Write to Learn

1. Write to Learn based on the book, The Core Six Essential Strategies for Achieving Excellence

2. 3 Reasons to Use • Writing allows us to see conceptual relationships and to acquire insight. • Common Core will involve 3 types of writing: arguments, informative/explanatory and narratives. • Provides us with various writing formats and tools that support a range of writing objectives and demands.

3. Provisional Writing • is quick writing, like brainstorming. Write spontaneously for 2-5 minutes to generate, clarify or extend ideas. • Uses: peak interest, tap into prior knowledge, review & check understanding, provoke thinking, etc. Spelling and grammar are rarely checked in this type of writing.

4. Example of Provisional Writing • Learning logs-infuse writing into the daily instructional routine and ideal for formative assessments to give teachers an insight to what students know. Students can clarify and develop their thinking without worrying about a grade, write at least once every day, share their responses often, teacher walks around room during writing time and should make comments in the learning logs.

5. Example of Provisional Writing • 4-2-1 Writing-helps students focus their writing on the most important ideas and prevents students from getting stuck when they write. How it works: • After reading or a lecture have students write the 4 most important ideas. • Students meet in pairs to share ideas and agree on the 2 most important ideas from their writings. Students then get in groups of 4. All students must agree on 1 most important idea. • As class, share and refine the most important idea. • Ask students to free-write about the big idea for 3-5 minutes and explain what about the idea. Students must continue to write the entire time. If students get stuck, write about why they are stuck. • Students return to groups to listen to all responses and participate in a whole class discussion.

6. Readable Writing • requires students to clarify their thoughts and develop and organizational structure for their ideas. • This writing in intended for an audience (usually the teacher). • A sample writing prompt would be something like- Based on the article we read, do you think there should be a minimum age for children to carry mobile phones? Use specific information from the article to defend your answer. • You should assign readable writing tasks regularly but keep in mind you do NOT have to grade all readable writing. When grading these writings it is more important to grade for accuracy and organization of main ideas and supporting details that it is to grade for grammar and spelling.

7. Example of Readable Writing • 3 X 3 Writing Frames-are simple organizers to help students see the structure of a good essay and helps to plan the beginning, middle and end. (INSERT SAMPLE) • Students share their ideas with the class. • Lead discussion and record ideas as needed to make sure all students have an understanding about the key ideas and details before they begin writing. • Students write a topic sentence and organize their ideas into an outline before they write the first draft. • Clarify the criteria that will be used to assess their writing. • Give feedback to the students about their writing.

8. Polished Writing • involves the full writing process including initial ideas to the final draft. • http://mrsrembertsclass.wikispaces.com/file/view/writing_process.gif/241248137/writing_process.gif

9. Polished Writing Tools • Writing folders-give the structure to the writing process and is where all the ongoing work is kept. • Writer’s clubs give students feedback from their peers to help fix problems and fine-tune the writing. • Each group should have 3-5 members. • Have students read their own pieces aloud to the group and gather feedback. • Encourage students to listen carefully and be ready to share their thoughts. • Feedback should be: • Specific-What exactly did the writer do well? • Improvement-oriented-What can the writer do to make it better? • About the writing not the student. • Students synthesize the feedback they get and use it to revise their work into the final draft.

10. Planning Considerations • What is your purpose for having students write? • What type of writing will you require: provisional, readable or polished? • How can you best phrase your prompt to elicit responses that will be useful in achieving your purpose? • What should the final response look and sound like?