writer's workshop presentation for PD

1. LAUNCHING
NOTEBOOKS AND
WRITING WORKSHOP
Upper Grade Professional Development
P.S. 171
Presentation by Stacey Shubitz
Friday, September 1st, 2006

2. Idea Notebooks
• A portable writer‟s notebook is used to
record wonderings, observations, overheard
conversations, sketches, etc.
• Students need a pen or pencil to carry along
with their notebook.
• Author Lester Laminack calls his Idea
Notebook a “Spy Notebook.” He never
leaves home without his secret weapon
(pen) and something to write about.
– Cute idea for younger kids… might not work in
5th, 6th and 7th grades.

3. We Want Kids To Know Four Major Things
About Collecting Entries In Their Writer‟s
Notebooks
• Within the personal
narrative unit:
– Process
– Qualities of Good
Writing
– Volume
– Conventions
This slide, and the four that follow, are adapted from a presentation
at T.C. by Grace Chough, 8/17/06.

4. How Writers Fit Notebooks
Into The Writing Process
Adapted from the work of Randy Bomer, A
Time For Meaning.

5. Process Goals
• How to get started (on an
entry)
• What to do when you get
stuck.
• How to go from one entry to
the next (entry).
– NO CLOSED
NOTEBOOKS!

6. Qualities of Good Writing Goals
• Focus
• Entries are easy to follow
• Appropriate use of…
– Dialogue
– Sensory description
• Knowing the difference between a
summary and a detailed retelling
• Crafting strong leads and endings
• Development of the internal story
• Show, not tell.
• Stories have a structure (rising
action  climax  resolution)

7. Volume Goals
• About 2 entries/day.
• Approximately 12
entries/week.
• If students are publishing 1
½ pages of writing, then you
should expect their entries
to be about 1 page long.

8. Conventions Goals
(within notebook entries)
• Ending Punctuation
– Making appropriate choices about when to use
periods, exclamation points and question marks.
• Paragraphing
– Whenever there‟s a new person introduced, a
new person talking or there‟s a move to a
different place.

9. We can‟t ask our students to
do what we won‟t do, so…
• Now it’s your turn to try it.
• By the end of this session you‟ll have
five entries in your writer‟s notebook.
– All of these entries are directly related to
five minilessons you might teach during
the first two weeks of school.
– Your entries could be used as
demonstration texts for your students.

10. “Observation of the Room”
Strategy
• Read the room right now.
• Write a quick entry about what you‟re
noticing, how you feel about being back at
school today, an overheard conversation or
anything else you wish to record about
what‟s happening in here this morning.
• You will not have to share this entry with
anyone!
• This is the type of “Idea Notebook” entry
you‟ll want your kids to write.

11. “Meaningful Place” Strategy
• Think of a meaningful
place.
– It could be anything from
the kitchen table in the
home where you grew up to
your favorite beach in
Florida.
• List small moments
related to that place.
• Write about one of those
small moments in your
writer‟s notebook.

12. “Look at a Photograph”
Strategy
• Study the photograph.
• Think about:
– Who or what is pictured?
– Where was the picture
taken?
– When was the picture
taken?
– Why did you choose this
photo to bring in today?
• Write about the small moment
related to the photograph.

13. “Think of a Person” Strategy
• Think about a person
who is important to
you (living or
deceased).
• List as many small
moments as you can
about that person.
• Write about one of
those small
moments with
him/her.

14. “Look at an Object” Strategy
• Examine the object
closely.
– When did you get it?
– Where did you buy or
acquire it from?
– Who gave it to you?
– Why is it important?
• List everything!
• Write a small moment
entry related to this
object.

15. Q&A
• Questions
• Comments
• Concerns

16. Conferring During September
The following slides serve as additional
support for conferences you might hold
during the first month of school.

