Collins’ Writing Writing Across the Curriculum

To develop successful, life-long writers, students must have: • Opportunities to: • write in many environments • experiment with voice and audience • Purpose beyond just a grade • Some choice in topic and form • Consistent structure/framework • Contextual instruction • Purposeful feedback

Five Types of Writing • Type 1 – Capture Ideas • Type 2 – Respond Correctly • Type 3 – Edit for Focus Correction Areas (FCAs) • Type 4 - Peer Edit for FCAs • Type 5 – Publish

Type 1 – Capture Ideas • Writing that has no correct answer, or is OK to guess. • Quick • One draft • Effort or Participation grade only Example: Please Do Now!, free write, journal entry

Type 2 – Respond Correctly • Writing that makes a point • It has a correct answer or content • One draft • Quick • Can be used to assess student knowledge (quiz) • Promotes active learning – students required to

produce

rather than

identifying

information

TYPE 3 WRITING

Focus Correction Areas (FCAs) • Provide specific information about the criteria used to evaluate an assignment • Selective approach to correcting writing • Means of structuring a writing program • Focuses instruction and feedback • Consistency across curriculum • No OVERcorrecting

• “Focus correcting saves grading time and helps students consider the quality of the paper in relationship to a few clearly specified criteria rather than an infinite number of highly subjective criteria.” ~ John Collins

For Best Results FCAs should be: • Systemic (vertically articulated/ grade levels) • Limited • Use an FCA only after explicit instruction in that skill • Mix of criteria • Organization, content, style and mechanics

Type 3 – Edit for FCAs • Most authentic academic writing • Read out loud • Reviewed by the author using 3 critical questions • Does it complete the assignment?

• Is it easy to read?

• Does it fulfill the focus correction area?

• One Draft • Efficient and easy to grade • It can take any form: essay, letter, story, etc.

FCAs for Expository Writing STYLE • Appropriate word choice/audience • Active, not passive voice • Concise, complete sentences.

• Powerful verbs • Mix of sentence lengths

FCAs for Expository Writing CONTENT and Critical Thinking • Accurate, factual statements • Technical vocabulary used correctly • Facts and relevant details to support thesis

FCAs for Expository Writing ORGANIZATION • Introduction draws reader in • Conclusion reinforces thesis • Transitions help reader move from point to point

Differentiation

Struggling Writers Average Writers Advanced Writers

More specific FCA Three examples from the text Use examples from the text Less specific FCA Give sufficient support Write one short sentence (10 or fewer words )and one medium sentence (11-20 words) Include short, medium and long sentences (21 or more words) Use sentence variety Underline three vivid verbs Use at least 5 vivid verbs Use vivid verbs

For Content Area Teachers • What’s most important to your area?

• How can you help reinforce skills being taught at your grade level?

• Example: • 3 clearly stated reasons: 30 points • 2 relevant examples from text to support each reason: 60 points • Correct use of capitalization: 10 points

Type 3 Example: Title: Explaining the Periodic Table Purpose: Practical/Informative Writer’s Role: Write as if you were a science textbook writer Audience: students in grades six, seven, or eight Form: Multi-paragraph textbook selection

Example cont.

Focus Correction Areas: 1. Describe what the Periodic Table is and why it is important. (45pts) 2. Explain how to use the Periodic Table (45pts) 3. Capitalization and end marks (10 pts, 5 off each error)

Type 4 – Peer Edit for FCAs • Writing that is Type Three writing AND has been read out loud and critiqued by another • Two drafts • Produces fair and objective evaluations • Promotes sharing of ideas, insights, information • Produces most improvement in writing and thinking skills

Type 5 – Publish • Type Three writing AND • has been read out loud and critiqued by another • Two drafts • Real World Standards