Writing: For and About Learning
Writing is a key component to the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards. It is also one of the main ways that students can or will demonstrate literacy in any content area.
To quote the authors of the ELA CCSS, "...writing is a key means of asserting and defending claims, showing what they know about a subject, and conveying what they have experienced, imagined, thought, and felt." So the skill of writing is both necessary and important to becoming career and college ready.
There are very few jobs that don't require some kind of writing, whether it's an email, report, proposal, or evaluation. College students are regularly challenged with writing assignments, projects, essays, and research papers.
Writing is more than putting words on paper (or in the computer). It involves doing the background work necessary to defend a claim, make a proposal, or state one's position. The background work involves not only research on the topic, but evaluating sources, and citing material accurately. Writing needs to be coherent, so that meaning is clearly conveyed. The use of technology is also a key element of successful writing as one researches, creates, refines, or collaborates on writing. Writers must consider the task, audience, and purpose and understand how those elements impact word choice, format and structure when creating a writing piece that is meaningful and sufficiently complex.
Writing skills must be honed so that high quality first drafts can be created under a tight deadline if necessary, or to make revisions to improve the quality of the writing piece.
Frequent writing is the key to success. Writing becomes more meaningful if it is for learning rather than always being about learning. Quick writes allow for students processing, reflection, and for making connections to the learning. These less formal writing opportunities also allow teachers to gain immediate insight into what the student is thinking. There is still a place for research papers, but they should be shorter and more frequent rather than just a one time event so that students have greater exposure to both the requirements of research and the opportunity to write formally.
To quote the authors of the ELA CCSS, "...writing is a key means of asserting and defending claims, showing what they know about a subject, and conveying what they have experienced, imagined, thought, and felt." So the skill of writing is both necessary and important to becoming career and college ready.
There are very few jobs that don't require some kind of writing, whether it's an email, report, proposal, or evaluation. College students are regularly challenged with writing assignments, projects, essays, and research papers.
Writing is more than putting words on paper (or in the computer). It involves doing the background work necessary to defend a claim, make a proposal, or state one's position. The background work involves not only research on the topic, but evaluating sources, and citing material accurately. Writing needs to be coherent, so that meaning is clearly conveyed. The use of technology is also a key element of successful writing as one researches, creates, refines, or collaborates on writing. Writers must consider the task, audience, and purpose and understand how those elements impact word choice, format and structure when creating a writing piece that is meaningful and sufficiently complex.
Writing skills must be honed so that high quality first drafts can be created under a tight deadline if necessary, or to make revisions to improve the quality of the writing piece.
Frequent writing is the key to success. Writing becomes more meaningful if it is for learning rather than always being about learning. Quick writes allow for students processing, reflection, and for making connections to the learning. These less formal writing opportunities also allow teachers to gain immediate insight into what the student is thinking. There is still a place for research papers, but they should be shorter and more frequent rather than just a one time event so that students have greater exposure to both the requirements of research and the opportunity to write formally.
"Writing is a way to work yourself into a subject and make it your own."
Writing to learn is certainly not new (as noted in the above quote by Zinsser, W., in Writing to Learn, 1988), but it is making a comeback as we all have come to realize that we were short-changing a valuable learning tool when we put writing on the back burner over the last 10+ years. In fact, the less writing we did, it seems like the less we used higher level thinking, and the harder it was to make the connections in what we were learning to real life.
Now with some tried and true ways, and some new ideas for utilizing writing in EVERY classroom, writing may be that secret we have been looking for! Read on for ideas and resources to help you put writing back into your instruction as a tool for learning and about learning!
Now with some tried and true ways, and some new ideas for utilizing writing in EVERY classroom, writing may be that secret we have been looking for! Read on for ideas and resources to help you put writing back into your instruction as a tool for learning and about learning!
Writing Resources
What Makes Writing So Important? A list compiled by Marquette University from other collegiate sources that provides a foundation for the reasoning behind the necessity of writing.
Writing to Learn - Ed Leadership article by Robert J. Marzano citing Five Phases for Understanding when writing to learn: Record, Compare, Revise, Combine, and Review. He believes this will deepen one's understanding and improve the retention of content.
Evidence Based Practices for Teaching Writing by Steve Graham and Amy Gillespie, Vanderbilt University. Effective writing practices are outlined in this article based on research analysis of instructional practices as related to writing and the teaching of writing.
A Guide to Depth of Knowledge: 5 Tips to Help Your Students In this ASCD Edge blog post, Suzanne Klein, Executive Director in Grandville, MI, breaks down how Depth of Knowledge levels 3 and 4 align with the rigor required by the Common Core ELA Standards. Klein notes that to attain this level, writing will be an important tool for students. Writing is not just a mechanical formula. It requires that students be able to think and synthesize what is read or known. She shares practical ideas and strategies that can be used to assist students as they write at the third and fourth levels of Depth of Knowledge. These strategies can be applied for all grade levels.
