Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Assignment Two: Written Reflection

ASSIGNMENT TWO: WRITTEN REFLECTION–Section One- The Essential Writing Life Chapters 1-3
BRIEFLY reflect on the following comments written below from Chapters 1-3 and any additional thoughts that you have after reading these chapters.

Chapter 1: Simplify the Teaching of Writing• Simplify our teaching
• Becoming more knowledgeable about teaching writing
• Examine your beliefs

Regie gets to the heart of her book Writing Essentials with this quote on the final page of Chapter One: “By reducing the clutter in our teaching lives-the over-planning, the unnecessary activities, the paper load, all the ‘stuff’ that takes our time and energy and does little to improve teaching and learning-we bring joy back into our work and the world of our students.” Many of us work very hard and spend many hours complicating our teaching lives. In this book Regie will help you simplify your teaching life for your benefit and that of your students.

One of the frustrations that teachers encounter regularly is the ever changing “latest and best” writing programs that districts or states force on them and their students. With this revolving cycle of programs, teachers are spending too much time learning how to use the program rather than becoming better writing teachers. Regie explains that in the districts where students are the best writers, they are writing for real purposes and audiences and publishing their writing; teachers are not using prescribed writing programs.

Look at Appendix A (page A-2.) Examine your beliefs about writing by reading the statements about the writing process and marking true or false in your book. (Go ahead and write in your book, it’s OK! You can even use a pencil and mark very lightly if you want to.) We found this activity very enlightening. Let us know what you think after you complete the activity.

In your reflection for Section One, please include your thoughts about the following questions or statements:

• Regie demonstrates how to use the Optimal Learning Model (shown on the front cover and page 11) throughout the book. Consider how the Optimal Learning Model fits into your own instruction.
• As you think about how to teach writing so that all students can become successful, effective and joyful writers, reflect on how you presently teach the “12 Writing Essentials” (as described on pages 13-14 in the text) during your daily writing instruction. As we continue to read through Regie’s book, hopefully you will begin to see how you might make changes in your instruction to better incorporate these “12 Writing Essentials.”

Chapter 2: Start With Celebration
• Make sure writing is meaningful not just correct
• Use stories as springboards and ensure that ALL students hear stories
• Write in front of your students and connect home and school

The title of Chapter Two simply states, “Start with Celebration,” and that’s exactly what we need to do for our students. The celebration of all students’ writing needs to be put into the forefront and be made our first teaching goal. Celebrations should happen school-wide, within our classrooms and with students individually. As children begin to see themselves as successful writers, they will take more risks in their writing and in turn will become better writers who enjoy the writing process.
Another key point that Regie highlights in this chapter is to “make sure writing is meaningful, not just correct!” Students need to understand that writing is “enjoyable and for a real purpose and audience.” She also reminds us “that teaching skills in isolation does not make student writers; neither does teaching to the test. And breaking writing into bits and pieces robs children of the joy of writing.”

Regie suggests using stories as a springboard for teaching and learning. Hearing and telling stories builds our students’ oral language skills and these stories are “an entryway into reading and writing.” Only when students are reading and writing real stories can they connect the “skills” based learning to their reading and writing!

Please include your thoughts about the following questions or statements in your written reflection of Section One:

• Regie explains how important celebrating student writing is. How do you celebrate student writing in your classroom? How might you add more celebration of student writing to your day/year?
• Consider what changes you could make in your writing instruction to make writing more meaningful and purposeful for your students.

3 comments:

  1. After reading over chapter 1, and examining the Optimal Learning Model, I thought about my own teaching in my classroom. I have a blended class of 1st and 2nd graders at very different levels. In the beginning I always model. Depending on the assignment that might include from beginning until end, or just the main points (wanting to leave them to think creatively). In all subject areas I do this "I do, We do, You do" way of teaching, but with writing I do less "We do" because I do not necessarily want them to just "copy" me. I want them to do their own work and not be so reliant on me. For example, I want them to use inventive spelling and not get hung up on the words. I think this learning model I will learn from this course.

