Evidence Based Writing Instruction

Workshop Focus Help college and career readiness students develop and improve their writing skills

Workshop Goals

- Enhance ability to use direct and explicit instructional techniques for teaching writing

- Integrate pre-writing strategies and specific product goals to enhance instruction and help adult learners improve their writing

- Choose creative, authentic prompts to energize student writing

- Use collaborative instructional techniques through the entire writing process to improve learner outcomes

- Explain the importance of using technology in teaching writing

Workshop Schedule

8:30 - 9:45 Welcome!BiopoemsWriting is important!Why are students afraid to write?

9:45 – 10:00 Break

10:00 – 11:45 Quick writes Direct and explicit strategy instruction Summaries Writing frames

11:45 – 12:45 Lunch

12:45 – 2:00 Pictures worth a thousand words Getting students to write

2:00 – 2:15 Break

2:15 – 3:30 Spontaneous storiesUsing technology Writing prompts

3:30 – 4:00 Resource sharingTraining calendarTake aways and evaluation

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Bio Poems

First Name

Four adjectives that describe you

Son or daughter of . . . . or wife or husband of . . . . mother and father of . . . .

Lover of (list 3 things you love)

Who feels (list 3 things you feel)

Who gives (list 3 things you give)

Who fears (list 3 fears you have)

Who would like to see (list 3 things)

Who lives (brief description of where you live)

Last Name

Bio-Poem Examples

RosaDetermined, brave, strong, lovingWife of Raymond Parks, mother of all childrenWho loved equality, freedom. and the benefits of a good educationWho hated discrimination, loved to stand up for her beliefs, and loved to help othersWho feared that racism would continue, feared losing the opportunity to make a

difference, and feared that young people might lose opportunities to developstrength and courage

Who changed history as she accomplished great strides for equality and encouraged excellence for all

Who wanted to see love triumph and see an end to all bias and discrimination in a world in which respect is freely given to all

Born in Alabama and lived in DetroitParks

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FrogWebbed feet, bulging eyes, smooth skin, long sticky tongueRelative of toadsLover of bugs, water, and cool mudWho feels cold when it’s cold and hot when it’s hotWho needs prey, water, and landWho fears owls, blue herons, and snakesWho would like to see lots of juicy bugsResident of the pondFrog

Writing’s Importance

College

- “Writing may be by far the single academic skill most closely associated with college success”

- David Conley, Toward a More Comprehensive Conception of College Readiness

Employment

- “In today’s workplace writing is a ‘threshold skill’ for hiring and promotion among salaried employees. Survey results indicate that writing is a ticket to professional opportunity, while poorly written job applications are a kiss of death.”

- College Board, Writing, A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out

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Overcoming Students’ Fears of Writing

- Video, Google: Why are you afraid to write youtube

- Avoid loaded words like essay

- Say “put pen to paper” instead of write

- Have students put ideas on sticky notes and then organize the notes to create an outline

Quick Writes

A Quick Write helps students think about a topic before, during, and after reading. Students are asked to respond to a question or prompt related to a text and should write down whatever comes to their mind without worrying about grammar or organization. The writing topics are related to a text and may be:

- Summaries of learning- A connection to students’ lives- An explanation of a concept or vocabulary- A prediction, inference, or hypothesis

Give students from 2 to 10 minutes to write. Be sure you as the teacher write too.

Quick Writes can be used as part of instruction, assessment, or discussion.

Quick Writes help bring out the writer in students, build their writing confidence, and help their reading skills too!

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Prompt: How does “Mother to Son” relate to your life?

