Lets Get it Write

1
Lets Get it Write!
2

• Writing today is not a frill for the few, but
  an essential skill for the many.The National
  Commission on Writing in Americas Schools and
  Colleges

3
Reflection

• Respond to the following questions
• Do you like to write?
• How do you use writing as a teacher?
• How do you use writing in your classroom with
  students?
• What is the most challenging aspect of teaching
  writing?
• Discuss your responses at your table.

Large Group Discussion Share the most important
sentence or idea from your writing reflections.
4
Writing Genres

• Narrative
• Persuasive
• Expository/Informational
• Response to Literature

5
Practice Activity

• 1. Look at the packet of sample papers.
• 2. INDIVIDUALLY read and decide which genre
  applies to each paper

• 3. When everyone is finished, as a group discuss
  the papers and come to consensus on the genre of
  each paper.
• 4. Once you agree, complete the chart with common
  characteristics for each genre.

6
Compare to Information found in Instructional
Guide Group DiscussionWhat did you learn about
each genre?
7
Defining Informational Writing

• Informational Writing Writing that enhances the
  readers understanding of a topic by instructing,
  explaining, clarifying, describing, or examining
  a subject or concept.
• Method
• Provides facts, statistics, descriptive details,
  comparison/contrast, analysis, evaluation,
  definition, humor, and personal anecdotes.

8
What Informational Writing Is and Is Not
9
What Informational Writing Is and Is Not
10
Defining Persuasive Writing

• Persuasive Writing Writing for the purpose of
  convincing others to accept the writers position
  as valid, adopt a certain point of view, or take
  some action.
• Method
• Provides logical appeals, emotional appeals,
  facts, statistics, narrative anecdotes, humor,
  and/or the writers personal experiences and
  knowledge to support a position.

11
What Persuasive Writing Is and Is Not
12
What Persuasive Writing Is and Is Not
13
Defining Narrative Writing

• Narrative Writing Writing that tells a story or
  gives an account of something that has happened.
  The purpose is to recount a story grounded in
  personal experience or the writers imagination.
• Method
• Uses a setting, characters, circumstances or
  events, a plot, a point of view, and a sense of
  resolution to tell a story.
• Description of these elements is a key factor.
• May employ strategies such as flashback,
  foreshadowing, dialogue, tension, or suspense.

14
What Narrative Writing Is and Is Not
15
What Narrative Writing Is and Is Not
16
Genre Awareness in Ideas
17
Formulaic Writing

• Characteristics of A Formulaic Paper
• The writer announces his or her thesis and three
  supporting ideas in the opening paragraph
• The writer restates one of the supporting ideas
  to begin each of the three body paragraphs
• The writer repeats or restates his/her
  controlling idea and supporting points in the
  final paragraph.
• Entire sentences may be copied verbatim from the
  introduction, used as topic sentences in each of
  the body paragraphs, and repeated in the
  conclusion.

18
Sample of Formulaic Writing

• I think we should have a hamster as our class
  pet. A hamster will make a good pet because they
  are cute, they wont cause any trouble, and they
  are easy to take care of. I hope you will let us
  have a hamster as a pet.
• The first reason why we should have a hamster
  is because they are cute. All the kids will like
  playing with a cute hamster. They arent scary
  like a spider or a snake. Thats why we should
  have a cute hamster in our class.
• The second reason we should have a hamster is
  because they wont cause any trouble. We can keep
  it in its cage while we are doing our work. That
  way the hamster wont cause any trouble in class.
  
• The final reason we should have a hamster for a
  class pet is because they are easy to take care
  of. You just give it some food and water each
  day, and clean its cage once a month. Thats why
  hamsters are easy to take care of.
• I hope you agree with my reasons for having a
  hamster as a class pet. They are cute, they wont
  cause any trouble, and they are easy to take care
  of.

19
Take a 15 minute break.Browse the writing
resources.
20
Rubric Review

• In like-grade groups, review the rubrics for the
  entire school year.
• Compare to the report card and the curriculum map
  for your grade level.
• Focus on the rubric for the first quarter. What
  do we expect students to know and be able to do
  by the end of Qtr. 1?
• Discuss at your table.

21
Using the Rubrics

• Take 3 index cards and make tents with the
  numbers 1, 2, and 3 on them.
• In your grade-level folder, you will find 3-4
  papers.
• As a group, read the same paper at the same time.
  
• When you finish reading, put your tent with the
  corresponding score point in front of you.
• When everyone at your table is finished, compare
  the scores and discuss any differences in
  scoring.
• Cite evidence in the paper to support your score.
  
• Come to a group consensus for the actual score of
  the paper.

22
(No Transcript)
23
Processing the Information

• Share questions that came up during your table
  discussion.
• How will you teach specific writing skills
  (conventions, organization, style, and ideas)?
• How can you integrate the teaching of writing
  into all content areas?
• Share thoughts and ideas for using these
  resources in your classroom.

24
Punctuation Activity

• Work in small groups (2-3)
• Each group will select a book
• On the chart provided, list the following
• 3 samples of punctuation used
• The example from the book where the sample is
  found
• A statement of why the author used that type of
  punctuation

25
Example

• Example from Patricia Polaccos book Thank You
• Mr. Falker

26
Punctuation Activity

• Work in small groups (2-3)
• Each group will select a book
• On the chart provided, list the following
• 3 samples of punctuation used
• The example from the book where the sample is
  found
• A statement of why the author used that type of
  punctuation
• Share one example from your chart

27
(No Transcript)
28
Closing Thoughts

• As your school representative, plan a sharing
  session with other teachers in your school.
• Suggestions for redelivery
• Use common papers with the group
• Allow time for discussion and sharing
• Review the rubrics so that everyone is on the
  same page for scoring.

29
Closing Reflections

• What have you learned that has better prepared
  you to teach writing in your classroom?
• What have you learned today that you will share
  with another teacher?
• What follow-up training would help you to teach
  writing?

30
NAEP Data

• Georgia Grade 4 Writing 2002 NAEP
• When I read books, I learn a lot.
  (student-reported data)
• Not like me A little like me A lot like
  me
• 133 151 151
• (Average scale score)
• Reading is one of my favorite activities.
• (student-reported data)
• Not like me A little like me A lot like
  me
• 142 149 155
• (Average scale score)

31
Georgia/Writing/Grade 8/2002

• Occurrences of prewriting (based on the number of
  occurrences of prewriting in student responses to
  writing questions)

3858 students Scale score range 0-300
32
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
Click on Sample Questions
33
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
Click on Search Options
34
Select a Subject and Grade level
35
Select a prompt
36
Tabs
37
(No Transcript)
38
Part XII. Writing Instruction Resources The
following resources were recommended by Georgia
educators.
39
Writing Instruction Resources
40
Writing Websites