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"Rewriting School: Critical Pedagogy in the Writing Classroom" (David E. Kirkland) (OLD)

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"Rewriting School: Critical Pedagogy in the Writing Classroom" (David E. Kirkland) (OLD)

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WHAT: Kirkland discusses how there are different writing methods to teach, outside of logocentric writing ideologies. Kirkland argues that current writing pedagogies continue to enable mostly white or 'Standard English' dominant social and cultural (writing) practices. Lastly, he explains that three expressions move away from dominant social and cultural practices: visual, musical, and multilingual expressions.

WHERE and HOW: Within the classroom, students should be allowed to demonstrate their understanding through their writing languages and visual, musical, or multilingual expressions. Formative and summative assessments, or small assignments or projects, must include these liberties, or students will get stuck behind the dominant social and cultural practices Kirkland is warning his readers about.

WHY: Students, through the three expressions, will be allowed to exercise resistance, liberate from "traditional" boundaries of writing techniques (Kirkland 92), and represent themselves to their communities and the world.

Link/Resource: Kirkland, D. E. (2004). Rewriting school: Critical Pedagogy in the Writing Classroom. Journal of Teaching Writing, 21(1 & 2), 83–94.

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"Reflect, Reimagine, Revisit: A Frameworl for Centering Critical Writing Pedagogy" (Sonia Kline and Grace Y. Kang) (OLD)

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"Reflect, Reimagine, Revisit: A Frameworl for Centering Critical Writing Pedagogy" (Sonia Kline and Grace Y. Kang) (OLD)

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WHAT: Kline and Kang demonstrate how critical writing pedagogy frames writing as a form of dismantling dominant and oppressive powers and systems. Through three interconnected frameworks---cognitive, sociocultural, and critical---Kline and Kang argue that writing has a social purpose, where independence in students' writing can occur through a commitment to challenging our surrounding oppressive structures, and engaging in critical conversation with them.

WHERE and HOW: When teaching students how to write, educators need to engage in the 3Rs: reflect, reimagine, and revisit. The three processes lead to awareness, deep reflection, and the ongoing inquiry into the educator's pedagogical formats. To cultivate independence within our students, educators need to reflect on the ways certain theories clash with moral values, reimagine our classrooms as spaces for students to learn their voices, and reform our pedagogies with our students in mind or alongside them.

WHY: Students will gain better access to their internal writing language if the educator is aware that their pedagogical practices need to be continuously updated with every new batch of students.

Link/Resource: Kline, S., & Kang, G. (2022). Reflect, Reimagine, Revisit: A Framework for Centering Critical Writing Pedagogy. Language Arts, 99(5), 300–311. https://doi.org/10.58680/la202231790

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“Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy” (2020), Gholdy Muhammad (OLD)

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“Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy” (2020), Gholdy Muhammad (OLD)

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WHAT: Muhammad discusses the various curriculum and instructional materials that engage in teaching students skills to become independent and knowledgeable about specific content areas. However, Muhammad emphasises how teaching them skills should not remove the student from their identity or the world around them; become responsive to the world's challenges; layering multicultural and multimodal texts; teach skills related to modern technologies and digital literacies; use diverse methods and differentiated strategies to achieve learning objectives.

WHERE and HOW: When creating lesson plans for a classroom, the educator must be responsible for including a multilayered, multicultural, and multimodal text or device that will enhance a student's skill set while maintaining their identity.

WHY: Students will have access to cognitive, analytical, and sociocultural skill sets inside and outside the classroom.

Link/Resource: Muhammad, G. (2020). Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. Scholastic Inc.

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WHAT: Creating a list of memorable books, movies, TV shows, or other media from childhood.

WHERE & HOW: Before class time, ask students to write or type out a list of memorable books, shows, or movies that impacted their childhood. Show students your own list, and explain to them what specific chosen medias impacted you the most and why. This is also a way to break the ice for students, as you demonstrate to them there is a vulnerability in sharing the items but are able to connect with their peers when they find commonalities.

WHY: Allows students to become aware of what their peers grew up reading or watching, and recognize the differences or similarities that caused that.

