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Writing to Learn

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'Writing to Learn' strategies use writing as a means for students to discover and ... writing-to-learn activities are short, impromptu or otherwise informal writing ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Writing to Learn

1
Writing to Learn
2
What is writing to learn?

"Writing to Learn" strategies use writing as a
means for students to discover and explore what
they know--and to learn more in the act of
writing. One of the major precepts of this sort
of writing is that thinking and writing are
inextricably linked. The audience for such
writing is the authors themselves.
Generally, writing-to-learn activities are short,
impromptu or otherwise informal writing tasks
that help students think through key concepts or
ideas presented in a course. Often, these writing
tasks are limited to less than five minutes of
class time or are assigned as brief, out of
class assignments.

3
Writing to Learn Strategies

associate concepts with language
access prior knowledge through pre-writing
activities
use writing as a means for students to discover
and explore what they know and to learn more
through writing

provide opportunities for writing to generate and
negotiate meaning
provide opportunities for writing to reflect,
analyze, and communicate ideas

4
Writing to Learn

Writing to learn is both formal and
informal writing.
Types of writing to learn activities include
Note taking
Journal writing
Free writes
How can teachers help students succeed in writing
to learn activities?

5
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
FIRST KEY

The writing must be embedded into the inquiry
activity.
It must be an integral part of the assignment.

6
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
FIRST KEY Activities

Writing a letter to a lay-person in response to a
question posed at the beginning of the inquiry
lesson
Recording results of research in a notebook or
journal

7
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
SECOND KEY

Students need explicit teaching in writing
content, forms, and processes.

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Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
SECOND KEY Activities

Provide specific prompts (How did you use the
feedback you received from peer review to revise
your results section?)
Discuss model texts, genre templates

Create scaffolding exercises and activities (for
thinking and writing processes like planning,
reviewing, and translating)
Clarify vocabulary and language patterns used

9
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
THIRD KEY

Students need multiple opportunities to write in
the same genre or application.

10
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
THIRD KEY activities

Reflective journal entries and short essays at
several stages of the inquiry lesson process
Short reports for several different inquiry
lessons over the course of a semester or school
year

11
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
FOURTH KEY

Students should engage in writing that encourages
metacognition.
"Metacognition" is often simply defined as
"thinking about thinking."

12
METACOGNITION consists of three basic elements
Developing plan of action
Maintaining/monitoring plan Evaluating plan

During - When you are maintaining/monitoring the
plan of action, ask yourself
How am I doing?
Am I on the right track?
How should I proceed?
What information is important to remember?
Should I move in a different direction?
What do I need to do if I do not understand?

After - When you are evaluating the plan of
action ask yourself
Did my particular course of thinking produce more
or less than I had expected?
What could I have done differently?
How might I apply this line of thinking to other
problems?
Do I need to go back through the task to fill in
any "blanks" in my understanding?
How well did I do?

Before - When you are developing the plan of
action, ask yourself
What in my prior knowledge will help me with this
particular task?
In what direction do I want my thinking to take
me?
What should I do first?
Why am I reading this selection?
How much time do I have to complete the task?

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Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
FOURTH KEY activities

Journaling about learning
Analytical reflective essays
E-mail and/or discussion board conversations
about processes used

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Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
FIFTH KEY

Students should engage in writing that provides
opportunity for the transformation of knowledge
through a negotiation of meaning.

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Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
FIFTH KEY activities

Writing should be analytical (both expressive and
expository) when possible.
Writing should access prior knowledge and link
that prior knowledge to material students are
learning in class (pre-writing and post writing).
Writing activities should foster a sharing of
ideas among peers and professionals.

16
Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
SIXTH KEY

Students should receive regular, meaningful
feedback from the instructor in addition to
feedback from peers, along with opportunities to
revise their work based on feedback received.

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Six Keys to Successful Writing to Learn Activities
SIXTH KEY activities