WHAT IS IT? Nonstop timed writing (three to seven minutes)
Responding to a prompt Focus on presenting ideas not spelling,
punctuation, or conventions Prompts can be content related i.e.,
Describe the cycle of photosynthesis as if you were a blade of
grass on a football field. or more opened i.e., What is your
reaction to the film?
Slide 3
ITS VERY VERSATILE WHEN TO USE IT AND WHY Before or throughout
the study of any content area Explore ideas about the subject
before studying it Response to reading Trace changes in thinking
about the subject
Slide 4
Play by Play
Slide 5
PLAY BY PLAY: THE KICKOFF Start small until students get the
hang of ifa minute or two Help students avoid running up against
the wall (cant think of anything to write).
Slide 6
PLAY BY PLAY: WORKING THE GAME As students write, teacher needs
to watch for one main problem: students who write a couple of
sentences then shut downblocked. To prevent this, before writing
begins give partners a minute or two to talk and brainstorm about
the topic followed by a quick class brainstorming list written on a
overhead finally let students know how their papers will be used
(they will take it more seriously).
Slide 7
PLAY BY PLAY: WORKING THE GAME Putting thoughts onto paper
quickly takes practice The continuous writing of sentences and
paragraphs takes more effort than brainstorming a quick list.
Continuing to write for seven minutes requires the writer to expand
on details or move on to new topics when a previous one is
exhausted. Use this strategy frequently, practice will improve
quality and depth of learning.
Slide 8
PLAY BY PLAY: THE HIGH-STAKES GAMES Wording your own prompts
similarly to those that students will face on high- stakes tests
will give them an advantage when tackling AP, ACT, SAT, and the new
End- of-Level exams.
Slide 9
PUTTING THE WRITING TO WORK Writing is useful to help students
remember information also to connect information to personal ideas
Sharing writing with others is a springboard for discussion and
further self-evaluation of writing.
Slide 10
OK TEAM, LETS PRACTICE!
Slide 11
VAMPIRE BAT DEBATE: TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL Prompt: Both the
cattleman Francisco Oliva and the research zoologist Stefan Klose
make valid points, which do you support and why?
Slide 12
WHAT CAN GO WRONG? Roadblocks previously mentioned Grading to
build proficiency
Slide 13
The final play! Now well all use our textbooks to locate a
lesson that we will be teaching the first of term of this year.
Finally, we will share our ideas with a partner then then some with
the whole group.
