Writing for Success!

Writing for Success!

Welcome to

the School of Professional and continuing Studies’

Writing for Success Course

Created by Christine Leake, M.S., M.B.A.

Writing for Success!

“Practice, practice, practice writing. Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you

went wrong.” - Jeffrey A. Carver

The objective of this course is to reacquaint new (SPCS) students with the formal writing process with the expectation that students will achieve the proficiency standard prior to enrolling in their undergraduate programs. Successful completion of this course will provide students with a foundation for the college level writing needed to successfully complete the undergraduate curriculum.

ID Instructional Needs/GoalsJan. 27, 2011

1. Students will be able to write an essay that is clearly organized with an introduction, thesis statement, supporting body, and conclusion.2. Student writing will demonstrate proficiencies in sentence structure and grammar to include punctuation, capitalization, and (word) usage.3. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in their writing by exploring a topic through paragraph development and alignment to the thesis statement.4. Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of proper citation in their writing using the APA format.

Instructional AnalysisFeb. 25, 2011

1. Students will write an essay that is clearly organized with an introduction, thesis statement, supporting body, and conclusion. Analysis: Intellectual/Cognitive Comprehension, Application2. Student writing will demonstrate proficiencies in sentence structure and grammar to include punctuation, capitalization, and (word) usage.Analysis: Intellectual/Cognitive Knowledge, Comprehension, Application3. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in their writing by exploring a topic through paragraph development and alignment to the thesis statement. Analysis: Attitudinal, Verbal, and Intellectual/Cognitive Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, and Analysis 4. Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of proper citation in their writing using the APA format. Analysis: Intellectual/Cognitive Knowledge, Comprehension, Application

Learner AnalysisMarch 4, 2011

Sample size = 33Males = 8Females = 25With previous College credits = 29Without previous College study = 4Hispanic = 9White = 18Black = 6Employed Full-time = 30Employed Part-time = 2

TIMELINE

Not Employed = 1BBA Program = 15BPS Program, Communication & Media Studies = 6BPS Program, Organizational Leadership = 9BPS Program, Criminology = 3*I do not have participant reported data on how many have English as their second language, but based on my observation, I would estimate:English as Primary Language = 27English as Second Language = 6

Learner Context AnalysisMarch 18, 2011

The successful completion of remedial instruction will result in successful entry into the undergraduate program, thus the pursuit of the students’ career goals. The need is for students to take an entry level writing assessment upon entering the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The student must earn a proficiency rating using a writing competency rubric to enter the undergraduate program. If proficiency ratings are not scored the student will enter the Writing for Success Course. Students will be given the same writing competency assessment at the completion of the course to determine entry into the undergraduate program.

Performance ObjectivesApril 18, 2011

•Students entering into an undergraduate program should score at the “proficient” level on the writing rubric.•Students entering into the Writing for Success course should be able to write at the “novice” level on the rubric.•Students who score at the “sub-standard” level on the rubric should be required to take the Writing for Success Course and not be permitted to enter the undergraduate program until they score at the “proficiency” levels (even if it means taking the course twice).

Develop Performance InstrumentMay 18, 2011 The Writing Rubric will be used as a standard measure of performance for both the initial assessment and the

final assessment (exiting the Writing for Success Course). The difference is that the APA indicator will not be used on the initial assessment; leaving a total of 9/9 points for exemplary writing skills. After the Writing for Success Course the APA indicator would be used providing for a possible 12/12 points for exemplary writing skills. The Writing Rubric outlines the competencies needed for “sub-standard”, “novice”, “proficient” and “exemplary” writers. A weekly checklist will be used to monitor student progress.

Develop Instructional StrategiesJune 20, 2011

“CLE – Constructivist Learning Environments”

Develop Instructional Materials June 20, 2011

Content component: Instructor created materials (included)

Design Formative InstructionJune 25, 2011

* Content component: Writing Rubric, Data collection, Surveys, Objective Peer/Supervisor input and oversight.

Design Summative EvaluationJune 26, 2011 * Content component: Writing Rubric, Data collection, Surveys, Objective Peer/Supervisor

input and oversight.