17. Sample Questions for the
“Research” Stage of your R-D-T
Conference
SITUATION CONFERENCE QUESTION(S)
The writing is unfocused. •What‟s the most important part of your story?
•What do you want your reader to know after reading this story?
The writing covers several events or ideas. •Which of these events/ideas is the most important to you?
The writing lacks depth and information. •Can you tell me more about _____________?
The writing contains too much information. •Can you point to the most important part of this piece?
•Can you underline the most important thing you want your
reader to know?
The piece just lists information and doesn‟t contain the writers •Why is this piece important to you?
thoughts and feelings. •How did you feel when this was happening?
The lead does not draw the reader into the writing effectively. •Why did you choose to start your story this way?
•What‟s the first image in your mind when you think of this story?
The conclusion is too sudden or drags on. •What feeling did you want the reader to share at the end of your
story?
A narrative piece makes limited use of dialogue. •Was anyone talking when this happened.
The writing is poorly organized. •Can you retell the story to me?
•Tell me a little bit about the plan you made to get to this point…
Chart adapted from Atwell (1987) and Anderson (2002). Conference questions generated by Matthews & Shubitz (2006).

18. A Hierarchy of What Matters Most When Conferring
During This Unit of Study
Adapted from the work of Jen Serravallo (2006).

19. Conferring Menu
Sample Writing Conference Teaching Points
Topic Choice Genre Focus Structure Elaboration Word Choice Conventions
Writers think of Writers ask Writers make a Writers Writers add Writers choose Writers begin a
an important themselves, timeline of all describe the more relevant words that are new paragraph
person and the what is the the main setting clearly detail to the specific and when someone
memories heart of my events and (without heart of their appropriate. new is talking.
connected with story? then circle one including story. They use
that person. part of the unnecessary quotation
timeline (and sensory marks to show
then stretch details). when that
out that part). person is
talking.
Writers think of Writers write Writers ask Writers stretch Writers show, Writers use Writers
an important their stories in themselves, “Is out the most not tell. specific nouns capitalize
place and list sequential there a clear important part throughout proper nouns
memories order. beginning, of their story. their story. as they write.
connected with middle and
that place. end to my
story?”
Writers focus Writers PARTNER Writers start ADVANCED Writers use Writers use
on small determine the CONFERNEC their stories OPTION: specific verbs appropriate
moments most important E OPTION: with the lead Writers push that represent punctuation
(seed-sized event or idea Writers that hooks their themselves to actions. and the end of
stories) rather they wish to sometimes reader (an say more by every
than giant tell about and recruit readers action, surprise writing twin sentence.
watermelon then write who can tell or dialogue). sentences.
topics. about that them where
small moment. places in their
draft are
confusing.
Teaching points created by Matthews & Shubitz (2006).

20. Management Tips
to establish during the first weeks of school
1. Always work towards independence.
2. Don‟t be afraid to use Workshop time to teach management.
• What to do when you‟re done with an entry.
• My job/your job in a conference.
3. Make sure you‟re building stamina.
4. Use mid-workshop interruptions to give students a break.
• Can be compliments that reflect independence.
5. Create word walls and portable spelling lists (for WW folders) to help
students with their spelling.
6. Self-Assignment Boxes (see next slide)
7. Compliment Conferences
• Quick conferences that consist of 1-2 research questions, then give the student a
“paragraph worth of speech” as a compliment. Then, move on!
8. Teach-Only Conference
• Drop a teaching point to kids as you work the room.
• Example: “Oh, don‟t forget to do _______________.”
9. Build-in time to move around the room to see what‟s going on in-between
conferences.
Adapted from a presentation at T.C. by Jen Serravallo, 8/18/06.

21. “Self-Assignment Boxes” in
Writer‟s Notebooks
EXAMPLE #1: EXAMPLE #2:
Pick another entry Write a scene where I
from my notebook show the internal
and rewrite it in tiny and external story.
little steps.

22. Closing Quotations
• “Walk through life like a writer.” --Lucy
Calkins
• “Tell the truth about your life and what‟s
really going on.” --Georgia Heard
• “We know the truth of ordinary life events.
Everything doesn‟t end with „happily ever
after‟.” --Georgia Heard
• “Careful control in craft makes for artful
writing.” --Lester Laminack