Evidence Based Writing Instruction
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Evidence Based Writing Instruction
Workshop Focus Help college and career readiness students develop and improve their writing skills
Workshop Goals
- Enhance ability to use direct and explicit instructional techniques for teaching writing
- Integrate pre-writing strategies and specific product goals to enhance instruction and help adult learners improve their writing
- Choose creative, authentic prompts to energize student writing
- Use collaborative instructional techniques through the entire writing process to improve learner outcomes
- Explain the importance of using technology in teaching writing
Workshop Schedule
8:30 - 9:45 Welcome! Biopoems Writing is important! Why are students afraid to write?
9:45 – 10:00 Break
10:00 – 11:45 Quick writes Direct and explicit strategy instruction Summaries Writing frames
11:45 – 12:45 Lunch
12:45 – 2:00 Pictures worth a thousand words Getting students to write
2:00 – 2:15 Break
2:15 – 3:30 Spontaneous stories Using technology Writing prompts
3:30 – 4:00 Resource sharing Training calendar Take aways and evaluation
1 Bio Poems
First Name
Four adjectives that describe you
Son or daughter of . . . . or wife or husband of . . . . mother and father of . . . .
Lover of (list 3 things you love)
Who feels (list 3 things you feel)
Who gives (list 3 things you give)
Who fears (list 3 fears you have)
Who would like to see (list 3 things)
Who lives (brief description of where you live)
Last Name
Bio-Poem Examples
Rosa Determined, brave, strong, loving Wife of Raymond Parks, mother of all children Who loved equality, freedom. and the benefits of a good education Who hated discrimination, loved to stand up for her beliefs, and loved to help others Who feared that racism would continue, feared losing the opportunity to make a difference, and feared that young people might lose opportunities to develop strength and courage Who changed history as she accomplished great strides for equality and encouraged excellence for all Who wanted to see love triumph and see an end to all bias and discrimination in a world in which respect is freely given to all Born in Alabama and lived in Detroit Parks
2 Frog Webbed feet, bulging eyes, smooth skin, long sticky tongue Relative of toads Lover of bugs, water, and cool mud Who feels cold when it’s cold and hot when it’s hot Who needs prey, water, and land Who fears owls, blue herons, and snakes Who would like to see lots of juicy bugs Resident of the pond Frog
Writing’s Importance
College
- “Writing may be by far the single academic skill most closely associated with college success” - David Conley, Toward a More Comprehensive Conception of College Readiness
Employment
- “In today’s workplace writing is a ‘threshold skill’ for hiring and promotion among salaried employees. Survey results indicate that writing is a ticket to professional opportunity, while poorly written job applications are a kiss of death.”
- College Board, Writing, A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out
3 Overcoming Students’ Fears of Writing
- Video, Google: Why are you afraid to write youtube
- Avoid loaded words like essay
- Say “put pen to paper” instead of write
- Have students put ideas on sticky notes and then organize the notes to create an outline
Quick Writes
A Quick Write helps students think about a topic before, during, and after reading. Students are asked to respond to a question or prompt related to a text and should write down whatever comes to their mind without worrying about grammar or organization. The writing topics are related to a text and may be:
- Summaries of learning - A connection to students’ lives - An explanation of a concept or vocabulary - A prediction, inference, or hypothesis
Give students from 2 to 10 minutes to write. Be sure you as the teacher write too.
Quick Writes can be used as part of instruction, assessment, or discussion.
Quick Writes help bring out the writer in students, build their writing confidence, and help their reading skills too!
4 Prompt: How does “Mother to Son” relate to your life?
Mother to Son
Well, son, I'll tell you: And turnin' corners, Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. And sometimes goin' in the dark It's had tacks in it, Where there ain't been no light. And splinters, So, boy, don't you turn back. And boards torn up, Don't you set down on the steps. And places with no carpet on the floor— 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Bare. Don't you fall now— But all the time For I'se still goin', honey, I'se been a-climbin' on, I'se still climbin', And reachin' landin's, And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
- Langston Hughes
Writing Across the Curriculum: Formative Assessment Quick Writes
One Minute Essay
1. What is the most important idea that I learned in class today? ______
______
2. What question remains in my mind at the end of today’s lesson? ______
______
One Minute Essay
Today’s lesson ______
One key idea was ______
______
This is important because ______
Another key idea ______
This matters because ______
______. In summary, today’s lesson
5 ______. Writing Summaries
- Helps students understand what they read
- Helps students process their thoughts by phrasing them in their own words
- Is a critical skill for postsecondary education
- Summaries should be:
Short – Usually less than 100 words
Accurate – Ask: Does it reflect the author’s main points?
Written in students’ own words
Teaching Students to Write Summaries
Use Direct and Explicit Instruction
- Provide rationale and clear explanation (I Do)
- Model the learning process (I Do)
- Guided practice (We Do)
- Application (You Do)
- Give constructive feedback
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RAP Summary Strategy R = Read a passage by paragraphs
A = Ask questions:
What is the topic?
What is the most important thing it tells me about the topic?
What are the important details?
