Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Response to Janelle
Life is a journey that we all make. I want my classroom to be a positive stop on that journey. Students dance in and out of our school lives, and we should let them sing. We should encourage them to sing during that stay. When we present lessons that encourage choice and creativity, we allow them to sing and dance their way to learning. Choices help students develop voice in their writing. We have to prepare students to pass that pesky test in April or February or June or whenever they take it, but we don’t have to participate in that hoax of drill and kill. All we do with that is kill creativity and voice. In short, we perpetuate the hoax. Keep things real for kids. Give them skills they can use when they leave our studios. Give them the skills to sing and dance and perform on the stage of live.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Aunt Sister
Aunt Sister
She resembled a penguin in her back and white habit, but she wasn’t one. Her voice lilted with a very slight brogue from her parents’ homeland. She was my Aunt Sister—Sister Joseph Catherine to be exact. My dad’s big sister. Her entry into the convent just out of eighth grade was expected of the eldest daughter from an Irish Catholic home in those days, and my Aunt Sister heeded the call. Her hair was shorn; in fact, I had never seen her hair. I think she had some. Nuns really never took vacations; they were lucky to spend time with family. Most people thought they were born as nuns. The kids who went to St. Benedict’s with me thought schools came with nuns. Build school, sprinkle holy water, nuns appear.
Yes, Aunt Sister was a nun from the old school of nuns, but that didn’t stop her from having a great time. I knew a different side of this ‘penguin.’ A secret side.
The cars were crammed full of people and possessions on that trip to Florida in 1966—all 10 of us, including Aunt Sister. How uncomfortable she must have been in that penguin outfit what with the black wool dress and veil and starched white collar and wimple, but Aunt Sister didn’t complain; she waited for her chance to be free. Her sights were set on the beach—the water, the sand, the shells.
I traveled to Florida before with my family and strolled the beach many times, but this was Aunt Sister’s first venture to this new world. She had traded that hot, hot suit for a pair of long black shorts and a long-sleeved white blouse adorned with her silver cross. I didn’t see this as a major difference, but Aunt Sister relished it. Her eyes lit up at her first glimpse of the Gulf of Mexico, and I hate to admit, her feet were much faster than mine as she dashed to the shoreline and scooped up some wet sand. Granules slid through her fingers and floated back to the ground, but something remained.
“Patty, come here. What kind of shell is this? Ooh, there’s a creature in here! A snail, do you think? Would your dad let us take this back to the room? I could slip it into my suitcase before we leave. Have you ever seen anything like this before? Do you think we can find more?”
Question after question, comment after comment, smile after smile. The joy was there.
Aunt Sister only made that one trip to Florida with us, but her joy in seeing the beauty of God’s creation stayed in her heart and mine for a lifetime.
Six Word Stories
Jeannine
Feisty leader, soar, up and away.
Jeannine, leader, soaring to new heights.
Institute
Workshop fosters voice. Sing on, writers.
Choices are good for writers—challenging.
Feisty leader, soar, up and away.
Jeannine, leader, soaring to new heights.
Institute
Workshop fosters voice. Sing on, writers.
Choices are good for writers—challenging.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Literature Review
Abstract
So much emphasis is put on high stakes tests. Not only do we want students to pass these tests, but we want them to be commended. Sixth, seventh, and eight grade students must now pass the reading test in order to move onto the next grade level. What happens when a student does not like to read? Does not want to participate in class? How can this student be encouraged? By modeling. This is the path I took with one seventh grade student. She entered my classroom as a nonreader, but she left it hooked on reading. I kept a pile of books on my desk for her to see, I read during her RICH time, I responded to the very short letters she wrote about her books, and I recommended books to her. All of this modeling helped her become an avid reader. This modeling helped this one student not only pass the test, but she made commended. Since this method, modeling, worked so well with my reading students, I wanted to see if it would work with writing as well. That was the emphasis of the research for this review: Since the practice of modeling is helpful to student success in reading, can it also be helpful to student success in writing?
Review
Research shows that a reading/writing workshop is the best approach to get students to write. As I read article after article, not only was the emphasis placed on the workshop method, but also on teacher modeling. Keaton Shenk (Writing from the Heart, 1996) implemented the reading/writing workshop in his classroom and determined that not only was this a good way to encourage student writing and participation, but it was vital that teachers write alongside their students, sharing drafts of their work with students. “I could identify more keenly with my students’ feelings each day in class as I asked them to write and revise, persuade and publish.” (Shenk 1996).