Quick Writes: A couple of resources to assist with understanding and using Quick Writes as a learning tool.
The Quickwrite: A Brief Description - from the University of Prince Edward Island
Literacy Strategy: Quick Write - a brief overview plus "how to" information
Vertical Alignment of Writing Standards from Louisiana Department of Education. This breaks down each grade level standard into a user-friendly list of what the grade specific standard is asking students to be able to do.
Writing to Learn - Ed Leadership article by Robert J. Marzano citing Five Phases for Understanding when writing to learn: Record, Compare, Revise, Combine, and Review. He believes this will deepen one's understanding and improve the retention of content.
Evidence Based Practices for Teaching Writing by Steve Graham and Amy Gillespie, Vanderbilt University. Effective writing practices are outlined in this article based on research analysis of instructional practices as related to writing and the teaching of writing.
A Guide to Depth of Knowledge: 5 Tips to Help Your Students In this ASCD Edge blog post, Suzanne Klein, Executive Director in Grandville, MI, breaks down how Depth of Knowledge levels 3 and 4 align with the rigor required by the Common Core ELA Standards. Klein notes that to attain this level, writing will be an important tool for students. Writing is not just a mechanical formula. It requires that students be able to think and synthesize what is read or known. She shares practical ideas and strategies that can be used to assist students as they write at the third and fourth levels of Depth of Knowledge. These strategies can be applied for all grade levels.
Quick Writes: A couple of resources to assist with understanding and using Quick Writes as a learning tool.
The Quickwrite: A Brief Description - from the University of Prince Edward Island
Literacy Strategy: Quick Write - a brief overview plus "how to" information
Vertical Alignment of Writing Standards from Louisiana Department of Education. This breaks down each grade level standard into a user-friendly list of what the grade specific standard is asking students to be able to do.
Elementary Writing ResourcesNew! Interactive Websites from the Virginia Department of Education - a collection of websites assembled by Liz Phillips.
Teaching Writing with Picture Books in Mind Who, What, When, Where, Why - Primary writing introductions Oreo Graphic Organizer for Persuasive Writing Student Center Activities - Florida Center for Reading Research - These activities can be used as a resource for reading and writing but were not specifically designed for Common Core. The drawback is to not just teach these skills in isolation but to integrate them which will require some planning before use. They are designed to work with DIBELS too. *Teaching and Learning Consulting Network, LLC does not endorse or determine reliability of claims of effectiveness or alignment. Information is intended only for reader consideration. |
Secondary Writing ResourcesNew! HS Teachers Tune In Students with Podcasts: US News and World Report Education shares how teachers use of the growing medium of podcasts to enhance writing and story telling.
Study Guides and Strategies website to assist with Persuasive or Argumentative Writing Common Core Standards Writing in Science: Web article highlighting tips on how to include and improve writing in Science. Teaching Persuasive Reading & Writing (High School) - this provides samples of lessons and writing activities. 6 Ways to Use Quick Writes to promote learning. Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC Strategies) - site that provides ideas on how to teach writing across the curriculum, respond to such writing, and help students become more active readers and learners. |
Writing Rubrics
Rubrics for Writing K-12 - This site provides a nice variety of writing rubrics for different types of writing.
West Virginia Department of Education - Teach 21 Rubrics, grades 3-11.
Elementary Writing Rubrics: Edmond Public Schools
6 Trait Writing Rubrics: Arizona Department of Education - Also includes writing prompts and examples
6 Trait Writing Rubric for Students: Student friendly version for elementary with reflective question for each trait. The rubric is broken down into grades 1-2; 3-4; 5-6
6 Traits Writing Rubric (general)
West Virginia Department of Education - Teach 21 Rubrics, grades 3-11.
Elementary Writing Rubrics: Edmond Public Schools
6 Trait Writing Rubrics: Arizona Department of Education - Also includes writing prompts and examples
6 Trait Writing Rubric for Students: Student friendly version for elementary with reflective question for each trait. The rubric is broken down into grades 1-2; 3-4; 5-6
6 Traits Writing Rubric (general)
Writing in Math
Writing for Math (Ed Leadership) by Marilyn Burns - This article addresses how easily writing can and should be incorporated into the math classroom to aid in understanding. Using the following quote, "Writing is a way to work yourself into a subject and make it your own," the author has overcome her own fear of writing and made it an integral part of her math instruction.
Using Writing in Math - This web article contains sample lessons and prompts that can be easily modified to the desired student levels.
Using Writing in Math - This web article contains sample lessons and prompts that can be easily modified to the desired student levels.
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