Tompkins, G. (2012). Teaching Writing: Balancing Product … · TOPIC 1.1.4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1 ... for the selection of touchstone texts for teaching elements of ... with No Red

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EDAM 5063: Developing Reading Through Writing Learning Guide Course description: This course focuses on how the processes of reading and writing are interrelated. Course documents and activities will engage learners in making the reading-writing connection by understanding and applying instructional strategies and assessment techniques to develop students’ writing. Required Texts:

• Tompkins, G. (2012). Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

• Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach 5th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon

• Mather, N., Wendling, B.J., & Roberts, R. (2009) Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Additional Required Course Readings There are no additional course readings outside of the readings contained in the required texts.


Activity Time Breakdown

The ACTIVITY TIME BREAKDOWN provides a complete list of all activities in the course, as well as the recommended, approximate time for each activity. This will aid you in preparing and organizing your learning as you progress through the course. Use the breakdown as a checklist to ensure the completion of all activities or simply as a reference whenever questions arise. ACTIVITIES BY UNIT AND TOPIC ESTIMATED TIME

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION

TOPIC1.1.1 INTRODUCTION Document(s):

• Series Overview

2 minutes

TOPIC 1.1.2 COURSE MATERIALS Document(s):

• Learning Guide • Course Requirements

15 minutes

TOPIC 1.1.3 LEARNING GOALS 1 minute

TOPIC 1.1.4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1 minute

TOPIC 1.1.5 COURSE OVERVIEW 1 minute

TOPIC 1.1.6 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES

Learning Log: Perspectives on Teaching and Assessing Writing 35 minutes

Wikispaces Introduction 10 minutes

Exploring SAS 30 minutes

TOPIC 1.2 UNIT REVIEW N/A

TOPIC 1.3 UNIT CHECKPOINT N/A

UNIT 1 ESTIMATED TIME TOTAL 1Hour 30 Minutes

UNIT 2: MAKING THE READING-WRITING CONNECTION

TOPIC 2.1.1 UNIT OVERVIEW N/A

TOPIC 2.1.2 READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT

How Children Develop as Readers and Writers From the text, Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (5th ed.), read the following:

• How Children Develop as Readers and Writers (pgs. 117-128)

40 minutes

The Reading and Writing Processes From the text, Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (5th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter2: Teaching the Reading and Writing Processes (pgs. 38-69)

75 minutes

Connecting Reading and Writing Self-Assessment 10 minutes

Learning Log: School Philosophy 20 minutes

Classroom Environment Reflection 10 minutes

TOPIC: 2.1.3 COMPONENTS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE

Components of Written Language From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 2: Components of Written Language (pgs. 7-30)

65 minutes

Factors Affecting Writing From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 10: Writing as Communication (pgs. 305-319)

45 minutes


Assessment: Written Reflection 90 minutes

Discussion: The Reading-Writing Connection 30 minutes

TOPIC 2.2 ASSESSMENT SUBMISSION N/A



UNIT 2 ESTIMATED TIME TOTAL 6 Hours 30 Minutes

UNIT 3: DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS


TOPIC 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS

Strategies Good Writers Use From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 2: Developing Strategic Writers (pgs. 32-46 (stopping before Instructional Procedures)

40 minutes

Instructional Strategies for Developing Writing From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Instructional Procedures (pgs. 46-55) From the text, Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (5th ed.), read the following:

• Instructional Practices (pgs. 128-141)

65 minutes

Learning Log: Instructional Strategy Inventory 25 minutes

Differentiating Reading and Writing Instruction From the text, Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (5th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 11: Differentiating Reading and Writing Instruction (pgs. 356-372 stopping before the Struggling Readers and Writers section)

75 minutes

Lesson Revision 60 minutes

Assessment: Lesson Implementation and Evaluation Summary #1 90 minutes

Discussion: Exemplary Writing Instruction 30 minutes




UNIT 3 ESTIMATED TIME TOTAL 6 Hours 30 Minutes

UNIT 4: SUPPORTING STRUGGLING WRITERS


TOPIC 4.1.2 OVERVIEW OF STRUGGLING WRITERS

Struggling Readers and Writers From the text, Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (5th ed.), read the following:

• Struggling Readers and Writers (pgs. 372-383 stopping before chapter review)

40 minutes

Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 4: Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers (pgs. 71-82)

40 minutes

TOPIC 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED

Helping Students with Handwriting From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning

45 minutes


Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following: • Chapter 5: Helping Students with Handwriting (pgs. 83-98)

Learning Log: Dysgraphia Resources 45 minutes

Building Students’ Basic Writing Skills From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 6: Building Basic Writing Skills (pgs. 105-152)

120 minutes

Improving Students’ Written Expression From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 7: Improving Written Expression (pgs. 153-215)

120 minutes

Assessment: Difficulties in Writing Chart and Summary 90 minutes

Discussion: Struggling Writers 30 minutes




UNIT 4 ESTIMATED TIME TOTALS 9 Hours

UNIT 5: WORKING WITH DIFFERENT WRITING GENRES


TOPIC 5.1.2 WRITING GENRES

Narrative Writing From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 8: Narrative Writing (pgs. 178-198)

55 minutes

Expository Writing From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 9: Expository Writing (pgs. 200-226)

65 minutes

Assessment: Lesson Implementation and Evaluation Summary #2 90 minutes


TOPIC 5.3.1 WRITING GENRES (Continued)

Poetry Writing From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 7: Poetry Writing (pgs. 154-177)

65 minutes

Learning Log: Wiki for Genres of Writing Your facilitator will assign you one of the following chapter readings from the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.):

• Chapter 10: Biographical Writing (pgs. 228-249) • Chapter 11: Persuasive Writing (pgs. 250-270) • Chapter 5: Personal Writing (pgs. 106-132) • Chapter 6: Descriptive Writing (pgs. 134-153)

75 minutes

Assessment: Touchstone/Mentor Text Resource Chart 90 minutes

Discussion: Lesson Reflection 30 minutes





UNIT 6: ASSESSING WRITING



TOPIC 6.1.2 Six Traits Writing

Six Traits Writing From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 3: The Writer’s Craft Six (pgs. 56-81)

65 minutes

Assessment Implementation and Analysis Summary 90 minutes


TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING

Informal and Formative Writing Assessment From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 4: Assessing Writing (pgs. 82-104)

55 minutes

Curriculum-Based Measurement From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 8: Informal Assessment and Curriculum Based Measurement (pgs. 227-240)

45 minutes

Writing Assessment Inventory 20 minutes

Learning Log: Writing Assessments Curriculum Review 40 minutes

Writing Assessment Reflection 10 minutes

Practice With Analyzing Writing Samples From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 9: Analysis of Writing Samples (pgs. 243-275)

150 minutes

Assessment: Intervention Plan 180 minutes

Discussion: Course Reflections 30 minutes






UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION

UNIT OVERVIEW In this unit the following topics will be addressed: Topics:

• Learning Goals • Course Materials • Guiding Principles • Introductory Activities

TOPIC: 1.1.3 LEARNING GOALS 1.1.3 LEARNING GOALS

The learning goals for this course are as follows:

• Make connections between reading and writing by examining personal use of strategies, habits, and attitudes as a reader and a writer

• Plan and implement a writing lesson using one or more of the following writing strategies: modeled, interactive, guided, then evaluate the lesson and explain how these strategies are used to move students toward independent writing

• Describe how the components of writing are interrelated and how they pose challenges for students with disabilities

• Identify and provide a rationale for the selection of touchstone texts for teaching elements of fiction, elements of nonfiction, and poetry at the K-3, 4-8, and 9-12 grade level

• Design and implement a lesson implementing graphic organizers for writing then evaluate student data from the lesson to determine the effectiveness of graphic organizers as tools for supporting students’ comprehension and understanding of fiction and non-fiction text structures.

• Administer, analyze, and interpret a student’s level of performance on a writing assessment that assesses the following domains: focus, content, organization, style, and conventions

• Evaluate student data and develop an intervention plan for helping a struggling writer including how technology can be integrated as a support

Guiding Principles of the Graduate program:

• All children can learn to read.

• Learners begin at different levels.

• Learning expectations should be challenging and fair for all students.

• Instruction should be explicit, deliberate, systematic and follow evidence-based research practices.

• Learners should be taught metacognitive strategies through the gradual release of responsibility model (GRRM).

• Assessment should guide instruction.

• Classroom environment should support literacy instruction.