This same line is shown in articles by Tom Romano. In his April 1996 “Crafting Authentic Voice,” Romano shares his own writing with students in his writing class and together they analyze his craft—how he develops his authentic voice. Romano encourages the “death of adverbs’ and the “use of verbs with muscle” to craft voice. Romano revisits this idea of voice
in “Writing with Voice” (2003). Students used prompts from 100 Quickwrites by Linda Reif (2003) and When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant to spur writing. Not only did Romano write as students wrote, he shared his writing with them. Modeling.
William P. Bintz and Karen S. Shelton focus on a unique strategy in their 2004 article titled “Using Written Conversation in Middle School: Lessons from a Teacher Researcher Project.” Bintz and Shelton showed that note passing is a way for students to do something they enjoy, passing notes in class, and combine it with something they really do not like all that much, studying a novel. Shelton modeled the note passing procedure for her students. The model included: the format for each note, the manner in which students respond, and reflection at the end. Once again modeling for students.
Joyce Armstrong Carroll, in “Drawing into Meaning: A Powerful Writing Tool.” (1991) relates how drawing is not just for children who cannot write, but images at any age are part of making meaning. Use of images can be a valuable writing tool. This is shown many times over, I think, when we utilize a slideshow presentation. These slideshows are full of words and pictures to make our points. Even though Carroll does not make a direct case for teacher modeling as a strategy or idea, she shows models of drawings and books to enhance her idea of ‘drawing into meaning.’
Students must be exact in their writing by ‘showing not telling’ (Anderson, 2003). He shares how teachers can take skeletal sentences and flesh them out into full images. Use concrete nouns to help writing stick in the readers mind. Add absolutes and participles to create a telephoto lens that enhances the focus on specific details. Pull passages from novels to model this for students.
These ideas can be used in drafting as well as in revision. Writing is all about revision (Saddler 2003). Revision is hard for students, I think it is hard for all writers, but it is easier if teachers model specific revision strategies and give students time to practice them.
Students need several things to help them develop as writers. They need time, choice and models (Rief 2006). Students need good models of writing, professional writing and peer writing, to help them develop their skills. Using these models is learning to read as a writer. Models from all genres should be shown and shared to allow students to step inside and gain understanding of its characteristics.
Nancy Atwell, in my opinion, offers language arts teachers the best model for teaching reading and writing, the reading/writing workshop. Atwell encourages teachers to keep things real for students. She tells us writers thrive and create when they are motivated to work hard, have regular opportunities to practice and reflect, and benefit from the knowledge and experiences of a teacher who writes and knows writing (Atwell 2003). In other words, a teacher who models writing for them. She brings this to the forefront once again in “Hard Trying and These Recipes” (Atwell 2003). Students can accomplish good writing if they have lessons about topics, lessons about principals, lessons about genres, and lessons about conventions. The information she collected for this article became the focus for her book Lessons That Change Writers (2002). Each of these types of lessons is modeled for teachers and students in the book.
Much of the research I found cited Atwell’s workshop method for language arts classes. Sherry Guice (“The Second Time Around” March 2000) chose to implement the workshop when she returned to a middle school classroom. Sheryl Lain states, “My students learn to write better when I use the writing workshop because they write more and practice more thoughtful process.” (Lain 2007). No matter where I turned or what research I read, writing workshop was a main focus. Not only was writing workshop the method chosen for students, modeling was a major strategy used.
Modeling takes on many forms. It can be sharing examples, models, of your expectations for students, sharing examples, models, of your own writing with students, and simply doing the same thing your students are. No matter how your look at it, modeling is a must for student success in both reading and writing.
Article 11
I. Title: What’s Right with Writing
II. Author: Linda Rief
III. Author’s Purpose: Linda Rief shares with readers the progress that
has been made in writing and the teaching of writing over the past twenty years.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Rief tells readers that teachers must
be researchers in our own classrooms, gather information from our students over time,
question ourselves about what is working and not working, and act on this information to
help students reap the benefits of writing. Rief comments, as well, on the following points:
A. Writing is thinking; it is a way of communicating our understanding and
misunderstanding of ourselves and the world around us.
B. There is no one process that defines the way all writers write. Writing is recursive, and
the writer shifts back and forth between steps to make ideas clear.
C. We learn to write by reading extensively and writing for real audiences. Model for
students and share samples of good writing for students to read and imitate.
D. Writers need constructive response. Let students know what you noticed about their
writing, what was done well and questions that came to mind as you read. Put away
the red pen.
