Writing: Making It Better

Writing: Making It Better Carla K. Meyer Ph.D. Appalachian State University

Thought for the Day • Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar. • E.B. White

Today’s Agenda • Strategy Instruction • Revision

Strategy Instruction(Graham and Harris, 2005). “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” • Discuss It-Why is this important? • Model It-I do • Internalize It –Students learn the steps • Support It-We do • Independent Performance-You Do

Strategy Instruction(Graham and Harris, 2005). • Declarative Knowledge: What strategy is to be learned and used • Procedural Knowledge: How is that strategy actually employed • Conditional Knowledge: When and why that strategy should be used

Teaching Planning Strategies • Teach the planning strategy explicitly by modeling its use and scaffolding student learning until students can apply strategy effectively and independently • Make the learning of planning strategies an interactive process between teachers and students • Help students develop the knowledge, skills, or processes needed to use the planning strategies • Tailor strategy instruction in planning to meet each student’s needs

Teaching Planning Strategies • Make teaching and learning of planning strategies criterion-based instead of time-based. • Help students develop motivation to learn planning strategies and continue to use it once instruction has ended. • Teach students procedures that will help them regulate their use of the planning strategies. • Ensure students will be able to apply planning strategy flexibly.

For Example

Goal Setting Strategy: PLANS (Graham and Harris, 2005). • Step One: Use PLANS to plan (or revise) your paper. • Pick goals • List ways to meet goals • And make • Notes • Sequence notes • Write and say more • Check (reread) to see if each goal was met.

Generic Goals (Graham and Harris, 2005). • Goal 1: Purpose • I will write this paper to • Entertain • Inform • Persuade • *I will accomplish this goal by… • Goal 2: Parts • My paper will include these parts: • *I will accomplish this goal by… • Goal 3: Length • My paper will be approximately ______ pages long. • *I will accomplish this goal by…

An Image

Let’s Plan • Using the PLANS strategy and the visual image, let’s plan an entry to your notebook. • Share your goals.

Author’s on Revision • “[Anyone can write well] if only that person will write the same thought over and over again, improving it a little each time.” Kurt Vonnegut author of Slaughterhouse-Five • “The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, a brain surgeon.” Robert Cormier author of The Chocolate War • “Only God gets it right the first time.” Stephen King

The Importance of Revision • “Writing is revising, and the writer’s craft is largely a matter of knowing how to discover what you have to say, develop, and clarify it, each requiring the craft of revision” (Murray, 1991, p.2). • Revision also provides a way for teachers to guide students in learning about the characteristics of writing in ways that will not only improve the current piece but also carry to future writing. • Get feedback • Learn to evaluate their own writing • Discover ways to solve common writing problems.

Revision and Expert Writers • Expert writers revise frequently • During • After • However, research shows students do little revising, and the revision that does occur is often superficial.

Best Practices: Teaching Revision (MacArthur, 2007). • Evaluation Criteria and Self-Evaluation and Peer Revision • Specific criteria is necessary • MODEL-Share papers with a particular problem and demonstrate how to revise the paper (I do). Then work collaboratively to fix the paper (we do). • Critical Reading • Teach students how to read critically and identify areas of weakness. • Students then learn to transfer critical reading skills into peer revision.

Best Practices: Teaching Revision (MacArthur, 2007). • Peer Revision • A major component of the writing process classroom • Students learn from both roles as author and reviser • Must be integrated with a instruction about how to evaluate and revise to be effective • Strategy Instruction • Teachers explicitly explain the strategy and model how to do the strategy using think alouds, provide guided practice, and independent practice. • Specific strategies exist for different steps of the writing process including revision.

Mini-LessonDescriptive Words • Mentor Text—The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow • While you are listening, pay attention to how the author uses descriptive words in her story. • Write down any descriptive words that really catch your ear. • Discuss descriptive words and how it improves the author’s writing. • Teacher model revision for descriptive words.

Your Turn • Pick goals • List ways to meet goals • And make • Notes • Sequence notes

Peer Revising Strategy: One Approach (Graham and Harris, 2005) • Upon the completion of the first draft: • Revision is initiated by sharing the paper with a listener. • Author reads the paper aloud while the listener reads along. • Active listening is critical and the listener asks questions about what may be unclear. • After the paper is read, the listener tells the writer what the paper is about and what he or she likes bests. • Listener should be taught to comment on main ideas and important parts as well.

Peer Revising Strategy: One Approach (Graham and Harris, 2005) • Upon the completion of the first draft (con): • Next the listener reads the paper • Asks for help if something cannot be read • Ask the questions • Is there anything unclear? • Is there any portion in which more detail should be added? • This is the step during which the partners can focus on a particular component (e.g. voice, word choice, etc). • Partners discuss recommendations made by the listener

Best Practices: Teaching Revision (MacArthur, 2007). • Word Processing • Makes revision possible without tedious recopying. • Students must be taught to revise using the computer. • Students must have word processing skills for this to be effective

Peer Revising Strategy (McArthur, Schwartz, & Graham, 1991). • Two Parts • Revising • Editing • Two Roles • Writer • Listener

Writer’s Role Revision Step 1: Read aloud the completed draft to his/her partner. Step 2: Listen to partner’s suggestions.

Listener’s RolePeer revision Step 1: Listen and read along as the writer reads the paper. Step 2: Tell what the paper is about and what you liked best. Step 3: Read the paper and makes notes on the paper Is everything clear? Can any details be added? Step 4: Share your suggestions with the writer.

Writer’s RoleEditing Step 1: After revising draft, reread paper to check for any grammatical errors which they may find.

Listener’s RoleEditing Step 1: Check the writer’s paper for errors in: Sentences Capitals Punctuation Spelling Step 2: Share suggestions with the writer.

Editing checklist • Sentences: Is the sentence complete? • Capitals: Are first letters of sentences capitalized? Are proper nouns capitalized. • Punctuation: Is there punctuation at the end of each sentence? • Spelling: Circle words you are not sure of and correct with spell-checker or dictionary.

Tips for Peer Revision Instruction (Graham and Harris, 2005). • Peer revision is easier if students have the opportunity to word process draft. • Teachers must model and emphasize that feedback and suggestions must be delivered in a positive manner. • In the early stages the teacher must scaffold the listener and help provide suggestions.

To Do • Read • Calfee & Miller; • Ch. 7 Notebook Know-How • To Do • Review and make notes on peer review slides. • Second draft of writer’s choice

Writing: Making It Better