Chapter 14 Statements

Leader: Beth Franks Support Staff: Nikolette Edge, Stephanie Garicia, Alyssia Harper, Jason Henderson

Nikolette Edge
p. 243- I agree with the statement about testing being used to sort rather than inform. It is so important for students, as well as teachers, to know what was done well and what specifically needs improvement. p. 245- BTW, IMHO, Digital Media Is Gr8 :)- There is so much fear when it comes to using technology in the classroom, yet there is so much to gain. Our school will have three computer labs by next year, and I am actively searching for the best way to use this new resource. This section reminded me that I need to teach a lot of the more advanced skills explicitly because many of our students have limited access at home. p. 249- Teach Code-Switching- In a rural school I have to teach this often. It may not be Ebonics, but it is definitely an alternate vocabulary or usage. It can be a sensitive subject because it is a part of the student's culture, and you may insult their family's way of speaking. I try to explain that the way they speak or write to a friend or family member is different than for a job interview or formal paper. One way I do this is by telling them to imagine the Queen of England saying it. If she wouldn't, they may want to reword it. p. 252 Give Feedback to Fit Students' Needs- Grading writing assignments is probably the hardest thing I do. It is sometimes difficult to give accurate feedback without a student feeling like a failure. I really liked the idea that students tell you what they would like feedback on. That would enable me to help in a specific area, and may make it easier for them to grasp that certain skill.

Beth Franks
p.242 I liked the rationale for writing in the beginning of this chapter. So often, students want to know why they need to learn to write, especially if they are struggling writers. The authors say the goal of writing is to express ourselves clearly because our society is based on literacy. As adults, we are expected to write in various forms, such as job applications, fill out forms, make lists, not to mention digital writing forms like emails, tweets, blogs, etc. Writing is a part of every adults life and we need to help students understand that. p. 245 I also liked the idea of the authors chair. Students sit in the authors chair and explain their writing

pieces to their peers. It helps students communicate their ideas thereby allowing them to see themselves as competent communicators. This will translate ever further into their writing and reading as well. p. 246 There are many ways to teach writing. The book refers to balanced literacy for elementary grades and the 6+1 Trait Model and Writers Workshop for all grades. My method of teaching writing is the writers workshop. I teach the four types of writing (narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive) and provide a prompt, and the students work as independently as they can to complete the writing process. I conference more frequently with those who need more hands-on attention but I let the more independent students work with fewer conferences.

Stephanie Garcia
p. 244 "Teaching students that rewriting, editing, and correcting are part of writing is an important component of instruction." This is basically where common core is coming into play. "Productive struggle" is what we call it. Not everything is going to fall into place perfectly, whether in writing, reading, or math. There will be times where they need to go back and look at things again to make sure it is what they really wanted to say and if it sounds right. But we need to be the ones teaching them this process. p. 245 Digital media is a way for students to work. When we think writing, we think paper and pencil. But I will say, the students love to work on computers. They know more than most of us do. I know my biggest fear is that they will just copy and paste and use somebody else's thoughts/words. But again, writing without stealing someone else's words needs to be taught. p. 249 I loved the idea of the students creating their own dictionary. I know I'm always struggling on how to get the students to work with vocabulary rather than just writing them down in a vocabulary journal. I like the idea of when they reach a word they don't know, they write it down and then go back to define it or define it at that moment. Over the year, they build a dictionary of words they didn't know before to show what they have learned over the year.

Alyssia Harper
Pg 245-I enjoy the idea of the authors chair for students. I think that this can also be used in the writing process to help them nail down a point of view to write from, and to think more deeply about the concepts they want to convey.

P. 245-The digital age, in my opinion, should be embraced rather than shying away from. In a world to texting and social media our students are exposed to so many teaching opportunities. I also agreed with the fact that texting is not ruining the way our students write. With every smart phone there is usually some type of autocorrect so you have to try to have horrible grammar for than to happen. I also think that by writing and reading on social media they are being exposed to more reading and writing than they would have been, but it is our job to teach them how to use it responsibly.

P.249-One teaching strategy that really popped out to me was the I-Search method. I think that research papers tend to be overwhelming no matter what grade you are in. One of the hardest parts is getting started and organizing your thought process. With this strategy you are doing both.

Jason Henderson
p.244--Just as is the case with reading, so too follows writing. One cannot excel at one without the other. And just as with reading, it is important that we structure the process of writing with the basics that allows students to collect thoughts and express them creatively and coherently. So regardless of the type of writing process, if they understand the fundamentals of writing, they can reach success with the tools that have been given them. p.248--I agree with the idea that students write how they feel and draw off of previous experiences. While some students may be more expressive than others, the fact remains that if a student wants to convey his/her idea, his/her mood will dictate how accurately they will express those emotions. And it's not necessarily length that makes great literature, but the quality with which those words are expressed that create great literature. p.250--Displaying work for students is a big ego boost for the otherwise less achieving students. When they see that their work is put up on the board along with students they perceive to be high achieving, they instantly feel a little accomplishment in their life. To them it is a big deal, although to us it may seem somewhat insignificant.