Mother to Son

Well, son, I'll tell you:Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.It's had tacks in it,And splinters,And boards torn up,And places with no carpet on the floor—Bare.But all the timeI'se been a-climbin' on,And reachin' landin's,

And turnin' corners,And sometimes goin' in the darkWhere there ain't been no light.So, boy, don't you turn back.Don't you set down on the steps.'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.Don't you fall now—For I'se still goin', honey,I'se still climbin',And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

- Langston Hughes

Writing Across the Curriculum: Formative Assessment Quick Writes

One Minute Essay

1. What is the most important idea that I learned in class today? __________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. What question remains in my mind at the end of today’s lesson? ________________

______________________________________________________________________

One Minute Essay

Today’s lesson _________________________________________________________

One key idea was _______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

This is important because _________________________________________________

Another key idea ________________________________________________________

This matters because ____________________________________________________

_______________________________________________. In summary, today’s lesson

_____________________________________________________________________.

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Writing Summaries

- Helps students understand what they read

- Helps students process their thoughts by phrasing them in their own words

- Is a critical skill for postsecondary education

- Summaries should be:

Short – Usually less than 100 words

Accurate – Ask: Does it reflect the author’s main points?

Written in students’ own words

Teaching Students to Write Summaries

Use Direct and Explicit Instruction

- Provide rationale and clear explanation (I Do)

- Model the learning process (I Do)

- Guided practice (We Do)

- Application (You Do)

- Give constructive feedback

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RAP Summary Strategy

R = Read a passage by paragraphs

A = Ask questions:

What is the topic?

What is the most important thing it tells me about the topic?

What are the important details?

P = Paraphrase, put the information in your own words

Summary Practice

Of all the fish in the ocean, sharks are the greediest eaters and killers. They suffer from continual hunger. Almost as soon as they have eaten, they are on the prowl for more food. Sharks have been described as eating machines, and indeed they are perfectly designed for that activity. They are powerful swimmers, with smooth, well-muscled, streamlined bodies.

But the most remarkable part of a shark is its mouth – a wide gash lined with rows of jagged teeth. When a shark attacks, it opens its mouth wide until its teeth can stab straight into the body of its victim. The teeth slice like razors as the shark twists and rolls its body to tear off a chunk of food. New teeth are constantly being formed and moving forward to take the place of those lost during the shark’s violent feeding activities. Even very old sharks have razor-sharp teeth.

The largest and most fearsome of the species is the great white shark. Its average length is between fourteen and sixteen feet. A few great whites may reach well over thirty feet in length. The longest ever recorded was a thirty-seven-footer, a truly monstrous fish. The great white lives in the tropical seas and sometimes along the southern coast of the United States.

Topic Summary Sentence

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

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More Summary Practice

Soccer is an extremely popular sport through most of the world. However, as with anything that people feel intensely about, emotions sometimes get out of hand. English fans have been known for brawling in the stands. A riot in a game between Argentina and Chile in 1964 resulted in the deaths of 309 people. But up until now at least, there has only been one out-and-out soccer war.

That war took place between El Salvador and Honduras, two Central American countries. The year was 1969, and for many years the Salvadoran economy had been in a dire condition: too many people with too little land and too few jobs created a situation of severe poverty. As a result, many desperate Salvadorans had been illegally crossing into Honduras looking for work, and they harbored a strong sense that they were mistreated there. So tensions were already very high at the beginning of a World Cup qualifying match between the two countries.

The first game of the three-game play-off was held in Honduras, and the home team eked out a 1 – 0 win in the last minute of play. Fighting broke out afterward in the streets, and the stadium was set on fire. The second game was played in El Salvador, and the El Salvador team won. More rioting and fires followed. By the time the third game was played, in Mexico City, an actual military encounter appeared inevitable. And that is exactly what happened. Immediately after El Salvador’s close victory, armies began skirmishing along the border of the two countries; then El Salvador invaded Honduras and bombed its airfields. The war was over in less than a week, but ill feelings between the two countries persisted for years afterward.

Readings are from Six-Way Paragraphs, Middle Level, Third Edition, Walter Pauk

Topic Summary Sentence

Paragraph 1

Paragraph 2

Paragraph 3

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Writing Frames

Frames are outlines of words or key phrases with plenty of blank lines that provide a structure so learners can focus on what they want to say.