TIMELINE

Front End AnalysisTeaching students how to write proficiently for undergraduate coursework

Performance Analysis

The original performance issue came into question when the Division Dean requested a formal writing evaluation method for incoming

undergraduate students. The current method evaluates a student’s transcripts, work history, and writing sample. The writing sample collected is not

graded according to a standard method or list of competency objectives. The Division Dean hopes to create a standard for writing proficiencies for all

students in the SPCS. After the initial performance issue surfaced, an informal conversation took place with a class of undergraduate students

currently enrolled in the undergraduate program in the SPCS. Of the 11 students (33 enrolled overall) asked, nine reported that writing skills were not

consistently enforced in each class in the undergraduate program (one student was new to the SPCS). This Instructional Designer is also the

facilitator of said courses (2 this semester) and can attest to the wide range of writing skills demonstrated by the students. Operationally, the SPCS

would like to create a standard of writing competencies in which to measure student skills upon entry, in order to determine if a remedial course is

warranted. Students who did not meet the entry-level requirements would be required to take this remedial writing course (Writing for Success!). As

we become the leader in a global marketplace for “service” industries one can expect that all workers would need a basic level of communication and

writing skills. As a college, it is understood that students who graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree would have mastered basic writing skills that

include working knowledge of English grammar, organization, analysis, that is supported by outside sources and properly formatted.

*Is there a performance problem that will be solved by instruction?

Yes, often students learn writing proficiencies throughout their primary and secondary years. Many of our students are adults who either have been

away from the learning environment for some time or have held jobs in which they were not practicing their writing skills. By refreshing or

relearning writing skills, students are provided an acclimation period. This time period will enable students to be reacquainted to the learning

environment while reinforcing a skill they have been introduced to before. These skills are necessary, in both the academic world as well as the

business world for which students are hoping to apply advanced skills through a degree program. Without instruction in this area, new students who

struggle with writing will experience low grades, motivational issues, and may not complete their undergraduate program.

Needs Assessment

Need: Establish a basic level of writing proficiencies for students to successfully navigate the undergraduate

program. Organizational Need: All students entering the SPCS will have to meet a basic score designated on

the writing rubric that they are able to write a properly structured sentence, understand capitalization and

punctuation rules, can organize an essay and support a thesis statement through careful analysis of a topic. If

students are not able to meet this entry-level requirement they will be required to take the remedial course

(Writing for Success!) before enrolling in the core requirements for the undergraduate degree. Instructor

Need: Instructors for the SPCS need students to meet a standard level of writing skills in order to create

realistic expectations for students and to ensure all enrolled students have the standard level of proficiencies

to be successful in the course. Student Need: Students need to have confidence in their abilities. This

confidence is both as a student and as an employee. Students do not want to be set up to fail, and providing

them a foundational course in writing can elevate their self-esteem and vision for completing a degree

program. These skills will transfer over to the workplace long before the student leaves the undergraduate

program; therefore, they will be able to see the relevance directly after the 13 week course.

Clarifying Goals

After discussing the outcomes with the Division Dean, we have decided we will have two separate

rubrics; one to assess entry-level skills, and one to assess writing skills when determining the

successful completion of the Writing for Success Course. The initial rubric will not include points for

APA citation (* it will be included but not utilized), as some students entering, have no previous

college credits or have been out of school for a long period of time. The Writing for Success Course

will be split into three sections over the course of a semester (12 weeks). The first four weeks will

focus on fundamentals, the second four weeks will incorporate fundamentals with content, structure,

and critical thinking, and the last four weeks will incorporate the first two sections with citation

(APA). All of the skills will reinforce one another as a student progresses through the course. Students

will be assessed progressively (on fundamentals, then fundamentals and content, then fundamentals,

content, analysis, and references). The Writing Rubric will be used as the standard measure for

students entering the SPCS. Students scoring below the “proficiency” rating will be enrolled in the

Writing for Success Course and will be required to score a proficiency rating before being placed in

their undergraduate programs. A weekly “checklist” will be used to monitor progress with each class

as it pertains to achieving the performance objectives and proficiency levels.

Instructional Goals Classification

1. Student writing will demonstrate proficiencies in sentence structure and grammar to include punctuation, capitalization, and (word) usage

Bloom’s outcomes: Cognitive DomainGagne’s types: Intellectual

2. Students will write an essay that is clearly organized with an introduction, thesis statement, supporting body, and conclusion..


3. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and analysis in their writing by exploring a topic through paragraph development and alignment to the thesis statement.

Bloom’s outcomes: Affective Domain, and Cognitive DomainGagne’s types: Verbal and Intellectual

4. Students will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of proper citation in their writing using the APA format.


Instructional Goals

ReferenceDick, Walter, Carey, Lou, & Carey, James O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson

Males

Females

White

African American

Hispanic

Age: 18-24

Age: 25-35

Age: 35 +

Eng. Primary

Eng. Second

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

SPCS Demographics 2010-2011

SPCS Demographics 2010-2011

Description of Learners

Do you believe g

ood writi

ng skills

are n

ecessa

ry to co

mplete yo

ur colleg

e educati

on?

Do you belie

ve th

at good w

riting s

kills a

re necessary

to land yo

ur drea

m job?

Do you belie

ve th

at your a

bility to

write

well

impacts

your s

elf este

em?

Do you belie

ve go

od writi

ngs skills

impact

the way

you th

ink?

Does the a

bility t

o write

well

impact

your c

urrent jo

b?0

2

4

6

8

10

9 Surveyed

Visual Represen-tation of Student Survey Results

Learner Analysis

Learner Analysis

The information for the learner analysis was collected through data collection measures, observation, and interviews.

1. The prerequisites for entering the Writing for Success Course are a score of “novice” or below

on the writing assessment.

2. Writing for Success is relevant to the students in all aspects of their lives as almost every

occupation requires good communication skills (both verbal and written); further, the

student’s goal of completing an undergraduate degree are dependent upon this skill.

3. Of the 9 students interviewed, all agreed that good writing skills are necessary for job

success. Three of the students stated that they were fearful of writing courses because they

felt as though they never mastered writing.

4. Students’ enrolled in the SPCS have been matriculated or will be matriculated in a degree

program of their choice. In order to achieve their goal of completing a Bachelor’s Degree they

will need sound language skills. Motivation is derived with this course as being “Step 2” in

achieving their goal (Step 1 was being accepted).

5. Entering students are required to have earned a high school diploma or equivalency, have a

job or work experience, and be able to read and write in English.

6. All learning preferences will be addressed in the instruction: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and

combination. The environment will be conducive to learning as indicated by providing

instruction in a well lit classroom which is equipped with all of the tools needed for learning.

7. Although students will enter into the Writing for Success Course because they did not meet

the required score for entering into their undergraduate programs; they all come with

varying skill sets and experiences. They are adult learners who all have something to

contribute to the learning environment.

1. 1. Prerequisite skills for the “Writing for Success Course”

2. 2. Relevance3. 3. Attitudes4. 4. Motivation5. 5. Education6. 6. Learning preferences7. 7. Group Identity

Learning Context

Site & Equipment: The College of Mount Saint Vincent will be used for the learning context. A typical

classroom/lecture hall will be used to host most forms of instruction. Typical lecture halls are equipped

with chalk/white boards, overhead projectors/screens, approximately 30 student desks, a podium, and a

docking station for an instructor’s computer to allow projector, and internet access.

• Tools needed: paper, pencil/pen, computer, data processing applications, internet connections, Dolphinet

ID and Password

• Observations: It is to be noted that not all classrooms are equipped with computers; therefore, the

instructor will have to make use of the computer lab for data processing access. Typical handwriting can

also be used within the classroom setting. It will be the instructor’s responsibility to ensure they possess

the cables required to utilize the multimedia docking station.

• Resources: The College of Mount Saint Vincent provides students with computer lab access, library, and

online tools to assist with instruction.

• Potential Constraints: The instructor will need to schedule the course in alignment with computer lab

hours and availability (class size).

Learning Context (continued)Compatibility

• Delivery: Considering this will be the first course for many entering the undergraduate program, this course will be delivered primarily

face-to-face with some online integration. This allows the instructor to provide the needed support first hand, as students are acclimated to

the integration of technology. The face-to-face will take place in a typical classroom and will include lecture, Power Point presentation,

worksheets (grammar practice), and online (instructor designed, internet resource) at the computer lab on campus. This will be scheduled

during the class time in order to scaffold the instruction and provide feedback. Difficulties may arise for students who are absent;

therefore, the instructor will schedule a “make-up” session to accommodate need.