E. Evaluation of writing should highlight the strengths of process, content, and
conventions, and give the writer the tools and techniques to strengthen the
weaknesses. Allow students to verbalize their thinking as they moved through the
process helps them. Evaluation should move the writer forward and help them grow in
their thinking.
F. Writing is reading. For too long, the past ten years, the focus has been on literacy as
reading. We have forgotten writing. Since writing is a recursive process, students
engage in critical thinking and questioning and reading and writing.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question/s: What is right with writing and the
teaching of writing? How did we reach this point and where do we go
from here?
VI Author’s Methodology: Observation of and reflection on the
development and progress of writing instruction
A. Who is being studied? Students and teachers
B. Over what length of time: Twenty years
C. What data is being collected? Rief gathered teaching methods and strategies,
student writing samples, and other literature on writing to analyze ideas on how the
teaching of writing has changed over the past twenty years or so.
D. How is it being analyzed? Rief has taken the information gathered and looked at
where we were twenty years ago and where we are now
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Rief tells readers what our students need to
help them write well. They need time, choice, and models. This seems to sum up most
of the articles I have read for this review. She also mentions the need for professional
development for teachers that focuses as much on writing as on reading. Certainly,
The National Writing Project has done this around the United States.
VII. How the author collected information? I think Rief collected her
information through reading the works of John Dewey, Donald Murray, Peter Elbow,
Donald Graves, Tom Newkirk, Shelley Harwayne, Tom Romano, and Nancie Atwell in
addition to observations in classrooms and analysis of student work.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: Rief
also mentions in her article that testing is standing in the way of powerful writing
instruction. She even mentions that she met two young teachers who had to sign a clause
in their contracts that if they didn’t raise the scores of the students in their classrooms
from one year to the next, they understood they would be let go. What a difficult task to
accomplish! We need to do what is best for our students. In addition to her thoughts on
testing, Rief wants teachers of writing to stay focused on their own writing because this
helps us to understand what we are asking our students to do every day. Rief feels that we
have come a long way in the past twenty years, but we still have a long way to go.
II. Author: Linda Rief
III. Author’s Purpose: Linda Rief shares with readers the progress that
has been made in writing and the teaching of writing over the past twenty years.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Rief tells readers that teachers must
be researchers in our own classrooms, gather information from our students over time,
question ourselves about what is working and not working, and act on this information to
help students reap the benefits of writing. Rief comments, as well, on the following points:
A. Writing is thinking; it is a way of communicating our understanding and
misunderstanding of ourselves and the world around us.
B. There is no one process that defines the way all writers write. Writing is recursive, and
the writer shifts back and forth between steps to make ideas clear.
C. We learn to write by reading extensively and writing for real audiences. Model for
students and share samples of good writing for students to read and imitate.
D. Writers need constructive response. Let students know what you noticed about their
writing, what was done well and questions that came to mind as you read. Put away
the red pen.
E. Evaluation of writing should highlight the strengths of process, content, and
conventions, and give the writer the tools and techniques to strengthen the
weaknesses. Allow students to verbalize their thinking as they moved through the
process helps them. Evaluation should move the writer forward and help them grow in
their thinking.
F. Writing is reading. For too long, the past ten years, the focus has been on literacy as
reading. We have forgotten writing. Since writing is a recursive process, students
engage in critical thinking and questioning and reading and writing.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question/s: What is right with writing and the
teaching of writing? How did we reach this point and where do we go
from here?
VI Author’s Methodology: Observation of and reflection on the
development and progress of writing instruction
A. Who is being studied? Students and teachers
B. Over what length of time: Twenty years
C. What data is being collected? Rief gathered teaching methods and strategies,
student writing samples, and other literature on writing to analyze ideas on how the
teaching of writing has changed over the past twenty years or so.
D. How is it being analyzed? Rief has taken the information gathered and looked at
where we were twenty years ago and where we are now
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Rief tells readers what our students need to
help them write well. They need time, choice, and models. This seems to sum up most
of the articles I have read for this review. She also mentions the need for professional
development for teachers that focuses as much on writing as on reading. Certainly,
The National Writing Project has done this around the United States.
