Western Washington University
Washington State Writing Project Network: Writing to Learn in the Content Areas
TITLE OF COURSE: WSWPN WRITING TO LEARN IN THE CONTENT AREAS
Course Number: ___ 400 level course EDP#:
Instructor of Record: TBA
Onsite Instructor: TBA, WSWPN Teacher Consultant (TC)
Guest speakers: Content area WSWPN TCs
Dates: TBA Options to be determined with site—see sample schedules below
Times: TBA
Credit: 1 quarter credit Clock hours: 10 classroom hours
Course Description In this workshop teachers will experiment with research-based classroom strategies that use writing to help students learn content in a variety of disciplines. Participants will have opportunities to try these strategies in their own classrooms and discuss results and further uses of writing to learn
.
Course Goals/Student Objectives
This course will:
▪ Establish and nurture a writing/learning community in support of engaging students in WTL strategies and practices
▪ Implement instructional practices that engage students with writing as a learning tool in support of WID goals and expectations (discipline-determined genre, form, and style, emphasizing relevant content, concepts, and skills)
▪ Plan and implement lessons and/or instructional sequences that integrate reading and writing via WTL strategies or activities
▪ Engage students in WTL strategies that support purposeful, focused thinking
Participants will:
▪ become acquainted with Writing to Learn (WTL)—description, rationale, and research-based evidence which support its use to facilitate learning
▪ practice research-based WTL strategies regarding the reading/writing/thinking connection
to enhance student thinking and learning in the content areas
▪ apply WTL strategies in their own classrooms, selecting and/or designing appropriate WTL activities to support content-area EALRs focusing on particular concepts, content, and/or skills;
▪ reflect upon experiences in the workshop and students’ classroom performance analyzing effectiveness of the use of WTL, and obtaining feedback geared toward improving students’ knowledge, understandings, and performance
▪ plan for long term implementation in teachers’ own classrooms by designing a WLT lesson based on personal experience with a particular WTL strategy.
Methods of Instruction
Workshop—participation by class members in demonstrations of WTL activities applied to a variety of content areas. Brief presentations by instructor followed by extended discussion and work time by participants to design materials and analyze their use in their own classrooms. Application of the strategies in participants’ classrooms is integral to the workshop.
Grading Mode: Letter Grades with Pass/Fail Option
Overview of Content
Participants will experiment/read/write.
Participants will identify needs and wants for improving writing instruction in content areas to increase success of students.
Participants will respond to a variety of writing prompts adaptable for classroom use.
Participants will adapt strategies for use in their own classrooms, use them and observe, discuss and reflect on results.
Participants will plan for further longterm use of strategies they found sucessful in their own classrooms.
PROPOSED Course Schedule—ONE CREDIT/10 HOURS:
Sample 3 day schedule
In this module, teachers will:
• establish a writing/learning community
• identify essential needs and teacher objectives for their students
• make connections between subject matter EALRs and writing territories
• learn specific research-based WTL strategies
• adapt at least one specific WTL strategy for the classroom
• reflect upon classroom results.
We did not include sharing/writing/reflection time at the beginning of session 2/3
#1 Introductions (15 minutes)
#2 Three circles WID, WAC, WTL (15 minutes)
What is writing to learn?
# 3 Writing Territories
How often to we use writing? (1 hour)
#4 Literature review, 5 minute essay (1.5 hours)
Reflective Writing, What is writing to learn?
