WRITING IN ENGLISH?

Are you nuts?

By Enric Calvet. Manresa, July, 2013

Don’t you burst into tears when a 7 years girl comes to you next morning of a storytelling session and says:

Enric, this is for you!

It’s a present!

Writing is part of a whole process.

Writing is part of theGlobal Competence

Ideas for improving writing

1. Models and processes

2. Using a spoken text as a model

3. Mini writing

4. Delay the grade

5. Incorporating process writing as a regular activity

6. Using correction as a tool for success in writing

7. Rubrics

1. Models and processes

Process writing Product writing•Ideas as a starting point•More than one draft•More global, focus on purpose: reader is emphasised•Collaborative•Emphasis on creative process

•Imitate model text•Organisation of ideas more important than ideas themselves•One draft•Features highlited including controlled practice of those features•Individual•Emphasis on end product

2. Using a spoken text as a model-1

2. Using a spoken text as a model-2

Use a model to feed in language – e.g. coursebook

One page worksheet

REAL questions about students lives

Provide sentence stems or example answers.

Use a process writing approach

3. Mini writing

4. Delay the grade-1

Option A

Option B

So imagine you’ve spent one hour or two correcting students’ compositions. And you bring them to school next day to give them back.

What happens when we return marked compositions to our students?

For students the grade is the only important thing.

Tangible and comparable

Don’t reveal the grade until corrections are complete.

Increase incentive and motivation to look at corrections seriously.

4. Delay the grade-2

5. Incorporating process writing as a regular activity

-Don’t fail students – negative repercussions

-See it as a first draft. Encourage collaboration and use more able students’ work as models.

-Staple subsequent version on top. Use coloured paper.

-Keep a record of number of versions.

-Learning is the priority and not testing writing ability.

What method do you use to correct your students work?

What comments do you usually write on their compositions?

How important do you think the comments are? How important do you think the grade or evaluation is? How would students answer these 2 questions?

6. Using correction as a tool for success in writing-1

6. Using correction as a tool for success in writing-2

6. Using correction as a tool for success in writing-3

First draft

Red: teacher codeBlue: student’s corrections

6. Using correction as a tool for success in writing-4

Second draft

Still one more go before the grade!

7. Rubrics-1

http://lowellacuff.wordpress.com/

Let students participate in the creation of a rubric to be used for assessing the project.

7. Rubrics-2

Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System

What do you like/dislike about the idea(s)? Why?

Have you ever done anything similar ?

Is this something that could work in your context ? Why / why not ?

How could you adapt the activity to make it work better ?

to your neighbours

Useful links and references

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/approaches-process-writing writen by Graham Stanley

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/product-process-writing-a-comparison written by Vanessa Steele

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/how-approach-discursive-writing by Vanessa Steele

http://ayllit.ecml.at/ Assessment of young learner literacy linked to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

http://cockroachesladybugs.blogspot.com.es/ Search “writing”

WRITING IN ENGLISH?

Are you nuts?

By Enric Calvet. Manresa, July, 2013