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Going Beyond the Test Preparing for 7 th Grade Writing Assessments in the 21 st Century. Amy Scruggs 7 th Grade English Language Arts Berry Middle School Hoover, Alabama http://ascruggs.wiki.hoover.k12.al.us/. Teaching in the Digital Age.
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Going Beyond the TestPreparing for 7th Grade Writing Assessments in the 21st Century Amy Scruggs 7th Grade English Language Arts Berry Middle School Hoover, Alabama http://ascruggs.wiki.hoover.k12.al.us/
Teaching in the Digital Age “Today it is less about staying ahead and more about moving ahead as members of dynamic learning communities.”—Don Knezek
Teaching in the Digital Age “The digital-age teaching professional must demonstrate a vision of technology infusion and develop the technology skills of others. These are the hallmarks of the new education leader.” —Don Knezek
Technology Terms Matching It’s amazing how much technology is changing so let’s learn about these together! Please share answers with a neighbor!
1. Answer C: Podcast Digitalized audio files usually saved in the mp3 format Interested in trying podcasting in your classroom? These podcasting websites are a great starting place: • Audacity • Garageband.com • GCast
2. Answer A: Blogs (web logs) Interactive websites that serve as journals
3. Answer D: e-portfolio Student work that is generated, organized, stored, and revised digitally
4. Answer B: Avatar A digital representation of yourself online http://www.voki.com
5. Answer E: “Second Life” An interactive virtual world, Some colleges are using for distance learning and other opportunities www.secondlife.com
6. Answer G: Web 2.0 A 2nd generation of web-based communities like MySpace and Second Life.
7. Answer H: Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) This technology will enable integration of many kinds of information to make it easier to retrieve and search online.
8. Answer F: Wiki This word means “quick” in Hawaiian, and it refers to software that allows for collaborative websites such as the online encyclopedia called Wikipedia.
9. Answer I: Web quest An inquiry-oriented classroom lesson format in which most of the information that learners work with comes from the web
Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing Data from past years’ 7th grade writing assessment drove eight significant changes at Berry Middle School
Berry Middle School Writing Assessment Data Percent of Student Essays Proficient As Total of all Modes of Writing
Change 1 More Writing Across all Academic Areas • Social Studies: tests with essays • Math: expository writing to explain puzzles and their solutions • Science: English and Science together did a science research project on genetics • All teachers use same language in explaining types of writing genetics project assignment
Change 2 Homogeneous (same skill level) groupings pinpointed students who needed more help Asked parents permission Gave one on one attention for 6 weeks prior to writing assessment Met students at their writing skill level
Change 3 More emphasis on structure and how to view a topic “Dear Principal, We disagree with the adding of an extra hour to the school day. An extra hour would mean more homework, less personal time, and snack issues. We agree with the idea of improving our school, but we should find a better way to do it. “ • Hands on Thesis Statements instruction • Using persuasive strategies look at handout of Practice writing thesis statement persuasive essay mode using “buckets”
Physically place ideas in its “bucket”: Create ways for all students to learn • Helps structure expository and persuasive essays with thesis statements • Uses physical reminders of how to structure ideas • One “bucket” for each essay paragraph • display brightly colored buckets
Change 4 The process of writing • Much time and emphasis placed on the journey of writing and not just the end product “The only good writing is RE-writing”
Change 5 Peer reviewing became a major part of my class. It took on many forms and class was community of writers, including me. Pass and Share Using Post It Notes Teacher writing along side students
Change 6 Using more Authentic Audience for students’ writing Writing became more personal with private letters -First Day of School Letter click here -Senior Letter Class of 2014 click here Blogging Reading Responses on class wiki page click here Podcasting final draft of essays to have them “published” click here Presenting expository research
Change 7 Reading and Writing Go Hand in Hand “Marathon Reading” all year long of independent novel reading On the honor system Individual reading goals for at home Parents sign off weekly
Reading and Writing go hand in hand Ongoing Reading Marathon • Required time reading outside of the classroom • Get the family involved • Students read at their own pace • Students chart progress • Individual personal reading goals
Change 8 More engaging writing assignments The Birth Order Expository Essay
Expository Essay Assignment Essay Prompt: Within your family, what are the advantages and disadvantages of your birth order?
Expository Essay Assignment LIST AND SHARE with a neighbor Advantages and Disadvantages of your Birth Order example handout
Podcasting student work • You can podcast from a variety of sources on the web such as: • Gcast • GarageBand.com • Audacity • Be sure to give students a choice of what to publish as their podcast • Encourage practicing fluency and speaking in front of an “audience”
Dylan’s Birth Order Essay Podcast Dylan: Special needs student Expository essay Using thesis statement to organize ideas
Christina’s Birth Order Podcast Christina: English Language Learner, 2nd year in United States, Birth Order Expository Essay
Sensory Writing Warm Up Oreo Cookie Writing! Be sure not to use the following words: chocolate fudge round cookie white cream creamy Look at your handout!
Writing Responses to class reading • Students write responses on class blog • My class used: Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None • Students participated in an ongoing discussion on the classroom blog from each class period’s wiki page on the web. blog rubric Full blog assignment document
“The Power of Persuasion” Example Writing prompt • Change Driving Age? The state government wants to raise the legal driving age to 18. Do you agree or disagree with this proposal? Write a letter to our state governor and persuade him/her to support your opinion on this topic.
“The Power of Persuasion” Example Writing Prompts • Show Me The Money? Schools around the country have begun offering cash rewards for “tipsters.” In Rome, Georgia, turning in a student who brings weapons to school can earn you $100 cash. Should students be paid to tell if a classmate brings a gun or knife to school? Write a letter to the principal to persuade him or her of your opinion on this topic.
21st Century Writing As a teacher, I have to get beside my students and learn all this new technology right along side them. • More Writing Across all Academic Areas • Homogeneous groupings emphasized those who needed more help • More emphasis on structure and how to view a topic • The process of writing emphasized • Peer reviewing became a major part of my class. • Using an Authentic Audience of students writing • Reading and Writing Go Hand in Hand • More engaging and interactive writing assignments
The Ron Clark Story from Wing Clips Learning beyond the tests
It is about so much more than just a writing test! Helping the students learn beyond the tests we give them so that they can learn to love learning
All classroom items from this presentation are available for download from my website http://ascruggs.wiki.hoover.k12.al.us/ Thank you
Writing Modes Quiz Are you in the Mode? Can you determine what type of essay writing each prompt requires? Share with a neighbor as you see if you are “In The Mode”
Share with a partner: Quiz! Types (Modes) of writing click here Click here • Narrative • Descriptive • Persuasive • Expository