TOPIC: 1.1.6 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES 1.1.6 Learning Log: Perspectives on Teaching and Assessing Writing In this activity you will develop your own perspective on teaching and assessing writing.

1. Using the space below do a Quickwrite for two to three minutes on the following prompt:

• How would you describe your perspective on writing assessment and instruction within a comprehensive literacy program?

2. After completing your Quickwrite, read the following from the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.):

• Chapter 1: Very Gently with No Red Marks (pgs. 1-7) • Chapter 3: Theoretical Perspectives and Effective Principles (pgs. 35-39)

3. Review your Quickwrite and compare it to perspectives from the readings. 4. In your Learning Log, enter a summary of how the readings compare to your perspective on

writing assessment and instruction, including any insights gained from the readings. Click “Resources” then “Learning Log.” Label your entry “Perspectives on Teaching and Assessing Writing.”

5. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the Learning Log rubric. 6. Close the Learning Log window and return to the course to continue.


TOPIC: 1.1.6 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES 1.1.6 Wikispaces Introduction In this activity you will get to know your study group members as individuals and start building long-term relationships utilizing the National Institute for Professional Practice’s Wikispace. The National Institute’s Wikispace will be used throughout this program as a collaboration tool for sharing work, ideas, and resources. Please note this wiki activity will not be scored. However, the wiki activities in the other units will be scored. When posting information to the National Institute’s Wikispace, it is important to remember that this is a professional social networking opportunity. All information (including comments, documents, and links) can be viewed by the staff at the National Institute. Any inappropriate information found by the National Institute will be immediately removed and the person(s) responsible for posting the information will lose all user privileges.

1. Go to www.professionalpractice.wikispaces.net 2. Log in using the login information that has been provided to you by the National Institute for

Professional Practice. 3. Go to the class wiki that your facilitator has created and set up your personal wiki. 4. On your personal wiki do the following:

• Introduce yourself to your online colleagues.

• Discuss what you feel is the reading specialist’s role in connecting reading and writing.

• Describe your current or previous experience with connecting reading and writing.

5. Post a link to your personal wiki on the correct pg. within the class wiki. 6. View the wikis of the other members of your study group. 7. Return to the course to continue.


TOPIC: 1.1.6 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES 1.1.6 Exploring SAS In this activity you will consider how the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s SAS (Standards Aligned System) website can support your learning as you complete this course on developing reading through writing.

1. Browse the SAS website located at www.pdesas.org 2. Use the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information

available to you on the SAS website.

a. What reading and writing resources are available to you on this website?

b. How might you use these resources for this course?

3. Return to the course to continue.


eFolio Instructions As you progress through each course, you may want to save artifacts that document and demonstrate mastery in the graduate program. Listed below are some free electronic portfolio or efolio services. Please note that you are responsible for creating and managing your personal electronic portfolio or eFolio.

1. Wikispaces (sponsored by the National Institute for Professional Practice): http://www.professionalpractice.wikispaces.net/

2. eFolioPA (sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry): http://www.efoliopa.com/

3. Professional Portfolio Development: http://www.edulink.org/portfolio/ 4. Electronic Portfolios: http://electronicportfolios.com/


UNIT 2: MAKING THE READING-WRITING CONNECTION

Unit Overview In this unit the following topics and learning goal will be addressed: Topics:

• How Children Develop as Readers and Writers • The Reading and Writing Processes • Components of Written Language • Factors Affecting Writing

Learning Goal(s):

• Make connections between reading and writing by examining personal use of strategies, habits, and attitudes as a reader and a writer


TOPIC: 2.1.2 READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT 2.1.2 How Children Develop as Readers and Writers In this activity you will be introduced to the developmental stages of reading and writing.

1. From the text, Literacy for the 21st Century: A balanced approach (5th ed.), read the following:

• How Children Develop as Readers and Writers (pgs. 117-128)

2. Respond to one or more of the following guiding questions/scenarios to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. Carla enrolled in Mrs. Chapman’s first grade class at the beginning of the school year. Carla is a pleasant child and appears eager to explore and learn. During the opening-of-school conference with Carla’s parents, Mrs. Chapman learned that Carla has had rich experiences with exposure to environmental print, listening to stories read aloud, and observing other literacy behaviors among family members. Carla’s oral vocabulary skills also provide evidence of a strong foundation in early literacy development. Carla says she likes school and really wants to learn to read and write. She demonstrates that she knows how print works left to right and top to bottom on the pg.. When she “pretend reads” familiar stories, she uses picture clues and repeated word patterns in her retellings. Mrs. Chapman observes that Carla shows great interest in drawing and writing and uses writing tools with ease. Carla recognizes both upper and lower case letters of the alphabet and can print most of them. She writes her name and prints some basic sight words, often repeatedly to fill the pg.. Her invented spellings of words usually include beginning and ending consonants. Carla “uses but confuses” capital letters and end punctuation conventions in her writing. She writes mostly all caps with an occasional lower case letter interspersed and adds a period at the end of every line. Mrs. Chapman notices that Carla can read her writing to others soon after she has completed it, but may or may not remember what she wrote after some time has passed. Identify Carla’s stage of writing development. Give evidence of behaviors that support your answer. Does Carla’s stage of writing development appear to parallel her reading development? Why or why not?

b. In your own words, describe the “alphabetic principle”. Explain how awareness and understanding of the alphabetic principle impacts a student’s developmental stages of writing.



TOPIC: 2.1.2 READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT 2.1.2 The Reading and Writing Processes In this activity, you will read and reflect on the reading and writing processes.


• Chapter2: Teaching the Reading and Writing Processes (pgs. 38-69)

2. Respond to two or more of the following guiding questions/scenarios to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. According to Dowhower, 1999; Pressley, 2000, “Students need explicit instruction about reading strategies because they don’t acquire the knowledge through reading.” (pg. 51) As a reading specialist, how might you support classroom teachers’ efforts to provide explicit reading strategy instruction for students?

b. Mr. Malone is a fourth grade teacher at Little Brook Elementary School. This is his second year of teaching. Over the summer, he focused his professional reading on teaching writing and set a personal goal to improve his writing instruction. With a file of new ideas and strategies for writing lessons and a list of interesting writing prompts for his students, he began the year with enthusiasm. However, by late October, things weren’t going as well as Mr. Malone had expected. Yes, his students were writing when he gave an assignment, but the quality of their work and their motivation to write were less than he had hoped for. They just didn’t like to write. For many of his students, writing was not easy. Furthermore, once students managed to write a first draft, they thought they were finished with the piece. Mr. Malone was discouraged. In reflection, he recognized that his students lacked an understanding of the writing process. He decided that he needed to change his teaching strategies to focus on the writing “process” instead of just the writing “product”. Mr. Malone decided to confer with the reading specialist for guidance and assistance. He was determined to help his students improve their writing skills. As a reading specialist, what steps would you take to support/coach Mr. Malone in his efforts to improve his writing instruction? What teaching strategies would you recommend to Mr. Malone? What kind of assistance would you provide?


c. “Tierney (1983) explains that reading and writing involve concurrent, complex transactions between writers as readers and readers as writers.” Reflect on what you have learned about the interrelationship between reading and writing processes. How should this interrelationship impact planning and implementation of reading and writing instruction?

d. Explain in your own words the notion that writing is a “recursive process”. How does this characteristic impact writing instruction?



TOPIC: 2.1.2 READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT 2.1.2 Connecting Reading and Writing Self-Assessment In this activity you will assess how your instructional practices support the reading-writing connection.

1. Use the table on the following pg. to self-assess whether reading and writing connections are

being promoted in your classroom. Evaluate your current implementation of the classroom look-fors and circle your rubric level on the same table. (Descriptions for the rubric levels are located at the bottom of the table.)

2. Respond to the following guiding questions to help you reflect on your self-assessment:

a. Based on the classroom look-fors where do your strengths lie in supporting the reading-writing connection? Provide a rationale

b. Which of the look-fors are the most challenging for you to incorporate into your current instructional practices? Explain why.



Connecting Reading and Writing Self-Assessment

Classroom Look-Fors (or evidence-based behaviors that positively impact student learning, can be used as guidelines for determining if reading and writing connections are being promoted in your classroom.)

