Dudley-Marling (2009) begins chapter five by stating, "The mark of skilled writers lies in varying what they say and how they say it- selecting the appropriate genre features- according to the social situation (purpose, audience, social context) (pg. 65). I want my students to be capable of varying their work to this degree. It is so crucial for students to learn that we write with different styles for different audiences and different purposes.
I appreciate that Dudley-Martin advocates for teachers to include multiple and varied genres. Some students will make a connection with narratives while others will connect with digital literacy. I understand the importance of introducing multiple genres for my students to explore. It is beneficial to push all students to try writing in different genres until they find that connection.
In my field placement class, my mentor teacher encourages the students to try out most genres. One of the struggling writers wrote an action-packed narrative, and the mentor teacher suggested that he take that story transform it into a comic. She pointed out that all of his dialogue and action verbs would be better suited in this particular genre. Since the class has yet to study comics as a genre, the teacher pointed out some excellent mentor texts that were in the classroom library. I am looking forward to find out more about his story transformation.
As Dudley-Marling (2009) points out, "...deliberately reading a wide rage of genres to students encourages them to broaden the purposes and audiences for their writing, and it provides data for children about how different genres work" (p. 68). Varying the daily read-alouds exposes the students to more genres while allowing them to experience genres that they may have never experienced before. Reading and writing are truly interconnected!
In chapter six, I learned about the multiple dimensions of writers- "a composer of ideas, and editor who understands structures and conventions, and an author who understands that her writing has power" (Dudley-Marling, 2009, pg. 89). I love thinking of the individual student writer as having multiple dimensions in their writing.
Chapter seven provided multiple ways to engage students in improving spelling and conventions. In my previous teaching experience, I placed far too much value on correct grammar conventions. I am finding out that I did not give my students choice and ownership over their writing. Dudley-Marling's (2009) statement, "Students tend to drop the meaning and personal investment attached to the act of writing when the point of writing becomes achieving the highest possible score" made a huge impact on me (pg. 110). I do not want to be the teacher that causes students to lose their personal investment in writing. I am determined to become the best possible teacher for my students.
I am learning more each time that I teach and conference with the students in the writing workshop environment. I will apply these readings to make my teaching more effective and my writing conferences more helpful for the students.
Dudley-Marling, C., & Paugh, P. C. (2009).A classroom teacher's guide to
struggling writers: how to provide differentiated support and ongoing
assessment. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Writing Workshop is the Answer!
Before reading A Classroom Teacher's Guide to Struggling Writers: How to Provide Differentiated Support and Ongoing Assessment, I expected to find secrets and strategies that would be new to me. It surprised me to find out that I already knew the answer to helping struggling writers. Dudley-Marling & Paugh (2009) point out the answer when they state
Writing workshop, with its emphasis on whole-class minilessons, independent writing time,
and writing conferences, provides instructional spaces for teachers to assess the needs of
individual students and provide frequent, intensive, explicit, and individualized support and
direction as needed (p. 3).
While I am still learning much about using a writing workshop format for the writing instruction time, I understand how this time can be extremely beneficial for struggling writers. Teachers are able to provide more direct, individual writing instruction during one-on-one writing conferences. One of my fears of teaching is not having enough time to make sure that every student is successful in my class. It is promising to know that there will be time during the day to give assistance to those who need it the most.
I highlighted the sentence "Teachers who do not write themselves may have difficulty appreciating the struggles of novice writers" (Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 2009, p. 11). The more classroom experience that I have, the more I am appreciating the importance of this sentence. As I continue to grow and develop as a writer, I can encourage and instruct my students in a more authentic manner. I hope that they will be motivated to write as they see me write alongside them.
A question that I have from chapter two is how does "the immediate social possibilities of writing often motivate struggling and reluctant writers"? (Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 2009, p. 14). When I think about writing, I do not associate it with social possibilities. I do, however, like the idea of students collaborating on stories. I just do not think that all struggling students will benefit from the social aspect/collaborating in their writing. I guess that is why the writing workshop is not a formula to figure out, but a continuous learning experience for both the teacher and the students.
I experience the writing workshop every Tuesday and Thursday in my field placement class. While there are so many wonderful aspects of this writing environment, I do wish that there was more organization for the students. There is only one table set up in the back of the room for the students to use. Most students write from their desks or from sitting on the floor in various places around the room. There is not a centralized location for students to obtain materials. If a student needs a clipboard and lined paper, he must obtain these supplies from two opposite sides of the classroom. I am learning the importance of organization and space in the writing workshop.
I also completely agree when Dudley-Marling & Paugh (2009) state, "To help struggling writers become aware of the hard work of writing, teachers can model their own writing processes during minilessons" (p. 35). I did exactly this during my minilesson last week with the fourth graders I was teaching. They responded well to seeing my writing process and quickly caught my (intentional) punctuation mistakes. When the students see their teacher in the writer role, they are more likely to respond positively when it is time for a writing conference.