There are two kinds of frames:

Pre-writing - Help students process information and think critically

Draft writing – Help students gain writing confidence

Adapted from M. Corley (2012)

Pre-Writing Frame Examples

Descriptor

What do you intend to describe? __________________________________________

Describe: How does it look, smell, feel, taste, and sound?

Analyze: What is it made of? What are its parts?

Associate: What does it make you think of?

Compare: What is it similar to? What is it different from?

Apply: What can you do with it?

Argue: Why is this a good thing? Why is this a bad thing?

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Timeline

Time/Date What happened?

Draft Writing Frame Examples

Problem/Solution

I want to explain why . . .

There are several reasons for this. The chief is . . .

Another reason is . . .

A further reason is . . .

So now you can see why . . .

Cause/Effect

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There are differing explanations why (how, what, when) . . .

One explanation is that . . .

The evidence for this is . . .

An alternative explanation is . . .

The explanation is based on . . .

Of the alternative explanations, I think the most likely is . . .

Procedure/Sequence

I want to explain how . . .

To begin with/It starts by . . .

and this makes/means/changes . . .

After that . . .

and as a result . . .

Next . . .

Then . . .

The final result is that the . . .

Telling the News

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What is the topic of the news you will tell? ____________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

When did it happen? ____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Who created the news? __________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Where did the news happen? ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

What happened? _______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Why did it happen? ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Chronological Order

At the end of ______________________________________________________ , what

happened was that _____________________________________________________ .

Prior to this, _________________________________________ . Before that, however,

____________________________________________________________ . This whole

sequence of events began when __________________________________________ .

The most important event to occur was _____________________________________ ,

because _____________________________________________________________ .

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Compare/Contrast

____________________________ are different from _________________________ in

several ways. First, ____________________________________________________ ,

while ________________________________________________________________ .

Additionally ____________________________________________________ , whereas

_____________________________________________________________________ .

They are alike in that _________________________________________________ and

______________________________________________________________ . So, it is

evident that ___________________________________________________________ .

Somebody-Wanted-But-So

The story takes place ____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ .

_____________________________________________ is a character in the story who

_____________________________________________________________________ .

A problem occurs when __________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ .

After that, _____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

and _________________________________________________________________ .

The problem is solved when _______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ .

The story ends with ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ .

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Pictures Worth a Thousand Words!

1. Using your camera phone, walk around campus and take a picture of something interesting!

2. Then, write a story describing what happened before the picture was taken, what is happening in the picture, and what happened after the picture was taken.

From ABSPD Teaching Writing Manual

Innovative Creative Writing Strategies Your Colleagues Are Using

- Writer’s Digest writing prompts at writersdigest.com/prompts

- Put some items in a bag, have students create a story about what’s in the bag

Spontaneous Stories

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- Create 10 slips of paper numbered 1 to 10

- Have students draw 4 numbers:

- The first number is the character

- The second number is the setting

- The third number is the time period

- The fourth number is the situation

- This activity is found on page 173 of the Teaching Writing training manual. Google: abspd teaching writing

- Additional Lists for Spontaneous Stories (Thank You Trudy Watson from Wilson Tech):

Character List Setting List

1. pilot 1. lake2. secretary 2. party3. teacher 3. park4. blind dog 4. shopping mall5. judge 5. New Jersey6. 911 operator 6. library7. engineer 7. Grand Canyon8. construction worker 8. cruise ship9. scientist 9. train10. waiter 10. concert

Time Period List Situation List

1. during a storm 1. being wrongfully accused 2. watching a soap opera 2. threatened by armed robbers3. at the end of the day 3. flying on the back of a pig4. last night 4. falling off a cliff5. during a dance 5. having a monkey give you CPR6. before breakfast 6. going on a blind date7. around midnight 7. a friend sprayed you with a hose8. eating lunch 8. falling overboard9. around the corner 9. someone just died10. four blocks away 10. a terrible disaster

o From ABSPD Teaching Writing ManualUsing Technology

GCF Learn FreeThis free site guides students in learning how to use a mouse and computer basics as well as helping students learn Microsoft Office applications like Word and Excel.

