1. Writing across the
Curriculum
Eveline M. Bailey, ELA Literacy Consultant
English Department Chair, AP English Literature, AP Program Director
La Porte High School

2. Eveline Bailey
• Teaching English for 17 years
• Texas Certification 6-12 ELA, 6-12 Government
• LPHS English Department Chair
• AP English Literature teacher
• AP College Board English Literature Reader
• AP Program Director
• Texas AP Advocate
• National Literacy Consultant
• MLA Delegate: Central and Rocky Mountains Region
Introductions

3. WAC Defined
Writing across the curriculum, also known as
writing across the disciplines, was first employed in
colleges and universities and later applied to
elementary and secondary public education.
Its main purpose is to use writing in the teaching
and learning of any subject area content.

4. WAC Defined
• Writing across the curriculum is one part of
literacy learning.
• Literacy in its simplest form is defined as “the
ability to read and write.” Yet literacy goes far
beyond merely decoding and reproducing
language.
• A quick Google search “define literacy learning”
produced nearly 71 MILLION results.
• Searching literacy at TED.com produced 113
results!

5. WAC Defined
How then do we define literacy?
Whose responsibility is it to teach literacy?
What role does writing across the curriculum play
in literacy learning?

6. The Value of WAC in learning
WAC is based on the premise that students learn
best when they are engaged in the critical thinking
and problem solving skills fostered and developed
through the process of articulating complex ideas
in writing.

7. WAC Studies
“WAC pedagogies allow students to cross
boundaries between textbook learning and
practical application, between content mastery and
disciplinary discourse, and between rhetorics of
action and life experiences. Research shows that
WAC pedagogies and the writing assignments they
generate increase student engagement with the
thought patterns and practices of a discipline.”
(Joyce Magnotto Neff and Carl Whithaus, Writing Across Distances & Disciplines: Research and Pedagogy in
Distributed Learning. Taylor & Francis, 2008)

8. WAC Studies
WAC studies show the following benefits:
• Writing aids retention and recall by cementing a concept in a
student’s mind.
• Writing increases depth of knowledge and assists with the mastery
of academic vocabulary.
• Writing develops critical thinking skills.
• Writing promotes independent thinking.
Ultimately, the purpose for writing in any course is to allow students to
explore ideas, practice concepts, “play” with their learning, and push
the limits of what they think they can do.
(Taken from NCTE Beliefs about the Teaching of Writing by the Writing Study Group of the NCTE Executive Committee)

9. However…
Writing isn’t a vaccine against low student
performance
• Administrative mandates to incorporate writing only
breeds discontent among teachers, especially if it is
not purposefully utilized and seamlessly
incorporated as part of a larger curriculum.
• Writing out of context can have devastating learning
effects:
• teacher apathy leads to student apathy;
• student apathy leads to discipline issues and
insubordination;
• insubordination leads to toxic classrooms where very little
learning ever happens.

10. Not all writing is good writing
• While writing “does appear to facilitate learning to
some degree under some conditions, the research
on writing's effects on learning is ambiguous”
(Bangert-Drowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004).
• And of course, the “simple incorporation of writing in
regular classroom instruction does not automatically
yield large dividends in learning” (2004) nor does it
ensure higher test scores.
(Taken from Monica Bomengen, Ed.D.’s “Writing Across the Curriculum: Research on the Effects of Writing Practice on
Standardized Test Results for High School Students”)

11. Not all writing is good writing
• Writing without purpose is meaningless.
• Writing without its sister components of reading
and critical thinking does not lead to long term
retention.
• Writing should not be used for punishment.
EVER.
• Writing without feedback or opportunities for
reflection and reconsideration is unproductive.
No one wins.

12. Wittgenstein
“The limits of my language mean the limits of my
world.” --Ludwig Wittgenstein
Think for a few minutes about Wittgenstein’s
meaning. Jot down a few ideas and we will share
them in a few moments.

13. The Benefits
As you just experienced, when learners write, they think of
things that they did not think about when they first began
writing, and in doing so, generate many ideas.
When learners share their ideas that have been, at least to
some degree, articulated more clearly in writing, they are
further benefitted by others’ ideas, thereby broadening their
own knowledge and thinking, reconsidering their
assumptions and preconceived ideas, and in general,
constructing their independence and sense of self.

14. The Benefits
The recursive process of writing suggests a
number of learning benefits:
• to solve problems,
• to identify related topics and issues,
• to activate inquiry and formulate questions,
• to reconsider previous answers and assumptions, and
• to experiment with ideas or follow alternate paths.

15. “But writing is an English teacher’s
job!”
As English teachers are well aware, the concept
that writing is a tool for thinking helps us to
understand the process of drafting and revision as
one of exploration and discovery.
Yet, the writing process is not merely a “seek and
destroy” mission to correct errors, but of finding
more avenues and opportunities to explore, as well
as the implications of an idea—any idea—that one
is considering.