Self-Assessment Rubric Level

Classroom Environment The teacher organizes a classroom environment that develops students’ understanding of the connection between reading and writing. The classroom contains: • Adequate and accessible space for whole group, small group, and

independent instruction, with a whiteboard, easel, calendar, and charts. • Reading and writing centers with writing tools, including computer software

for writing and reading activities. • A management system for student work. • A large variety of high quality literature. In a reading and writing centered classroom, the teacher: • Shares a variety of literature as models for focus, content, organization, style,

and conventions. • Helps students become aware of and look for interesting words. • Offers a variety of writing opportunities on a daily basis. • Provides uninterrupted time for self-selected, sustained silent reading. • Provides uninterrupted time for the writing process. • Conferences with students and has them conference with each other.

Innovating Applying Moving Beginning

Assessment The teacher uses a variety of formal and informal reading and writing assessments to determine the strengths and needs of all students. The teacher uses scoring rubrics for evaluating students’ writing of fiction and non-fiction pieces.


Explicit Instruction Based on student interest, strengths, and needs, the teacher provides reading and writing instruction using: • Read-alouds • Shared reading • Independent reading • Modeled writing • Shared writing • Interactive writing • Guided writing • Independent writing


Rubric Level Descriptions

Innovating: At this level, teachers display extensive knowledge about the reading and writing stages and processes and grade level expectations. They demonstrate highly effective skills and strategies in the specific areas of classroom environment, assessment, and explicit instruction. These teachers have an extensive repertoire of strategies and resources to meet the needs of all students through a range of meaningful, purposeful, differentiated, and challenging experiences. Teachers display a thorough understanding of every student’s skills and strategies. Applying: At this level, teachers display a solid knowledge about the reading and writing stages and processes and grade level expectations. They demonstrate effective skills and strategies in the specific areas of classroom environment, assessment, and explicit instruction. These teachers use a repertoire of strategies and resources to meet the needs of all students through a range of meaningful, purposeful, differentiated, and challenging experiences. Teachers display a solid understanding of individual students’ skills and strategies. Moving: At this level, teachers are clarifying and solidifying their knowledge, understanding, and practice of the reading and writing stages and processes and grade level expectations. They are acquiring and refining new skills and strategies in the specific areas of classroom environment, assessment, and explicit instruction that serve as focus areas in their instructional growth and practice. These teachers use a limited repertoire of strategies and


resources to meet the needs of some students through a few experiences that are meaningful, purposeful, differentiated, or challenging. Teachers display some understanding of individual students’ skills and strategies. Beginning: At this level, teachers are developing their knowledge and understanding of the reading and writing stages and processes and grade level expectations. They are acquiring new skills and strategies in the areas of classroom environment, assessment, and explicit instruction that serve as focus areas in their instructional growth and practice. They need numerous visits, coaching and professional dialogue, modeling, demonstration, co-teaching and constructive feedback. These teachers need support accessing appropriate resources (people and materials), establishing a print rich environment, establishing instructional routines, and using assessments to guide instruction.


TOPIC: 2.1.2 READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT 2.1.2 Learning Log: School Philosophy In this activity you will consider how your school/building promotes the connection between reading and writing.

1. Consider how your school/building promotes the connection between reading and writing. Is

there a definite connection? Is the connection implicit? Explicit? You may want to review your curriculum documents or hold a meeting with the principal or a department supervisor to gather information.

2. Find examples or non-examples. 3. Use the space below to record notes that will help you develop your Learning Log entry.

Notes:

4. In your Learning Log, enter a summary of your findings including at least two examples or non-examples. Click “Resources” then “Learning Log.” Label your entry “School Philosophy.”



TOPIC: 2.1.2 READING AND WRITING DEVELOPMENT 2.1.2 Classroom Environment Reflection In this activity you will review a classroom video taking notes on how the environment supports the reading-writing connection.

1. Read all the questions and instructions in this activity before beginning. When prompted in item

#3 below, you will return to the course to view the look-for video. While viewing the video, you will complete item #2 below. After viewing the video, you will complete item #4 for this activity.

2. As you watch the classroom look-for video, complete the “Classroom Environment Video Review” table. Add notes to the “Personal Observations” column, including examples that support each evidence statement.

Classroom Environment Video Review

Evidence Personal Observations

Classroom arrangement includes areas for whole group instruction, a whole group meeting place, small group instruction, reading and writing centers, a classroom library, and conferencing.

Classroom materials include instructional charts, whiteboards, an easel, computer software, high quality children’s literature, literature models for writing, and student work.

The teacher provides a management system for student work, a large variety of literature, writing tools, daily writing opportunities, conferences with students, and uninterrupted time for the writing process.

3. When you have reviewed all the activity directions, return to the course to view the look-for

video.


4. After viewing the video, answer the following questions:

a. What techniques or strategies were shown in the video that demonstrated an environment that promotes the reading-writing connection?

b. How do the practices demonstrated in the video compare to your current practices?

c. What opportunities exist to further develop the reading-writing connection in the taped classroom? In your classroom?



TOPIC: 2.1.3 COMPONENTS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE 2.1.3 Components of Written Language In this activity you will identify the components of written language.

1. From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.),

read the following:

• Chapter 2: Components of Written Language (pgs. 7-30)


a. Geraldo is a friendly and energetic sixth grader, who greatly enjoys sports and outdoor activities. Since primary school years, he has played soccer with his family members and on community recreation teams. His motor skills on the soccer field are excellent. But, Geraldo is a struggling writer. He says he “hates” writing. His teacher observes that he formulates good pre-writing ideas to share verbally. However, when it’s time to write, he stalls. Forming the letters and words is laborious work for Geraldo, so by the time his classmates have completed their first drafts, he has written only a few short sentences that are almost impossible to read. He is tired of writing and just hopes he has written enough to get by. Identify a possible cause for Geraldo’s struggles and attitudes toward writing. Describe the relationship between his apparent difficulty and other aspects of the writing process.

b. The author in the text states: “To spell words correctly, students must combine phonological knowledge with an understanding of both orthography and morphology.” (pg. 17). Describe the essential knowledge each of these systems provides toward one’s ability to spell written words correctly. For each system, give an example of the type of errors a struggling writer might make.


c. Mr. Enrique is a 7th grade language arts teacher. He understands that expository writing is an important skill in the 21st century and wants his students to develop the skills necessary to be successful. Mr. Enrique asked students to write a piece explaining how to make or do something. Students wrote about things such as: how to assemble a kite, how to set off a model rocket, how to carve a jack-o-lantern, how to make a salad. In reviewing the students’ papers, he found examples of poor organization, weak transitions, and missing or irrelevant information. He realizes that he needs to provide more explicit instruction about types of expository text structures. How does expository text structure differ from narrative text structure? Identify aspects of writing skills that Mr. Enrique will need to explicitly teach his students to improve their expository writing. How does knowledge of text structures lead to writing with clarity of purpose?



TOPIC: 2.1.3 COMPONENTS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE 2.1.3 Factors Affecting Writing In this activity you will consider the factors affecting students’ writing.

1. From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.),

read the following:

• Chapter 10: Writing as Communication (pgs. 305-319)

2. Respond to two or more of the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. Describe the relationship between learning disabled and ELL students’ oral language development and their writing skills. In what ways does increased oral language competency affect writing?

b. Reread and reflect on the section regarding the teacher’s voice in feedback given to students (pgs. 311 and 312). What kind of feedback do you give to your students as writers? What kind of feedback can you provide that would scaffold and encourage students’ improvement in writing?

c. “Writing is a basic, essential way to express our thoughts and feelings.” (pg. 312). How do you think teachers should respond when students openly express their personal thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in their writing? Is it appropriate to share students’ writing with other school staff? Under what circumstances?


d. Think about today’s forms of written communication evident in email and instant messaging. What effect do you think this phenomenon is having, or will have, on formal written communication and the need for writing competency in the 21st century? What do you think should be the teacher’s role relative to this phenomenon?



TOPIC: 2.1.3 COMPONENTS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE 2.1.3 Assessment: Written Reflection In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Make connections between reading and writing by examining personal use of strategies, habits, and attitudes as a reader and a writer.

1. Complete the survey located in the appendix. 2. Evaluate your survey results 3. In your written reflection, be sure to include the following:

a. A description of how your personal use of strategies helps you make connections between reading and writing.

b. A description of how your personal habits help you make connections between reading and writing.

c. A description of how your personal attitudes help you make connections between reading and writing.

d. A description of how you will use your self-reflection to support the reading-writing connection in your role as reading specialist.

4. Your written reflection should be two to four pages and typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 5. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title: Written

Reflection, on the document. 6. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this

assessment. 7. You will be prompted to upload this assessment as a .doc file at the end of this topic. 8. Return to the course to continue.