VII. How the author collected information? I think Rief collected her
information through reading the works of John Dewey, Donald Murray, Peter Elbow,
Donald Graves, Tom Newkirk, Shelley Harwayne, Tom Romano, and Nancie Atwell in
addition to observations in classrooms and analysis of student work.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: Rief
also mentions in her article that testing is standing in the way of powerful writing
instruction. She even mentions that she met two young teachers who had to sign a clause
in their contracts that if they didn’t raise the scores of the students in their classrooms
from one year to the next, they understood they would be let go. What a difficult task to
accomplish! We need to do what is best for our students. In addition to her thoughts on
testing, Rief wants teachers of writing to stay focused on their own writing because this
helps us to understand what we are asking our students to do every day. Rief feels that we
have come a long way in the past twenty years, but we still have a long way to go.
Article 10
I. Title: “But teacher, I added a period!” Middle Schoolers Learn to Revise
II. Author: Bruce Saddler
III. Author’s Purpose: The author describes how writers at different skill levels approach
revising, the difficulties they encounter, and shares several successful methods to help
middle school students.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Saddler shows readers that skilled
writers view revision as a whole-text task; they often revise and retool
a piece as they write. Many middle school students do not view
revising in this manner. Saddler offers suggestions to use within the
writing workshop, again modeling for students.
A. Students need to know why revising is important. Writing is all about making the
things the writer knows known to others in a particular way and for a particular
reason.
B. Conferencing—have someone else read the paper for clarity and understanding. It is
important to hear what you have written out loud. Peer conferencing can be viewed as
an interactive dialogue between writers.
C. Provide students with a checklist to guide their review of their own and each other’s
drafts. Students have concrete tasks and clear-cut goals set out for them. This is helpful
for all writers.
D. Have several pieces of writing being worked on at the same time. This way a student
can step back from a piece that is giving them some trouble and work on another piece.
When a student returns to the first piece after this reflective pause, their mind is clear
and refreshed, ready to tackle writing again.
E. The author also suggests that you grade the process as well as the product. Writing is a
process, and having multiple pieces being worked on at one time allows you to see a
student’s progress.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: I think the main question this author had was focused
on ‘how can I help my students to not only revise their writing, but to see that there is a
need for revision.
VI Author’s Methodology: The author is teaching revision skills through
modeling
A. Who is being studied? Students in a middle school language arts writing
workshop are being studied to see how well they develop their revision skills.
B. Over what length of time: No specific length of time is given.
C. What data is being collected? Student writing samples are being collected and
studied to see how well they implemented revision strategies.
D. How is it being analyzed? Saddler is looking for progress in student writing after
learning new strategies.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Saddler included two samples of
revision guides for teachers to use. These are very user friendly and can be easily
adapted for classroom use.
VII. How the author collected information: He used student writing from
student journals, essays assigned, and other samples of their writing to
analyze for this study.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: The
author concludes that a teacher can change how students approach
revision as you model specific revision strategies and give them time
to practice those strategies. Here again, the idea of model is discussed
and applauded as a means of helping students achieve success in their
writing.
II. Author: Bruce Saddler
III. Author’s Purpose: The author describes how writers at different skill levels approach
revising, the difficulties they encounter, and shares several successful methods to help
middle school students.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Saddler shows readers that skilled
writers view revision as a whole-text task; they often revise and retool
a piece as they write. Many middle school students do not view
revising in this manner. Saddler offers suggestions to use within the
writing workshop, again modeling for students.
A. Students need to know why revising is important. Writing is all about making the
things the writer knows known to others in a particular way and for a particular
reason.
B. Conferencing—have someone else read the paper for clarity and understanding. It is
important to hear what you have written out loud. Peer conferencing can be viewed as
an interactive dialogue between writers.
C. Provide students with a checklist to guide their review of their own and each other’s
drafts. Students have concrete tasks and clear-cut goals set out for them. This is helpful
for all writers.
D. Have several pieces of writing being worked on at the same time. This way a student
can step back from a piece that is giving them some trouble and work on another piece.
When a student returns to the first piece after this reflective pause, their mind is clear
and refreshed, ready to tackle writing again.
E. The author also suggests that you grade the process as well as the product. Writing is a
process, and having multiple pieces being worked on at one time allows you to see a
student’s progress.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: I think the main question this author had was focused
on ‘how can I help my students to not only revise their writing, but to see that there is a
need for revision.
VI Author’s Methodology: The author is teaching revision skills through
modeling
A. Who is being studied? Students in a middle school language arts writing
workshop are being studied to see how well they develop their revision skills.
B. Over what length of time: No specific length of time is given.
C. What data is being collected? Student writing samples are being collected and
studied to see how well they implemented revision strategies.
