ASSIGNMENT FOUR: WRITTEN REFLECTION-Section Two- Teaching Essentials Chapters 4-6
Read Writing Essentials, Chapters 4-6 and BRIEFLY reflect on the following thoughts written below and any additional comments that you have after reading these chapters. Post your reflection to the course blog.
Chapter 4: Raise Your Expectations
• Why we need to raise expectations – ESPECIALLY for our minority and lower socio-economic students
• How to raise expectations in your classrooms as well as in your grade level and throughout your entire building
• What about handwriting, spelling and editing expectations?
• How to use the Optimal Learning Model to support your students’ needs
“Raising expectations” for our students is a big push in all of our districts. Under “No Child Left Behind” many schools have been identified as “in need of improvement” and have been working furiously yet unsuccessfully for over ten years to “close the gap” for our minority children. But more important than improving performance on high stakes tests is remembering that if we raise our expectations and teach explicitly, then our students will rise to the occasion and astonish us with the high quality work that each of them is capable of.
Regie has some great insight into the need to raise expectations of our students and feeling comfortable and confident with the decision to set high standards for all learners. She raises the question, What are our clearly articulated, rigorous yet reasonable expectations? This is a question that we should reflect on as individual teachers, and one that should be the starting point for a conversation within our grade levels, buildings and across entire districts.
We’d like to know what you think of one of our favorite quotes from the book: “Worksheets aren’t good enough. The students who can do them don’t need them, and the ones who struggle with them feel defeated by the red marks, which only reinforce their feelings of inadequacy. WORKSHEETS FOSTER MEDIOCRITY!” (We personally wanted to shout out when we read that!) Please include your thoughts in your Section Two Reaction.
In this chapter, Regie also sheds some light on several topics that teachers often ask about. “What about handwriting expectations?” and “Conventions, Editing and Publishing?” It’s always helpful to get another professional’s point of view on these pressing issues! Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 5: Do More Shared Writing• Where does Shared Writing fit within the Optimal Learning Model?
• For which learners is Shared Writing appropriate?
• How can we link Shared Writing with Shared Reading?
• How can Shared Writing be used to support word work?
• What are some “Tried and True” ideas for Shared Writing?
Regie's idea of Shared Writing is very different than that of many other professionals in the field. So often we use Shared Writing only with the primary grades. As Regie states, “What a great way to teach and engage all students in all aspects of oral and written language.” If we are to consider teaching through all phases of the Optimal Learning Model, we can begin to see how important Shared Writing is for our students. We think that the idea of using Shared Writing in both upper elementary and the middle schools is a new way of thinking for many of us.
One of the reasons Regie encourages teachers to use chart paper and an easel, instead of projecting to a screen with an overhead or document camera, is that the children are seated right with you on the floor, which usually holds the children’s attention a little better. Another idea that has worked great for me is to move the overhead machine to the group area and place it on the floor in the middle of the group in front of the easel. I then project the machine onto the white space of the easel. It’s great because you’re able to be right there in the middle of the group and have the benefit of writing more quickly onto a transparency rather that chart paper. You’ll need to consider which of your Shared Writing activities you’ll want students to be rereading (don’t forget that you can hole punch transparencies and put them in a binder for future reference) and which you may want posted to your walls on charts.
Regie’s list of “Tried and True Ideas for Shared Writing” (page 112) is very extensive. It would be helpful to take a look at Regie’s list as you create your curriculum map for the year. Where would some of her suggestions fit within your science, social studies, math, reading and writing units across the year?
Chapter 6: Capitalize on the Reading-Writing Connection
• How can we become more effective integrating our reading and writing instruction?
• Are we as efficient as possible with our responses to reading?
• The benefit and necessity to integrate our content area teaching with both reading and writing
• The importance of writing (and reading) more nonfiction
We know research shows that reading achievement affects writing achievement and vice-versa, and we also know that it continually gets harder to fit “it all” into our day. Effectively using reading and writing connections throughout the day in all areas of language arts, math, science, social studies, and even specials such as art, music and library, is our only option.
