IGNITING THE SKILLS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE WRITING

Deborah Bell Ph.D.Murray State University

Purchase Area Writing Project Co – Director

NCTE 2012

How can I ignite my

students’ to write?

Objectives for the session....

• Define on-demand writing• Make connections between

research and practice.• Learn and take home

strategies to help your students.

-Writing to a specific prompt

-Within a limited amount of time

-Scored with a rubric

What is on-demand writing?

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What pedagogical strategies and methods are used in the writing classroom that resulted in improved student performance on the Kentucky State Assessment?

Why are some schools doing so well in On -

Demand?

Schools Involved in Research

• Oldest public high school west of the Alleghenies-urban – 1800 students

• Impoverished high school in Appalachia – 350 students

• Rural high school – 800 students

• Small high school in rural America – 200 students

Schools all rank in the top in writing.

Characteristics

• 60-90 % proficient /distinguished

• 60-90% Free/Reduced Lunch

• One – high minority• Three – few parents

with college degrees

What commonalities do these schools have that might contribute to their success?

• Curriculum• Learning Culture• Power of

Motivation

Essential Question

Why should I incorporate On Demand Writing

in my classroom instruction?

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A “Dozen” Tips for Igniting Writing1. Teach the tested genres as you teach your

content: informative/explanatory, opinion/argumentative, and narrative.

a. Teaching Critical reading skillsb. Summarizingc. Using Inferencesd. Using supporte. Identifying the author’s writing techniquesf. Teaching Format

2. Use common language between grades.3. “Break Down” the Prompts.4. Practice Composing Thesis

statements.

5. Teach Time Management

• Time management is key to success. • Gauging time is NOT common sense; it must

be practiced. Many students have an unrealistic sense of time.

• Simulated testing conditions must be integrated into the curriculum

6. Write frequently and reviseStudents learn the “how” of writing when they revise...even on-demand responses.

7. Use models – include teacher modeling8. Use mini-lessons to teach (strategies)

how to vary sentence structure, enrich vocabulary, etc.

9. Teach writing as a process. Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing, Publishing.

10. Know your students

• ProvideFeedback• Conference• Affirm• Encourage• Celebrate

11. Motivate1. Student negotiated

instruction2. Incentives

P/D – Exempt from examsGradesTickets to PromPoints for P/D performance

3. Challenge the students to be the best they can be.

4. Teachers/Students supported all facets in the school culture

5. College

12. Develop a Learning Culture

1. All faculty and staff support one another in teaching.

2. Extremely HIGH expectations for all students.

3. Focus on student – preparation for after HS – not tests -

4. Must have an effective writing plan.

5. Create a welcoming campus for all students, parents and members of the community.

6. Positive perceptions

NOW

Strategies for “Igniting” your writing classroom.

8th Grade OD – Passage -based

10th Grade OD – Passage-based

Every Form of Communication Requires a Rhetorical Strategy

• Mode• Audience• Purpose

“Break Down the Prompt”

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SPAM

SituationPurposeAudienceMode

The PromptWriting situation: • After reading “College Entrance Exams,” consider your feelings

on exams being used to determine college admission.

Writing Directions:• Write a commentary/essay for the school newspaper arguing

your position on whether colleges should rely on entrance exams to grant students admission to their programs.

• Support your argument.

Situation

Audience

MODE

Purpose

Summarizing

• 3,2,1 Sentence summary• SUM IT UP! 20 Words for $2.00• Who, What, When, Where and How• Selective Underlining• Exit summary• Inside Outside Circle• Jig-Saw• Think-Pair-Share

Support

• Character Web• Yes Ma’am• Close Reading Skills• Detectives• Analyzing Literature• Evidence Graffiti

YES MA’AMM- ME – The first sentence should reword the issue and state a claim.A – AUTHOR – The author said….According to the passage….Dr. Brown states…A – AUTHOR – The text also states… M – ME – Your interpretation of the evidence. This shows…This demonstrates….

• Show Don’t Tell• Let People Talk• Choose a Point of View• Snapshots and Thoughtshots- Barry Lane• Figurative Language

Time

• 5 minutes…to read and reread the 2 prompts carefully and choose the one you like best

• 10 minutes…prewriting/SPAM• 20 minutes…drafting• 5 minutes…conferencing (alone), revising,

editing with dictionary and thesaurus

On Demand Writing Constraints

• Time Limit• Lack of Feedback• One-shot Deal

Remember!

• Even though we use advanced organizers to remind students to organize their writing, we must be careful about stifling their creativity with too much structure.• There is a difference in teaching how towrite within a time frame and teachinghow to write for real-world purposes.

Inferences

• Require higher order thinking skills used in all-content areas.

• Strategies –– Show-Don’t Tell– Inferences with Figurative Language– Question the authorStudents must make a judgment using facts, details,

statistics, or descriptions they discovered while reading.

#1 Teaching the genres

• Informative/Explanatory• Opinion/Argumentative• Narrative – 5, 6, 8

When do I teach these?How do I teach these?

http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/departments/gheens/CurrMaps2012.html

Informative/Explanatory

What is it? NONFICTION1. Explains something most readers won’t know2. Presents the latest research on a topic3. Defines a complex term4. Compares and Contrasts viewpoints5. Analyzes a complex problem6. Teaches readers how to solve a problem or apply knowledgeCCSS. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Examples of informational texts:

• Newspapers - a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements

Examples of informational texts:

• Biographies – accounts of the series of events of a person’s life (not Bibliographies)

• Autobiographies – biographies of yourself

Examples of informational texts:

• Almanacs - annual publications of weather forecasts and other information arranged according to the calendar of a given year

• Expose students to a variety of informational reading selections. Read the text like an author.

• Use those writings as models.• Teach students how to begin…(mapping,etc)• Students can replicate using the author’s

strategies. (What is poverty?)

• I-Search paper – great practice for students to develop the idea of support and fluency. (Daniels)

• Definition Essays• Analysis• The One-Pager• How to…

The Argument

3 Purposes:

1. To change the reader’s point of view2. To bring about some action on the reader’s part3. To ask the reader to accept the writer’s explanation

or evaluation of a concept, issue, problem

CCR Anchor Writing Standard #1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

The Argument involves Five Main Ingredients

• Introduction• Thesis• Context• Reasons that support your argument• Counter-arguments• Responses• Conclusion

Narrative“Tells a Story”

• Creative Narrative – has a plot, setting, and characters.

• Nonfictional narrative – often used to recount a person’s life story,

important historical events, or news stories. – may be informational narrative

Activities and Handouts

• http://Bellspages.weebly.com• http://Teacherhelpdesk.wikispaces.com• Also, handouts can be found on the NCTE

conference page.

GoodLuck!

“Igniting” your

students to write.