D. How is it being analyzed? Saddler is looking for progress in student writing after
learning new strategies.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Saddler included two samples of
revision guides for teachers to use. These are very user friendly and can be easily
adapted for classroom use.
VII. How the author collected information: He used student writing from
student journals, essays assigned, and other samples of their writing to
analyze for this study.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: The
author concludes that a teacher can change how students approach
revision as you model specific revision strategies and give them time
to practice those strategies. Here again, the idea of model is discussed
and applauded as a means of helping students achieve success in their
writing.
Article 9
I. Title: Reaffirming the Writing Workshop for Young Adolescents
II. Author: Sheryl Lain
III. Author’s Purpose: Lain writes this article to show that a writing workshop approach to
teaching writing is the best way to help students learn to write and is instrumental in
raising students’ scores on state tests.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Lain shows a successful way to set up
and implement a successful writing workshop:
A. Minilessons (modeling what students should do)
B. Variety of writing modes
C. Use of writing folders
D. Revision practices
E. Sharing work with peers
F. Publishing student work
G. Teacher wrote more and keeps in tune with writing tasks
expected of students
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: Is there a more direct way to ensure
student success in writing than trough the use of writing workshop?
VI. Author’s Methodology: Observation and analysis of student writing
A. Who is being studied? Students in middle school language arts classes
B. Over what length of time? No specific timeframe given
C. What data is being collected? Samples of student writing, discussion of students
about their writing, scores students receive on state tests
D. How is it being analyzed? Lain looked at the quality of the students’ examples and
noticed the depth and complexity of their writing. This is how she could see that the
workshop approach was beneficial to her students.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Lain made sure that she modeled lessons
for her students through minilessons and sharing her own writing with them
VII. How the author collected information: Lain asked students to write
for different purposes, peer edit drafts, participate in minilessons, and
take pieces to final copy so they could be analyzed to progress and
success as writers.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: Lain
definitely feels there is not better or more meaningful method for students to
achieve success as writers than the writing workshop that includes teacher modeling. She
says that her students learn to write better when they use a writing workshop approach
because they write more and practice a more thoughtful approach.
II. Author: Sheryl Lain
III. Author’s Purpose: Lain writes this article to show that a writing workshop approach to
teaching writing is the best way to help students learn to write and is instrumental in
raising students’ scores on state tests.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Lain shows a successful way to set up
and implement a successful writing workshop:
A. Minilessons (modeling what students should do)
B. Variety of writing modes
C. Use of writing folders
D. Revision practices
E. Sharing work with peers
F. Publishing student work
G. Teacher wrote more and keeps in tune with writing tasks
expected of students
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: Is there a more direct way to ensure
student success in writing than trough the use of writing workshop?
VI. Author’s Methodology: Observation and analysis of student writing
A. Who is being studied? Students in middle school language arts classes
B. Over what length of time? No specific timeframe given
C. What data is being collected? Samples of student writing, discussion of students
about their writing, scores students receive on state tests
D. How is it being analyzed? Lain looked at the quality of the students’ examples and
noticed the depth and complexity of their writing. This is how she could see that the
workshop approach was beneficial to her students.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Lain made sure that she modeled lessons
for her students through minilessons and sharing her own writing with them
VII. How the author collected information: Lain asked students to write
for different purposes, peer edit drafts, participate in minilessons, and
take pieces to final copy so they could be analyzed to progress and
success as writers.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: Lain
definitely feels there is not better or more meaningful method for students to
achieve success as writers than the writing workshop that includes teacher modeling. She
says that her students learn to write better when they use a writing workshop approach
because they write more and practice a more thoughtful approach.
Article 8
I. Title: Drawing into Meaning: A Powerful Writing Tool
II. Author: Joyce Armstrong Carroll
III. Author’s Purpose: The author wants readers, teachers, to see how
drawings, pictures of some sort, add meaning to writing.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study?
A. Keep drawing as part of writing
B. The use of drawings to enhance writing keeps kids going
C. Drawing enhances thinking skills
D. Practicing writing is one way to help students develop voice in
their writing
E. Model this for students
F. There is a relationship between words and images
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: If drawing, scribbling, and doodling,
fascinate us all, if all these loops and lines hold tacit meaning, why don’t
we use drawing in middle and high school as the powerful writing tool it
is?
