Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency

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Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency Heidi Fridriksson Brunei-US English Language Fellow, National Institute of Education in Cambodia

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Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency. Heidi Fridriksson Brunei-US English Language Fellow, National Institute of Education in Cambodia. Overview. Definition of low stakes writing Why use low stakes writing? Common teacher concerns Low stakes writing tools. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency

Page 1: Low Stakes Writing for   Fun & Fluency

Low Stakes Writing for Fun & Fluency

Heidi FridrikssonBrunei-US English Language Fellow,

National Institute of Education in Cambodia

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Overview

• Definition of low stakes writing

• Why use low stakes writing?

• Common teacher concerns

• Low stakes writing tools

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What exactly is low stakes writing?

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What exactly is low stakes writing?

Low Stakes High Stakes

<--------------------------------------------------------------------------->Freewrite Blog Book Review Research Paper

Journal Email to Teacher Argument Essay Exam

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Why low stakes writing?

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Low stakes writingdevelops fluency &

enhances engagement

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Low stakes writing reduces anxiety

“a safe place to try out new language, to experiment”

-Williams, 2008

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Low stakes writing allows students to

personalize their writing & find their voice in English

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Common Concerns

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Common Concerns

• Assessment

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Common Concerns

• Assessment

• Time (in the term)

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Common Concerns

• Assessment

• Time (in the term)

• Time (in the day)

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Common Concerns

• Assessment

• Time (in the term)

• Time (in the day)

• Variety

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Common Concerns

• Assessment

• Time (in the term)

• Time (in the day)

• Variety

• Level

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Think Pair Share

Low stakes writing to prepare ideas

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• Think: Ss write for a short time (2-5 min usually) on a topic

• Pair: Ss share what they wrote with a partner

• Share: Ss share answers with the full class

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Try It!

Think / Pair / Share

Have you ever used low stakes writing in your teaching? What kind of low stakes writing tools did you use?

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Picture Composition

Low stakes writing for mixed ability groups

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• Students look carefully at the picture

• Teacher pre-teaches vocab and asks WH questions to give them ideas

• High students can write a whole story; low students can write just a few words

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Multi-Entry Journals

Low stakes writing as conversation with text

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The Author Says

In this space, put quotations or ideas from the reading

I Say

In this space, put down your responses to the author’s ideas

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The Author Says

In this space, put quotations or ideas from the reading

I Say

In this space, put down your responses to the author’s ideas

If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must write it.

-Toni Morrison

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The Author Says

In this space, put quotations or ideas from the reading

I Say

In this space, put down your responses to the author’s ideas

If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, you must write it.

-Toni Morrison

I’m not sure if I agree or disagree with this. I find it inspiring (I could write a book!). But I also find it scary (I don’t know if I can really write a book!) Maybe what Morrison means is that there is a writer inside everyone. We just have to find our ability and motivation.

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Try It!The Presenter Says

In this space, write down one thing you found interesting in this presentation

I Say

In this space, put down your responses to this idea

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Dialogue Journals

Low stakes writing as conversation with

teachers and classmates

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Do you like learning new languages? Why or why not?

When you’re finished, pass this paper 3 people to the right!

Read your classmate’s ideas. Do you agree or disagree?

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Try It!-Write one idea from my presentation

-Respond to that idea

-Pass your paper to a peer

-Read and respond to your peer’s thoughts

-Pass the paper back to them

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Application• Which of these activities do you think

would work best for your future teaching context? Do you have any LSW tools to share?

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Questions?

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REFERENCESAlexie, Sherman. The joys of reading and writing: Superman & me. In Dorris, M. & Buchwalk, E. (Eds.), The most

wonderful books : Writers on discovering the pleasures of reading. Minneapolis, MN: Milkweed Editions.Bartholomae, D. & Petrosky, A.R. (1986). Facts, artifacts and counterfacts: Theory and method for a reading and

writing course. Portsmouth: Boyton/Cook Publishers. Bauer, L. & Sweeney, L. (1999). The use of literary letters with post-secondary non-native students. Learning

Assistance Review, 4 (1), 33-41.Blanton, L. (2008). Speaking of absence: when the connection is not there. In Belcher, D. & Hirvela, A. (Eds.), The

oral-literate connection: Perspectives on L2 speaking, writing and other media interaction (pp. 10-25). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.

Cameron, J. (Producer & Director). (2010). Avatar [Motion picture]. USA: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Christenbury, L. & Kelly, P.P. (1983). Questioning: A path to critical thinking.  Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on

Reading and Communicative Skills and National Council of Teachers of English.Evans, S. (2008). Reading reaction journals in EAP courses. ELT Journal, 62 (3), pp. 240-247.Kreeft, J., Staton, J., Richardson, G. & Wolfram, W. (1993). In Kreeft, J. & Staton, J. (Eds.), Dialogue journals in the

multilingual classroom: Building language fluency writing skills through written interaction (pp. 196-221). Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation.

Mlynarczyk, R. W. (1998). Conversations of the mind: the uses of journal writing for second-language learners. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

Salas, S. & Garson, K. (2007). Chifa: Freewriting within a required curriculum for adults. In Burns A. & De Silva J. (Eds.), Planning and teaching creatively within a required curriculum for adult learners (pp. 239-246). Alexandria, VA: TESOL.

Thesen, L. (1997). Voices, Discourse, and Transition: In Search of New Categories in EAP. TESOL Quarterly, 31 (3) pp. 487-51.

Williams, J. (2008). The speaking-writing connection in second language and academic literacy development. In Belcher, D. & Hirvela, A. (Eds.), The Oral-literate connection: Perspectives on L2 speaking, writing and other media interaction (pp. 10-25). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.