TOPIC: 2.1.3 COMPONENTS OF WRITTEN LANGUAGE 2.1.3 Discussion: The Reading-Writing Connection In this activity you will participate in an online discussion with your study group members in which you respond to the following prompt:

In your own words, explain the reading-writing connection. What have you learned about connecting reading and writing in regard to your students’ developmental stages? How will you apply your learning to ensure students make the reading-writing connection?

1. Use the space below to record notes that will help you to prepare for the discussion.

Notes:

2. Remember that the discussion is only as valuable as your understanding of, and response to, the key points with your peers. Therefore, it is imperative that you read all or most of the postings and respond with thoughtful feedback and/or explicit suggestions to the initial posting, and to at least three other postings on the discussion topic.

3. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the Discussion rubric. 4. Return to the course to continue.


UNIT 3: DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS


• Strategies Good Writers Use, • Instructional Strategies for Developing Writing • Differentiating Reading and Writing Instruction

Learning Goal(s):

• Plan and implement a writing lesson using one or more of the following writing strategies: modeled, interactive, guided, then evaluate the lesson and explain how these strategies are used to move students toward independent writing


TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Strategies Good Writers Use In this activity you will reflect on the strategies students need to learn to become effective writers.

1. From the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 2: Developing Strategic Writers (pgs. 32-46 (stopping before Instructional Procedures)


a. Mr. Wickman teaches 8th grade language arts at Farmington Middle School. The school is located in a mostly rural area where the primary occupations are farming and farm-related businesses. Many of the families have lived in the community for generations. In this community, schooling is important for learning the basics. Mr. Wickman says that writing is not a favorite subject among his students. They view writing as a linear process: select a topic, brainstorm some ideas, write the piece, and turn it in for a grade. When Mr. Wickman asks students to reread and revise or peer edit, students respond with audible groans. Mr. Wickman collected writing samples from his students at the beginning of the school year. He found that students were making many kinds of basic skills errors in their papers: usage conventions, spelling, semantic and syntactic errors, and more. Some errors appeared to be “careless omissions” that students could easily identify and correct by simply reading through the piece. If he were to “grade” the papers in traditional fashion, there would be red marks everywhere. Mr. Wickman decided that he needed to limit the targeted focus for addressing error patterns rather than require his students to “fix” all types of basic skills errors at once. With the help of the reading specialist, Mr. Wickman chose three basic skills focus correction errors based on errors most commonly found in the writing samples. (capitalize first word in a sentence, use correct punctuation at the end of sentences, and look for obvious omission of words). He decided to initiate this teaching strategy with the students’ next writing task. Before giving the assignment, he explicitly taught minilessons on each of the three focus correction areas. He wanted students to know exactly what they needed to watch out for in each targeted area. When he gave the writing assignment, he clarified that the grading would be based only on the three focus correction area goals. Any other types of errors would be overlooked in this particular piece. Over time, as students master a focus correction area, other writing skill areas would replace these focus correction areas. When Mr. Wickman observes that students are ready to move on to another skill, he will hold students accountable for the previously learned skills. In addition to the basic writing skill errors, Mr. Wickman also recognized that his students knew very little about the nature of the writing process and how to use it. So, he provided explicit instruction using his own writing to model writing process strategies such as rereading, proofreading, revising, monitoring. He provided guided practice opportunities for students to self-regulate their progress in using the writing process. He set up a writing folder system so that writing assignments could be saved and “revisited” later in the year for editing and revision practice, using a different focus correction area. Mr. Wickman knows that his students have a long way to go, but he is convinced that these teaching strategies will result in much better results than giving students lots of “red mark” feedback on writing papers. Think about how Mr. Wickman might structure his minilessons. Describe how he could use GRRM. How comfortable do you feel sharing your own writing to model the use of writing process strategies with your students? Does Mr. Wickman’s grading/assessment strategy make sense? Why or why not?


b. Mrs. Pollard is a reading specialist at Harrison Elementary School. One of the 5th grade teachers in her building is concerned about the obvious lack of organization in her students’ writing papers. The teacher came to Mrs. Pollard to share student writing samples with her and to ask for suggestions for teaching and scaffolding learning to help students with organizing ideas in their writing. If you were Mrs. Pollard, what teaching strategies/activities to help students organize ideas in their writing would you discuss with this 5th grade teacher? In addition to your dialog with the teacher, what other ways might you support and encourage this teacher in an ongoing way?

c. Many young writers perceive the writing process in a linear fashion. What are some ways teachers could guide students toward understanding that writing is a recursive process? Why is understanding this notion so critical to becoming a capable writer?

d. Reflect on your own experiences as a writer. Do you think of yourself as a capable writer? Why or why not? Do you think strategically when your write? What writing strategies do you apply? Do you self-regulate the use of the strategies? Think about how your own positive and/or negative experiences as a writer could affect your teaching of writing?



TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Instructional Strategies for Developing Writing In this activity you will explore instructional strategies for helping students develop their writing abilities.


• Instructional Procedures (pgs. 46-55)


• Instructional Practices (pgs. 128-141)


a. According to the text, “too often, teachers think of interactive writing as an activity for young children, but English learners at any grade level learn a great deal about writing by participating in this activity.” (Teaching Writing, pg. 54) What do you think about interactive writing as a useful teaching strategy with English language learners? Identify concepts and skills that ELL students can learn about reading, writing, and the writing process through interactive writing.

b. Reflect on how comfortable you are with applying computer technology in the teaching of writing. Describe how computer technology and software programs can be an integral part of writing instruction in the 21st century. In what ways can computers support students’ use of writing strategies? As a reading specialist, how might you support classroom teachers with effectively incorporating technology into their writing instruction?

c. Describe your understanding of the essential components of the writing workshop teaching strategy. Explain how the teacher makes decisions about the content and frequency of minilessons. What organizational strategies might the teacher use to keep students on task and monitor individual progress when they are writing independently? How would you incorporate opportunities for students’ to share their writing?


d. Describe your understanding of how routines and procedures contribute to the success of writing workshop. As a reading specialist, what guidance might you provide for a classroom teacher who wants to initiate and establish routines and procedures for a writing workshop instructional format?

e. Ms. Trelani is a first year kindergarten teacher at Brighton Elementary School. She teaches two half-day sessions, with 20 students in each class. Students in her classroom represent diverse backgrounds. About 70% are English-speaking; 30% are English language learners. Ms. Trelani has high ideals and a passion for early literacy instruction. She wants to address the individual needs of her students, and understands the critical nature of helping students build a strong early literacy foundation that will contribute to school success later on. She also knows that reading and writing are reciprocal processes. So she eagerly set up an attractive book display with a cozy nook for “book reading” and also an “inviting writing center,” with a variety of writing tools and attractive papers. She was happy that the kindergarten curriculum included so many instructional activities to foster early literacy development, and she began the school year with enthusiasm. However, after six-weeks passed by, Ms. Trelani was quite frustrated. There was so much to cover and so little time. She wondered how to include and prioritize various literacy instruction practices: morning message, shared reading, interactive read alouds, minilessons, language experience activities, interactive writing, and manuscript handwriting along with other curriculum content, such as math. Furthermore, she felt routines and procedures weren’t going very well. She decided to meet with the reading specialist for advice and support before getting further into the school year. As a reading specialist what kinds of support might you provide for Ms. Trelani? How would you help her determine importance and prioritize the various literacy instruction practices (morning message, shared reading, interactive read alouds, language experience activities, interactive writing, and manuscript handwriting)? What would you suggest relative to how often to include each practice during a week’s time, i.e., Daily? Bi-weekly? Weekly? What might you and Mrs. Trelani discuss relative to establishing routines and procedures?



TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Learning Log: Instructional Strategy Inventory In this activity you will take an inventory of the instructional strategies you use to develop students writing abilities.

1. Complete the inventory below identifying how often you use the reading and/or writing strategies. You will present a summary of your findings in your Learning Log.

Instructional Strategy Inventory

Strategy I use this everyday

I use this at least once a week

I use this at least once a month

I have not used this yet

Morning message

Read Alouds

Think Alouds

Minilessons

Shared reading

Shared writing

Interactive Writing

Modeled Writing

Guided Writing

Independent Writing

Manuscript Handwriting

Writing Centers

Writing Workshop

Language Experience Approach

Annotations

Other:


2. Use the space below to record notes that will help you develop your Learning Log entry.

Notes:

3. In your Learning Log, enter a summary of your inventory, noting any surprises and/or areas of concern. Click “Resources” then “Learning Log.” Label your entry “Instructional Strategy Inventory.”



TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Differentiating Reading and Writing Instruction In this activity you will consider methods for differentiating reading and writing instruction.


• Chapter 11: Differentiating Reading and Writing Instruction (pgs. 356-372 stopping before the Struggling Readers and Writers section)


a. The text says Tomlinson (2001) describes differentiated instruction as “‘shaking up’ what goes on in the classroom so that students have multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and expressing what they learn”. (pg. 362) Cite specific examples of this phenomenon in action in Mrs. Shasky class scenario presented on pgs. 356-361 of the text. Reflect on what this scenario infers about Mrs. Shasky’s knowledge of her students’ literacy skill levels?

b. Describe how literacy centers can provide a means for differentiating instruction that is relevant, meaningful, and purposeful. In your opinion, how frequently should a literacy center activity be changed to maintain interest and engagement? Describe what the relationship between literacy centers and other instructional strategies should be. Compare and contrast the use of literacy centers in K-3 classrooms and 4-8 classrooms. How could literacy centers be designed to effectively contribute to students’ understanding of connections between the reading and writing processes?

c. According to Heacox (2002) and Tomlinson (2001) on pg. 363, teachers modify instruction in three ways: differentiating the content, differentiating the process, and differentiating the product. Cite a specific example how each modification would apply in a comprehensive literacy program. Which types of modifications would be most applicable when working with English language learners? With students with disabilities? In reflection, identify which modification for differentiation you use most frequently in your teaching. Explain why.



TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Lesson Revision In this activity you will revise a previously taught writing lesson to incorporate ideas presented in this unit.

1. Think about the writing lessons you have developed in the past that did not produce the outcomes you expected.

2. Revise one of the lessons by incorporating a strategy presented in the course that you are not very familiar with or one that you find challenging.

3. Identify how you could differentiate your lesson to ensure you are addressing all of your students’ needs.

4. Use the space below to record notes that will help you develop your revised lesson.

Notes:



TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Assessment: Lesson Implementation and Evaluation Summary #1 In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Plan and implement a writing lesson using one or more of the following writing strategies: modeled, interactive, guided, then evaluate the lesson and explain how these strategies are used to move students toward independent writing. For this assessment you will develop, implement, and evaluate a lesson using one or more of the following writing strategies: modeled, interactive, guided. The lesson may be presented to the whole class or a small group of four to six students. Regardless of the grouping you choose, you want to make sure it includes struggling writers, as much as possible. You will use the SAS website as a resource for the development of your plan. Your lesson plan should follow the universal design guidelines and include elements of differentiation. (see http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf for a reference)

1. In your lesson plan and implementation summary, be sure to include the following:

a. Your lesson plan including copies of all student handouts.

b. A description of how you utilized the SAS website to develop your plan.

c. An evaluation of the implementation of your lesson plan including strengths and weaknesses. Include student samples as evidence.

d. Recommendations for improvement of the lesson plan. Specifically address the needs of struggling writers

e. An explanation of how the writing strategies (modeled, interactive, guided) are used to move students toward independent writing.

2. Your lesson plan and summary should be typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 3. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title: Lesson

Implementation and Evaluation Summary #1, on the document. 4. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this


http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf


TOPIC: 3.1.2 DEVELOPING STRATEGIC WRITERS 3.1.2 Discussion: Exemplary Writing Instruction In this activity you will participate in an online discussion with your study group members in which you discuss how you would respond to the following prompt:

Writing is not purely a mechanical skill taught in isolation. There are many essential ingredients to writing instruction. What does exemplary writing instruction include?


Notes:




UNIT 4: SUPPORTING STRUGGLING WRITERS


• Struggling Readers and Writers • Accommodations for Struggling Writers • Helping Students with Handwriting • Building Basic Writing Skills • Improving Written Expression

Learning Goal(s):

• Describe how the components of writing are interrelated and how they pose challenges for students with disabilities


TOPIC: 4.1.2 OVERVIEW OF STRUGGLING WRITERS 4.1.2 Struggling Readers and Writers In this activity you will reflect on the challenges some students face with reading and writing.


• Struggling Readers and Writers (pgs. 372-383 stopping before chapter review)


a. Mrs. Gemind teaches 7th grade language arts at Waterman Middle School. She has had successful experiences using the writers’ workshop format. Writers’ workshop has enabled her to provide modifications and differentiated instruction for her students. Her classroom observations and student work samples over time indicate that overall students are experiencing growth in their writing skill competencies. Mrs. Gemind realizes that one of her students, Philipe, is really struggling as a writer. In her recent review of class writing folders, she found Philipe’s folder contained very few writing papers. In addition, the papers that he placed in his file contained only a few short, nondescript sentences or were unfinished. She decided to “zero in” on observing Phillipe’s performance behaviors during writing workshop. Mrs. Gemind observed that whenever she assigns a writing task, Philipe slumps down in his seat, leans his elbow on the desk, and rests his head in the palm of his hand. His body language and facial expression suggest that he has “tuned out.” He frequently complains, “I don’t know what to write,” or “I can’t think of anything.” When he writes, it takes him a long time to get a few words on the pg.. He writes the bare minimum and hopes to get by. Mrs. Gemind decided that having a conference with Phillipe was a top priority for the next writers’ workshop class. Identify the foremost issues/problems Mrs. Gemind will want to discuss in her upcoming conference with Philipe to help her better understand the root of his struggles in writing. Describe some ways Mrs. Gemind might address Phillipe’s struggles and writing problems. What types of scaffolding could she provide for Philipe?

b. In a balanced approach to teaching struggling students, teachers provide explicit, differentiated instruction, provide appropriate materials for students’ developmental levels, and allocate more time for reading and writing. Explain your understanding of how each of these aspects of a balanced approach increases the chances for improved outcomes for struggling readers and writers.


c. Summarize the essence of the five components of high quality instruction. How does each of the components contribute to helping students make connections between the reading and writing processes?



TOPIC: 4.1.2 OVERVIEW OF STRUGGLING WRITERS 4.1.2 Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers In this activity you will consider accommodations for helping struggling writers.

1. From the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), read the following:

• Chapter 4: Effective Accommodations for Struggling Writers (pgs. 71-82)

2. Respond to the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. Describe the differences between accommodations and compensatory strategies. Give an example of each as it applies to struggling writers.

b. Explain your understanding of the statement, “Accommodations do not replace the need for interventions.” (pg. 71)

c. Reflect on this statement, “Fair does not mean equal, but instead that every student gets what he or she needs to succeed.” (pg. 75) In your opinion, is modifying instruction for one or two students “fair” to the other students? As a reading specialist, you may encounter teachers who disagree with the concept, “fair does not mean equal,” relative to accommodations and compensatory strategies for students. What would you say? How could you be an advocate for students with special needs?



TOPIC: 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED 4.1.3 Helping Students with Handwriting In this activity you will explore methods for helping struggling students improve their handwriting.


• Chapter 5: Helping Students with Handwriting (pgs. 83-98)


a. According to the text, the “development of legible, fluent handwriting is an important goal for all students.” (pg. 104) In this age of technology, do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

b. How much emphasis should be placed on students’ handwriting skills in a comprehensive literacy program? In your opinion, what percentage of time should be allocated to explicit instruction of handwriting in K-3? In grades 4-12? How do handwriting difficulties impact a student’s level of success as a writer?

c. Copying significant amounts of written material from the chalkboard or textbook is an age-old practice that still exists in some classrooms today. What challenges or difficulties does this create for students with learning disabilities and other struggling writers? As a reading specialist, what alternatives might you model or recommend for teachers who are continuing to use this practice in their instruction?



TOPIC: 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED 4.1.3 Learning Log: Dysgraphia Resources In this activity you will search the web for resources that could be used to help students who have dysgraphia. The National Center for Learning Disabilities defines dysgraphia as “a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills. Dysgraphia makes the act of writing difficult. It can lead to problems with spelling, poor handwriting, and putting thoughts on paper. People with dysgraphia can have trouble organizing letters, numbers, and words on a line or pg.. This can result partly from:

• Visual-spatial difficulties: trouble processing what the eye sees • Language processing difficulty: trouble processing and making sense of what the ear hears”

(source: http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/ld-aamp-language/writing/dysgraphia)

1. Search the web for resources that could be used to help students who have dysgraphia. 2. Use the table below to record your findings.

Resource (include web address) Notes

3. In your Learning Log, enter a summary of your search results and how you could incorporate

them into your work as a reading specialist. Click “Resources” then “Learning Log.” Label your entry “Dysgraphia Resources.”



