210114 WW Gettingyourstudentstowrite

Getting Students to Write

Natasha Buccianti January 21, 2014 Charles Vilina January 23, 2014

Our goals for today’s webinar

1) To gain a better understanding of the skill of writing, including the qualities that make it special

Our goals for today’s webinar

2. To introduce reading strategies and literacy skills that help students better understand the writing process

Our goals for today’s webinar

3) To introduce writing strategies that teachers can use to help young learners become better writers

Our goals for today’s webinar

4) To present a variety of writing projects that give students carefully-guided writing experiences

Warm-up time!

Put up your ‘hand’ if you know what an ACROSTIC poem is.

Warm-up time!

Let’s try one! The rules are simple:

Find one topic word that is interesting to your students.

For example: Hawaii

Acrostic poem

Write the word vertically

H ___________________

A ___________________

W ___________________

A ___________________

I ___________________

I ___________________

Acrostic poem

3. Use each letter as the beginning of a new word. The new words should tell us about the topic word.

H ula______

A ________

W ________

A ________

I ________

I ________

Acrostic poem

In the chat box:

Write the words in a row.

For example:

Hula, Airport, . . .

Our goals for today’s webinar

1) To gain a better understanding of the skill of writing, including the qualities that make it special

Presentation name Presenter Name

and Date 12

What is writing?

What is writing?

It is one of the four communication skills we teach to build language fluency and literacy.

What is writing?

In the natural progression of native language development, writing is normally learned “last” – after the other three skills:

• Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing

What is writing?

• Like speaking, writing is a productive skill.

What is writing?

• Unlike speaking (at least for native speakers), writing requires concentration and effort.

What is writing?

• Writing is an art as well as a technical skill.

Becoming good writers

As a productive skill, writing needs to be done often in order to be done well.

Becoming good writers

Good writing needs:

1. Interesting ideas

2. Clear organization

3. The right vocabulary

4. Solid sentence structure

5. Correct mechanics

6. A strong voice

Our goals for today’s webinar

2. To introduce reading strategies and literacy skills that help students better understand the writing process

Reading strategies

• Students should be encouraged to read often

• Fiction and nonfiction

• Students should be encouraged to be observant and critical

Reading strategy 1

Stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end

Reading strategy 1

In the chat box: Write B (Beginning), M (Middle), or E (end). _____ Camila draws potatoes, sausages, carrots, and

onions. She colors them.

_____ Camila’s mom looks at her picture. “Camila,” she says. “I think you’re hungry!”

_____ Camila wants to draw a picture, but she doesn’t know what to draw. Then she has an idea. Food!

(Oxford Discover Student Book 1, Unit 10)

Reading strategy 1

__M__ Camila draws potatoes, sausages, carrots, and onions. She colors them.

__E___ Camila’s mom looks at her picture. “Camila,” she says. “I think you’re hungry!”

__B___ Camila wants to draw a picture, but she doesn’t know what to draw. Then she has an idea. Food!

Reading strategy 2

Classify and categorize

to group similar things

Reading strategy 2

The 1800s were a busy time for inventors. One important invention was the sewing machine, which made it easier to make clothing. Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb, and Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Inventing continued in the 1900s. The Wright brothers invented the airplane, and John Logie Baird invented the television. The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper. (Oxford Discover Student Book 3, Unit 13)

Reading strategy 2

How were the inventions classified and categorized?

a. By the type of invention

b. By the time when they were invented

c. In alphabetical order

Reading strategy 2

How were the inventions classified and categorized?

a. By the type of invention

b. By the time when they were invented

c. In alphabetical order

In your chat box:

Name two inventions from the 1800s.

Name two inventions from the 1900s.

Reading strategy 3

Summarize what you read

in one sentence

Reading strategy 3

Read the paragraph. Summarize what you read in a sentence.

Fred helped his mother take the sandwiches and drinks out of the car. Fred’s father spread the picnic blanket out on the grass. Fred couldn’t wait to eat their picnic lunch. Suddenly, dark clouds appeared in the sky. In a few minutes, it began to rain. Fred used his umbrella and got his parents back to the car. (Oxford Discover Student Book 3, Unit 14)

Reading strategy 3

Summary:

Fred and his parents went out to have a picnic lunch, but unfortunately it started to rain.

Reading strategy 4

Sequence of actions

Reading strategy 4

Number the actions in the order in which they happen.

Before Sarah goes jogging, she prepares her body for it. First, she stretches for five minutes. Next, she walks for one kilometer to get her legs warmed up and ready for her jog. Then she jogs for 30 minutes. After jogging, she slows down and walks again for two kilometers. Finally, she stops and stretches for another ten minutes.

(Oxford Discover Student Book 4, Unit 12)

_____ She walks for one kilometer.

_____ She stretches for ten minutes.

_____ She jogs for 30 minutes.

_____ She walks for two kilometers.

_____ She stretches for five minutes.

Reading strategy 4

Number the actions in the order in which they happen.

Before Sarah goes jogging, she prepares her body for it. First, she stretches for five minutes. Next, she walks for one kilometer to get her legs warmed up and ready for her jog. Then she jogs for 30 minutes. After jogging, she slows down and walks again for two kilometers. Finally, she stops and stretches for another ten minutes.

__2__ She walks for one kilometer.

__5__ She stretches for ten minutes.

__3__ She jogs for 30 minutes.

__4__ She walks for two kilometers.

__1__ She stretches for five minutes.

Reading strategy 5

Sensory details

Reading strategy 5

Read the passage.

What details do you notice about the five senses?

