That's a Wrap!

After 10 weeks, the class has come to a rapid end.  I wasn't sure what to expect coming in to this course, and I suppose I some what expected it to be more English-oriented.  Instead, I now have a more complete understanding of how writing can be incorporated within every discipline.  This will be useful to me in my teaching practice when it comes time to work and collaborate with teachers of other subjects, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to share in the writing progress of my students with my colleagues in collaborative activities and assignments.

I also have learned a lot about how to evaluate student writing, which is one of the main reasons I signed up for the course.  The subjective nature of marking writing is something that I have always been a bit wary of, but I now feel as though I have the basic tools I need to effectively and fairly evaluate writing of all forms and genres.  The many sources that my colleagues shared plus rubrics and checklists like the 6+1 Writing Traits, and the course book filled with mini lessons and activity ideas will be invaluable to me.

My favourite aspect of the course, however, was mentoring a grade 8 student from Hawthorne public school.  I had never worked with a student of that age before, and it was an incredibly eye-opening experience.  It was so refreshing to read some of the writing my student produced and to realize how affluent and talented children are.  It gave me great hope for the future, and reaffirmed why I am here and what I am doing.  I am very grateful to be going into the world of education fully equipped to lead students on the journey of writing and learning.

Student Mentoring - March 9, 2015

Today was my last day with my student mentee.  It seems to have gone by very quickly and has not felt like enough time.  I suppose that is a good sign.

She never did create a google docs to share her final draft of her cover letter with me, but that is because she had not actually finished it.  I learned that deadlines and due dates are almost non existent for these students.  I am not sure if that is specific to the gifted program, or if that is sort of the norm in grades 7 and 8.  My student partner actually admitted that she wished there were more rigid due dates because like myself, she needs them in place to force her to actually get things done.

As a result, we worked on cleaning up the cover letter and putting it into good copy.  She was very pleased with her work and expressed gratitude for my help, which made me feel really good and maybe even like a successful teacher!
After the cover letter was completed, she wanted to discuss her next assignment, a geography project focusing on "quality of life" factors for different countries.  It was interesting to be asked about a discipline that is not my focus, although as a history teacher it is entirely plausible that I will be teaching geography at some point.  This was out of my range of expertise, so, we consulted the Ontario Curriculum documents.  I wish I could say that this was my idea, but it was my student's!  I was extremely impressed that she was even aware of the document, let alone comfortable reading it.  I remember being vaguely aware that there was some kind of guidelines for how we were taught when I was in school, but never did I see a curriculum document, let alone consult it for a project.
But what a fabulous idea! It is obvious that their teacher has a very open, honest approach to teaching.
So, we looked at the curriculum, which helped her develop her topic idea into a thesis.  We discussed some of the ways in which she might approach the assignment and then time was up.  I was really excited about getting to put my interdisciplinary writing skills to work with this project.  I wished it had been at the beginning of our time together rather than the end.

I made sure we left time for a little debrief for both of our benefits.  I was not sure how to evaluate our time together, as it felt to me like it was poorly structured and far too brief to be overly effective.  She assured me that it had been extremely helpful for her, as rather than doing skill drills and work sheets, we were doing real work and assignments that had a purpose.  This made so much sense to me, and I think it really brings home the fact that students learn best when they can relate the work they are doing within the context of their own lives.  They need a purpose, not just busy work.  They learn by applying the skills in a purposeful manner with a meaningful product as a result.
This process was a great way for me to take all of the theory and put it into practice.  Overall, a great experience. :)

Student Mentoring - March 2, 2015

 After what seemed like ages, I was finally reunited with my original student.  At this point we had only spent about 20 minutes together actually working on writing skills.  She had been starting a history essay, and I came prepared with my essay writing resource link and some fresh ideas to help move things along.  Unfortunately, she did not have her computer with her and therefore, no essay draft to work on.  She did however, have a new assignment that she wanted dire help with.  For one of her classes she had been assigned the task of writing a cover letter.  This could not have come at a better time, as I too have been working on my cover letter and it just so happened that I had all kinds of resources!

http://schoolworkhelper.net/the-cover-letter-guide-and-format/

This was one of the links we visited, and which I encouraged her to write down for future use.  It gives a very straightforward list of guidelines to follow, as well as a sample cover letter format.  We discussed some critical things to think about when writing a cover letter: Who are we addressing?  What kind of tone do we want to use (i.e. personal, professional)?  How do we want to convey to the reader that we are the most qualified candidates without simply listing off our skills?
As we worked, I realized that this kind of writing is great practice for students to get familiar with writing for different audiences and purposes, a skill that does not always develop that easily.  Most student writing, especially before high school, is directed at the teacher and simply conveys content knowledge.  This exercise had the students adopting a different tone and vocabulary, and communicating information for a whole new purpose.

http://www.wordhelper.com/blog/2012/07/1725/cover-your-assets-or-how-to-write-a-cover-letter

This was another link we looked at.  It is actually a blog but it gives very detailed step-by-step instructions on not only what to include but why.  I find it to be a fabulously helpful site.