Regie’s suggestion of taking a closer look at how we use written response to reading is a very important one. Careful consideration is needed to decide if what we’re asking the students to do is “worth their time.” For example, if the response we’re looking for will “deepen comprehension, cause the writer to reflect on the content, and/or foster appreciation for the text” then it’s worth it. We whole-heartedly agree with her statement that many of the overly structured assignments such as book reports can alienate our readers! While response journals do have their benefits for us professionally Regie states, “they also take up a lot of our time!” It’s a very organized teacher who can effectively keep up with their responses without feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. Don’t forget the bottom line – “Be sure that students spend more time reading than writing about reading!” (Page 126)
We are so glad that Regie addressed how to effectively teach summary writing. We know that many teachers have a difficult time differentiating between a summary and retelling – I (Jackie) was one of them until several years ago. The snapshots and procedures that Regie shares on how to teach summarizing are invaluable and should be a reference that we all refer back to throughout our teaching year.
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Looks like I wrote too much, so I am breaking my post up into a few different posts.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4: This quote about worksheets fostering mediocrity caught my attention as I read it as well. After thinking about it, I think I don’t feel like I have enough experience to see that this is true through my own teaching experiences, or if it is not true. I haven’t had enough opportunity to test the theory out.
One of my first thought is that I wouldn’t hand a child back a paper covered in red check marks any which way, but that I do use worksheets for some of my students to practice at times and I think that a worksheet, or if not a worksheet exactly, a activity focused on some single aspect of writing can be used in ways that are not so self defeating.
But, more or less, this quotation I think is really pointing to the concept that writing is best taught from a larger frame of reference - that the smaller details like spelling and grammar and editing can be better learned while in the larger process of writing, rather than in a piecemeal approach.
So my second thought is to reflect on how much of my education about teaching special needs students has focused on a lot more direct instruction on isolated and individual concepts (not just in writing). And I think there is at times good reason for this. One thing I have seen from experience is that many students in special education do not seem to just pick up concepts so quickly as their general education counterparts (that’s probably a Captain Obvious statement). I remember that as a student I just kind of “got” concepts by seeing them modeled. Most SPED students don’t just “get” things like that. They need things explicitly taught. And what has most often popped to mind when I think of explicitly teaching, is worksheets, or at least activities that include a more piecemeal approach to writing. However, I am excited to try out and learn if actually one can explicitly teach writing concepts without that approach of breaking up and isolating concepts. The next chapter, focused on shared writing probably has a lot to do with how that might be done.
My one nagging question that prevents me from fully throwing myself into experimenting with this (I am experimenting with it anyway) is although Reggie writes about using her writing models with the youngest kids, kindergarteners, are there prerequisites - a few things students really need to understand about language in order to engage in the type of writing activities she explains throughout her book? I mean there must be, right, like students need to at least understand that written words represent thoughts, but I’m curious what others would say are prerequisite understandings in order for a student to successfully engage in Reggie’s writing processes.
Chapter 5: So shared writing seems pretty exciting to me as a way to work with special education kids who really need that explicit instruction and need to stay in the learning phase where they are seeing the skill modeled over and over and over and over again. Next year I’m going to be teaching resource students at the high school level, language arts. These kids will be closer to grade level than the kid’s I’m teaching now, but they will also be emotionally and socially very much like their gen ed peers. So I’m curious to hear about your experiences perhaps using shared writing at the high school levels. I think it probably can be done, but I don’t think I’m going to be having carpet time with this bunch of kids.
ReplyDeleteAs to the list of tried and true methods: writing works of fiction certainly will be something I can do. I think it would be best woven in throughout the year, but if my new school strictly follows a standards map than I may not have that option. Poems would likewise be something I could potentially use throughout the year. When I student taught in a middle school reading workshop classroom I saw the teacher use picture books with the class to help teach literary concepts, and I can possibly imagine this being done with some groups of kids at the high school level as well. In my experience the type of writing that is most often done in a high school is either writing essays as a reaction to a piece of literature, or writing position pieces. I can imagine both types of writing being done in shared writing fashion. I would like to know more and experiment more with writing larger pieces with a class, Reggie says it can be done, but it seems like it could be a little unwieldy.
