The Wide World of Writing

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The Wide World of Writing

• January 29, 2009
• Lori G. Wilfong, Ph.D.

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Agenda

• Introductions
• Writing theory into practice
• 9 ways to write a summary
• Short answer extended response
• A few more writing activities (just for fun)
• The multigenre project

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10 words or less

• Tell us your name and where you teach
• Then, tell us about yourself in ten words or less

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My example

• Lori Wilfong
• Assistant Professor of Literacy and MCED
• Kent State University, Stark Campus
• Boater, traveler, reader, from Los Angeles,
  Jayhawk supporter, cook, shopper

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10 words or lessSummary Strategy 1

• Scaffold summary writing by having students
  subtract out the 10 most important words of a
  piece of text.
• 10 words can be manipulated into sentences on
  post-it notes or note cards

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A little bit more about you

• What is the best piece of writing you have ever
  written? What makes it your favorite?
• What kinds of topics do you like to write about?
• What are your favorite writing genres?
• What kind of feedback do you like to get about
  your writing
• Do you characterize yourself as a quick starter
  or a procrastinator?

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And finally

• What is your relationship with deadlines?
• Do you like to write in silence or with
  background noise?
• What tools and equipment do you like to use for
  writing?
• Do you prefer to write in class or at home?

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Have you ever asked your students these questions?

• More importantly, would they even know the
  answers to these questions?

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Writing theory

• Writers facing a blank page, like readers
  approaching a text, have only their individual
  linguistic capital to draw on.
• Louise Rosenblatt

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Rosenblatt on the writing process

• It is always an event in time.
• The writer is always interacting with a personal,
  social, and cultural environment.
• Writing is, therefore, always a function of
  individual and environmental factors.

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SWBST Somebody Wanted But So ThenSummary
Strategy 2
Somebody Wanted But So Then

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Efferent vs. Aesthetic writing

• Efferent Car accident example
• Aesthetic

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Efferent vs. Aesthetic Writing Examples
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More Rosenblatt I cant stop!

• Authorial reading
• Expression-Oriented Authorial Reading
• Reception-Oriented Reading

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Rosenblatts final words

• Hence, the teaching of reading and writing at
  any developmental level should have as its first
  concern the creation of environments and
  activities in which students are motivated and
  encouraged to draw on their own resources to make
  live meanings.

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The Most Important ThingSummary Strategy 3

• The most important thing about efferent and
  aesthetic writing is _____________________________
  __.
• But, the most important thing about efferent and
  aesthetic writing is _____________________________
  __.

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Break time!
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What I think, I can say. What I say, I can
write.What I write, I can read. What I read, I
can share.
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Found PoetrySummary Strategy 4

• Found poetry
• Taking prose and turning it into poetry.
• Choose a passage that you feel is important or
  exemplifies the text that is 75-100 words long.
  Write the passage on a separate piece of paper.
• Carefully discard words or phrases from the
  passage that do not subtract from the meaning
  usually articles, conjunctions, but sometimes
  other phrases that are unnecessary

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Found Poetry, continued

• Pretend that you have to pay for each word you
  are keeping and you want to pay the minimum. Get
  rid of any words that are not of the utmost
  importance.
• Copy your saved words onto a new piece of paper.
  Structure it so that it looks and sounds like
  poetry.
• Make sure you cite the real author!

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Make Writing an Everyday Part of your Curriculum

• Entrance Slips
• Exit Slips
• Written Conversations
• Classroom Learning Logs

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Entrance Slips Getting Juices Flowing

• Name two things you already know about this
  topic.
• What are two facts you remember from yesterdays
  class?
• Summarize yesterdays lesson in 10 words or less.

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Exit Slips- Reinforcing todays learning for
tomorrow

• Describe 2 things you took away from todays
  lecture.
• Summarize todays lesson using SWBST
• Write a test question over todays material
  (multiple choice, short answer, etc.)

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Written conversations-Think-Pair-Share in
written form

• Write down you reaction to what you just read
  (set a time limit).
• Switch papers with a partner and read and respond
  to their reaction (set a time limit).

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Classroom learning log-Preserve learning for
posterity!

• Record facts concepts
• Reflect on new ideas
• Alert the teacher to students misunderstandings
  and provide opportunities to redirect students
  thinking

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A classroom routine

• Week ____
• Describe the most important concept you learned
  this week and why its important to you.
• Record the number of times you made contributions
  in class and describe the nature of the
  contributions.
• List at least one additional source for learning
  more about what you are studying in class.

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Fish bonesSummary Strategy 5

• Select one of the everyday writing strategies
  (entrance slips, exit slips, written
  conversations, or learning logs)
• Complete a fish bones sheet about that strategy
• Backbone main idea
• Supporting bones - details

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A few more random writing strategies

• I Am Poems
• Copy Change
• Discussion Webs

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I Am Poems

• I am poems
• Fill-in-the blank poem that makes writing poetry
  seem easy
• Online resource
• http//ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/iampoem.htm
• Fill out one of your poems as your favorite
  historical figure

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Two-Voice Poems

• Partner up with someone who wrote their I Am
  poem from another perspective.
• Choose a stanza and write out your poem in two
  voice form
• Be prepared to share!

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Copy Change

• Get your feet wet and ready to write
• Scaffolds the writing experience
• Easy to provide success on first try
• Other examples I Am poem the Most Important
  Thing

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Discussion Webs

• Read text
• Introduce central question or statement
• In pairs, come up with pro and con responses
• Pairs join and compare responses. Work towards a
  conclusion
• Report to the class conclusion with best
  supporting reason

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Discussion web statement

• Should students be held accountable for spelling
  and grammar in short answer/extended response
  questions on the OAT and OGT?

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Four-Two-OneSummary Strategy 6

• Individually, generate four words or concepts
  that summarize your learning about writing this
  morning.
• With a partner, share your words. Together, come
  up with two common words or concepts about
  writing.
• In a small team, share your words. Together, come
  up with one word or concept that best summarizes
  your learning about writing.
• As a whole class