What is Writing

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What is Writing?
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• Writing is a process, not a single activity.
• It involves lots of activities, steps, behaviors,
  and changes.
• It might me defined as the skill of writing down
  particular words, in a particular order, to
  create particular effects. (Fletcher and
  Portalupi, 2001, 1)

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What is a Writers Workshop?Why use a Writers
Workshop to teach Writing?
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• A writers Workshop is a rigorous learning
  environment that has its roots in the traditional
  system in which apprentices learned the skills of
  their trade by working at the sides of master
  craftsmen and women. (Fletcher and Portalupi,
  2001, 2-3)

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Writers Workshop

• Authority and purpose-to get students to write
  with passion about what they know and care about
  (Graves)
• Behaviors of writers are idiosyncratic and
  highly variable.
• Scaffolding-conference approach is the best
  response to the variable writer.
• Teachers should let their writers write daily,
  sustain selections longer, and at predicable
  times.
• Teachers should let children choose about 80 of
  their topics because it assists them with voice,
  heightens semantic domain, skill of narrowing
  topic and basic-decision making.
• Skills are best taught within the context of the
  childs own writing.

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Conditions of a Writing Workshop

• Predictable structure and time (3-5 times a week
  45-60 minutes)
• Begin with mini-lesson (5-25 minutes) depends on
  what teachers think students want or need to know
  to produce good writing demonstrate writing by
  doing an example on overhead or easel while
  students take notes in writers notebook or by
  reading a sample of good writing.
• Independent writing-student choice, mostly (80)
  (see territories) encourage using different
  genres.
• Teacher and peer conferring-teacher circulates
  among writers/meets with individuals-last one to
  ten minutes-listen to information, organization,
  language, reflection, direction, significance,
  purpose, character development, leads,
  conclusions.
• Conclude with a group meeting.

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Structure of the Workshop

• Mini-lesson (5-25 minutes)
• Status of the class (1-2 minutes)
• Independent and Guided Writing (35-45 minutes)
• Students write independently
• Teacher guides a small group of students as they
  write
• Teacher conference one-on-one and/or in small
  groups
• Peer conferences
• Sharing (5-10 minutes)

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Organization

• The more you can organize materials and make them
  accessible to students, the easier your classroom
  management will be.
• Introduce materials in mini-lessons so that
  students understand how they are to be used and
  know how to get them and put them back.

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• Materials
• It is important to have a good supply of basic
  writing materials in one very well organized
  place and to teach students how to use them.
• Place each type of material in a separate
  container that is appropriate in size and shape.
• Label each container, as well as each space in
  which containers are stored.
• Dont depend on students to arrange materials on
  shelves. Have a designated and labeled space for
  everything.

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Paper of different sizes, weights, and colors

• Pads of narrow-ruled lined paper
• White and colored construction paper
• White and colored letter-size copy paper
• Stationery and envelopes
• Index cards (3x5, 4x6, and 5x8)
• Post it notes
• Poster board

• PAPER TIPS
• Write on one side of the paper only.
• Skip lines or type double-spaced (makes it easier
  to make changes).
• You might have special paper for final drafts.

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Writing implements of various sizes, colors, and
styles

• Regular pencils
• Colored pencils
• Pens in blue or black
• Pens in colors (e.g., turquoise, red, etc.) for
  editing
• Markers (broad-tipped, fine-tipped, and italic)

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Supplies and equipment

• Erasers
• White correction liquid
• Postage stamps
• Staplers and staple remover
• Paper clips
• Scissors
• Transparent and masking tape
• White glue and glue sticks
• Rulers and a yardstick
• Three-hole punch
• A crate of clipboards
• Bulletin board
• Collections of literature
• Book display stands or bookcases
• Easel stand and pads of lined easel paper
• Overhead projector, transparencies, and markers
• Computer networked to a printer
• Photocopier
• Tape recorder and blank tapes

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Environment

• Wall charts that are produced during mini-lessons
  for example, a chart explaining how to create a
  good lead for a story.
• A wide array of wonderful picture books-they
  enable students to take a lose look at genre, the
  relationship between illustrations and text, the
  authors purpose and voice, and many other
  aspects of the writing craft.
• Students writing spots.
• Its a good idea to have them start in their
  seats for the first couple of days.
• Teachers attitude -remember TAWP- put yourselves
  in their shoes.
• Arrangement of furniture-conference area away
  from main writing area

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Storage of student work

• Daily folders for current pieces-these could be
  stored in their desks-the only work in these
  folders are students current pieces, territories
  and editing checklist.
• Four to five crates around the room with file
  folders for students to store additional pieces
  (completed or abandoned pieces)

