Writer’s WorkshopThe Conference

November 2013Research:One to One by Calkins, Hartman, WhiteThe Writing Workshop by Ray, LaminackHow’s it Going by Carl Anderson

Conferencing Thoughts

“I am always impressed by teachers who know enough about the teaching of writing to be concerned about how to conduct more effective writing conferences,” Lucy Calkins.

“Conferring can be so hard. Like any uniquely human interaction, in a conference there is always the possibility that something totally unexpected might happen,” Katie Wood Ray

Length & Frequency of Conferences

2-7 minutes

Try to get to each student once a week.

“On any given day, our goal should be to have as many quality conferences as we can with as many students as we can,” Katie Wood Ray.

The Four Parts

Research: Find out how the student’s writing is going

Decide: What would make sense to teach the student?

Teach: Teach an on the spot, individualized focus lesson

Record: Jot down notes of essential content

Part 1: Research

Recall what we already know about the child as a writer

Glance at and quickly read what the child is writing

Observe the child at work without interrupting

Ask questions and probe to explore the child’s answers

Part 1: Research

Possible Questions:

What are you working on as a writer?

Can you tell me what you’re working on?

What’s your plan for writing time today?

What do you need help with today?

Tell me about how your writing is going.

Part 1: Research

“Keep in mind that your goal is to learn enough to discern what the writer is trying to do, able to do, and not quite doing,” Calkins.

Part 2: Decide

“But what makes a conference a powerful teaching interaction is not finding the best thing in the world to teach this student; it’s in teaching in direct response to something the student has told us or shown us about his/her work as a writer. So as soon as we see a way to go with the teaching, we head it in that direction,” Katie Wood Ray.

Part 2: Decide

Use your “fistful” of knowledge...

What would help most at this time?

What would bring quick success?

What would be a stretch, risk, or challenge?

What is not likely to come up in whole class instruction?

What would the student like help with?

TEACH TOWARD INDEPENDENCE!

Part 2: Decide

COMPLIMENT THE STUDENT, THEN TEACH!

What has the writer done well that you can compliment and reinforce?

Part 3: Teach

HOW WILL YOU TEACH?

Demonstrate

Guided Practice

Explain and show an example

Part 3: Teach

What strategy did they learn today that they can apply on another day in another piece?

Ask the student: “Say back to me what I just talked to you about.”

Part 4: Make a Record

Tell the student, “Ok, so what I’m going to write down is...”

Summarize the lesson

Have to find a system that is comfortable for you, or it won’t be used

Should be a way to divide records easily by individual students

Reflecting on Note-Taking

What, exactly, did I teach in that conference?

Why did I decide to teach that?

How does the student seem to feel about the conference?

Tech Ideasfor Conference Notes

Penultimate App

iPad App iTunes Store

Write with a stylus

Keep a notebook on each

student

Notes backup online with

an Evernote account

Create an account here

Other Apps

Notability iTunes App

Note Anytime iTunes App

Record audio Notes

Write with a stylus

Keep a notebook on each

student

Google Forms

Create a Form

Save link to access

easily

Populates data into

spreadsheet for you

Basic Example

Google Spreadsheet

Skip the Google Form

Idea

Use a spreadsheet with

all students listed

Search the sheet with

Command + F

Basic Example

Google Docs

Skip the Form and

Spreadsheet Idea

Use a word processing

document to track

conferences

Use Command + F to

find specific notes

Basic Example