VI Author’s Methodology:
A. Who is being studied? Students and teachers in middle and high school classrooms
B. Over what length of time: No exact length of time is given; maybe over a school year
C. What data is being collected? The author uses samples of drawing and writing from
students
D. How is it being analyzed? Discussion on how the visual and auditory work together to
enhance creativity
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: You need to use both visual and auditory
skills to learn, the two modes release human creativity.
VII. How the author collected information? The author visited many
middle and high schools, interacted with the teachers and students, and
discussed this information with them.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications:
Drawing is not just for children who can’t write. Images at any age are
part of making meaning. Use images as a writing tool.
II. Author: Joyce Armstrong Carroll
III. Author’s Purpose: The author wants readers, teachers, to see how
drawings, pictures of some sort, add meaning to writing.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study?
A. Keep drawing as part of writing
B. The use of drawings to enhance writing keeps kids going
C. Drawing enhances thinking skills
D. Practicing writing is one way to help students develop voice in
their writing
E. Model this for students
F. There is a relationship between words and images
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: If drawing, scribbling, and doodling,
fascinate us all, if all these loops and lines hold tacit meaning, why don’t
we use drawing in middle and high school as the powerful writing tool it
is?
VI Author’s Methodology:
A. Who is being studied? Students and teachers in middle and high school classrooms
B. Over what length of time: No exact length of time is given; maybe over a school year
C. What data is being collected? The author uses samples of drawing and writing from
students
D. How is it being analyzed? Discussion on how the visual and auditory work together to
enhance creativity
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: You need to use both visual and auditory
skills to learn, the two modes release human creativity.
VII. How the author collected information? The author visited many
middle and high schools, interacted with the teachers and students, and
discussed this information with them.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications:
Drawing is not just for children who can’t write. Images at any age are
part of making meaning. Use images as a writing tool.
Article 7
I. Title: Naming Names: A Concrete Way to Help Students Write
II. Author: Jeff Anderson
III. Author’s Purpose: Anderson wants to share with his readers ways in
which students can add detail and voice to their writing by showing not
telling.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Students need to be given specific
ways to ‘show not tell’ in their writing. Some of these methods are:
A. Showing nouns: by using concrete nouns, readers get a good idea
of what the author is trying to say
B. Fleshing out details: add detail, name names and the ideas will
stick with the reader
C. Absolutes: use a noun + -ing (participle) to show action and
description
D. Appositives: start with a simple sentence and choose a noun to
amplify
V. Author’s Inquiry Question/s? How do I get students to be more exact
and concrete in their writing and how do I help this idea to stick for
them?
VI Author’s Methodology: Anderson shared models of good writing,
writing that incorporated concrete details, absolutes, and fleshed out
sentences.
A. Who is being studied? Jeff Anderson studied students in his 6th, 7th, and 8th grade
classes.
B. Over what length of time? No specific time is given, but it seems that it was a school
year.
C. What data is being collected? Samples of student writing and how they incorporate
concrete nouns, fleshed out detail, absolutes, and appositives in their essays
D. How is it being analyzed? Anderson is studying the affect of these techniques on
students’ writing
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Anderson took some interesting ideas and put
them into practice. Some of these ideas come from Harry Noden and his Image
Grammar, a book that I have used in my class. This is a book that gives a lot if ideas on
helping students to put their all into an essay and how we , as teachers can model this
for them.
VII. How the author collected information? He collects samples of student writing
from class assignments
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: The
author determined that naming names, using concrete names for
nouns, offers students a concrete way to revise their writing so
that it conveys their ideas clearly. Again, Anderson shows us that
we, as teachers, need to model for our students. We can model with
our own writing or share professional models with our students.
There are many ways to model for them, but we can’t expect
them to just do it on their own.
II. Author: Jeff Anderson
III. Author’s Purpose: Anderson wants to share with his readers ways in
which students can add detail and voice to their writing by showing not
telling.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they
support the need for the study? Students need to be given specific
ways to ‘show not tell’ in their writing. Some of these methods are:
A. Showing nouns: by using concrete nouns, readers get a good idea
of what the author is trying to say
B. Fleshing out details: add detail, name names and the ideas will
stick with the reader
C. Absolutes: use a noun + -ing (participle) to show action and
description
D. Appositives: start with a simple sentence and choose a noun to
amplify
V. Author’s Inquiry Question/s? How do I get students to be more exact
and concrete in their writing and how do I help this idea to stick for
them?
VI Author’s Methodology: Anderson shared models of good writing,
writing that incorporated concrete details, absolutes, and fleshed out
sentences.
A. Who is being studied? Jeff Anderson studied students in his 6th, 7th, and 8th grade
classes.