• Time: Most courses in the SPCS are held at night (6:30 pm-9:30 pm) or on Saturdays (9 am-12 pm). This course will be offered in one of

these time slots. These time slots have been established to accommodate the working adult’s instructional needs.

• Personnel: The course will be facilitated by an instructor that is knowledgeable in delivering remedial instruction in English (for adult

students).

• Location: The college is easily accessible to students by using mass transit (24 hours) or personal vehicle. The college library has space

available for individual and group meetings. There are several computer labs available in the Administration (classroom) building as well

as the library. These facilities also provide access to food and drink through the use of vending machines , cafeteria, and café. All spaces

are well lit, easily accessible by stair or elevator, welcoming, and conducive to learning. The spaces address all learning preferences

(visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and combination).

• Characteristics: The remedial course will prompt students to produce documents that one would expect to see in their work place

(business letters, newsletters, email, blogs, wiki spaces, etc.). This allows students to produce work in a supervised setting. The lecture hall

environment is considered a “business” environment as students are expected to utilize business etiquette while in a class setting. There

will be opportunities for social interactions as students will be provided with opportunities to work in groups.

Data Source: observation, Division Dean interviews, and student feedback

Performance ContextPerformance Site Characteristics

• Adult students will attend class in a lecture hall and be provided with a desk in which to work (similar to a work setting). The facilitator

will act as supervisor in that each session will provide task instruction, guided practice, independent production, and feedback. Students

will keep their work in a “journal” in which to reference past experiences and feedback. The journal will act as the student’s record.

• The physical aspects of the college and lecture hall adhere to that of any large business. It is well lit, secure, accessible by mass transit

and car, and is handicap accessible. The class times have been devised based upon the input of the work adult student. All SPCS courses

are offered in the evenings and /or on Saturday mornings.

• The social aspects of this instruction provide multiple opportunities for group work and interaction within the lecture itself, and then will

be followed up with group projects, and Q & A sessions. The social interaction component will be both supervised and unsupervised as

students gather for groups in and outside of class. The nature of this course is to master the fundamentals of the written and spoken

English language. Communication skills integrate with every other skill in the work place.

• The Department of Labor indicates that mastery of the English Language in both written and spoken form is a prerequisite for jobs in all

of the degree areas we offer in the SPCS. This information demonstrates the relevance between this course and the work environment

our students aspire to enter.

Reference

U.S. Department of Labor (2011). O*net online help. Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org/

http://www.onetonline.org/

Correlations

Current Students Report Employment Status

Employed FTEmployed PTUnemployed

BBA-Business

BPS: Communica

tions

BPS: Org.

Lead

ership

BPS: Crim

inology

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

EnrollmentDOL Job Descriptions require proficiency of Eng. Lang (written/spoken).

The DOL information correlates the idea that proficiency of the English Language is required for positions related to all of the SPCS degree programs, and thereby denoting the correlation of writing proficiency, degree completion, and employment.

Proficient Writing Skills (8 pts)

1.0 Fundamentals (2 pts)

1.2 Grammar

1.3 Punctuation

1.1 Vocabulary/Usage

1.4 Organization

2.0 Content/Process (2 pts)

2.1 Brainstorming -Prewriting

2.2 Outline

2.3 Expanded Outline

2.4 Thesis

2.5 Drafting Introduction, Body, &

Conclusion

2.6 Edit/Proof/Rewrite

3.0 Critical Thinking (2 pts)

3.1 Identify your topic

4.0 APA Formatting (2 pts)

4.1 Research topic

4.2 Review /Apply APA formatting OP-

grammar, citation, format, and reference

4.3 Identify an author and quote source (in

text)

4.4 Use the author’s information and create a reference section –

error free

Instructional Analysis

Arrows denote integration

Integrated Goal Analysis

1. Fundamental

s: Introd

uce vocabu

lary: parts

of speech, types

of senten

ces, senten

ce structure, and organization.

2. Identify topic

to write about

3.Brainstorm & organiz

e using a graphi

c organiz

er.

4. Identif

y themes from

the brainstorming session by

selecting

"main ideas"

and "sub

topics".

5.