    As for the "12 Writing Essentials for All Grade Levels" there is a lot for me to learn!
    1) I do tell my students they should write with the thought in mind that someone will be reading their work. What will that someone think / understand? What are you trying to tell them? Etc.
    2) Most of the time my students have a topic. This could be in a direction of persuasive writing or a research project. However, I also have "Free Write" where the students can freely write whatever it is they choose. And they love it!
    3) I always aim for a goal of clear and organized writing. Now with 1st graders this can be a challenge.
    4) Details and Facts! This I have introduced in many ways. For example one being, stating your claim, backing it up with evidence, and recording your reasoning.
    5) Language. This is one I would like to dive deeper in, learn how to instruct more of. Like with poetry.
    6 &7) I have tried to teach with focus on that opening statement, the engaging lead as the text puts it. My students do well with this, however, it is later in the writing where it gets less and less engaging. Help!
    8) When it comes to my students using "voice" some are naturals. Others not so much. This is also something I could teach more to.
    9 & 10) This whole idea of assess, analyze, reflect, plan, redraft, and edit as one goes is way different than I have been doing it! I need to learn how to help my students in this direction. However, I do remind them to work hard on producing legible letters and words throughout all writing.
    11) I love this idea of reading widely and deeply of all genres so that they are focusing on the writing style. I need to implement more of this in my lessons.
    12) I do have my student set individual goals with their writing during conference times. This helps them to take pride in their work and have one goal at a time to master before moving on to the next.

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  2. Chapter 2:
    I have learned as I get more into this year how important it is to celebrate my students writing. Since the beginning of the year I have always allotted time at the end of writing where we sit in a circle and share. The students are given the opportunity to read and share what they have wrote, but it is not forced. As I got deeper into the year I began to publish the students work into little books. Those too can be shared. It is fun to share those on the overhead so that everyone can see the illustrations.
    I think it is a good idea to start the share by asking questions like, "Who tried something new? Who rewrote a part that did not work? Who has a great opening sentence?" etc. This opens the door for them to feel pride in what they are about to share.
    I also agree wholeheartedly that we should not focus on how correct the students writing is. I find my students love to write the most when I either give them a topic, or just free write, and let them be. If they do not feel any restrictions they just go for it, and produce more.
    What I cannot wait to try more of is introducing a writing lesson by reading a story as a spring board. I feel writing and reading go hand in hand. I do not know why I have not done more of this before! We are moving into a folktale unit and I think it would be perfect to begin reading a folktale and then have the student write their very own...

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  3. Hi Andrea,
    The OLM has a variety of names...The Gradual Release of Responsibility; To, With, By and I Do, We, Do, You Do. A concern I have with the last two names is that it implies that there are only three steps, when in fact there are four distinct steps to the process. Many teachers, either because they don't know the difference or in the interest of time mesh together the second and third steps but when all four steps are clearly followed, the learning is more solid for the students. Plus, the OLM works across all subject areas.

    I've been to some great Writing workshops. Leah Mermelstein worked at one of my schools for a number of year. She shared with us that over time her thought process regarding letting kids "copy" her examples had changed. At first, she said she thought like you...that she wanted the students to be creative and not influenced by her example. But she then realized that if students needed that support and scaffolding at that time and the class example or teacher example was what was going to help them move forward and grow in their ability, then she was alright with it. I have to say, my mindset is similar to hers now after watching the development of students in different classrooms over the years. This may be something for you to consider with your class.

    Teaching Voice is one of the hardest parts of teaching writing. As you said, some have it naturally, and others do not. That's great that you are starting early on with your students.

    Excellent, celebrations both large and small and quick are important pieces of the process.


    There are so many children’s books out there that have amazing leads. You can use great picture books to support your lessons on leads, effective endings and powerful language.

    Pull some books that have great examples like: one’s that start with dialogue, a question, quote, a flashback, an action or exciting event, or character’s thoughts…

    Read,Write,Think’s website has some lessons for teaching leads. You can do the same thing for effective endings as well with examples from children’s books.

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