B. Over what length of time? No specific time is given, but it seems that it was a school
year.
C. What data is being collected? Samples of student writing and how they incorporate
concrete nouns, fleshed out detail, absolutes, and appositives in their essays
D. How is it being analyzed? Anderson is studying the affect of these techniques on
students’ writing
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data: Anderson took some interesting ideas and put
them into practice. Some of these ideas come from Harry Noden and his Image
Grammar, a book that I have used in my class. This is a book that gives a lot if ideas on
helping students to put their all into an essay and how we , as teachers can model this
for them.
VII. How the author collected information? He collects samples of student writing
from class assignments
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: The
author determined that naming names, using concrete names for
nouns, offers students a concrete way to revise their writing so
that it conveys their ideas clearly. Again, Anderson shows us that
we, as teachers, need to model for our students. We can model with
our own writing or share professional models with our students.
There are many ways to model for them, but we can’t expect
them to just do it on their own.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Showcase
Join us for a reflective of our Bluebonnet time.
https://mavspace.uta.edu/pkh8515/bluebonnet%5B1%5D.ppt
https://mavspace.uta.edu/pkh8515/bluebonnet%5B1%5D.ppt
Article 6
I. Title: Using Written Conversation in Middle School: Lessons from a Teacher Researcher
Project
II. Author: William P Bintz and Karen S. Shelton
III. Author’s Purpose: This article focused on two different topics—teaching as researching
and a specific lesson, written conversation.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the
need for the study? The author and the teacher-researcher showed that note passing is
a way for students to do something they enjoy, passing notes, and combine it with
something they really don’t like all that much, studying a novel.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: How can note passing in class be used as a potentially
positive, rather than always a negative activity for students?
VI. Author’s Methodology: Qualitative research methodology
A. Who is being studied? Students in 7th and 8th grade language arts classes are being
studied.
B. Over what length of time? The time frame is not stated, but it appears to be over
one novel study.
C. What data is being collected? The teacher-researcher, Karen Shelton, collected
writing samples and written reflections from students during her language arts class
and sharing this at a summer conference and during visits to teachers’ classrooms.
D. How is it being analyzed? The teacher-researcher, Karen Shelton, used a three step
process to analyze her research:
1. She read through the data recording comments and not stopping to reflect on the
data; she wanted to determine the reading process the pairs of students used to
create and represent meaning from the text.
2. She then read the data set a second time more critically and reflectively to construct
her working hypotheses by seeing patterns in responses, what similar reading
processes were used.
3. She read the entire set again focusing on refining emerging patterns by comparing
them against the data.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data? Shelton notices six patterns or
categories of reading processes in her research:
1. making a prediction
2. drawing an inference
3. making a personal connection
4. taking a position
5. asking a question
6. detecting an anomaly
VII. How the author collected information: The teacher-researcher
is keeping anecdotal records, looking at writing samples, and also looking at student
reflections to determine the effectiveness of written conversation in student learning and
retention of material.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications:
Written conversation is a great strategy to help students learn in a fun, creative way. The
author also shows that teaching and researching are the same thing; teachers have
to support their own learning in order to support the learning of students, and teaching as
researching is rewarding but very hard work.
Project
II. Author: William P Bintz and Karen S. Shelton
III. Author’s Purpose: This article focused on two different topics—teaching as researching
and a specific lesson, written conversation.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the
need for the study? The author and the teacher-researcher showed that note passing is
a way for students to do something they enjoy, passing notes, and combine it with
something they really don’t like all that much, studying a novel.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: How can note passing in class be used as a potentially
positive, rather than always a negative activity for students?
VI. Author’s Methodology: Qualitative research methodology
A. Who is being studied? Students in 7th and 8th grade language arts classes are being
studied.
B. Over what length of time? The time frame is not stated, but it appears to be over
one novel study.
C. What data is being collected? The teacher-researcher, Karen Shelton, collected
writing samples and written reflections from students during her language arts class
and sharing this at a summer conference and during visits to teachers’ classrooms.
D. How is it being analyzed? The teacher-researcher, Karen Shelton, used a three step
process to analyze her research:
1. She read through the data recording comments and not stopping to reflect on the
data; she wanted to determine the reading process the pairs of students used to
create and represent meaning from the text.
2. She then read the data set a second time more critically and reflectively to construct
her working hypotheses by seeing patterns in responses, what similar reading
processes were used.