Number (use Roman Numer

als) the

main ideas

in order

of importance

and list them in an

outline.

6. Expand by

inserting

sentences

(declarative,

imperative,

interrogative,

& exclamatory) and determine what type

will be used

to introd

uce each

paragraph

(topic sentences).

7. Determine the

types of

sentences that

will be used

to suppor

t the topic

sentence for each

paragraph

(include in the

outline).

Fundamentals, Content, Process, & Critical Thinking

Integrated Goal Analysis

7. Identify

subject/verb

agreement as it

pertains to

"tense" (past or present) in each

sentence.

8. Apply the rules

of capitaliza

tion to each

sentence (i.e. first word of

each sentence, proper nouns, titles, etc.)

9. Apply the rules

of punctuati

on (accordin

g to sentence

type).

10. Explore

the topic of each

paragraph by

answering the

questions: "Who,

What, Where, When,

Why, and How?"

11. Identify

any informatio

n that is not your

own. Informatio

n that comes from a

textbook or source must be paired

together in the

outline. Pair

information (in

quotations) with the

name of the

Author, copyright

date, source,

and page number .

12. Write your first

draft including

an introduction, thesis statement (paragrap

h 1), supportin

g body, and

conclusion based

upon your outline.

Fundamentals, Content, Process, Critical Thinking, and APA formatting

Performance Objectives

PO. 1 Fundamentals: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of fundamental writing skills as demonstrated by scoring at the proficiency level on the Writing Rubric.

PO. 2 Content: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the writing process by scoring at the proficiency level for utilizing the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing/proofreading, final copy), organizing, and structuring (introduction, thesis, body, & conclusion) their written work.

PO. 3 Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills when their written work scores at the proficiency levels for comprehensively analyzing the subject matter or written prompt. Critical thinking will also be assessed when interacting with others and communicating in a professional demeanor.

PO. 4 APA Formatting: Students will achieve success in APA formatting when they score at the proficiency levels for applying the correct formatting to in text citations and a properly formatted reference section.

* Conditions: Students will attend each scheduled session of the course, participate /complete class activities, implement instruction by completing individual and group assignments, utilize feedback for corrective purposes, and interact with their classmates in order to assess performance outcomes. It is believed that the Performance Objectives will reach “Proficiency Levels “ (determined by the Writing Rubric guidelines) if these conditions are met.

Performance Conditions Checklist

Student Name Attendance Participation – completes class activities

Implements instruction- completes individual assignments

Implements instruction – completes group projects

Applies knowledge and feedback in written work

Interacts with others using proper language and a professional demeanor

The criteria in the “conditions” checklist will be used to assess student performance during each class session. This will

provide the instructor and student with a standard measure for performance with each class session. There will be a

place for comments below the individual checklist for one-on-one counseling and goal setting (intervention).

One –to-one Instructor/Student meeting Date:PO:Corrective feedback and plan of action:Signed:

An (X) indicates a positive instructor observation for each area.

Use this space to comment on unchecked areas.

Writing Competencies Rubric

Criteria Sub-standard Novice Proficient Exemplary Points

0 Point 1 Points 2 Points 3 Points /12Fundamentals

Grammar, Word Usage, Punctuation, & Organization

Error indicators are found in content as indicated by *

• Does not demonstrate basic knowledge of subject /verb /tense agreement.• Does not demonstrate proper use of grammar. • Does not demonstrate proper use of punctuation.•Sentences are not written according to the order of events.

•Demonstrates basic knowledge of subject/verb/tense agreement but has errors. •Demonstrates basic grammatical skills but has errors.• Demonstrates basic punctuation skills, but has errors.•Demonstrates basic organizational skills, but has errors.

•Demonstrates proficient knowledge of subject/verb/tense agreement but has errors.•Demonstrates proficient grammatical skills but has errors.• Demonstrates proficient punctuation skills, but has errors.•Demonstrates proficient organizational skills, but has errors.

•Demonstrates exemplary knowledge of subject/verb/tense agreement but has errors.•Demonstrates exemplary grammatical skills but has errors.• Demonstrates exemplary punctuation skills, but has errors.•Demonstrates exemplary organizational skills, but has errors.

Content & Process •Does not include

introduction, body, and conclusion.•Does not demonstrate editing/proofreading skills as indicated by more than *5 errors.

