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Readings Wk 4 - Coggle Diagram
Readings Wk 4
Graham (2019) -
Changing How Writing Is Taught
State of writing in schools
: "the typical teacher does not devote considerable time and effort to teaching writing"
Indicators
Most teachers devoted less than 1 hour/day to writing instruction
Students don't write frequently (writing assignment once or twice/yr)
Teaching procedures and adaptations applied infrequently
Absence of digital tools for writing
Not much collaboration in writing and primary audience was the teacher
Factors in writing instruction
Time
More time teaching writing => more instructional practices more often
Classroom Composition
More students => harder to provide quality writing instruction
Teacher's beliefs and knowledge
Preparedness to teach writing influences how much writing is taught
Society and Institution
More value placed on writing = more quality time spent on writing instruction
More knowledge about writing at administrative level supports more quality writing education in schools
Writing Knowledge
Knowledge about Writing
Writing is not a single unitary skill
Knowing what type of writing students do is important
Beliefs about writing can foster/hinder writing
Important for students to have a positive identity as a writer
Writing is a
social
activity
Writing enhances student performance in other subjects as well as students' future opportunities
Knowledge about How Writing Develops
`
Wiring develops over one's lifetime
Shaped by participation in various writing communities
Influenced by many processes at the individual level
Shaped through instruction
Shaped by socioeconomic factors and one's experience
Development is variable
Development influences and is influenced by development in other areas of language
Knowledge about Teaching Writing
Needs sufficient time and a supportive environment
Goals, content, and effective practices must all be identified and applied
Instruction is most effective when these are aligned
Must focus on writing frequently and for real purposes
Connecting writing, reading, and learning
Focus on supporting students as they write
Must teach the needed skills, knowledge and processes
Visions for Teaching Writing
Development
Likely to be more effective if it is:
Informed by Writing Knowledge (previous section)
Developed with the help of teachers
Supported by those implementing it (at all levels)
Goal should be coherent, well-constructed, and consistent on as many levels as possible
Putting the Vision into Action
Develop an implementation plan
Create routines that are permeable and flexible
Apply evidence-based practices
Making Sure Stakeholders Have Needed Know-How
Policymakers, Teachers, and School Admins need to understand the importance of quality writing instruction
Ensure adequate, quality Professional Development (PD)
Ensure PD complements other efforts
Focus PD towards developing students as writers
Create a trusting and respectful environment for teacher and principals
Policymakers can be informed by organizations representing teachers and educational interests
Elbow (2004) -
Writing First!
We've put reading before writing (societally)
Even in college, writing typically serves reading
Implications for Teaching
Write hunches
Starts with activity
Students are much more attentive to what they read
generates an intellectual relationship to the ideas in a text
Encourages students to question authorities (in a good way)
Write in the Mode
Students imitate a particular form of writing; teaches students to read more intelligently by analyzing author and perspective
Write Movies of the Reader's Mind
Rough Drafts Of Reading: Snapshots of the text provided; students provide their reactions and interpretations after each fragment
Reinforces idea that reading is a process that moves towards clarity; not magic
Reading = passive: agency taken away from the student
Writing = active: student chooses the words and organization
Reinforces an idea that students can only produce their "own ideas" when they can accurately reproduce others' ideas
Also associates passivity with learning in minds of students
Writing engages the physical dimension
Children can write more easily than they can read
Learning has been connected with input, not output
Students learn more effectively via output
Effective test of learning: "What new Ideas can the student come up with?"
:question: How would one provide the ability to effectively present output, remain relevant to what the learning goals are,
and
not corral the student into a specific restriction (aka testing input)
Learning consists of making new connections and thus new meanings
Author's assertion:
Learning is the making of meaning
Contrast with the idea that students are vessels to fill with knowledge
:!!:
Important Note
The author is not asserting that writing is more important than reading
Lenski & Verbruggen (2010) -
Academic Writing Genres
Academic Writing Instruction: Strategies for ELLs (and all students)
Genre Examples/Mentor Texts
Broad instructional device
Use an example work (usually by another student), break down the structure, and have students emulate the structure of it
Sentence & Paragraph Frames
More explicit; closer scaffolding
Start with sentence frames, work up to paragraph frames
Provides outline of a sentence or paragraph and blanks to fill in with content words
Helps with teaching sentence structure (especially transition words)
Have students read their finished sentences/paragraphs out loud when complete
Dialogue Journals
Students (or student and teacher) collaboratively write out a dialogue; helps them develop an "ear" for what sounds right in language
Daily News
Illustrates Main idea-detail pattern
One student shares what he/she had done within the past few days
Teacher writes story with narrative structure then demonstrates various other modes using story as a base
Using Student translations
3 Non-Narrative Genres: Expository, Persuasive, and Descriptive
Descriptive
"Presents an object, place, or person in a way that creates a vivid impression in the reader's mind
Typically begins with main idea, then details, then conclusion (summary statement)
Uses 5 senses
Expository
Provides info, gives directions, explains, details a process, clarifies, or defines
Knowledge about the subject is necessary in order to write an expository piece on it
Organization of key points, explanations, and supportive detail is key
Types
Explanation-Definition
Organized by simple explanation
Main Idea -> Supporting details -> Examples
Sequence
Presents info in order of time, sequence, or as process
Clear, concise directions are crucial
Example: Teacher has students exchange papers and try to follow each other's instructions
Comparison-Contrast
Describes similarities and differences between things, places, events, etc.
Often used in daily life, so students may be familiar with the thinking process
Cause-Effect
Consists of a cause stated with its effect
Problem-Solution
Identifies an issue and how it's solved
Persuasive
Tries to convince the reader to agree with a particular POV
Explains, but also takes a side and encourages the reader to take the same side
Make a claim, provide examples, and give reasons/opinions for counterarguments
Academic writing is culture specific
Discourse patterns taught in school are likely different from what ELLs are used to
Connecting/transition words and phrases aren't familiar to some ELLs and thus the meaning of a sentence may get missed
:star: Revision and editing are crucial to teach young writers (and school is one of the only places that it is practiced intentionally)