Mimo stepped into the dark garden. He could barely see a thing, but he felt a cold, sharp wind brush the side of his face. There was something strange in the night air. It smelled like a peach or maybe a mango. Mimo wondered if it was coming from the trees nearby, since he could hear a faint movement of leaves around him. All of a sudden, there was a cracking noise, like someone stepping on a dry tree branch. Mimo was scared. He pulled his jacket tight around him and walked on very quickly.

Hearing Smell Feeling Sight

(Oxford Discover Student Book 5, Unit 3)

Reading strategy 5

Read the passage. What details do you notice about the five senses?

Hearing: faint movement of leaves / cracking noise

Smell: like a peach or mango

Feeling: a cold, sharp wind brush his face / jacket tight

Sight: could barely see a thing

Reading strategy suggestions

• Find text passages that demonstrate excellent examples of a specific writing technique or style

• Get your students to “notice” this technique or style by asking them specific questions or introducing a particular strategy

• Have students write their own texts that demonstrate these writing techniques or styles

Our goals for today’s webinar

3) To introduce writing strategies that teachers can use to help young learners become better writers

The writing process

We can teach our students to achieve their writing goals more efficiently by following a specific series of steps that will lead them to a stronger piece of writing.

Emphasis during the process

• Creativity – does the writing show originality?

• Clarity – is the writing clear and easy to understand?

• Organization – are the ideas or points well organized?

• Conciseness – are all the sentences necessary and on topic?

The 5-step writing process

1. Brainstorm

2. Organize

3. Write paragraphs

4. Revise

5. Publish

Paragraphs

Imagine an essay titled:

How technology helps us learn.

Have students brainstorm three topic sentences.

Paragraphs

Choose one topic sentence that

Your students can contribute

supporting sentences to:

Webinars are a great way to learn

something new.

Paragraphs

Webinars are a great way to learn

something new.

Can you think of some reasons why?

Write them in the chat box.

Paragraphs

Supporting sentences:

• People from around the world can participate at the same time.

• Webinars can take place at home or at school, so no travel is necessary.

• The webinar chat box allows everyone to ask questions or give comments.

Paragraphs

Add transitions:

Webinars are a great way to learn something new. For example, people from around the world can participate at the same time. In addition, webinars can take place at home or at school, so no travel is necessary. Finally, the webinar chat box allows everyone to ask questions or give comments.

Our goals for today’s webinar

4) To present a variety of writing projects that give students carefully-guided writing experiences

Writing projects

Writing a Play

(Oxford Discover Student Book 3)

Writing a play

How to write a play:

• Write a list of characters at the top of the play.

• Choose a title for your play

• Write what each person says using the character’s names

• In brackets, write what the characters do

Writing projects

Writing an opinion essay

(Oxford Discover Student Book 3)

Writing an opinion essay

How to write an opinion essay:

• Write your opinion at the beginning.

• Give reasons why you have this opinion.

• Write about one view that is different from yours, and then write a solution to that view.

• Write a short conclusion to your opinion essay.

Writing projects

Writing an interview

(Oxford Discover Student Book 3)

Writing an interview

How to write a fictional interview:

• Use the library or Internet to research a famous explorer.

• Choose an explorer: write the details of his or her journey.

• Brainstorm and write questions you would like to ask the explorer.

• Think about what your explorer’s answers would be, and write them down.

Writing projects

Writing a compare and contrast report

(Oxford Discover Student Book 4)

Writing a ‘compare and contrast’ report

How to write a compare and contrast report:

Writing a ‘compare and contrast’ report

How to write a compare and contrast report:

• Start your report with an introduction paragraph.

Writing a ‘compare and contrast’ report

How to write a compare and contrast report:

• Describe how two things are alike in the second paragraph.

Writing a ‘compare and contrast’ report

How to write a compare and contrast report:

• Describe how those two things are different in the third paragraph.

Writing a ‘compare and contrast’ report

How to write a compare and contrast report:

• End your report with a conclusion paragraph.

Writing a ‘compare and contrast’ report

How to write a compare and contrast report:

• Start with an introduction paragraph.

• Describe how two things are alike in the second paragraph.

• Describe how those two things are different in the third paragraph.

• End with a conclusion paragraph.

Writing projects

Writing a how-to speech

(Oxford Discover Student Book 4)

Writing a how-to speech

How to write a how-to speech:

• Include a greeting and an introduction that gets your audience’s attention.

Writing a how-to speech

How to write a how-to speech:

• Organize your ideas on how to do something into steps. Use these steps in the body of your speech. Use order words, such as first, next,

and finally.

Writing a how-to speech

How to write a how-to speech:

• Include a conclusion with a strong, final thought.

Writing a how-to speech

How to write a how-to speech:

• Include a greeting and an introduction that gets your audience’s attention.

• Organize your ideas on how to do something into steps. Use these steps in the body of your speech. Use order words, such as first, next,

and finally.

• Include a conclusion with a strong, final thought.

Writing projects

Writing a story

(Oxford Discover Student Book 5)

Remember to give these details when writing a story:

Characters:

• Who will be in the story?

• What are their names?

• How do they know each other?

Remember to give these details when writing a story:

Setting:

• Where and when does the story take place?

Remember to give these details when writing a story:

Problem:

• What happens in the story?

• What problem do the characters have?

Remember to give these details when writing a story:

Solution:

• How is the problem solved?

• How does the story end?

Any questions?

One final thought

“I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility of developing myself and of writing, of expressing all that is in me. I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear; my courage is reborn.”

Anne Frank

With your encouragement, your students can look at writing as a true gift, to be done with honesty and courage, and to be shared confidently with those around them ... near and far.

Thank you!

Thanks for sharing this hour with me.

May 2014 be a great year of teaching

for all of you!