We were able to almost complete a rough draft of the cover letter in our allotted time.  I gave the suggestion of creating a google docs so that I could have a look at the final product before it was handed in.

I also asked my student what she would like to see happen in our next period together.  I said I could bring material to help her work on any specific areas of writing she was struggling with, but she said she preferred it if I just helped her with the assignments she was working on at that time.  This was fine by me, though it is always a bit of a surprise to me what we might be doing, but that is ok too.  Part of the process of teaching, I think.  We will see what happens going forward!

Student Mentoring- Feb. 23, 2015

My student mentee was not present today, and so I was paired up with a student from a different class.  She wanted to share with me a fantasy story she was working on.  It was not something she was expected to hand in, it was her own piece which she hoped to one day develop into a book.  It was so pleasing to see that some students enjoy writing so much that they make time to write extracurricularly.  She insisted on reading it to me as she thought her hand writing was illegible. This made it difficult to assess the actual conventions of her writing, but I convinced her to let me read over her shoulder along with her.  She had an incredible talent for hooking the reader in with great introductory paragraphs and nail-biting chapter endings.  I was very, very impressed. 

She had some conventional mistakes such as incorrect capitalization, a few spelling errors, and the odd grammatical issue, but she often caught these as she was reading to me.  The session helped to act as a draft edit and review for her, as she changed a number of character and plot details as she went along, often on her own but sometimes with my suggestions.  

I asked her why she chose to hand write instead of type, and she revealed to me that she couldn’t type.  She used one hand and didn’t know where all the keys were and it was painfully slow.  I was surprised, as I assumed in this day and age that all adolescents were whizzes with computers.  Realistically, however, most of them use their cell phones for everything that my generation started doing on a computer.  The computer is now used almost exclusively in an academic setting and is therefore not something adolescents are overly fluent with.  I found this very interesting, and it brings to question our concerns about spell-check and autocorrect replacing grammar convention and spelling skills.  Both students seemed to have a pretty good handle on both, without the use of a computer. 

I was disappointed to miss out on a session with my original partner, as I fear it has interrupted our progress a bit.  But it was nice to see another student’s work as well and to make some comparisons.  It was refreshing and uplifting to see the consistent creativity and mastery of language and voice.     

Student Mentoring - Feb. 9, 2015

Today I met the student I will be mentoring and helping with her writing skills.  She shared a piece of her creative writing that she completed for a ‘free write’ and I was extremely impressed.  She needs very little help in this area.  Her spelling and punctuation was almost perfect and she is extremely expressive and creative.  I was beginning to feel like she should be helping me, not the other way around.  We talked for a little while about her likes and dislikes when it comes to writing and some of the assignments she is currently working on.  It turns out that she has to write a history paper on any topic in North American history from 1890 -1914.  She was stuck on a topic, and she was not sure how to begin a history paper.  I told her she was in luck: history is my major and writing historical essays is my forte. I helped her choose a topic and will be assisting her writing progress over the next few sessions together.  Below is a link to a website I will give her which should be helpful in structuring her paper.  There are step by step tips on how to establish a topic, research, organize, and write a research paper, and it is directed at an intermediate level writer so the language is very straightforward.  

http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills1.html

Writing Resources

http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills1.html

This website offers step by step tips on how to establish an essay topic, research, organize, and write a research paper, and it is directed at an intermediate level writer so the language is very straightforward. 

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php

This website is an aid for developing rubrics for a variety of different disciplines, but has a large section for writing rubrics, including the 6+1 Traits. 

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachwriting/

This website is designed to help teachers inspire young writers.  It offers a number of resources to help enliven student's creativity and encourage them to think critically about topics through focused writing activities.  The activities promote writing across disciplines and cover everything from grammar basics to inspiration for fantasy-writing. 

February 2, 2015 Conventions of Writing - The Historical Essay

Pick the mode of writing that you believe is most conventional for your subject area (i.e. literary essay, lab report, response to a complex word problem). In ways would you convey the conventions of writing for this format. Develop an organizational chart or a list of the key elements and describe how you will convey it to students.

