GETTING FAMILIAR:
Before developing multiple avenues for students to complete the prewriting step of the writing process, I needed to ensure that what I was developing was aligned with the Common Core Standards for writing. The standards are divided into three main forms of writing: 1) Arguments; 2) Informative/Exploratory; and 3) Narratives. Common Core also includes standards for production and research.
In order to meet the needs of my heterogeneous classroom, I familiarized myself with subtle changes in standards from 6th through 9th grade. My county has also developed proficiency scales which I have used to monitor student progress.
In order to meet the needs of my heterogeneous classroom, I familiarized myself with subtle changes in standards from 6th through 9th grade. My county has also developed proficiency scales which I have used to monitor student progress.
ASSESSING STUDENTS:
For each writing assignment, students spent ample time brainstorming, conferencing with peers and myself, and developing their writing ideas before entering the drafting stage. Students' brainstorming and prewriting assignments were assessed along the way through observations and conferences. Students were not allowed to move forward to the drafting stage until they had shown they were confident in their plans and their ideas were clear. In ECI 520: Teaching Composition, we discussed how essential conferring is throughout the writing process. With multiple avenues to confer with their peers and teachers, students can be successful in the initial steps of the writing process.
To ensure student success, I provided multiple avenues for students to clearly show their writing plans. Through conferencing, students had to clearly understand their topic, theme, setting, point of view, tone, and intended mood. Students also needed to brainstorm the organization of their writing, sensory details, and phrases and words that they intended to use. Students brainstormed with the intention of being able to return to their ideas when they became stuck in their writing or a safe place to return to figure out a tough spot.
To ensure student success, I provided multiple avenues for students to clearly show their writing plans. Through conferencing, students had to clearly understand their topic, theme, setting, point of view, tone, and intended mood. Students also needed to brainstorm the organization of their writing, sensory details, and phrases and words that they intended to use. Students brainstormed with the intention of being able to return to their ideas when they became stuck in their writing or a safe place to return to figure out a tough spot.
FREEDOM TO WRITE:
Students thrive when they are given the opportunity to write about topics that are important to them. To ensure students are successful with this freedom, I wanted to develop structure. I developed exemplar models of each step of the writing process to give my students clear expectations for each part of the process. Many students did not see the need of brainstorming because they initially tried to rush through the process. I made it clear to students I was giving them plenty of time for the brainstorming process because I wanted to writing part of the process to be much easier for them. In ECI 523: Teacher as Researcher, my research showed the importance in spending ample time in the prewriting stage of the writing process. According to Murray (as cited in Ulusoy, 2006) prewriting is the most important step of the writing process and a good writer should be spending 85% of their on-task effort on this step. Average and lesser writers spend virtually no on-task effort at the prewriting stage (p. 60). But with this knowledge, I wanted to ensure students had structured ways of developing their ideas. Students were required to develop their ideas using Flipgrid, graphic organizers within Google Docs, Nancie Atwell's writing-off-the-page method, and through multiple prewriting activities done within the class.
COLLABORATING WITH TEACHERS:
When teachers are successful in their strategies, it is essential for them to take on the role as teacher leader and collaborate with their colleagues. In ECI 508: Teachers as Leaders, I learned that one way teachers can become leaders is by sharing materials and insights with other teachers. This not only helps the teachers develop their own practice, but it allows the teachers to use what is being presented to mirror their goals as a school.
After the positive responses from my students and the clear positive effect it had on their writing, I wanted to share my work with my colleagues so that they could inspire their students to develop their writing. I shared my prewriting strategies and activities with multiple teachers in my school. I did focus on reaching out to English Language Arts teachers, but in ECI 541: Reading in the Content Areas, I learned the importance of literacy strategies in all subject areas. Multimodal writing is an important aspect of students becoming fully literate in a 21st century society. Because of this, I shared my strategies with all of the teachers who teach 7th grade as well as the social studies teachers in my building. This action allows them to more fully develop the writing assignments within their own classroom. The strategies and activities I suggested can be adapted to any subject easily taking the stress of developing the task away from the teacher and allowing them to focus on their content being taught through the strategies.
After the positive responses from my students and the clear positive effect it had on their writing, I wanted to share my work with my colleagues so that they could inspire their students to develop their writing. I shared my prewriting strategies and activities with multiple teachers in my school. I did focus on reaching out to English Language Arts teachers, but in ECI 541: Reading in the Content Areas, I learned the importance of literacy strategies in all subject areas. Multimodal writing is an important aspect of students becoming fully literate in a 21st century society. Because of this, I shared my strategies with all of the teachers who teach 7th grade as well as the social studies teachers in my building. This action allows them to more fully develop the writing assignments within their own classroom. The strategies and activities I suggested can be adapted to any subject easily taking the stress of developing the task away from the teacher and allowing them to focus on their content being taught through the strategies.