•Missing one or more of the following: introduction, body, and/or conclusion.•Demonstrates some editing/proofreading skills but has more than *4 errors.

•Includes introduction, body, and conclusion.•Demonstrates editing/proofreading skills as indicated by less than *3 errors.

•Includes exemplary introduction, body, and conclusion.•Demonstrates editing/proofreading skills as indicated by less than * 2 errors

Critical Thinking •Does not demonstrate critical thinking skills as indicated by writing a response that answers the stated question.

•Demonstrates very basic critical thinking skills as indicated by writing a response that answers the stated question/prompt.

•Demonstrates proficient critical thinking skills as indicated by answering and expanding on the original question/prompt by providing relevant analysis.

•Demonstrates exemplary critical thinking skills as indicated by answering and expanding on the original question/prompt by applying analysis and research.

*****APA Format •Does not include APA formatting for citations, references, and headings.

•Demonstrates some APA formatting for citations, references, and headings, but has many errors.

•Demonstrates APA formatting for citations, references, and headings, but has some errors.

•Demonstrates exemplary use of correct APA formatting for citations, references, and headings with no errors.

For the initial assessment, do not include the APA indicators. The best score is 9/9 for initial assessment.

With permission from Dr. D. Johnson (2011, SLU Instructor/Designer)

Instructional Strategies

Sections

Fundamentals

Content

Critical Thinking

APA

CLE“Constructivist Learning Environments”

Consider - Environment

The environment is designed to be a safe place for instruction, practice, and feedback. Where the student’s development and performance are at the center of all learning activities and interactions.

EngagementThe facilitator will gain the students’ attention by identifying

the successful outcomes one can achieve with good writing skills, i.e. namely entry into their undergraduate programs (this also covers relevance).

GuidanceContinued practice will build confidence and satisfaction.

Students will be provided continued practice throughout the 13 week course.

AssessmentAssessment of the student’s ability to put principle into

practice will be the guiding philosophy of assessment. A standardized form of measurement will facilitate this

philosophy and a writing rubric will be used to measure the student’s work.

Reference Dick, Walter, Carey, Lou, & Carey, James O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson

Instructional Strategies for Content

• Environment - ConstructivistGoal: PO. 2 Content: Students will demonstrate

knowledge and application of the writing process by scoring at the proficiency level for utilizing the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing/proofreading, final copy), organizing, and structuring (introduction, thesis, body, & conclusion) their written work.

Setting: classroom setting, individual and small groups

Pedagogical model: ProjectResources: Instructor created and internet based

• Engagement: This section will be based upon Gagn`e’s “nine events of instruction” (get attention, state objective, activate prior learning, present new learning, application, feedback, assessment, and transfer).

Engage - Quote: “Practice, practice, practice writing. Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making mistakes and then seeing where you went wrong.” - Jeffrey A. Carver

Explore: Questioning will be used to explore students’ views on writing and prior writing experiences. The instructor will link experiences to the concepts of the quote and writing strategies (the writing process).

Explain: The instructor will explain the writing process: prewriting, drafting, editing, revising, and final copy

Elaborate: The instructor will use a writing packet created for this process. The packet is project based and cumulative.

Evaluate: The packet results demonstrate the student can write based upon the writing process. Guided feedback is provided along the way and the final copy is assessed according to the Writing Rubric.

• Guidance Scaffolding: graphic organizers, coaching, modeling, visual aids,

guided feedback, and questioning

• AssessmentPerformance evaluations: writing samples,


Class Structure(Example below is that of a class in the “Content” Week. All classes will follow the same structure indicated below.)

Gagne’s “Nine Events of Instruction”

1. Get attention – Quote

“Practice, practice, practice writing. Writing is a craft that requires both talent and acquired skills. You learn by doing, by making

mistakes and then seeing where you went wrong.”

- Jeffrey A. Carver

2. State objective – PO 2: Content: Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of the writing process by scoring at the

proficiency level for utilizing the writing process (prewriting, drafting, editing/proofreading, final copy), organizing, and

structuring (introduction, thesis, body, & conclusion) their written work.