Something new that I learned from this week's reading was the "written conversation" activity. What a wonderful way to model proper conventions and help the student with ideas in a different format. I may try this activity the next time I have a writing conference with a student.
Dudley-Marling, C., & Paugh, P. C. (2009).A classroom teacher's guide to
struggling writers: how to provide differentiated support and ongoing
assessment. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Writing workshop, with its emphasis on whole-class minilessons, independent writing time,
and writing conferences, provides instructional spaces for teachers to assess the needs of
individual students and provide frequent, intensive, explicit, and individualized support and
direction as needed (p. 3).
While I am still learning much about using a writing workshop format for the writing instruction time, I understand how this time can be extremely beneficial for struggling writers. Teachers are able to provide more direct, individual writing instruction during one-on-one writing conferences. One of my fears of teaching is not having enough time to make sure that every student is successful in my class. It is promising to know that there will be time during the day to give assistance to those who need it the most.
I highlighted the sentence "Teachers who do not write themselves may have difficulty appreciating the struggles of novice writers" (Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 2009, p. 11). The more classroom experience that I have, the more I am appreciating the importance of this sentence. As I continue to grow and develop as a writer, I can encourage and instruct my students in a more authentic manner. I hope that they will be motivated to write as they see me write alongside them.
A question that I have from chapter two is how does "the immediate social possibilities of writing often motivate struggling and reluctant writers"? (Dudley-Marling & Paugh, 2009, p. 14). When I think about writing, I do not associate it with social possibilities. I do, however, like the idea of students collaborating on stories. I just do not think that all struggling students will benefit from the social aspect/collaborating in their writing. I guess that is why the writing workshop is not a formula to figure out, but a continuous learning experience for both the teacher and the students.
I experience the writing workshop every Tuesday and Thursday in my field placement class. While there are so many wonderful aspects of this writing environment, I do wish that there was more organization for the students. There is only one table set up in the back of the room for the students to use. Most students write from their desks or from sitting on the floor in various places around the room. There is not a centralized location for students to obtain materials. If a student needs a clipboard and lined paper, he must obtain these supplies from two opposite sides of the classroom. I am learning the importance of organization and space in the writing workshop.
I also completely agree when Dudley-Marling & Paugh (2009) state, "To help struggling writers become aware of the hard work of writing, teachers can model their own writing processes during minilessons" (p. 35). I did exactly this during my minilesson last week with the fourth graders I was teaching. They responded well to seeing my writing process and quickly caught my (intentional) punctuation mistakes. When the students see their teacher in the writer role, they are more likely to respond positively when it is time for a writing conference.
Something new that I learned from this week's reading was the "written conversation" activity. What a wonderful way to model proper conventions and help the student with ideas in a different format. I may try this activity the next time I have a writing conference with a student.
Dudley-Marling, C., & Paugh, P. C. (2009).A classroom teacher's guide to
struggling writers: how to provide differentiated support and ongoing
assessment. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Understanding Ourselves and Our Students
I love how chapter nine of Ladybugs, Tornadoes, and Swirling Galaxies begins by describing how the teachers "surround [them]selves with content" (Buhrow & Garcia, 2006, p. 124). The thought of having a huge, hanging orca in the cafeteria or a life-sized giraffe on the classroom wall makes me happy. I also believe the point that Buhrow & Garica (2006) make when they state, "by submersing ourselves in the content the level of comprehension goes up. The more we see, the more we understand" (p. 124). Not only is this true of students, but it is also true of myself. I understand more by doing and seeing it for myself. I ,too, believe "the idea of linking everything together is a powerful tool, because it keeps us thinking about our curriculum, our kids' needs, and our delivery of material" (Buhrow & Garcia, 2006, p. 126).
When the authors discussed the fact that ELLs need images along with new words, I could visualize how important this is for the ELLs and for the teacher to incorporate into each day. Having ongoing word walls are an excellent way to boost students' comprehension and language development while they take ownership of their new knowledge at the same time. It is important to remember as Buhrow & Garcia (2006) point out, "Because all vocabulary has a symbolic representation, comprehension is made easier" (p. 134).
The focus of my Middle School Curriculum class this semester is differentiation. We spent weeks developing our own definitions of differentiation, and we are continuing to learn throughout the semester how to make sure that differentiation is naturally incorporated into every lesson that we teach. I enjoyed the statement made by Buhrow & Garica (2006): "no matter where a child is when he or she arrives in the classroom, it is our job to take him or her as far as possible and tap into that child's wealth of knowledge" (p. 140). This statement applies to every teacher in every classroom and in every situation. If the classroom is an ELL one, a special education one, an inclusion one, or a gifted one, each teacher should make sure that each and every student exceeds and is successful.
Buhrow, Garcia, A. U. (2006). Ladybugs, tornadoes, and swirling galaxies:
English language learners discover their world through inquiry. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
English language learners discover their world through inquiry. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
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