#6 EALR activity- the discovery moment (1 hour)
#7 WTL Math or DEJ (1.5 hours)
Reflection write/plan
#8 WTL Science Think aloud (1.5 hours)
Reflection write/plan
#9 WTL Social Studies 1.5 hours)
Reflection write/plan
#10 Writing and planning time/homework/ Discussion (1.5 hours)
|DATE |DAY |TIMES |CONTENT |
|TBA |TBA |15 min |Introductions |
| | |15 min |Three circles WID, WAC, WTL (15 minutes) |
| | | |What is writing to learn? |
| | |1.5 hour |Demonstration 1: Intro writing to learn through writing territories|
| | | | |
| | | |How we use writing? Writing and writing groups |
| | | |Demonstration 2: Literature review, 5 minute essay |
| | | |Reflective Writing, What is writing to learn? |
| | |1.5 hours |Writing and planning time/homework/Discussion |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|TBA |TBA |1 hour |Reading of Exit slips/reflection |
| | | |Sharing of Experiences |
| | | |Demonstration 3: EALR activity- the discovery |
| | |1 hour |Demonstration 4. WTL Math or DEJ Reflection write/plan |
| | |1.5 hours |Writing and planning time/homework/Discussion |
| | | | |
|TBA |TBA |1 hour |Reading of Exit slips/reflection |
| | | |Sharing of Experiences |
| | |1.5 hours |Demonstration 6 WTL Science or Social Studies Think aloud |
| | | |Reflection write/plan |
| | | |Writing and planning time for future |
| | |.5 hours |Course evaluation |
Content of Each Session:
Session 1: Introduction writing to learn + first strategy for examining 75 minutes
the relation of writing to the content area (“Writing Territories”
Demonstration 75 minutes
▪ Practice the strategy
▪ Discuss the experience:
▪ What are implications of using this strategy?
▪ What difference does it make to use this strategy?
▪ How will I implement this strategy with students?
▪ Work time with own materials including strategy
Writing of plan including EALR Exit slip
Sessions 2 and 3:
Reading the exit slips from last time:
Reflective writing 30 minutes
In groups: Sharing of what worked/ what didn’t
Looking at student work and progress 30 minutes
Implementation of Strategies:
Demonstration 75 minutes
▪ Practice the strategy
▪ Discuss the experience:
▪ What are implications of using this strategy?
▪ What difference does it make to use this strategy?
▪ How will I implement this strategy with students?
▪ Work time with own materials including strategy
▪ Writing of plan including EALR
Demonstration of strategy 55 minutes
Q&A 10 minutes
Exit slip: “What do you plan on attempting before next meeting?” 10 minutes
Notes on class contents:
Demonstration lessons: strategies using content area materials to encourage writing and writing to
encourage content area knowledge.
Options include:
▪ “Double-entry journal and the social studies text”
▪ “Focused free-writes for making connections”
▪ “Writing to understand art”
▪ “The five-minute essay for self-assessing learning”
▪ “Writing to assist observing in science”
▪ Modeling reflective writing each day attached to content area: prompts as experience as teacher, as writer, as learner in content area, as historian, as scientist . . ..
▪ Model pair share
▪ Journals/logs – invention strategies
▪ Inkshredding – concept mapping
▪ Assessment: self-assessment, teacher assessment, monitoring learning.
▪ A Read-About”—demonstrates a WTL strategy useful when teachers want
students to become familiar with a variety of source materials and provides participants an
introduction to WTL research
▪ Guided questions
▪ I-Search
▪ Technical prewriting
▪ First Thoughts
▪ Guided Imagery,
▪ Metaphorical Questions
During the final session, a sharing by teachers of written products produced by their students.
Teachers will also share from their reflective pieces, and develop goals for future growth.
Evaluation Procedures:
C = Attendance at least 80% of the class time; participation in most activities: an accumulative evaluation and reflection of use of writing strategies and of student progress.
B = Attendance at least 90% of the class time; participation in all activities; an accumulative evaluation and reflection of strategies used and student progress.
A = Attendance throughout; participation in all activities; submission of an expanded written reflection upon classroom results including use of strategies and student progress.
Grade Requirements
For Credit
C (or Pass) Grade
▪ Attend at least 80% of the class time
▪ Participate in class sessions (discussions, activities)
▪ Share a student’s writing to learn assignment with class members
▪ Submit a cumulative reflection of use of strategies and/or student progress. DUE LAST DAY OF CLASS
▪ Make recommendations for ongoing classroom use of writing to learn.