TOPIC: 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED 4.1.3 Building Students’ Basic Writing Skills In this activity you will consider how to help struggling writers build basic writing skills.


• Chapter 6: Building Basic Writing Skills (pgs. 105-152)

2. Respond to three or more of the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. According to the text, “Although many students with learning disabilities go through the same phases [of developmental spelling] as their peers, their rates of development are slower and they seem to get stuck in certain phases…” (pg. 111) What are the implications for instructional decision-making relative to helping learning disabled students improve spelling in their writing?

b. Being a good reader does not guarantee that a student is a good speller. Sometimes good readers are poor spellers. Why this might occur? Do you think it is indicative of a learning disability? Why or why not? In what ways do problems in spelling impact a student’s level of success as a writer?

c. Why do English language learners frequently experience a performance gap between their reading level and their basic skills in writing. What general principles and practices would be applicable for helping ELL students close this gap and strengthen their writing skills?


d. The text presents two ways students learn basic usage conventions such as punctuation, capitalization, and syntax and then apply those skills in their writing (context-imbedded skill development versus a more direct instruction approach). Summarize the two instructional practices. How would you determine which one to use?

e. Explicit, targeted instruction, precise feedback, and lots of opportunities to practice are necessary for helping students acquire basic writing skills and reinforce application of skills in authentic writing tasks. How can teachers effectively meet the challenge of helping students grasp these basic writing skills and still maintain students’ willingness and desire to write?



TOPIC: 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED 4.1.3 Improving Students’ Written Expression In this activity you will learn ways to help struggling students improve their written expression abilities.


• Chapter 7: Improving Written Expression (pgs. 153-215)

2. Respond to the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between metacognition and metalinguistics. How does each of these cognitive processes relate to improving written expression and students’ effective use of the writing process?

b. “Good oral language is necessary but not sufficient for good written expression.” (pg. 154) Explain your understanding of this statement. Support your answer with evidence/examples from the chapter content.

c. Reflect on your own teaching of writing. Is your primary focus on helping students prepare for passing required writing exams or are you putting efforts toward helping students acquire writing skills they will need as adults? Evaluate how much time you spend on explicit writing instruction? What new learning and/or specific strategies from this chapter have you added to your “tool kit” for teaching writing?



TOPIC: 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED 4.1.3 Assessment: Difficulties in Writing Chart and Summary In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Describe how the components of writing are interrelated and how they pose challenges for students with disabilities. For this assessment you will create a chart with a summary section to demonstrate your understanding of the different components of writing. In addition to the chapter readings in this unit, you may want to review chapter 2: Components of Written Language from the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.), as an additional resource.

1. Your chart should include the following information: • A two to four sentence description for each component. • At least three strategies to use with struggling students for each component.

2. Your chart should be structured as follows:

Writing Component

Description Strategies for Struggling Students

Handwriting

Spelling

Usage

Vocabulary

Text Structure

3. For the summary section, respond to the following:

• Describe how the components of writing are interrelated. • Explain how the components pose challenges for students with disabilities.

4. Your chart and summary should be typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 5. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title: Difficulties

in Writing Chart and Summary, on the document. 6. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this



TOPIC: 4.1.3 ADDRESSING SPECIFIC AREAS OF NEED 4.1.3 Discussion: Struggling Writers In this activity you will participate in an online discussion with your study group members in which you discuss how you would respond to the following prompt:

Unfortunately there is no "quick fix" for struggling readers and writers. Identify why/how the following components: high quality reading and writing instruction, preventive programs, and targeted and sustained intervention are necessary to support struggling readers and writers for improving competencies. Discuss specific ways each component contributes to a holistic, ongoing effort for improvement.


Notes:




UNIT 5: WORKING WITH DIFFERENT WRITING GENRES

Unit Overview In this unit the following topics and learning goals will be addressed: Topics:

• Narrative Writing • Expository Writing • Poetry Writing • Descriptive Writing • Personal Writing • Biographical Writing • Persuasive Writing

Learning Goal(s):

• Identify and provide a rationale for the selection of touchstone/mentor texts for teaching elements of fiction, elements of nonfiction, and poetry at the K-3, 4-8, and 9-12 grade level

• Design and implement a lesson implementing graphic organizers for writing then evaluate student data from the lesson to determine the effectiveness of graphic organizers as tools for supporting students’ comprehension and understanding of fiction or non-fiction text structures


TOPIC: 5.1.2 WRITING GENRES 5.1.2 Narrative Writing In this activity you will explore methods for developing students’ narrative writing skills.


• Chapter 8: Narrative Writing (pgs. 178-198)


a. According to research by Dressel (1990), “children who read and discussed higher-quality stories wrote better stories than children who read lesser-quality stories.” (pg. 180). Explain your understanding of how “concept of story” impacts children’s narrative writing skill development. Identify implications of Dressel’s finding for teachers/schools in terms of the availability, and accessibility of quality children’s literature in the classroom and in the home.

b. Describe your understanding of “concept of story”. What are the contributing factors toward children’s “concept of story” development? How is oral language related to “concept of story” development?

c. Explain how the use of story maps and other graphic organizers scaffold student’s understanding of the narrative genre both in their reading and in their writing. Reflect on your past use of graphic organizers to help students with narrative reading and writing tasks. What was successful? What presented challenges? Describe possible lesson modifications you might need to make when using a story map/graphic organizer strategy with English language learners or students with disabilities.


d. Miss Goldstein teaches first grade in an urban school where the majority of students come from disadvantaged homes. During the early weeks of school, she informally observed the literacy behaviors of her students during read alouds and group conversations about stories. Her observations led her to believe that many of her students had sketchy knowledge about “concept of story”. She decided to gather data to help her determine the focus of her minilessons. Describe what/how oral, retellings (and written retellings in later grades), can provide a “window” to assess and monitor a student’s level of understanding of narrative genre, i.e., parts of a story, structural elements, and stylistic devices that authors use.



TOPIC: 5.1.2 WRITING GENRES 5.1.2 Expository Writing In this activity you will explore methods for developing students’ expository writing skills.


• Chapter 9: Expository Writing (pgs. 200-226)


a. Reflect upon how you learned about expository text structures. Were you explicitly taught, or did you figure out these text structures on your own? How do awareness and understanding of expository text structures contribute to improved comprehension skills when reading informational texts? How does this understanding contribute to improved writing? Which text structures would appear to be easier for students to understand? Which structures appear to be most difficult?

b. Explain how knowledge and understanding of nonfiction text features contribute to improved comprehension skills. Give a specific example of a strategy for teaching students about text features in a relevant, meaningful, and purposeful context.

c. Mr. Brill’s second grade class is beginning a study of animals. To spark student interest prior to beginning this study, he added a collection of both fiction and nonfiction books about various animals to the classroom library. Mr. Brill is integrating science and language arts into a thematic unit. His overall plan is to have small groups of students work together to create a written informational report. Each small group will choose an animal to investigate, gather relevant information, write a report, and present it to the class. In your opinion, is it realistic to expect second graders to write a report? If you were Mr. Brill, in what ways would you incorporate basic writing skills and writing process instruction into this reading-writing experience? What minilessons should Mr. Brill include? What kind of scaffolding will Mr. Brill want to include in his teaching?



TOPIC: 5.1.2 WRITING GENRES 5.1.2 Assessment: Lesson Implementation and Evaluation Summary #2 In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Design and implement a lesson implementing graphic organizers for writing then evaluate student data from the lesson to determine the effectiveness of graphic organizers as tools for supporting students’ comprehension and understanding of fiction or non-fiction text structures. For this assessment you will develop and implement a writing lesson that includes a graphic organizer as a tool for supporting students’ comprehension and understanding of fiction or non-fiction text structures. The lesson may be presented to the whole class or a small group of four to six students. Regardless of the grouping you choose, you want to make sure it includes struggling writers, as much as possible. You will use the SAS website as a resource for the development of your plan. Your lesson plan should follow the universal design guidelines and include elements of differentiation. (see http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf)

1. In your lesson plan and implementation summary, be sure to include the following:

a. Your lesson plan including copies of all student handouts.

b. A description of how you utilized the SAS website to develop your plan.

c. An evaluation of the implementation of your lesson plan including strengths and weaknesses. Include student samples as evidence.

d. An evaluation of the effectiveness of the graphic organizer as a tool for supporting students’ comprehension and understanding of fiction or non-fiction text structures.

e. Recommendations for improvement of the lesson plan and graphic organizer. Specifically address the needs of struggling writers

2. Your lesson plan and summary should be typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 3. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title: Lesson

Implementation and Evaluation Summary #2 on the document. 4. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this


http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf


TOPIC: 5.3.1 WRITING GENRES (Continued) 5.3.1 Poetry Writing In this activity you will explore methods for developing students’ poetry writing skills.