3. Activate prior learning – Review “Fundamentals” (overview of first four weeks)

4. Present new learning – Introduce the 5 Part Writing Process (Prewriting, Drafting, Editing, Revising, & Publish or Final Copy);

Present Course Materials; Show examples; Answer questions

5. Guided practice – Provide students with a writing packet (Slides 27-34). Guided practice includes Slides 27 -30 (Prewriting)

6. Application – Slide 31 - Drafting

7. Feedback – Slide 32 & 33 – Editing & Revisions

8. Assessment - Slide 34 – Final copy measured with Writing Rubric

9. Transfer – Use checklist to determine if PO 2 was met. Write detailed plan to reassess if necessary.


Course Materials (Content Plan)

Pedagogical Model: Project based

I. Prewriting (Brainstorming, Outlining (condensed and expanded)

II. Drafting (use “prewriting” to draft)

III. Editing (use “draft” to edit sentence structure, punctuation, etc.)

IV. Revising (use edits to revise)

V. Final (use revisions to compose the final copy)

I. Prewriting Materials

Instructions: Use the graphic organizer below to explore your topic through the use of collaborative brainstorming. Fill in each shape with the information you collect through brainstorming.

Ask: What do I/classmates know about this topic?

I. Main Idea

IV. Sub Topic

V. Sub Topic

II. Sub Topic

III. Sub Topic

PO 2

I. Prewriting: OUTLINING

Condensed Outline Instructions: take the information from the brainstorming session and organize it below in the condensed outline format. Be sure to put topics in an sequential order according to timeline. Your final paragraph will always be the conclusion. Please be as concise as possible when entering information in the condensed outline.

CONDENSED OUTLINE

II. Main Idea:

III. Sub Topic No. 1:

IV. Sub Topic No. 2:

V. Sub Topic No. 3:

VI. Sub Topic No. 4:

VII. ConclusionSTOP

FEEDBACK

PO 2

I. Prewriting : EXPANDED OUTLINEInstructions: Here you will expand on the condensed outline by identifying a title for your work

as well as a thesis statement for the paper. Under the “Sub Topics” you will create opening statements for each paragraph and ensure they link to the thesis statement and the order of the paper. Please give careful thought to your thesis and opening statements as they set the tone for what follows. Consider your audience, sentence structure, and punctuation.

EXPANDED OUTLINE

TITLE I. INTRODUCTIONTHESIS (an overall point you hope to argue or prove in this paper)

II. BODYA. SUB TOPIC I – OPENING STATEMENT B. SUB TOPIC II – OPENING STATEMENTC. SUB TOPIC III – OPENING STATEMENTD. SUB TOPIC IV – OPENING STATEMENT

III. CONCLUSIONOPENING STATEMENT

PO 2

EXPANDED OUTLINE CONTINUED

TITLE

I. INTRODUCTION (4-5 sentences)

THESIS (an overall point you hope to argue or prove in this paper)

II. BODY

SUB TOPIC I – OPENING STATEMENT

List 3 details to support the opening statement.

SUB TOPIC II – OPENING STATEMENT


SUB TOPIC III – OPENING STATEMENT


SUB TOPIC IV – OPENING STATEMENT


III. CONCLUSION

OPENING STATEMENT

List 3 details to support the opening statement STOP

FEEDBACK

PO 2

II. Drafting

Congratulations!

You are now ready to begin your first draft of the composition.

ROUGH DRAFT

Instructions: Use the information from the previous page (EXPANDED OUTLINE) to write your first draft. On a separate piece of paper or using a word processing software program use your expanded outline to create your first draft. You will notice that the EXPANDED OUTLINE provides the structure for the paper. Feel free to be creative, humorous, insightful, and knowledgeable when creating the remainder of each paragraph. Consider your audience and the paper’s purpose to set the tone, engage readers, and keep their attention.

Please begin your writing now.

PO 2

III. Edit Your Work!

When writing please consider these tips:

1. Think about whether your sentences “tell” (declarative), show emotion (exclamatory), “ask” (interrogatory), or

“command” (imperative). Knowing this information will allow you to use proper punctuation.

2. Remember to capitalize the first letter of the first word in each sentence as well as all proper nouns.

3. Ensure your subject and verb are in agreement (consider singular/plural & tense: past, present, future)

4. Consider the words you are choosing, are they the best choice to convey meaning?

5. Check for spelling errors. If you’re not sure, look it up in the dictionary.

6. Re read your work. Ensure it is in the correct order of events and adheres to the grammatical guidelines we have

discussed.