Google: gcf learn freewww.gcflearnfree.org

Keyboarding Skills15

Typing WebThis free site helps students learn keyboarding. Instructors can register students to monitor their progress

Google: typing webwww.typingweb.com/

Other Technology Site Recommendations

Contextualized Writing Prompts

Office Personal Cell Phone UseYour company is updating its employee manual and your work team is assigned to the task. Today, you are updating your company’s policies on personal cell phone use in the office. It is a major issue! Management is concerned that employees are spending too much time taking personal calls and surfing the Internet with their smartphones which is wasting the company’s time and money. Employees are working more hours and want to make sure they can keep in contact with their families to coordinate schedules and handle emergencies.

You want to be reasonable in creating the policy as employees do work long hours and keeping in contact with their families helps with workplace morale and employee retention. You also need a policy about using camera phones as your company has important information they do not want their competitors to find out.

Write a one to two paragraph policy describing how employees should handle their personal cell phone use and use of camera phones in the office.

Maintenance RequestYou live at Shady Acres Apartments. The toilet has not been flushing properly for the past two months. You have verbally requested that it be fixed six times, and no one from maintenance has come to fix it. Write an email to the apartment manager requesting that it be fixed.

Requesting Time OffThe employee handbook requires that requests for time off be made in writing. You want to take April 11 to 15 off. Write an email to your supervisor making this request. College and Career Readiness Students and Campus Activities

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Your campus president has decided that College and Career Readiness (CCR) Students will not be allowed to participate in any campus activities (concerts, fun days, speaker series, etc) since they do not pay student activity fees. Your students feel this policy is unfair. Help them write a one to two paragraph letter to the president that shows the benefits of CCR Students participating in campus activities and addresses the issue of CCR Students not paying the activity fee.

Responding to ComplaintsYou are responsible for writing a response to an email received from Mrs. Ima Victim. Your manager does not want to lose Mrs. Victim as a customer. However, she has come in to your store and been verbally abusive to employees in the past. She is very demanding and never satisfied by the service she receives. Here is her email:

Mrs. Imin Charge:

Last Thursday I went into the Really Big Home Store. I waited at least 10 minutes before one of your sorry employees even noticed I was there waiting for help. I asked him to show me where you kept flowering plants. He didn’t know. Another employee he called didn’t know. I waited another 15 minutes and then the department manager came.

She knew where the flowering plants were and took me there. She acted the whole time like she had something better to do. She made me feel like I was a big waste of her time. Since I had to wait so long and was treated so rudely, I asked her to take $5 off the cost of the plant. She said she wouldn’t do that and to have a nice day if it wasn’t too late. She quickly left.

Even though I was mad, I bought the plant anyway. When I got it home, I noticed it had a big dead spot that I hadn’t seen while I was in the store. I took the plant back. The lady at customer service told me that you wouldn’t take the plant back because it was out of season. I want my money back for the $18.32 I spent for the plant. I expect to hear from you and get a refund soon, or I’m never coming back to your store ever again!

Ima Victim

You must write a one to two paragraph response to Mrs. Victim. The store’s policy is that they will only accept returns on flowering plants before July 15 th and the plant was returned on July 20th.

Beach Ball Paragraph PracticeThe instructor writes a topic sentence on the board like, “I had terrible car problems this morning.” They toss a ball to the students, and the one who catches it has to supply the next sentence. The last student is asked to supply a summary statement like, “As a result . . . “Video Writing Prompt: Write Your Own Obituary

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You have the chance to write your own obituary! Imagine how your life will turn out and then describe the legacy you want to leave for your family, friends, and community. Who will remember you? Why?

Google: brad meltzer write obituary

Video Writing Prompt: Living Life

What does this video teach us about living life?

Google: i love living life vujicic

The Best Ever

What can we learn about teaching writing from the best writing teachers we ever had?

Take Aways

My favorite things from this workshop that I plan to use in class are:

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