16. Categories of Writing:
Writing to Learn
Writing-to-learn activities
• are short, often informal writing tasks that allow students to
think through key concepts or ideas presented in a class
• can be used as formative assessments or as brainstorming
(aka: brainstarting)
• can be done in as few as 2 minutes or as long as 10-15
minutes, depending upon the activity
• are crucial to any discipline because they best meet learning
standards and goals in all subject areas.
Performance (or Exhibition) Writing activities:
• allow students the opportunity to practice with the language a specific discipline, as well as with the formats typical of a given discipline (i.e. MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago).
• help students understand the various purposes and audiences for writing
• ensure students are academically prepared for college and/or workplace writing

17. Categories of Writing:
Writing to Perform
Writing-to-learn activities
• are short, often informal writing tasks that allow students to think through key concepts or ideas presented in a class
• can be used as formative assessments or as brainstorming (aka: brainstarting)
• can be done in as few as 2 minutes or as long as 10-15 minutes, depending upon the activity
• are crucial to any discipline because they best meet learning standards and goals in all subject areas.
Writing to perform (or Exhibition writing) activities
• allow students the opportunity to practice with the language
of a specific discipline, as well as with the formats typical of
a given discipline (i.e. MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago).
• help students understand the various purposes and
audiences for writing
• ensure students are academically prepared for college
and/or workplace writing

18. Writing to Learn Activity
I’ll show you a set of words and read them to you
once while you write them down. After you have
written them, you will have 1 minute to study the
list.
Ready?

19. Writing to Learn Activity
Train
Stick
Rock
Cloud
Fire
Gym
Brush
Stove
Can
Pen

20. Writing to Learn Activity
Now without looking at your paper, write down the
words in order.
How many did you recall correctly?
What methods did you use to recall them? How
successful were you?

21. Writing to Learn Activity
Without looking at your list, write down the words
in order.
What did you remember this time, a mere 10
minutes later?

22. Writing to Learn Activity
Using your word list, write 2-3 sentences that use the
words in order.
You might consider writing:
• a brief story
• a rhyme
• an associative acronym using the first letters
• something completely of your own making
You can do whatever you like, but you must write
something and you only have 5 minutes.

23. Share your creation with the people at your table.
Take turns
• reading your writing
• explaining how you came up with your writing
idea
• explaining why you chose to express it in the
way you did
Writing to Learn Activity

24. Writing to Learn Activity
Put your paper away and on your own, write down
the words in order.
Check your answers to see how you did.
Train
Stick
Rock
Cloud
Fire
Gym
Brush
Stove
Can
Pen

25. Writing to Learn Activity
What did you notice about the difference between
what you recalled the first two times and what you
recalled when you wrote the list and engaged the
content in more meaningful writing and
discussion?

26. Writing to Learn Reflection
How effective was simply writing the list and
hearing it repeated out loud? What does this tell
us about long-term retention?
Based on your experience, what are the
implications for student learning when writing is
one part of literacy learning?

27. Writing to Learn Activities
The previous activity is great if all you have to
teach is a list of 10 words, but…
What do writing to learn activities look like in the
various disciplines?
Think about this for a few minutes and then
respond online with your subject area and idea.

28. Math Literacy and Writing
Listen to Dan Meyer
“Math Class Needs a Makeover”

29. • Math literacy requires students to move from
concrete to abstract concepts in order to master
mathematical objectives and content.
• Writing gives students the opportunity to
articulate what they did to solve a problem, as
well as how and why they solved a problem in a
particular way—the critical thinking steps they
used as they work through a problem.
Math Literacy and Writing

30. • Math writing encourages the kinesthetic, visual,
auditory, and cognitive learning styles to
promote long-term retention and mastery.
• Student writing provides crucial information to
teachers about student thinking and gives them
specific insight into possible reasons for
misconceptions and avenues for intervention.
Math Literacy and Writing

31. What seems to be most math teachers’ resistance to
writing?
All valid responses, and I completely agree! In fact,
English teachers everywhere agree: leave the
grammar to us!
You have full permission to ignore grammar, syntax,
organization, and non-content spelling mistakes to
focus on building critical thinking skills, content
knowledge, and math literacy.
Math Teachers’ Resistance

32. Math Literacy and Writing
An example:
Solve the problem x + 9 = 18 + -2x. Show your
work AND next to each step you take, explain what
you did and why you performed that step.

33. Another example:
• Have students explain each step as though they
are teaching another student. In fact, why not
actually have them do that in a class activity?
• Provide students with the opportunity to explain
why they chose an answer. See the SAT
Question of the Day.
Math Literacy and Writing

34. Even writing test corrections, exit slips, restating
the objective of the day in their own words—all of
these are purposeful writing that increases critical
thinking, problem solving, and overall math
literacy.
• Other ideas?
Math Literacy and Writing

35. Science Literacy and Writing
Science literacy operates similarly to math, although
science teachers in general tend to be more open to
writing in the classroom.
Science writing doesn’t have to be just lab reports and
scientific observations!
Incorporating current events and news articles can
open discussion of important content-related
curriculum and provide additional avenues to teach
students content-specific writing skills.

36. STEM Literacy and Writing
Sources for creating STEM literacy:
The New York Times—has business/market and science
sections
The Washington Post
The Wall Street Journal
Others?
Incidentally, these websites are great for social studies,
ELA, art, music—the whole slew of Humanities.

37. Humanities and Writing
Social Studies, ELA, Art:
Writing in these courses tends to be much more
intuitive. We wouldn’t know history or humanity if
man hadn’t written it somewhere, whether that was
cave walls, papyrus, animal hide, bathroom stalls,
desks….

38. Humanities and Writing
Some examples of writing to learn activities for the
Humanities:
• Short answer responses
• Small group questions (good for STEM, too)
• Letters for authentic audiences
Other examples?

39. One last word on what writing can
be…
Listen to Sunni Brown
“Doodlers, Unite!”

40. WAC Planning
With your subject matter colleagues
• brainstorm and plan several Writing to Learn
activities
• privilege literacy learning over random writing
assignments
• plan one Performance Writing activity for your six
weeks
After you’ve had time to plan, we will come together
again to share our ideas and conclude our workshop.