Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency

1. Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency Heidi Fridriksson Brunei-US English Language Fellow, National Institute of Education in Cambodia

2. Overview • Definition of low stakes writing • Why use low stakes writing? • Common teacher concerns • Low stakes writing tools

3. What exactly is low stakes writing?

4. What exactly is low stakes writing? Low Stakes High Stakes <---------------------------------------------------------------------------> Freewrite Blog Book Review Research Paper Journal Email to Teacher Argument Essay Exam

5. Why low stakes writing?

6. Low stakes writingdevelops fluency & enhances engagement

7. Low stakes writing reducesanxiety“a safe place to try out new language, to experiment”-Williams, 2008

8. Low stakes writing allows students to personalize their writing & find their voice in English

9. Common Concerns

10. Common Concerns • Assessment

11. Common Concerns • Assessment • Time (in the term)

12. Common Concerns • Assessment • Time (in the term) • Time (in the day)

13. Common Concerns • Assessment • Time (in the term) • Time (in the day) • Variety

14. Common Concerns • Assessment • Time (in the term) • Time (in the day) • Variety • Level

15. Think Pair Share Low stakes writing to prepare ideas

16. Think: Ss write for a short time (2-5 min usually) on a topic • Pair: Ss share what they wrote with a partner • Share: Ss share answers with the full class

17. Try It! Think / Pair / Share Have you ever used low stakes writing in your teaching? What kind of low stakes writing tools did you use?

18. Picture Composition Low stakes writing for mixed ability groups

19. Students look carefully at the picture • Teacher pre-teaches vocab and asks WH questions to give them ideas • High students can write a whole story; low students can write just a few words

20. Multi-Entry Journals Low stakes writing as conversation with text

24. Try It!

25. Dialogue Journals Low stakes writing as conversation with teachers and classmates

27. Try It! -Write one idea from my presentation -Respond to that idea -Pass your paper to a peer -Read and respond to your peer’s thoughts -Pass the paper back to them

28. Application • Which of these activities do you think would work best for your future teaching context? Do you have any LSW tools to share?

29. Questions?

30. REFERENCES Alexie, Sherman. The joys of reading and writing: Superman & me. In Dorris, M. & Buchwalk, E. (Eds.), The most wonderful books : Writers on discovering the pleasures of reading. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions. Bartholomae, D. & Petrosky, A.R. (1986). Facts, artifacts and counterfacts: Theory and method for a reading and writing course. Portsmouth: Boyton/Cook Publishers. Bauer, L. & Sweeney, L. (1999). The use of literary letters with post-secondary non-native students. Learning Assistance Review, 4 (1), 33-41. Blanton, L. (2008). Speaking of absence: when the connection is not there. In Belcher, D. & Hirvela, A. (Eds.), The oral-literate connection: Perspectives on L2 speaking, writing and other media interaction (pp. 10-25). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press. Cameron, J. (Producer & Director). (2010). Avatar [Motion picture]. USA: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Christenbury, L. & Kelly, P.P. (1983). Questioning: A path to critical thinking.Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading and Communicative Skills and National Council of Teachers of English. Evans, S. (2008). Reading reaction journals in EAP courses. ELT Journal, 62 (3), pp. 240-247. Kreeft, J., Staton, J., Richardson, G. & Wolfram, W. (1993). InKreeft, J. & Staton, J. (Eds.), Dialogue journals in the multilingual classroom: Building language fluency writing skills through written interaction (pp. 196-221). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation. Mlynarczyk, R. W. (1998). Conversations of the mind: the uses of journal writing for second-language learners. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Salas, S. & Garson, K. (2007). Chifa: Freewriting within a required curriculum for adults. In Burns A. & De Silva J. (Eds.), Planning and teaching creatively within a required curriculum for adult learners (pp. 239-246). Alexandria, VA: TESOL. Thesen, L. (1997). Voices, Discourse, and Transition: In Search of New Categories in EAP. TESOL Quarterly, 31 (3) pp. 487-51. Williams, J. (2008). The speaking-writing connection in second language and academic literacy development. In Belcher, D. & Hirvela, A. (Eds.), The Oral-literate connection: Perspectives on L2 speaking, writing and other media interaction (pp. 10-25). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.