B Grade
▪ Attend at least 90% of the class time
▪ Participate in class sessions (discussions, activities)
▪ Share a student’s writing to learn assignment with class members
▪ Submit a cumulative reflection of used strategies and student progress. Include details of what worked and
what did not work. DUE LAST DAY OF CLASS
▪ Make recommendations for ongoing classroom use of writing to learn.
A Grade
▪ Attend 100% of the class time
▪ Participate in class sessions (discussions, activities)
▪ Share a student’s writing to learn assignment with class members
▪ Submission of an extended written reflection upon classroom results of implementing strategies discussed in this
course. Include details of what worked and what did not work. In the reflection, list at least five key points
learned in this class that will enhance what you are currently doing or have encouraged you to change and
discuss their importance.—DUE LAST DAY OF CLASS
▪ Include student’s own self reflection/assessment of at least one strategy used. DUE LAST DAY OF CLASS
▪ Make recommendations for ongoing classroom use of writing to learn.
References:
Engaging Learning Environment
Establishing and nurturing a writing/learning community in support of engaging students in WTL strategies and practices
Research Base: Britton et al., 1975; Gere, 1985; Romberger, 2000; Roth, 1992; Atwell, 1990
Presenting WTL and WID as complementary features of WAC
Implementing instructional practice that engages students with writing as a learning tool in support of WID goals and expectations (discipline-determined genre, form, and style, emphasizing relevant content, concepts, and skills)
Research Base: Atwell, 1990; Herrington, 1981; McLeod & Maimon, 2000; Parker & Goodkin, 1987; Romberger, 2000;Scorcinelli & Elbow, 1997; Wills, 1993
Integrating reading, writing, and content-area learning
Planning and implementing lessons and/or instructional sequences that integrate reading and writing via WTL strategies or activities
Research Base: Britton et al., 1975; Brown & Stephens, 1995; Elbow, 1994; Fisher, Frey, & Williams, 2002; Jacobs, 2002; Langer & Applebee, 1987; McLeod & Maimon, 2000; Vacca & Vacca, 2000; Wills, 1993
Directing and sharpening thinking, problem-solving
Engaging students in WTL strategies supports purposeful, focused thinking
Research Base: Britton et al., 1975; Burns, 1995; Countryman, 1992; Dahl & Farnan, 1998; Fulwiler & Young, 1982, 1986; Gere, 1985; National Writing Project/Nagin, 2003;
Bibliography of student reading, text(s)
Ackerman, J. M. (July 1993). The promise of writing to learn. Written Communication, 10 (3): 334-
370.
Atwell, N. (Ed.). (1990). Coming to know: Writing to learn in the intermediate grades. Portsmouth,
NH: Heinemann.
Elbow, P. (1994). Writing for learning—not just for demonstrating learning. University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, 1-4.
Emig, J. (1977). Writing as a mode of learning. CCC , 28 (February): 122-127.
Gere, A. R. (1985). Roots in the sawdust: Writing to learn across the disciplines. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Herrington, A. H. (1981). Writing to learn: Writing across the disciplines. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Klein, P. D. (2000). Elementary students’ strategies for writing-to-learn in science. Cognition and
Instruction, 18 (3): 317-348.
Langer, J. A., & Applebee, A. N. (1987). How writing shapes thinking: A study of teaching and
learning. NCTE Research Report #22. Urbana, IL: NCTE.
Moore, R. C. (1995) Writing to Learn Science: Harcourt Brace.
Sorcinelli, M. D., & Elbow, P. (1997). Writing to learn: strategies for assigning and responding to writing across the disciplines. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 69.
Soven, M. (1996). Write to learn: A guide to writing across the curriculum. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western.
Tierney, R. (1996). How to write to learn science. National Science Teachers Association.
Walshe, R. D. (1987). The learning power of writing. English Journal, 76: 22-27.
Wills, H. (1993). Writing is learning: Strategies for math, science, social studies, and language arts. Bloomington, IN: EDINFO Press.
Young, A., & Fulwiler, T. (1986). Writing across the disciplines: Research into practice.
Upper Montclair, NJ: Boynton/Cook (Heinemann).
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