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How to Get Started

• What to say to students on the very first day of
  a Writers Workshop
• In this classroom we write everyday
• It is called a Writers Workshop
• We are never finished
• Always put your date on the paper
• What to write about
• Territories lesson
• Status of the class-on territory

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Mini-lessons

• A 5-15 minute mini-lesson (length depends upon
  the procedure, concept, skill, or convention to
  be taught) provides students with information
  necessary for their writing. Allow time for
  students to practice concepts introduced in
  mini-lessons within the context of their own
  writing.
• The decision about what to teach in a mini-lesson
  depends upon the selected objectives as well as
  upon the students needs and interests.
• Some mini-lessons may be planned for the whole
  class because the teacher has determined the need
  for students to have specific information that
  supports their learning or the unit of study.
• Other mini-lessons may be provided to individuals
  (conferences) or small groups as the need arises.
• Teachers should keep records (e.g., lesson plan
  sheets, anecdotal notes, checklists) of
  mini-lesson topics and to whom they were
  presented. Students are also required to keep
  records of mini-lessons received (e.g., handouts,
  notes, checklists), for future reference.

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Teacher Conferences

• Conferring with students
• In the beginning/first two weeks, teacher
  circulates and briefly try to confer with
  everyone
• there is no time to help individual students
  solve major problems at this time
• the goal is to make sure that all students have a
  topic they care about
• Teacher whispers during conferences-if you are
  loud then the students will be also
• Keep your own record of conferences so you are
  sure you meet with each student regularly
• Write on labels that can be easily pulled off and
  placed in childs folder or page
• Stick-on notes
• Index cards
• Conferences should be conversational with the
  writer doing at least as much talking as the
  teacher

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Some purposes of a conference

• Give the writer an audience
• Help students discover and focus topics for
  writing
• Identify instructional needs as a basis for
  planning mini-lessons
• Help students extend their writing strategies
• Listen to students talk about their writing
• Evaluate students progress in writing

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Conferencing
To encourage effective writing conferences, you
should establish a risk-free environment where
classroom procedures for conferencing are agreed
upon by teacher and students

• A writing conference
• is a conversation about writing the authors
  ideas, structures, successes, and difficulties.
  Conferences, in pairs or small groups, may or may
  not include the teacher.
• can take place at any time during the writing
  process.
• May last only a few seconds as writers check on a
  certain concept or concern, or may be extended,
  several minutes in length.

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Teacher-Student Conferencing

• While students are writing, circulate around the
  classroom conducting informal conferences.
• During such a conference, spend only a few
  moments with each student, asking questions or
  building needed scaffolds so students can
  continue their writing.
• At other times hold longer extended conferences,
  usually with one student at a time.

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Teacher-Student Conferencing Contd.

• Set a schedule for students or allow students to
  sign up for extended conferences .
• It is helpful to have students state at least
  two purposes for the extended conferences so that
  you can focus on these self identified concerns.
• Questions such as the following can help writers
  to reflect upon their work
• What is the part that I like best?
• Does it say what I want it to say?
• Does this sentence/phrase/word make sense to me?
• What reaction do I want my reader to have?
• How do I see my ideas being rearranged or
  changed? Why?

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Strategies for Conferencing

• Keep conferences short (pick one piece of the
  writing, discuss options and exit!).
• Go beyond whats on the page get them to expound
  what is on the papernatural revising happens
  here).
• Get the student involved (have him/her read it
  aloud).
• Bias-dont let your personal biases prevent you
  from really looking at their piece.
• Dont get into a power struggle with students-try
  to create an atmosphere where you suggest ideas
  and students are willing to try them..
• Be positive!

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Response during Conferences

• Typical teacher entrees to the conference
• Hows your writing going?
• How may I help you with your writing?
• Tell me about your writing.
• What are you working on next in your writing?
• What do you have so far?
• What part can I help you with?

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Response during Conferences Contd.

• Typical questions
• Why did you decide to write about X?
• Where are you going with this piece of writing?
• What are you trying to do here?
• Tell me more about X.
• I don understand Y.
• Does this make sense?
• What is this piece of writing really about?
• How did you feel or what did you think when X
  happened? Are there other places where a reader
  will wonder about your thoughts and feelings?
• As a reader, I cant see, feel, or hear X. What
  can you do?
• Is the pace too fast here? Can you make a movie,
  then expand this part?
• What would happen if you tried to do X here?
• May I show you how I would handle the problem of
  Y?
• What will you do next?
• How did you go about choosing this topic?
• What have you learned about this topic that you
  want to say?
• Read the part that you like the best.
• I noticed that you How/why did you do that?
• If you wanted to add to your writing, how and
  where would you do that?