PO 2

IV. REVISIONS, REVISIONS, REVISIONS..

Revisions may well be the most important part of the writing process. It is here that you will take your creativity and apply

the rules of writing to develop a quality paper. Check these items in the order you have completed them. Keep your revisions

handy as they will be your guide when writing the final copy.

REVISIONS CHECKLIST

Ask someone else to read your rough draft (after edits please).

Ask the reader to give you a summary of what they’ve read.

Ask yourself, did your writing convey the meaning you intended.

Ask the reader for feedback and write it down.

Thank the reader for their input.

Reconcile the reader’s input with your views on meaning, word usage,

sentence structure, order of events, and edits.

REVISE, REVISE, REVISE

Get your instructor’s “OK” to begin the Final draft.

PO 2

IV. FINAL COPY

CONGRATULATIONS!

If you are here it means you have completed all of the other steps in the content section correctly. You are now ready to write your final copy and prepare for “publishing” (publishing can also mean it’s ready for grading according to the Writing Rubric). Make sure you check your revisions page to ensure you have incorporated all of the changes before turning your work in.

To complete the final copy, use your outline, draft, edits and revisions to rewrite your essay from beginning to end in a new document.

You may begin!

PO 2

Formative Evaluation

One –to-one

The students will be surveyed at the beginning and end of each Writing for Success Course to establish

prerequisite skills and attitudes. Each student’s progress will continue to be examined by using the “Checklist”

(each class session) to determine if the instructional strategies are relevant and yielding the desired performance

levels. Each assessment will be based upon the performance objectives pertaining to that section of the course.

The student’s ability to complete the (*content) section (section on display) successfully will serve as the

formative evaluation for successful implementation of course (section) delivery and measurement. The final

drafts submitted for grading will be measured against the Writing Rubric and Checklist to determine

performance, progress, and to identify areas that require modification. Areas that require modification will be

easily identifiable using the Checklist and Rubric as these assessments will enable the instructor to identify

patterns, goals reached, and gain immediate feedback from the student (each class session). The instructor will

use the Checklists to modify instructional strategies according to individual need based upon the One-to-one

counseling sessions. This method provides both the instructor and the student with weekly performance reviews

and weekly objectives to meet.

Survey

1. Do you believe good writing skills are necessary to complete your college education? Answer: Yes, because No, because2. Do you believe that good writing skills are necessary to land your dream job?Answer: Yes, because No, because

3. Do you believe that your ability to write well impacts your self esteem?Answer: Yes, because No, because

4. Do you believe good writings skills impact the way you think?Answer: Yes, because No, because

5. Does the ability to write well impact your current job? Answer: Yes, because No, because

Summative Evaluation

Expert Judgment

Students will be assessed using the weekly Checklist and the Writing Rubric. These tools provide both instructor and students with weekly goals/objectives to strive for.

The final evaluation will be based upon the student completing 6 final drafts earning the proficiency levels. This benchmark provides the student with 6 weeks of learning and application and 6 weeks in which to achieve the desired level and transfer skills for retention purposes. The final drafts will be reviewed by two staff members: the instructor and one outside source for the purpose of establishing and maintaining the writing standard.

Students will be surveyed at the beginning of the course and at the end to determine attitudinal, motivational, and skill level changes. Weekly Checklist reviews provide the instructor and student with reinforcement as it pertains to motivation, instruction/lack of instruction, and transfer/lack of transfer. This information will be used to modify the course materials and delivery as necessary to meet the student’s learning needs. The weekly Checklists are for instructor/student use. This information will be used for tracking.

Lastly, the SPCS will begin tracking students who enter the school and their coordinating scores on the entrance writing assessment/rubric. These scores will be used for informational purposes as well as for performance and quality management purposes. Subsequently, all students entering the Writing for Success course will have the progress tracked each week to ensure learning is taking place. This information will be recorded using the Writing Rubric and the data entered into the established database.

References

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

U.S. Department of Labor (2011). O*net online help. Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org/

http://www.onetonline.org/

Documents

Writing for Success!