SWEET Writing

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SWEET Writing

• Kathy Corcoran
• Susan Freeman
• Liz Merriam
• With Grant Coffin and Amee Chapman

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Agenda

• 800-815 Check-in and Continental
  Breakfast
• 815-835 Welcome, Norms, Parking Lot
• 835-935 Needs assessment
• 935-945 Break
• 945-1045 Writing in the Genres-Narrative
• 1045-1050 Reflection time
• 1050-1100 Break
• 1100-1200 Application-The Classroom
  Connection
• 1200-1230 Lunch Provided (5 Star Catering)
• 1245-100 Synthesis-Recap the Morning
• 100-130 Review of the Technology
• 130-200 In the Classroom
• 200-215 Break
• 215-245 Teachers and their Students
• 245-300 Closing!!!! Next steps,
  Evaluations

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The SWEET Mission Statement

• We, as teachers and students of the PVUSD, seek
  to develop and improve writing as a skill for
  life long learning through effective teaching and
  the use of technology.

SWEET - Student Writing Enhanced by Educational
Technology.
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The Support
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Purpose of the Day

• To explore the standards and genres involved in
  SWEET.
• To share a common understanding and purpose in
  teaching the genres across grade level and sites.
• To develop a common language for the teaching of
  writing and technology integration across the
  sites that will support and improve student
  learning.

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Needs AssessmentThe Guiding Questions

• Individual Quickwrite
• What are you doing to help your students meet the
  ELA Writing Applications Standards at grade
  level?
• What successes with writing have you and your
  students had? What made them successful?
• What are the challenges in writing your students
  bring to the classroom? How do you address those
  challenges?
• What do you need to support your teaching of
  writing?
• Share your responses with a partner from another
  site at the same grade level.

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Some Directions

• Once you have shared with a PARTNER form a QUAD.
• The QUAD must consist of four teachers of the
  same grade level from each of the sites
  represented.
• You may adjust as needed.
• In the QUAD group chart the most salient points
  from your responses to each of the four
  questions.
• Post the charts for further discussion.
• Once all the charts are posted we will take a
  Gallery Walk and report out.

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Writing in the Genres Narrative

• Grade 6th
• Narrative is writing that tells a story. When
  you write a story from your imagination it is a
  fictional narrative. All stories have a
  beginning, middle, and end called a plot.
  Stories include settings, characters, events, and
  dialogue. A story is well organized with a
  consistent point of view to help the reader
  understand the order of events.
• Grade 7th
• Narrative is writing that tells a story. When
  you write a story from your imagination it is a
  fictional narrative. All stories have a
  beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, and
  ending. Stories include a definite setting, major
  and minor characters, sensory details and
  dialogue. A story is well organized with a
  consistent point of view to help the reader
  understand the order of events.
• Grade 8th
• Narrative is writing that tells a story. When
  you write a story from your imagination it is a
  fictional narrative. All stories have a
  beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, and
  ending. Stories include a definite setting, major
  and minor characters, well-chosen details, and
  dialogue. A story is well organized with a
  consistent point of view to help the reader
  understand the order of events.

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The Standards Narrative/Short Story
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What are students expected to KNOW and DO?

• Narrative- the topic and the skill.
• How do you teach this standard and what do you
  look for in a good piece of fictional narrative
  writing?
• What are the elements and story line?
• Use the following chart to take a closer look?

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Elements of Narrative
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More Directions

• Organize yourselves in groups of cross site and
  cross grade level.
• Trace the elements of fictional narrative that
  are in common with writing a personal narrative,
  autobiographical, or biographical piece of
  writing.
• Then look at the elements that are specific to
  each of the above pieces of writing.
• What changes in personal narrative,
  autobiographical, or biographical writing?
• Please chart your responses
• Group discussion of what was discovered.

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Reflective Write

• Take time for yourself
• What new insights have you had and what will
  influence your teaching of narrative in the
  classroom?
• Do you share a common understanding of this genre
  with the others? What is the significance of this
  common understanding?

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Application of Our Skills and Knowledge

• How will we help our students learn what we just
  learned?
• Genre, standards, elements of narrative
• How will we meet the challenges ahead?
• Lets get into the materials and technology and
  find out!

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Putting IT Together

• Knowledge of the classroom laptops.
• RX Netwriter program.
• Development of Narrative prompts.

• Your classroom curriculum.
• The SWEET Resource website.
• Effective teaching.

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Synthesis Recapping the Morning

• What have you learned?
• What is going to work for you in the classroom
  tomorrow? Next week? Next Unit/Cluster/Story?

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Lets Talk

• Using the technology
• lap-tops, document cameras, projectors, printers,
  COWs.
• Using the software
• RX Netwriter, Visual Thesaurus, Gaggle,
  Ultra-Key.
• Using the SWEET Website
• information, resources, future trainings.
• Tech-support needs???

• COWs in the Classroom
• Logistics and schedules
• Classroom management
• Using your Student Tech
• Student engagement
• trouble spots
• Support from Coach

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Write til the COWs Come Home!

• Working with your Student Tech.
• Writing to the prompt you developed.
• Take some time and talk it overwhat did you
  discover?
• Discussion
• Next Steps
• Evaluation