The Historical Essay

When teaching students how to write or how to improve their writing of historical essays, I would utilize examples.  I would also be sure to use examples of the kind of writing I expect of them, i.e. exceptional writing of other students, not scholarly essays written by historians.  There is a time for showing that caliber of work, but when first introducing the essay, I think that it is best practice not to intimidate or overwhelm students with unrealistic examples. 

Key Elements of the History Essay are:

Title - Should be more than just stating the topic.  Titles that are catchy, satirical, or a play on words invoke interest or humour in the reader and entice further reading.

Opening Paragraph - Not just the thesis.  Should be a clear introduction of the topic and issues and should naturally flow into the thesis statement. It should accurately introduce the basis of your topic, and explain in simple terms what points or pieces of evidence you will use to make your argument or prove your thesis. 

Thesis Statement- Should be a clear and succinct description of your argument/purpose.  Your thesis is the heart of your paper and should be a strong central idea supported by plausible evidence.

Body - The systematic development of your argument.  Not just quotes or opinions, but carefully selected “facts” presented in a reasonable, persuasive, well organized manner.  It is good practice to ‘check back’ while writing, to make sure that the evidence you are presenting actually supports your thesis.

Conclusion- Should not just restate your thesis.  It should summarize the argument and the evidence without being redundant, and close the dialogue by confirming the significance of your thesis and its contribution to historical understanding. 

I would use the “chunking” method with an historical essay project.  Each portion of the assignment would be broken down into manageable sections with separate, linear due dates.  I would use multiple mentor texts as examples of each section and we would do some practice writing to help students find their voice and get comfortable with the historical essay style.  We would work together on each step, including choosing a topic, doing research, coming up with a proposal, and producing drafts. Peer editing would be part of the drafting stages, so students would have a chance to see what kinds of writing their peers are creating and to offer and receive constructive feedback.  By scaffolding the assignment, students should develop a comfort level with historical essay writing and learn a strategy for tackling each part of the writing process. 

February 2, 2015 Poetry Writing Exercise

“The Beauty of Math”/“The Trouble With Math” (Pick one)

 1. Must be 9 lines

 2. Can’t use ‘math’ or ‘numbers’ 

 3. Must use one colour, and one emotion

 4. You have 6 minutes

“The Trouble with Math”

Arithmetic? 

More like arithmestick.

I am stuck. 

Calculus, algebra, multiplication?

I’m red with frustration.

I am stuck.

A nine line poem about "blank"?

No thanks.

(I also suck at poetry.) 

January 26, 2015 - Slam Poetry

The chapter ‘Slammin’ School’ by Bronwen Low explains the experience of developing a Spoken Word Poetry class at an American high school.  I was struck by the positive reactions of students to this class and content.  The interest and engagement shown by students who participated was really moving and impressive, almost idyllic.  I tried to picture some kind of similar program at the high school I attended but for some reason couldn’t.  Perhaps because the students in Low’s chapter were mostly marginalized, minority kids who felt extreme frustration with the school system and society, and my school was rural and predominantly middle class Caucasian students.  The issues facing students at my school were quite different than those in Low’s study.  These frustrations seemed to be fuel for creativity, motivation for expression and conveyance of deeper meaning and intense feeling.  They were inspired by hip hop artists and other slam poets, and I wonder what might be brought in for inspiration in a school with a different demographic make-up?

Bringing spoken word and slam poetry into the classroom is a unique way to engage some students.  There is something about the genre that is provocative enough to entice adolescents as it allows them to deal with taboo subjects, to express themselves in their own vernacular, and to really explore topics that genuinely interest them.  The question is, how do you assess Spoken Word and slam poetry?  And how would it be integrated into different content areas?  It works in Low’s example as a stand-alone course in which students know that they will be writing poetry and performing it.  However, is it applicable in a science class?  Or even in history or the social sciences?  I think it might be an interesting challenge.  I would consider it as an option on an assignment, as in ‘Choose one of the following’, so that students might have the option to express themselves in this way focusing on the subject content.  It is a wonderful way to evoke feeling and meaning in students and to translate that passion into their writing as an outlet for their ideas.  I am not sure if I would approach this subject in the classroom, or if I would make it part of my curriculum. I know that I certainly wouldn’t dissuade a student from using the genre as a way to express themselves or to explore a topic that truly interests them. It is something I will consider more as I develop as a teacher. 

