Transcript Fine Tuning the Primary Writing Workshop

Creating Rigorous and Joyous
Writing Workshops
A CLOSE LOOK AT ORGANIZING AND PLANNING
FOR WORK THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
HOSTED BY BERGENFIELD, NJ SCHOOLS
PRESENTED BY GINNY LOCKWOOD
January 2011
Our Day Together
2
 Reflect on our current practices in writing
instruction
 Discuss the “basics” of successful writing workshops
 Clarify and come to better understand the purpose
and importance of each phase of the writing process
 Look closely at how national standards translate into
monthly, weekly and daily writing instruction
 Engage in the writing process ourselves
There is a striking difference between simply
guiding young writers through the writing
process and, conversely, helping them to feel
the qualities of living the life of a purposeful
and effective writer.
That difference lies in a well organized and
well structured Writing Workshop.
3
In Writing Workshops, writers…
4
• Become fully invested in their writing work
• Write freely and write A LOT
• Fully understand the purpose of each phase of the writing
process
• Come to know the writing styles of others
• Develop comfort in giving and receiving constructive
feedback
• Write with authenticity and purpose
Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning
5
 Immersion
 Demonstration
Must be
accompanied by
engagement
 Expectation
 Responsibility
 Use
 Approximation
 Response
Probability of
engagement
increases when
these conditions are
present
The Writing Process
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 Collect Entries
 Choose an Idea
 Develop the Idea
 Draft
 Revise
 Edit
 Publish
Within the
writer’s notebook
Outside of the writer’s
notebook, on paper
kept in a drafting
folder
Questions To Consider: Leaning into Process
7
 What do I know about this kind of writing?
 How might a writer of this kind of writing live in a
writer’s notebook?
 Why might a writer of this kind of writing go public
with what s/he writes?
 What is the impact of this kind of writing on the
reader?
 Where are excellent examples of this kind of writing
and how can they help?
Teaching Toward Specific Outcomes
8
 Kind of Writing: _______________________
 How might I quickly define this kind of writing?
 What is the structure?
 What is the content?
 What makes it high quality (craft)?
 What makes it more easily readable?
 Construct Indicators of Understanding
9
A note from
a trusted
voice…
“Value” is at the root of the
word “evaluation” and so
what we evaluate needs to
come from what we value as
a writing community.
-Katie Ray
Unit of Study: _________________
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Collecting
Entries
Number of
Days
Possible
MiniLessons
Choosing
Developing
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Publishing
Try-it-Together 1: Collecting
11
“List-Jot-Write Long” Emotions
Significant Person/Place
“Time when..” Web
Timeline Significant
Changes/Shifts in Beliefs
A Day in Writing Workshop
12
 Mini-Lesson
 Independent work time
 Children
work independently adding daily
mini-lessons to ongoing repertoire
 Teacher confers with individual writers or
meets with small groups
 Share
Consistency of routine allows for a great variety of content!
Flexibility Within Boundaries
13
Writing workshop is a structured time utilizing
consistent daily teaching methods
Within these structures, children benefit from lots of
room for exploration and discovery within the
parameters of the curriculum
We teach the HOW, not the WHAT
Setting up Writing Environments
14
 Meeting area where students gather for lessons and share
sessions
 Well organized and well stocked writing center



Variety of paper
Variety of writing utensils
Variety of revision tools
 Writing notebooks and drafting folders organized for
most efficient access
 Mentor texts available to students
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A note from a
trusted
voice…
“The writing you get out of
your students can only as
be as good as the
classroom literature that
surrounds it.”
-Ralph Fletcher
Possible Titles for Charts Early in the Year
16
 What do strong/respectful writers do during Writing
Workshop?
 Strategies for generating ideas:
 Writers are never finished so when we think we are done we
can:
 Things writers ask themselves when rereading their work:
 (Any chart you feel will help to support the work you are
doing!)
Try-it-Together 2: Choosing
17
My Choice for a Personal Narrative 1st Grade Flashback
Convey
strong
emotion
Engage
readers’
emotions
Share
something
personally
significant
Parts of a Well Structured Lesson
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 Connection
 Teach (I do)
 Demonstration
 Explanation
with strong example
 Active Engagement (We do)
 Link (You do)
Lessons that Transfer to Independence
19
 Rather than asking who remembers what you did yesterday,
tell them what you want them to think about as you start
teaching
 Demonstrate and name the work
 Stay focused…avoid the “teachable moment”
 Fewer voices contributing during the “Teach” part
 All writers busy during the “Active Engagement” part
 And above all…avoid “Highlight and Hope” lessons!
Variety in “Active Engagement” Part of Lessons
20
After you teach and before they leave the lesson, writers
actively engage in “trying on” the lesson and can:
 Try what was taught


On a shared piece
On children’s own pieces in their notebooks or folders
 Comment on what seems hard about it
 Discuss how to do it better
 Notice and name differences between two
demonstrations (of differing quality)
 Critique and question the demonstration
 Advise on how to improve a demonstration
Try-it-Together 3: Developing
21
Try two different
timelines
Free-write
reflecting on
significance
Sift to find
significant
dialogue
Setting or
Character
elaboration
Partnerships to
stretch our ideas
Making the Most of Share Time
22
 Students who have done well with the day’s teaching




point
Students who have done well in a different or
unexpected way
Students who typically struggle, and who have had a
breakthrough
Students who have done the very thing you plan to
teach tomorrow
Students who want help from the community
Understanding the Standards
23
Children are expected to…
 Write in a variety of genre
 Revise and edit their work
 Publish their work
 Use technology
Sample Curricular Calendars
24
Fourth Grade
September
Fourth Grade
Launching Writing Workshop
October
Personal Narrative
Raising the Quality of
Narrative Writing
November
Raising the Quality of
Narrative Writing
Literary Essay
December
Personal Essay
Fiction
Jan/Feb
Feature Articles
Historical Fiction
Feb/March
Fiction
Social Action Essay
April
Poetry
Punctuation Study
May
Literary Essay
Memoir
June
Reflecting-Ind. Projects
Reflecting-Ind. Projects
Try-it-Together 4: Drafting
25
Basic
B,M,M,M,E
Better
Beginning
Better
Ending
Timeline
Zoom in on
significant part
-Int./Ext. Dialogue
-Statement
-Descriptive Detail
Partner feedback
and final decisions
-Int./Ext. Dialogue
-Statement
-Descriptive Detail
Choose the one
most strongly
conveys desired
mood
Units of Study and Six(+One) Traits
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Comprehension Strategies
and Reading Units
Writing Traits and
Writing Units
 Strategies are taught in
 Traits are taught in
isolation briefly
 Strategies are revisited
across the year
 Strategies support the
work of all Units of
Study
isolation
 Traits are revisited
across the year
 Traits support the work
of all Units of Study
Try-it-Together 5: Revising
27
Trait
• Reread piece with possibilities in mind
• Use partner and/or mentor to support
the revision
Trait
• Reread piece with possibilities in mind
• Use partner and/or mentor to support
the revision
Planning in the Upper Grade Writing Process
28
Collecting
Entries
Number of
Days
Possible
MiniLessons
Choosing
Developing
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Publishing
Next Steps…
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 What predictable issues will you face as you take on this
work?
 What is one way your understanding of Writing
Workshop was clarified such that your teaching will be
different in the coming year?
 What is one area in which you would like more support
or knowledge?
 Was there anything today that stands out as particularly
helpful or transformative to your understanding?