• Chapter 7: Poetry Writing (pgs. 154-177)


a. The sixth grade poetry workshop scenario on pg. 154 of the text describes how Miss Clark incorporates Jack Prelutsky’s poems into her writing instruction program. What criteria do you think Miss Clark uses when selecting specific mentor poems to use in her minilessons?

b. A variety of poetic forms are described in this chapter. Identify poetic forms that you think would to be most appropriate for poetry writing instruction for K–3 students? For 4–8 students? For grades 9–12? Support your answers.

c. Mrs. Varghese is teaching a poetry unit to her fourth graders during writers’ workshop. She wants her students to be able to recognize poetic devices in text, to understand the value of using of poetic devices in their writing, and to apply what they’ve learned in their own poetry writing. She has selected poems from mentor texts to introduce poetic devices such as simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, and vivid word choice. She’s ready to decide what teaching strategies to use in this unit. Identify and explain how using GRRM teaching strategies would enable Mrs. Varghese to effectively teach the content and scaffold students’ efforts to apply new learning in their own writing.


d. The chart on pg. 157 of the text lists some different poetic forms. Although the shape poetic form was not included in this list, it too is appropriate for poetry writing instruction. (If you are unfamiliar with shape poems, conduct an internet search to learn about it.) Describe how shape poems could be useful for generating student interest and enjoyment in poetry writing. For what age level(s) might the shape poetry form be suitable?



TOPIC: 5.3.1 WRITING GENRES (Continued) 5.3.1 Learning Log: Wiki for Genres of Writing In this activity you will collaborate with your study group members to build a wiki for the different writing genres.

1. Your facilitator will assign you one of the following chapter readings from the text, Teaching Writing: Balancing Product and Process (6th ed.):

• Chapter 10: Biographical Writing (pgs. 228-249)

• Chapter 11: Persuasive Writing (pgs. 250-270)

• Chapter 5: Personal Writing (pgs. 106-132)

• Chapter 6: Descriptive Writing (pgs. 134-153)

2. Read your assigned chapter and summarize the key insights and ideas on the class wiki for genres of writing.

3. Add key insights and ideas you gained from the chapters on narrative, expository, and poetry writing.

4. Use the table below to organize your ideas. Or, create a class graphic organizer with your study group members that all of you can use on the class wiki to represent your learning.

Genres of Writing

Genre Strategies Ideas, Thoughts, Comments

Support/Resources for Struggling Writers

Narrative

Expository

Poetry


Descriptive

Persuasive

Biographical

Personal

5. In your Learning Log, enter a summary of the new insights you have gained on developing

reading through writing by collaborating on this wiki with your study group members. Click “Resources” then “Learning Log.” Label your entry “Wiki for Writing Genres.”



TOPIC: 5.3.1 WRITING GENRES (Continued) 5.3.1 Assessment: Touchstone/Mentor Text Resource Chart In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Identify and provide a rationale for the selection of touchstone/mentor texts for teaching elements of fiction, elements of nonfiction, and poetry at the K-3, 4-8, and 9-12 grade level.

1. Review the course texts, search online, and/or consult with colleagues to identify

touchstone/mentor texts. 2. In your chart, be sure to include the following:

a. At least one text for each grade span (K-3, 4-8, and 9-12) per area (elements of fiction, elements of nonfiction, and poetry).

b. A rationale for each text.

3. Your chart should look like the sample below. Typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 4. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title:

Touchstone/Mentor Text Resource Chart on the document. 5. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this


Touchstone/Mentor Text Resource Chart

Text(s) *at least one Rationale

Elements of fiction K-3

Elements of fiction 4-8

Elements of fiction 9-12

Elements of nonfiction K-3

Elements of nonfiction 4-8

Elements of nonfiction 9-12

Poetry K-3

Poetry 4-8

Poetry 9-12


TOPIC: 5.3.1 WRITING GENRES (Continued) 5.3.1 Discussion: Lesson Reflection In this activity you will participate in an online discussion with your study group members in which you discuss how you would respond to the following prompt:

Reflect upon your lesson implementation. Describe the outcomes of your lesson. What contributed to the results? How will you use the results to modify your instructional practices and positively impact student achievement? What modifications would you want to make in a future lesson?


Notes:




UNIT 6: ASSESSING WRITING

Unit Overview In this unit the following topics and learning goals will be addressed: Topics:

• Six Traits Writing • Informal Writing Assessment • Curriculum-Based Measurement • Analyzing Writing Samples

Learning Goal(s):

• Administer, analyze, and interpret a student’s level of performance on a writing assessment that assesses the following domains: focus, content, organization, style, and conventions

• Evaluate student data and develop an intervention plan for helping a struggling writer including how technology can be integrated as a support


TOPIC: 6.1.2 Six Traits Writing 6.1.2 Six Traits Writing In this activity you will review the six traits of writing that can be used to assess students’ writing.


• Chapter 3: The Writer’s Craft Six (pgs. 56-81)

2. Respond to the two or more of the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. In an effective writing program “students expand their knowledge of the writer’s craft each year through lessons about the six traits and more reading and writing experiences. The traits aren’t taught only at one grade level; rather teachers build on and refine students’ understanding each year…” (pg. 68) What are the implications of this statement? Describe how a reading specialist could facilitate professional dialogue and idea sharing among teachers with a focus on improving students’ writing skills. In what ways could a reading specialist become an advocate for developing a school level writing curriculum?

b. Describe your understanding of the relationship between the six traits of the writer’s craft and the writing process. How do they fit together?

c. To address all the writer’s craft traits at once is unreasonable, overwhelming, and frustrating for any student. In your opinion, can the six traits of the writer’s craft be prioritized? Explain your answer. How do you determine which trait should be the focus of a lesson? How do you determine when to change the focus to a different trait? As a reading specialist, how would you help a teacher determine which trait should be the focus of a given lesson?



TOPIC: 6.1.2 Six Traits Writing 6.1.2 Assessment Implementation and Analysis Summary In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Administer, analyze, and interpret a student’s level of performance on a writing assessment that assesses the following domains: focus, content, organization, style, and conventions.

1. Collect a student narrative writing sample. You may assign a narrative writing prompt assignment to your whole class, a small group of students, an individual student or you may use an existing student sample. If you make this a student assignment, below are some writing prompt examples you may consider using or you may create your own: • What is something you do well? • How would you change the world to make it better? • What would happen if there were no television/computers/cell phones? • Who or what has had a strong influence on your life.

2. In your summary, be sure to include the following:

a. A copy or description of your assessment assignment. b. A copy of the student’s assessment. c. An analysis of the student’s performance including strengths and weaknesses for the

following domains: focus, content, organization, style, and conventions. d. Recommendations for helping the student improve his/her writing performance.

3. Your summary should be typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 4. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title: Assessment

Implementation and Analysis Summary, on the document. 5. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Informal and Formative Writing Assessment In this activity you will identify informal and formative writing assessments.


• Chapter 4: Assessing Writing (pgs. 82-104)

2. Respond to the three or more of the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading:

a. Compare and contrast writing process assessment and writing product assessment. Which assessment tools are most appropriate for process assessment? For product assessment? What kinds of writing assessment have you used to inform in your writing instruction? How can teachers strike a balance between “process” and “product” writing assessments?

b. Explain your understanding of the value of conferencing with students about their writing. What insights can you gain? How does planning and preparation for conferencing with individual students make the conference more productive for both the student and the teacher?

c. Portfolios are a more authentic form of writing assessment. However assessing portfolios probably presents the most challenges for teachers. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? Describe how maintaining student writing portfolios enables students to self-assess and self-regulate their writing skills.


d. What strategies do you use to self-assess and self-regulate your own writing? Identify tools and/or strategies a teacher can provide to help students self-assess their own writing?

e. Compare and contrast holistic scoring and primary trait scoring of writing. In what situations would you use each type? What are the advantages of each? The disadvantages?



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Curriculum-Based Measurement In this activity you will explore using curriculum based measurement to monitor writing progress.


