EDU 4245EDU 4245

WritingWriting

Think for a Moment…Think for a Moment…

……about the most compelling book you ever about the most compelling book you ever read or the most provocative movie you read or the most provocative movie you have ever seen. After finishing the book or have ever seen. After finishing the book or at the end of the movie, what was your at the end of the movie, what was your first instinct?first instinct?

Principles of WritingPrinciples of Writing (from research and personal experience)(from research and personal experience)

Writing about a subject helps students Writing about a subject helps students learn more about that subject.learn more about that subject.

All students can learn to write.All students can learn to write.

Writing can be taught.Writing can be taught.

All teachers are responsible for teaching All teachers are responsible for teaching writing.writing.

Learning to write takes a large amount of Learning to write takes a large amount of practice.practice.

Principles of WritingPrinciples of Writing (from research and personal experience)(from research and personal experience)

Students need to practice many forms of Students need to practice many forms of writing.writing.For each writing assignment, students For each writing assignment, students need to identify the purpose and the need to identify the purpose and the audience for their writing.audience for their writing.Students should have opportunities to Students should have opportunities to share what they write with people other share what they write with people other than their teachers.than their teachers.

Principles of WritingPrinciples of Writing (from research and personal experience)(from research and personal experience)

Evaluation should not always be based Evaluation should not always be based solely on the final product, but sometimes solely on the final product, but sometimes on the process.on the process.

<GASP> Not all writing needs to be <GASP> Not all writing needs to be graded!graded!

Reading and writing are like 2 best friends. Reading and writing are like 2 best friends. They’re different, but they complement They’re different, but they complement and enhance each other in powerful ways.and enhance each other in powerful ways.

2002 NAEP Data: Writing2002 NAEP Data: Writing

At or below basic = 76%At or below basic = 76%

At or above proficient = 24%At or above proficient = 24%

Below Basic26%

Basic50%

Proficient22%

Advanced2%

NAEP subgroupsNAEP subgroups

The average scores of twelfth-grade male The average scores of twelfth-grade male students declined in 2002, but no change was students declined in 2002, but no change was detected in the average scores of twelfth-grade detected in the average scores of twelfth-grade female students. female students. In 2002, Asian/Pacific Islander students and In 2002, Asian/Pacific Islander students and White students outperformed Black and Hispanic White students outperformed Black and Hispanic students at all three grades. students at all three grades. At all three grades in 2002, students attending At all three grades in 2002, students attending nonpublic schools had higher average writing nonpublic schools had higher average writing scores than their peers attending public schools. scores than their peers attending public schools.

NAEP SubgroupsNAEP Subgroups

The average writing scores of students in all The average writing scores of students in all three grades in urban fringe schools were higher three grades in urban fringe schools were higher in 2002 than for students in central city schools in 2002 than for students in central city schools and rural schools. and rural schools. Average scores at all three grades were lower for Average scores at all three grades were lower for students who were eligible for free/ reduced-price students who were eligible for free/ reduced-price lunch than for students who were not eligible. lunch than for students who were not eligible. Overall, there is a positive relationship between Overall, there is a positive relationship between student-reported parental education and student student-reported parental education and student performance in writing: for both eighth- and performance in writing: for both eighth- and twelfth-graders: the higher the parental education twelfth-graders: the higher the parental education level, the higher the average writing score. level, the higher the average writing score.

Parents’ educational levelParents’ educational level

Less than high schoolLess than high school 129 129 Graduated high schoolGraduated high school 139 139 Some education after high school Some education after high school 149 149 Graduated collegeGraduated college 158 158 UnknownUnknown 114114

Advanced = 230+Advanced = 230+ Basic = 122-177Basic = 122-177Proficient = 178-229Proficient = 178-229 Below = 121-Below = 121-

Writing Continuum Writing Continuum

ExplorationExploration

Class activityClass activity

BriefBrief

Practice Practice

ProcessProcess

Ungraded/ Ungraded/ Completion gradeCompletion grade

ClarificationClarification

Take home Take home assignmentassignment

ExtendedExtended

Polish Polish

ProductProduct

Graded Graded

Informal Formal

Why waste time on informal Why waste time on informal writing?writing?

Prior knowledgePrior knowledgeScaffoldingScaffoldingReinforcing conceptsReinforcing conceptsFormative assessmentFormative assessmentThinking on paperThinking on paperLeads to formalLeads to formalMetacognitionMetacognition

But Journals are touchy feely…But Journals are touchy feely…

ExampleExample

PurposePurpose

Double entry journalsDouble entry journals

Learning logsLearning logs

Writing in Math?Writing in Math?

Read the storiesRead the stories

What purposes does this assignment What purposes does this assignment serve?serve?

How would you grade?How would you grade?

Questions to ConsiderQuestions to Consider

How can you incorporate writing into your How can you incorporate writing into your own content area? (Think own content area? (Think purposepurpose!)!)

How will you grade student writing?How will you grade student writing?– HolisticHolistic– Completion GradeCompletion Grade– RubricRubric– PointsPoints

Rubrics on the webRubrics on the web

http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.shtmlshtml

www.rubrics.comwww.rubrics.com

http://www.rubrician.com/http://www.rubrician.com/

http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=25http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=25 (This site shows how to build a rubric.)(This site shows how to build a rubric.)

http://http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.htmlhtml