3. She read the entire set again focusing on refining emerging patterns by comparing
them against the data.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data? Shelton notices six patterns or
categories of reading processes in her research:
1. making a prediction
2. drawing an inference
3. making a personal connection
4. taking a position
5. asking a question
6. detecting an anomaly
VII. How the author collected information: The teacher-researcher
is keeping anecdotal records, looking at writing samples, and also looking at student
reflections to determine the effectiveness of written conversation in student learning and
retention of material.
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications:
Written conversation is a great strategy to help students learn in a fun, creative way. The
author also shows that teaching and researching are the same thing; teachers have
to support their own learning in order to support the learning of students, and teaching as
researching is rewarding but very hard work.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Article 5
I. Title: Hard Trying and These Recipes
II. Author: Nancie Atwell
III. Author’s Purpose: Atwell wants teachers of writing to look for and think about
writing lessons that will make the intangible tangible for students. She wants to make it
real for her students.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the
need for the study? Writers will thrive and create when they are motivated to work
hard, have regular opportunities to practice and reflect, and benefit from the knowledge
and experiences of a teacher who writes and knows writing, a teacher who models for
them.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: Can writing ability be learned, or do good writers have a
natural ability?
VI. Author’s Methodology: Observation, discussion, and analysis of writing were the
methods employed.
A. Who is being studied? Students in Atwell’s class over the last 10 years.
B. Over what length of time? 10 years
C. What data is being collected? Atwell is collecting pieces of student writing to
see which lessons had an impact on students and their growth as writers.
D. How is it being analyzed? Atwell looks at the quality and creativity of her
students' pieces.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data? Atwell used much of this
information in her book Lessons That Change Writers.
VII. How the author collected information: Atwell used observation and questioning
of students, analysis of students’ writing, and their verbal and written response
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: Students can
develop their writing skills if given the opportunity to do so. This can be accomplished if
they had the following:
A. Lessons about topics: ways to develop ideas for pieces of writing that matter to kids
and to their readers.
B. Lessons about principals: ways to approach drafting and revising deliberately, in
order to craft meaningful, literary prose and poetry.
C. Lesson about genres: ways kids and teacher collaborate to observe and name the
qualities of good poetry, short fiction, memoirs, essays, book reviews, and other
genres.
D. Lessons about conventions: what a reader’s eyes and mind will expect from a piece of
writing, and how marks and forms give writers voice make reading predictable and
easy.
It is important that students have a predictable structure, a regular schedule, and student’s discretion on topics. Atwell presented all of this in her article and again in her book.
II. Author: Nancie Atwell
III. Author’s Purpose: Atwell wants teachers of writing to look for and think about
writing lessons that will make the intangible tangible for students. She wants to make it
real for her students.
IV. What are the points made in the review of the literature? Do they support the
need for the study? Writers will thrive and create when they are motivated to work
hard, have regular opportunities to practice and reflect, and benefit from the knowledge
and experiences of a teacher who writes and knows writing, a teacher who models for
them.
V. Author’s Inquiry Question: Can writing ability be learned, or do good writers have a
natural ability?
VI. Author’s Methodology: Observation, discussion, and analysis of writing were the
methods employed.
A. Who is being studied? Students in Atwell’s class over the last 10 years.
B. Over what length of time? 10 years
C. What data is being collected? Atwell is collecting pieces of student writing to
see which lessons had an impact on students and their growth as writers.
D. How is it being analyzed? Atwell looks at the quality and creativity of her
students' pieces.
E. Any other interesting or pertinent data? Atwell used much of this
information in her book Lessons That Change Writers.
VII. How the author collected information: Atwell used observation and questioning
of students, analysis of students’ writing, and their verbal and written response
VIII. What the Author Discovered or Conclusions/Implications: Students can
develop their writing skills if given the opportunity to do so. This can be accomplished if
they had the following:
A. Lessons about topics: ways to develop ideas for pieces of writing that matter to kids
and to their readers.
B. Lessons about principals: ways to approach drafting and revising deliberately, in
order to craft meaningful, literary prose and poetry.
C. Lesson about genres: ways kids and teacher collaborate to observe and name the
qualities of good poetry, short fiction, memoirs, essays, book reviews, and other
genres.
D. Lessons about conventions: what a reader’s eyes and mind will expect from a piece of
writing, and how marks and forms give writers voice make reading predictable and
easy.
It is important that students have a predictable structure, a regular schedule, and student’s discretion on topics. Atwell presented all of this in her article and again in her book.
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