• Chapter 8: Informal Assessment and Curriculum Based Measurement (pgs. 227-240)

2. Be sure to complete the practice scoring exercises for “Maria” pg. 229 and “Armando” pg. 238. 3. Practice scoring the following on your own:

• On pg. 233, Figure 8.11, score the correct letter sequence (CLS) for Hayden • On pg. 239, Figure 8.17 score Jason’s writing sample using all four criteria: total words

written (TWW), total letters written (TLW), words spelled correctly (WSC), and correct writing sequences (CWS)

4. Compare your scoring to the answer keys for Hayden on pg. 241 and for Jason on pg. 242. 5. Respond to the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information

presented in the course reading and your practice exercises:

a. How did your scoring compare to the answer key? Provide a rationale for any differences.

b. What did you find challenging about the practice exercises?

c. What is your experience with using the types of assessments presented in the reading?

d. As a reading specialist, how will you incorporate curriculum-based measurement into your practices? How will you help teachers with the assessments?



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Writing Assessment Inventory In this activity you will identify the types of writing assessments you currently use.

1. Using the table below, list the writing assessments you currently use.

My Writing Assessments:

2. Respond to the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize your findings:

a. Consider the writing assessments you currently use and the ones presented in the course that are new to you. Which assessment do you feel gives the best data for tracking students’ progress? What opportunities does the assessment present to allow students to self-assess their writing? If no opportunities exist, describe how you could incorporate a self-assessment component.

b. How do you use assessment data to differentiate instruction to meet students’ needs? Provide examples.



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Learning Log: Writing Assessments Curriculum Review In this activity you will determine which writing assessments are included in the curriculum or district assessment plan.

1. Review your curriculum or district’s assessment plan to identify the types of writing assessments that are included.

2. Using the table below, list the writing assessments identified in the curriculum.

Writing Assessments:

3. Use the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize your curriculum

review. You will be entering your responses in your Learning Log.

a. Do you use all of the assessments presented in the curriculum? Why or why not?

b. Do you feel the assessments support the reading-writing connection? Explain.

c. Based on the course readings on assessment would you recommend adding new assessments? Why or why not?

4. In your Learning Log, enter your responses. Click “Resources” then “Learning Log.” Label your entry “Writing Assessments Curriculum Review.”



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Writing Assessment Reflection In this activity you will review a classroom video taking notes on how the teacher supports the reading-writing connection during a writing conference with a student.

1. Read all the question and instructions in this activity before beginning. When prompted in item #3 below, you will return to the course to view the look-for video. While viewing the video, you will complete item #2 below. After viewing the video, you will complete item #4 for this activity.

2. As you watch the classroom look-for video, complete the “Assessment Video Review” table. Add notes to the “Personal Observations” column, including examples that support each evidence statement.

Assessment Video Review

Evidence Personal Observations

The teacher uses a variety of formal and informal reading and writing assessments to determine the strengths and needs of all students

The teacher uses scoring rubrics for evaluating students’ writing of fiction and non-fiction pieces.

3. When you have reviewed all the activity directions, return to the course to view the video. 4. After viewing the video, answer the following questions:

a. What assessment techniques or strategies were shown in the video that promoted the reading-writing connection?

b. How do the assessment practices demonstrated in the video compare to your current

practices? c. What opportunities exist to further develop the reading-writing connection in the taped

classroom? In your classroom?



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Practice With Analyzing Writing Samples In this activity you will practice analyzing student writing samples.


• Chapter 9: Analysis of Writing Samples (pgs. 243-275)

2. Beginning on pg. 276 you will have the opportunity to engage with guided practice samples. Practice analyzing the samples for two or more of the students below. Make sure you analyze at least one elementary and one middle school example:

• Rachel, 2nd grade (reaction to a story and short story), pgs. 277-278 • Angela, 3rd grade (book report), pgs. 278-281 • Mayling, 4th grade (journal entries, pgs. 281-282 • Darrell, 4th grade (social studies essay), pgs. 283-285 • Adam, 5th grade (imaginary story), pgs. 285-287 • Brad, 6th grade (story), pgs. 287-288 • Pascal, 7th grade (short story), pgs. 288-292 • Maria, 8th grade (journal entries), pgs. 293-294

3. Respond to the following guiding questions to help you reflect on and synthesize the information presented in the course reading and your guided practice experience:

a. What did you find challenging about the analysis exercises? What did you find helpful? Explain.

b. Did one student prove more challenging to analyze than the rest? Why do you think this was so?

c. How does your experience with analyzing writing samples compare to the process presented in the reading?

d. As a reading specialist, how will you help teachers analyze writing samples? What key ideas will you share with them?



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Assessment: Intervention Plan In this activity you will complete an assessment that addresses the following learning goal:

Evaluate student data and develop an intervention plan for helping a struggling writer including how technology can be integrated as a support.

1. You will select one student from the independent practice section on pg. 295 from the text, Writing Assessment and Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities (2nd ed.) for whom you will develop an intervention plan.

2. The format of your plan will resemble the completed analyses on pgs. 243-276. You will want to use the guided practice examples on pgs. 276-294 as a guide for the types of questions you will want to ask yourself to complete the analysis and make recommendations. You may choose to write your questions then your responses or you may develop a summary for each area.

3. Your plan will have two sections: 1) Analysis, and 2) Recommendations. 4. The Analysis section will include the following areas:

• Handwriting and Appearance • Spelling • Usage • Vocabulary • Organization and Ideation • Supplementary Analyses

The Recommendations section will include the following areas as determined by the analysis:

• Accommodations (if needed) • Handwriting and Appearance • Spelling • Usage • Vocabulary • Organization and Ideation • Technology (A description of how technology could be integrated to support the student’s

writing development.)

5. Your plan should be between 3-6 pgs. and typed in 12pt Times New Roman. 6. Be sure to include your name, the Course ID: EDAM5063, and the assessment title: Intervention

Plan, on the document. 7. Refer to the Course Requirements document for the rubric that will be used to score this



TOPIC: 6.3.1 ASSESSING WRITING 6.3.1 Discussion: Course Reflections In this activity you will participate in an online discussion where you will respond to the following prompt:

Reflecting on the information provided in this course and the activities and assessments you completed identify the key insights, ideas, and information you gained regarding connecting reading and writing that you will incorporate into your reading specialist career. What concerns do you have as you prepare for your new role? What challenges do you think you may face? What activities did you find particularly useful?


Notes:




APPENDIX


Directions: complete the survey questions for reading and writing. Do not complete the gray highlighted questions.

LOOKING AT YOURSELF AS A READER AND A WRITER

Reading

1. Are you a reader?

2. Do you read for pleasure?

3. When, what, how?

4. How do you feel about yourself as a reader?

5. What do you like most about reading?

6. What do you like least about reading

7. What do find easy to read?

8. What do you find difficult to read?

9. Who are your favorite authors? Poets?

10. What types (genres) of books do you like to read?


11. What aspects of these books are particularly interesting to or enjoyable for you?

12. What is the last book you read that you really enjoyed?

13. What are you reading now?

14. How do you find the books you read?

15. How do you go about making your choices?

16. How often do you read?

17. How many books would you estimate you have read in the last year?

18. When do you find time to read?

19. What different kinds of material do you read?

20. What do you do following the reading of a book?

21. Bring a favorite book and tell why you like it.

Guiding readers and writers, grades 3-6 : teaching comprehension, genre, and content literacy by FOUNTAS, IRENE C. ; PINNELL, GAY SU Reproduced with permission of HEINEMANN INC. in the format Post in a course management system via Copyright Clearance Center.


Writing

1. Are you a writer?

2. How do you feel about your writing?

3. What types of writing do you do?

4. How often do you write?

5. Do you write for pleasure? When, what, and why?

6. Do you write for communication? When, what, and why?

7. Do you write to assist your learning? When, what, and why?

8. How do you select topics for your writing?

9. Who are the audiences for your writing?

10. What is the best part of writing for you?

11. What is the most difficult part of writing for you?


12. How do you get feedback for your writing?

13. What is your most recent piece of writing?

14. How much writing have you done in the past year?

15. What “writers” do you know that help you think about your own writing?

16. Bring a piece of writing that you have done. Be prepared to talk about why you wrote it and how you feel about it.

Guiding readers and writers, grades 3-6 : teaching comprehension, genre, and content literacy by FOUNTAS, IRENE C. ; PINNELL, GAY SU Reproduced with permission of HEINEMANN INC. in the format Post in a course management system via Copyright Clearance Center.

Documents

Tompkins, G. (2012). Teaching Writing: Balancing Product … · TOPIC 1.1.4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 1 ... for the selection of touchstone texts for teaching elements of ... with No Red