The Quill and the Keyboard:

A Marriage made in CyberHeaven

Using Technology to Focus the Teaching of Writing

By Terie Cota

Narrowing the Focus

Looking at one aspect of writing (rather than the entire genre) during an assignment or lesson keeps students—and YOU—from being overwhelmed by “too many things to fix”The NWREL 6 + 1Trait® Writing Model breaks down writing into six (or seven) aspects, which allows us a focus for both instructional--as well as assessment-- purposes.

The 6-Trait (or 6+1 Trait® Writing Model)

IdeasOrganization

VoiceWord Choice

Sentence FluencyConventions

+Presentation

Why Technology?

Broad access to ideas and support for teachersCompelling and attractive learning opportunities for students of all agesDifferentiated instruction possibilitiesCertain impacts that cannot be achieved without the use of technology

Lest We Forget About Standards…

(from the California Department of Education English/Language Arts Standards)

Kindergarten Students write words and brief sentences about experiences, stories, people objects and events.

1st and 2nd Graders write clear and coherent sentences & paragraphs that develop a central idea, while considering an audience & purpose. They use the writing process and write descriptively. 2nd graders give though to settings & write friendly letters.

3rd Graders write clear and coherent sentences & paragraphs that develop a central idea, while considering an audience & purpose. They use the writing process. Their narratives contain concrete sensory details & insight.

Writing in Grades 4-6

4th Graders write clear & coherent multi-paragraph compositions that develop a central idea, while considering an audience & purpose. They use the writing process. They use reference materials, including those online & learn basic keyboarding and computer terminology. They edit & revise. Narratives, responses to literature, information reports, & summaries are the genres for which they are responsible.

5th and 6th Graders write clear, coherent, & focused essays. The writing exhibits the students' awareness of the audience & purpose. They write formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed, including editing & revision. Their compositions are narrative expository, persuasive, research reports & descriptive (500-700 words). 5th graders use organization features of printed text to locate information, while 6th graders use electronic means to do the same thing. They create simple documents using electronic media. 6th graders develop further word processing skills.

Writing in Grades 7 & 8

7th graders’ writing continues to grow in sophistication. Word choice, inquiry, logic, outlining & note-taking now come into play. They use effective transitions, & support claims with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, & specific examples. Inquiry, investigation, research & evaluation are key. They learn the format & use of a bibliography They create documents by using word-processing skills and publishing programs; develop simple databases & spreadsheets to manage information & prepare reports.

8th Graders write biographies, autobiographies, short stories, narratives, responses to literature, research reports, persuasive compositions, business letters, job applications & technical documents. They plan & conduct multiple-step information searches by using computer networks and modems. They achieve an effective balance between researched information and original ideas. They revise writing for word choice; appropriate organization; consistent point of view; & transitions between paragraphs, passages, & ideas.

Tech Standards for Teachers AND Students!

Technology Foundation Standards for Students

Basic operations and concepts Social, ethical, and human issues Technology productivity tools

Technology communications tools Technology research tools Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

Both from ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education):

National Educational Technology Standards Standards for Students

Standards for Teachers

Technology Standards for Teachers

TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS.Teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts.

PLANNING AND DESIGNING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES.Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.

TEACHING, LEARNING, AND THE CURRICULUM.Teachers implement curriculum plans, that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning.

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies.

PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE.Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice.

SOCIAL, ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND HUMAN ISSUES.Teachers understand the social,ethical,legal,and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice.

What We Will Be Doing During Each Session

A quick overview of the specific trait by meA quick sample demo lesson by meLots of opportunity to plan and research for youDevelopment of part of your own writing unit by youTime to share what you’ve done for everyoneTime to reflect on your own work by youTime to assess the day’s learning by you (anonymously)Chances to share throughout the coming weeks in online threaded discussions between us

******************Ultimately…the gathering of your lessons to create a Writing Unit…and the sharing out of our respective creations by us!

Where Does Technology Fit In?

You will be finding and using online resources, in addition to your tried-and-true paper ones.You will be learning and developing new ways of presenting lessons (using word processing, presentation, web design and spreadsheet software, as well as ).You will be developing opportunities for your students to use technology in these same ways.(Don’t worry…if you lack experience, we’ll teach you! ).

What You Will Do

For each lesson you create, you will pick one writing trait (for general use, with any genre, or perhaps as it would apply to a specific genre) upon which to focus.You will also choose one technology application to be the “lense” through which you will focus.Using resources and ideas you already have, and looking for additional ones online, you will update, re-create, or newly create a tool which will either allow you to present the concept to students, or allow the students to investigate or practice this concept on their own.

The Sessions

Session 1: Overview, Trait 1 “Ideas”Session 2: Trait 2 “Organization”, Trait 3 “Voice”Session 3: Trait 4 “Word Choice”, Trait 5 “Sentence Fluency”Session 4: Trait 6 “Conventions”, Trait + 1 “Presentation”Session 5: Recap, Sharing Celebration

Resources and Acknowledgements

California Department of Education http://www.cde.ca.gov

Discovery School http://www.discoveryschool.com

International Society for Technology in Education http://www.iste.org

Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/teaching

SETDA Framework for Professional Development http://www.setda.org/Toolkit2003/hgpd/Ch4FrameworkDiagram/doc