Writing Across the Curriculum

Tiger Team Writing Across the Curriculum

What Should a School District Do To Teach Students To Write?

1) First, a school should commit to teaching students to plan, draft and revise. When students are taught to plan, draft and revise in a self-regulated fashion, their writing improves a great deal (Graham, 2006).

2) Second, starting the process will be slow. Teachers and administrators should recognize that it will take years for the staff to become confident teaching the full range of plan-draft-revise strategies such as found in sources such as Graham and Harris (2005), so the only sensible model of professional development is one that occurs over years ( Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Graham, S., MacArthur, Charles, and Fitzgerald, Jill, 2007).

3) Third, children’s writing improves through instruction and practice, occurring daily over years in an instructionally effective school where teachers throughout a building are consistently using similar teaching methods ( Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Graham, S., MacArthur, Charles, and Fitzgerald, Jill, 2007).

4) Fourth, as a child experiences years of instruction and practice there must be increasing demand for improvement. ( Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Graham, S., MacArthur, Charles, and Fitzgerald, Jill, 2007).

5) Fifth, as schools meet the demand for writing instruction, they must simultaneously encourage teachers to integrate writing instruction with other instruction – writing in response to reading, writing as a part of a social studies project, writing as integral to scientific process instruction, and even writing about problem solving. The only way there will be time enough in the school day is if there is integration. ( Best Practices in Writing Instruction, Graham, S., MacArthur, Charles, and Fitzgerald, Jill, 2007).

Writing to Learn

Writing to Demonstrate Learning

Writing for Publication

WAC Writing Across the Curriculum or WID Writing in the Disciplines

Writing, once thought of as only belonging to the English class, is now used throughout the curriculum from elementary grades to college classes. The reason for the change is that we realize writing helps students learn the content of every subject. by Rhoda Maxwell

We include writing across the curriculum not to add more work to an already crowded curriculum but to improve the learning of the content. Writing is not used in the content areas so that students will improve writing skills, but because students understand content better and retain it longer when it becomes part of their learning activities. by Rhoda Maxwell

In How Writing Shapes Thinking , Langer and Applebee (1978) explain that any type of written response improves learning and retention rather than reading and listening without writing (pg 130). by Rhoda Maxwell

Peter Elbow differentiates between “high stakes” writing, the type that demonstrates learning and “low stakes” writing, the type that promotes further leaning. by Corbett Harrison, NNWP Director

The act of writing is a memory aid because it entails a higher degree of involvement than listening or reading. Having our thoughts visible through writing, so we can see where we need to rearrange, combine, or expand, helps us to understand and accomplish organization. by Rhoda Maxwell

Studies show that writing increases recall and understanding of information. When students organize their ideas through writing, the information makes more sense to them. by Rhoda Maxwell

Writing is one of the three main ways of enhancing the thinking of students; the others are questioning techniques and information processing (Marzano, 1993 pg 154). by Marzano

Quick Writes These are short pieces of writing designed to focus students’ thinking. Teachers can use quick writes to: assess prior knowledge before instruction in order to set the stage for new information (ex. create a list of keywords, a list of questions, 3 things I know/don’t know) give students time to write briefly on the day’s topic before contributing to class discussions. pause in the middle of instruction to check for understanding, or to make connections and predictions. summarize main points, form opinions, or reflect on what was learned after instruction.

Evaluation tips: First, model “incomplete”, “adequate”, and “excellent” responses (check minus, check, check plus). Look for content, quantity, appropriateness, elaboration, etc. Assess as complete/incomplete, correct/incorrect, or trade for peer review. Evaluate content only, never for grammar. Journals or Learning Logs Journals and logs give students an informal place to explore and interact with class content. Students can: summarize newly acquired knowledge. write vocabulary terms in their own words. draw what was most interesting or confusing. create a list of questions. explain math or science problems or terms in writing. make connections (between new info and prior knowledge).

Class books Compiled either from whole group or individual writing, students can: write in response to a shared experience (e.g. field trips). write in response to literature ( favorite books, songs, or poems). share newly learned content (e.g. ABC, 123, butterflies, alliteration). Evaluation tips: Define grading requirements. Model “incomplete”, “adequate”, and “excellent” responses (check minus, check, check plus) Look for content, quantity, appropriateness, elaboration, etc. Evaluate content only, never for grammar.

Quick Writes These are short pieces of writing designed to focus students’ thinking. Teachers can use quick writes to: assess prior knowledge before instruction in order to set the stage for new information (ex. create a list of keywords, a list of questions, 3 things I know/don’t know) give students time to write briefly on the day’s topic before contributing to class discussions. pause in the middle of instruction to check for understanding, or to make connections and predictions. (ex. paraphrase, ask a question, write a definition) summarize main points, form opinions, or reflect on what was learned after instruction. (ex. 3 things I learned, 2 things I wonder about, 1thing I could teach someone else) Evaluation tips: First, model “incomplete”, “adequate”, and “excellent” responses (check minus, check, check plus). Look for content, quantity, appropriateness, elaboration, etc. Assess as complete/incomplete, correct/incorrect, or trade for peer review. Evaluate content only, never for grammar.

Journals or Learning Logs Journals and logs give students an informal place to explore and interact with class content. Students can: summarize newly acquired knowledge. write vocabulary terms in their own words. write what was most interesting or confusing. create a list of questions or possible topics for future research. explain math or science problems or terms in writing. make connections between new info and prior knowledge. Evaluation tips: Define grading requirements. Well-kept journals could be a boost to the final grade or could be given a test grade status. Choose only one part to grade at a time. Use notebooks or loose leaf binders to hold work. Respond to entries; highlight insights; comment in margins.