January 19, 2015 Using Mentor Texts in the Classroom

The mentor text that I chose to examine is a book review from the New York Times of Alexandra Fuller’s ‘Leaving Before the Rains Come’.  The review gives an introduction to the genre of the novel, which is a memoir, as well as some examples of other books and authors of a similar style.  It also introduces the author, tells a bit about her life, background, and some of her other works, and gives a synopsis of the story.   

The book review is an excellent method for teaching students to think critically about the material they are reading.  It is a wonderful method for assessing the depth of understanding  which students may reach while reading, as well as a diagnostic assessment of what they might be struggling with.  Showing a mentor text of a review as a pre-reading activity can assist students in identifying what details and facts to look for and pay particular attention to so that they might get the most out of their reading.  Assigning a review activity after reading can be used as an effective evaluation tool to assess how students interact with and perceive the text.  The reviews should demonstrate the importance of not just re-telling the story or narrative, but of critically analyzing its style, meaning, purpose, and value as a literary work.  Every student will take something different away from the reading and their reviews will also act as an insight into their own particular experience and perspective.   

The book review can also be used to demonstrate the importance of audience.  This particular review appears in the New York Times, where the general audience tend to share certain demographic similarities.  The use of multiple reviews of the same text but for different entities (ie. the New York Times vs an online blog) could be extremely useful to demonstrate the way audience may shape or change style and content.  This could also lend itself to a lesson on proper writing conventions and the use of formal vs informal language.

Reading Response January 12, 2015

How does Nancy Atwell’s story strike you and consider the subtopics in Peterson’s chapters 1 & 2 as a teacher writing in your discipline?

Both Atwell’s story and the Peterson readings really made me aware of the many issues that come with timed, topic assigned writing activities.  The issues are not new to me, as I have on many occasions felt the panic and pressure of trying to get meaningful words on paper in a given slot of time on a subject which may or may not resonate with me in any real way.  However, it is so easy to forget this as a teacher, and to assign a time-specific writing activity and expect students to use that time wisely and produce thoughtful work, simply as a means to an end in conforming to curriculum.  The problem is, writing is an art.  It is a process that is unique to each individual.  Not every topic is going to spark creativity in every student and not every student can get words down on paper when the teacher says ‘go’.  Atwell’s story about her student Jeff and the ways in which her own philosophy as an English teacher evolved really underlined for me the importance of freedom of writing.  Especially in the discipline of English or Writer’s Craft, creative writing can not truly be ‘creative’ unless the student is given full freedom in the writing process; that is, what they write about (topic), and how they write (genre and process).  

In contrast however, Peterson states that many of his/her students preferred a well-defined topic to already be in place so that they have a starting point.  The Grade 9 English class that I taught during my practicum wanted specific instructions, directions, and examples for every writing assignment that I gave.  I remarked more than once to my AT that I felt frustrated by the lack of imagination and creativity that the students had shown, and the reason that we came up with for this is that the school system had more or less stripped students of their creativity and made them wary of ‘discovery’ or exploratory writing for fear of being told they were wrong.  I found this very sad, and so I felt very hopeful reading Atwell’s story, as I think this is the answer.  Allowing students to have full choice will result in forcing them to be creative.  The ‘Writing to Learn’ activities that we looked at in class today is one way to facilitate this and jump the hurdle of students having ‘no idea what to write about’.  As Atwell stresses, when allowed to explore topics and issues that students are genuinely interested in and care about, they will find something to say and a unique and engaging way to say it. 

Free Write Response January 5, 2015

What do you believe is important in writing in your content area?

When asked to write down what came to my mind when I hear ‘writing’, I wrote the words creativity, expression, communication, history, and literacy.  I think that this list of words is very telling of how I associate writing to my teachable subjects, which are History and English.   Writing is an integral component of both of these subjects, and arguably the most important form of expression of knowledge and communication of ideas, at least traditionally speaking, within these topic areas.  Expression and communication are the key words even in that sentence.  

I think that now more than ever, we need to examine writing within these subjects in a more open and less regimental light.  Essay writing is and should always be a part of the study of History and English, and it is what generally comes to mind to most people when they think of these disciplines.  However, it is arguable that creativity is equally important, especially within English.  This doesn’t necessarily mean fictional story writing, but also relates to the issue we discussed of writing for content learning.  Simply practicing writing as a way to become better at it, in a multitude of forms and styles.  Within the study of History, writing and reading are equally linked, in that most of what we learn about History at the I/S level is written word.  It is the main way which History has been recorded, analyzed, interpreted and passed on.  Thus, writing in all forms is inseparable from my own content areas of English and History, and will be a main focus during my development as a teacher.