P = Paraphrase, put the information in your own words
Summary Practice Of all the fish in the ocean, sharks are the greediest eaters and killers. They suffer from continual hunger. Almost as soon as they have eaten, they are on the prowl for more food. Sharks have been described as eating machines, and indeed they are perfectly designed for that activity. They are powerful swimmers, with smooth, well- muscled, streamlined bodies.
But the most remarkable part of a shark is its mouth – a wide gash lined with rows of jagged teeth. When a shark attacks, it opens its mouth wide until its teeth can stab straight into the body of its victim. The teeth slice like razors as the shark twists and rolls its body to tear off a chunk of food. New teeth are constantly being formed and moving forward to take the place of those lost during the shark’s violent feeding activities. Even very old sharks have razor-sharp teeth.
The largest and most fearsome of the species is the great white shark. Its average length is between fourteen and sixteen feet. A few great whites may reach well over thirty feet in length. The longest ever recorded was a thirty-seven-footer, a truly monstrous fish. The great white lives in the tropical seas and sometimes along the southern coast of the United States.
Topic Summary Sentence
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
7 More Summary Practice
Soccer is an extremely popular sport through most of the world. However, as with anything that people feel intensely about, emotions sometimes get out of hand. English fans have been known for brawling in the stands. A riot in a game between Argentina and Chile in 1964 resulted in the deaths of 309 people. But up until now at least, there has only been one out-and-out soccer war.
That war took place between El Salvador and Honduras, two Central American countries. The year was 1969, and for many years the Salvadoran economy had been in a dire condition: too many people with too little land and too few jobs created a situation of severe poverty. As a result, many desperate Salvadorans had been illegally crossing into Honduras looking for work, and they harbored a strong sense that they were mistreated there. So tensions were already very high at the beginning of a World Cup qualifying match between the two countries.
The first game of the three-game play-off was held in Honduras, and the home team eked out a 1 – 0 win in the last minute of play. Fighting broke out afterward in the streets, and the stadium was set on fire. The second game was played in El Salvador, and the El Salvador team won. More rioting and fires followed. By the time the third game was played, in Mexico City, an actual military encounter appeared inevitable. And that is exactly what happened. Immediately after El Salvador’s close victory, armies began skirmishing along the border of the two countries; then El Salvador invaded Honduras and bombed its airfields. The war was over in less than a week, but ill feelings between the two countries persisted for years afterward.
Readings are from Six-Way Paragraphs, Middle Level, Third Edition, Walter Pauk
Topic Summary Sentence
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
8 Writing Frames
Frames are outlines of words or key phrases with plenty of blank lines that provide a structure so learners can focus on what they want to say.
There are two kinds of frames:
Pre-writing - Help students process information and think critically
Draft writing – Help students gain writing confidence
Adapted from M. Corley (2012)
Pre-Writing Frame Examples
Descriptor
What do you intend to describe? ______
Describe: How does it look, smell, feel, taste, and sound?
Analyze: What is it made of? What are its parts?
Associate: What does it make you think of?
Compare: What is it similar to? What is it different from?
Apply: What can you do with it?
Argue: Why is this a good thing? Why is this a bad thing?
9 Timeline
Time/Date What happened?
Draft Writing Frame Examples
Problem/Solution I want to explain why . . .
There are several reasons for this. The chief is . . .
Another reason is . . .
A further reason is . . .
So now you can see why . . .
Cause/Effect
10 There are differing explanations why (how, what, when) . . .
One explanation is that . . .
The evidence for this is . . .
An alternative explanation is . . .
The explanation is based on . . .
Of the alternative explanations, I think the most likely is . . .
Procedure/Sequence I want to explain how . . .
To begin with/It starts by . . . and this makes/means/changes . . .
After that . . . and as a result . . .
Next . . .
Then . . .
The final result is that the . . .
Telling the News
11 What is the topic of the news you will tell? ______
______
When did it happen? ______
______
Who created the news? ______
______
Where did the news happen? ______
______
What happened? ______
______
Why did it happen? ______
______
Chronological Order
At the end of ______, what happened was that ______.
Prior to this, ______. Before that, however,
______. This whole sequence of events began when ______.
The most important event to occur was ______, because ______.
12 Compare/Contrast
______are different from ______in several ways. First, ______, while ______.
Additionally ______, whereas
______.
They are alike in that ______and
______. So, it is evident that ______.
Somebody-Wanted-But-So
The story takes place ______
______.
______is a character in the story who
______.
A problem occurs when ______
______.
After that, ______
______and ______.
The problem is solved when ______
______.
The story ends with ______
______.
Pictures Worth a Thousand Words!
13 1. Using your camera phone, walk around campus and take a picture of something interesting!
2. Then, write a story describing what happened before the picture was taken, what is happening in the picture, and what happened after the picture was taken.