Chapter 6: I know now that next year I’ll be teaching a high school resource style class, likely doing language arts support, so I am reading this chapter thinking about how I can apply the reading-writing connection with that group of kids. If the curriculum I’ll be working with allows, I love the idea of having time set aside in my class for students to read books of choice, but I don’t know how likely I am to have that time. Also, although it would certainly be untraditional, I would love to be able to read to my students regularly - fiction, nonfiction, anything that would hold their attention. And then bringing in the writing connection - I really appreciate how Reggie explained that writing makes us think more deeply, and so I would like to utilize some kind of response writing to reading, but to carefully consider what I’m asking them to do, as she says, make sure it is worth while writing response.
I really appreciated Reggie’s explanation of summary writing, and especially how she wrote out how she used the optimal learning model on pgs 128-9. Although this looks like it was for a middle school class perhaps, I could see it working with high school resource kids, I’ll bet that group will struggle with summary writing as well.
I thought the encouragement and explanation on note taking also was helpful. Consumable texts was an interesting phrase to me, she seemed to be using it in connection with being able to write on the texts and take notes on it. Which made me wonder about so many people using technology to read now. I wonder what happens to note taking when people tend to read on devices rather than on paper. I suppose there is probably a note taking app out there that would solve the problem, but I wonder if the brain processes information differently if a reader is writing notes with a paper and pencil rather than typing or using a touch screen?
Another question I am walking away with is about using class writing as reading material. I wonder if this is something I can use at upper grades as well? I can’t quite see it but am curious.
The main thing I believe students need in order to take the risks to write is a sense of trust and a feeling they are in a safe learning environment where others will not judge or make fun of their efforts. Especially with students who have learning challenges, there must be a sense of community and rapport that encourages them to try writing, even though it is hard and mistakes will be made. Just as with reading, students need a lot of opportunity to write. And write without the fear that their work will be dissected and marked up correcting all their mistakes. The beginning aspects for writing are as you said… the students need to know directionality- top to bottom, left to write. They need to know that letters have sounds and when put together in specific ways make words. Spacing is something that develops along the way to make the message clearer to the audience. Punctuation would develop after this. Correct spelling and tenses are more sophisticated skills. Transitions, interesting/varied word choices and paragraph development are also later skills for writers.
ReplyDeleteKeeping samples for a portfolio that shows students the growth they are making is a good way for students to see their development. Especially when the learning may be incremental. For all students, but especially students who struggle, we need to celebrate their efforts more and not only focus on meeting the standard.
In Kindergarten, beginning writers write the letter sounds they hear. If I can “read” their writing I am pleased. (If I can’t I will tape a post-it note on the back of the writing so I know what the student was trying to write.) And I ALWAYS write the date on students writing so it is easier to see the progress over the year.
So in short, I would say, just giving the students a lot of opportunity write in a supportive environment is all that is needed to use Regie’s writing process.
I worked in the writing lab at my high school in a one-on-one atmosphere. READ, WRITE, THINK has great lessons and information. Check out this link to learn more about using shared writing at the high school level.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/shared-writing-30686.html
You’re right, you likely won’t be having carpet time with your students ☺ But you can use a document camera, chart paper or an over-head projector to compose your shared writing.
Poetry is a wonderful tool to use for writing as is incorporating picture books, even at the high school level.
I think it’s a great idea to incorporate time for reading and to read to your students! One idea might be, if time is an issue (and when isn’t it?), to read the first few chapters to pique students’ interest and then provide an audio book (often SPED programs or libraries subscribe to online audiobook services like Tumblebooks.) This way, students are “hooked” and then they can listen to the story at home on their computer or phone while they read along. (Or your school might have PlayAways or MP3 players that have stories on them.)
Yes, there are quite a few note-taking apps available depending on which device or platform you are using. You can ask your tech specialist, other teachers or librarian at your school which ones they like. I’m not sure with regard to the difference to physical note writing vs. online. I do know it took me YEARS to become comfortable writing on the computer instead of paper. It’s an interesting question.
I think it would def. be fine and appropriate to use class writings for homework.