Helping Students Become Better Writers Michael B. WMWP Summer Institute 2006 Inquiry Project

What’s the problem? Every year I spend tons of time and energy developing, giving, discussing, grading and reviewing writing assignments (good) Every year I am disappointed by the lack of progress in some of my students (bad)

Every year I spend tons of time and energy developing, giving, discussing, grading and reviewing writing assignments (good)

Every year I am disappointed by the lack of progress in some of my students (bad)

I think the lack of improvement here is due to either: students in question don’t care enough to apply themselves or students in question are unable to access the material I provide

students in question don’t care enough to apply themselves

or

students in question are unable to access the material I provide

My research says: writing a lot breeds familiarity with writing and makes the act itself less intimidating using a variety of assignments will keep students interested and reach those who may not have been reached otherwise students must spend time reflecting on their writing and giving and receiving useful feedback on writing writing assignments must matter to the students and have real life significance

writing a lot breeds familiarity with writing and makes the act itself less intimidating

using a variety of assignments will keep students interested and reach those who may not have been reached otherwise

students must spend time reflecting on their writing and giving and receiving useful feedback on writing

writing assignments must matter to the students and have real life significance

What can I do to facilitate this? Ask students to write regularly and have discussions about writing Give informal assignments where student can write about things that they know or are interested in Form response groups in class so that students can periodically share with their classmates and give and receive useful feedback Provide students with the opportunity to reflect on and write about their own writing

Ask students to write regularly and have discussions about writing

Give informal assignments where student can write about things that they know or are interested in

Form response groups in class so that students can periodically share with their classmates and give and receive useful feedback

Provide students with the opportunity to reflect on and write about their own writing

What can I do to facilitate this? Conference with students about their writing and areas for improvement Help students assemble a publication as a class that they can really invest themselves in Create an arena for orally sharing creative writing Have students create writing portfolios over the course of the school year, where they can gather all their work, revise it, and really see the progress they’ve made since September

Conference with students about their writing and areas for improvement

Help students assemble a publication as a class that they can really invest themselves in

Create an arena for orally sharing creative writing

Have students create writing portfolios over the course of the school year, where they can gather all their work, revise it, and really see the progress they’ve made since September

Resources Used: Elbow, Peter. Embracing Contraries: Explorations in Learning and Teaching . Oxford University Press, New York, 1986. Lambert, Glenda M.S. “Helping 12th Grade Honors English Students Improve Writing Skills Through Conferencing.” Practicum at Nova Southeastern University, 1999. Swartzendruber-Putnam, Dawn. “Written Reflection: Creating Better Thinks, Better Writers.” English Journal , September 2000. Additional information provided through workshops by and interviews with the participants of the WMWP Summer Institute 2006.

Elbow, Peter. Embracing Contraries: Explorations in Learning and Teaching . Oxford University Press, New York, 1986.

Lambert, Glenda M.S. “Helping 12th Grade Honors English Students Improve Writing Skills Through Conferencing.” Practicum at Nova Southeastern University, 1999.

Swartzendruber-Putnam, Dawn. “Written Reflection: Creating Better Thinks, Better Writers.” English Journal , September 2000.

Additional information provided through workshops by and interviews with the participants of the WMWP Summer Institute 2006.