From ABSPD Teaching Writing Manual
Innovative Creative Writing Strategies Your Colleagues Are Using
- Writer’s Digest writing prompts at writersdigest.com/prompts
- Put some items in a bag, have students create a story about what’s in the bag
Spontaneous Stories
14 - Create 10 slips of paper numbered 1 to 10
- Have students draw 4 numbers: - The first number is the character - The second number is the setting - The third number is the time period - The fourth number is the situation - This activity is found on page 173 of the Teaching Writing training manual. Google: abspd teaching writing
- Additional Lists for Spontaneous Stories (Thank You Trudy Watson from Wilson Tech):
Character List Setting List
1. pilot 1. lake 2. secretary 2. party 3. teacher 3. park 4. blind dog 4. shopping mall 5. judge 5. New Jersey 6. 911 operator 6. library 7. engineer 7. Grand Canyon 8. construction worker 8. cruise ship 9. scientist 9. train 10. waiter 10. concert
Time Period List Situation List
1. during a storm 1. being wrongfully accused 2. watching a soap opera 2. threatened by armed robbers 3. at the end of the day 3. flying on the back of a pig 4. last night 4. falling off a cliff 5. during a dance 5. having a monkey give you CPR 6. before breakfast 6. going on a blind date 7. around midnight 7. a friend sprayed you with a hose 8. eating lunch 8. falling overboard 9. around the corner 9. someone just died 10. four blocks away 10. a terrible disaster o From ABSPD Teaching Writing Manual Using Technology
GCF Learn Free This free site guides students in learning how to use a mouse and computer basics as well as helping students learn Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel. Google: gcf learn free www.gcflearnfree.org Keyboarding Skills
15 Typing Web This free site helps students learn keyboarding. Instructors can register students to monitor their progress
Google: typing web www.typingweb.com/
Other Technology Site Recommendations
Contextualized Writing Prompts
Office Personal Cell Phone Use Your company is updating its employee manual and your work team is assigned to the task. Today, you are updating your company’s policies on personal cell phone use in the office. It is a major issue! Management is concerned that employees are spending too much time taking personal calls and surfing the Internet with their smartphones which is wasting the company’s time and money. Employees are working more hours and want to make sure they can keep in contact with their families to coordinate schedules and handle emergencies.
You want to be reasonable in creating the policy as employees do work long hours and keeping in contact with their families helps with workplace morale and employee retention. You also need a policy about using camera phones as your company has important information they do not want their competitors to find out.
Write a one to two paragraph policy describing how employees should handle their personal cell phone use and use of camera phones in the office.
Maintenance Request You live at Shady Acres Apartments. The toilet has not been flushing properly for the past two months. You have verbally requested that it be fixed six times, and no one from maintenance has come to fix it. Write an email to the apartment manager requesting that it be fixed.
Requesting Time Off The employee handbook requires that requests for time off be made in writing. You want to take April 11 to 15 off. Write an email to your supervisor making this request. College and Career Readiness Students and Campus Activities
16 Your campus president has decided that College and Career Readiness (CCR) Students will not be allowed to participate in any campus activities (concerts, fun days, speaker series, etc) since they do not pay student activity fees. Your students feel this policy is unfair. Help them write a one to two paragraph letter to the president that shows the benefits of CCR Students participating in campus activities and addresses the issue of CCR Students not paying the activity fee.
Responding to Complaints You are responsible for writing a response to an email received from Mrs. Ima Victim. Your manager does not want to lose Mrs. Victim as a customer. However, she has come in to your store and been verbally abusive to employees in the past. She is very demanding and never satisfied by the service she receives. Here is her email:
Mrs. Imin Charge:
Last Thursday I went into the Really Big Home Store. I waited at least 10 minutes before one of your sorry employees even noticed I was there waiting for help. I asked him to show me where you kept flowering plants. He didn’t know. Another employee he called didn’t know. I waited another 15 minutes and then the department manager came.
She knew where the flowering plants were and took me there. She acted the whole time like she had something better to do. She made me feel like I was a big waste of her time. Since I had to wait so long and was treated so rudely, I asked her to take $5 off the cost of the plant. She said she wouldn’t do that and to have a nice day if it wasn’t too late. She quickly left.
Even though I was mad, I bought the plant anyway. When I got it home, I noticed it had a big dead spot that I hadn’t seen while I was in the store. I took the plant back. The lady at customer service told me that you wouldn’t take the plant back because it was out of season. I want my money back for the $18.32 I spent for the plant. I expect to hear from you and get a refund soon, or I’m never coming back to your store ever again!
Ima Victim
You must write a one to two paragraph response to Mrs. Victim. The store’s policy is that they will only accept returns on flowering plants before July 15 th and the plant was returned on July 20th.
Beach Ball Paragraph Practice The instructor writes a topic sentence on the board like, “I had terrible car problems this morning.” They toss a ball to the students, and the one who catches it has to supply the next sentence. The last student is asked to supply a summary statement like, “As a result . . . “ Video Writing Prompt: Write Your Own Obituary
17 You have the chance to write your own obituary! Imagine how your life will turn out and then describe the legacy you want to leave for your family, friends, and community. Who will remember you? Why? Google: brad meltzer write obituary
Video Writing Prompt: Living Life What does this video teach us about living life?
Google: i love living life vujicic
The Best Ever What can we learn about teaching writing from the best writing teachers we ever had?
Take Aways My favorite things from this workshop that I plan to use in class are:
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