. Olinghouse presentation.
|
In grade level groups, teachers will work on developing
lessons specific to developing character, voice, and beginnings and endings
in narrative texts. I will facilitate
groups as needed.
|
Assessment:
Discuss best practices in assessment and how to apply in
the classroom. Best Practices in Writing
Instruction- Chapter 13.
-authentic writing
- rubrics
-content and process
|
Provide additional work time for grade levels to
further develop units and lessons based on everything learned during the
week.
End with a final Q and A session about writing instruction
and assessment.
|
My assumptions- 5 day professional development to my
colleagues. Colleagues are able to work
in grade level groups, and part of the goal is to prepare for the upcoming
school year.
Day 1- Set tone for professional development; acknowledge
own past and own feelings about writing instruction; Look at national data on writing instruction
and what best practice says about writing instruction. Set stage for what is essential: Look at
importance of mentors to writers and how our job is so influential in the
writing lives of children; briefly review structure of writing workshop
(assumed that most are already familiar with it); teachers of writing must be
writers- show examples and know difficulties of writing.
Day 2- If we can meet the needs of our struggling writers,
we are better prepared to meet the needs of all of our writers. Begin with simulation of struggling writers to
help audience get in correct mindset to be thinking about the difficulties
these students encounter everyday when writing.
Present overview of struggling writers- description, traits, etc. Then look at possible interventions to
provide to help students. Use both
Olinghouse presentation and Troia/Graham article because both contain good
background information and helpful strategies to implement. End with AT because many believe AT has to be
highly technical. Share examples as
simple as pencil grips and larger pencils, but can also involve speech to text
programs etc. Need to look at needs of
individual learner to see what’s appropriate to encourage most learning.
Day 3-
Day 4-
Day 5- Writing Workshop
-
Mini-lesson
o Developing
teaching points
o Mentor Texts
-
Conferring- talk about options with digital conferring
-
Independent writing- options for student drafting- writers
notebooks or online blogs/wikis
-
Small group instruction
-
Group Share
-
Celebrations
No comments:
Post a Comment