Link/Resource: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sU8f5t5OPoc3_QXQaIlTVxt53sWDV78sa1Ue3-um1W4/edit?usp=sharing

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25-26 Cohort Community Builders & Brain Breaks

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WHAT: Prepare to read to the class using a picture book or a short illustrative excerpt as a way to open up discussion about common or differing identities.

WHERE and HOW: Gathering up the classroom in a circle, the teacher will read out loud from a picture book, presenting the images to the students, and giving them small moments where they can capture the image along with the words. While reading, the teacher can ask questions, such as what the students can see on the pages or what the author is talking about in their writing.

WHY: On its own, a 'read-aloud' allows students to gather thoughts about their identities and how they connected with the reading (or did not). Activities can be created from the reading, such as name or identity histories, furthering a responsive interaction among students.

Link/Resource: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sU8f5t5OPoc3_QXQaIlTVxt53sWDV78sa1Ue3-um1W4/edit?usp=sharing

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25-26 Cohort Community Builders & Brain Breaks

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WHAT: The classroom will be divided into two sides, where students will decide, based on the posed questions, which way they lean towards more.

WHERE and HOW: Dividing the classroom into two sides, with one side being option one and the other side as option 2, the teacher (or student) will pose a question to the class, asking picking one thing or another. There is no middle ground, and the students must go on one side.

WHY: Students will attend to different opinions, understanding why their peers chose what they did, and interacting responsively.

Link/Resource: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1sU8f5t5OPoc3_QXQaIlTVxt53sWDV78sa1Ue3-um1W4/edit?usp=sharing

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25-26 Cohort Community Builders & Brain Breaks

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WHAT: A ball, or a smaller, tossable item, will be passed among classmates while engaging in theatrics.

WHERE and HOW: Standing in a circle, students will toss a ball at each other. In the first round, students will say out loud what they are tossing to the other person (a small cactus, a giant elephant, etc.) As the class continues, it can switch over to tossing the ball silently, where students will need to act out what they are tossing to their classmate.

WHY: Students will be allowed to display their theatric abilities, giving them reprieve from sitting down to long, and thinking critically about what they will act out throughout the game.

Link/Resource: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VYpyMG117y4FZ9brN1eYjEuRLG4JoCeISKWq1bfqPZg/edit?usp=sharing

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Brain Break 6/20/2025 - Gabriel and Raina

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WHAT: Table groups will create original stories following a genre, exchanging the story every so often for someone else to control or continue the narrative.

WHERE and HOW: In table groups, students will choose a genre for their stories, giving them a foundation to build upon throughout the activity. The first student will begin the story, writing at least two sentences in two minutes. They will then pass the story to the next student, who will add onto the original story, and the activity will continue until each student gets at least two chances to write, or, based on time constraints, the story is passed back to the original owner. Once the passing is over, students will be asked to share their stories.

WHY: Students will be able to generate stories based on genres they know or have learned in class. The writing activity will have students familiarize themselves with many types of genres and writing styles.

Link/Resource: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1h3O-vQFM4WrzaIFQUnp_E-HtZ9a0ETql/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=106576020667083638372&rtpof=true&sd=true

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"5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback" (Marianne Stenger) (OLD)

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"5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback" (Marianne Stenger) (OLD)

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WHAT: Stenger listed a collection of the five best practices for giving students feedback.

WHERE and HOW: When providing students feedback, educators must: "be as specific as possible, be timely, address the student's learning goal, present the feedback carefully, and involve the students in their feedback" (Stenger). Educators need to take the time to provide helpful feedback in detail, while also indicating any progress they have made through the feedback. Educators are encouraged to give back feedback as soon as possible, as significant learning growth happens if the feedback is given back promptly. Lastly, students, their goals, and progress should be addressed within the feedback, so that they may have something to look back on.

WHY: Students benefit greatly from teacher feedback. It is a method of communicating learning and understanding where the student is in their content acquisition.

Link/Resource: Stenger, M. (2014, August 6). 5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback. Edutopia; George Lucas Educational Foundation. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger

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WHAT: At their tables, students will interact and create various comedic writing, producing multiple perspectives of comedy.

WHERE and HOW: In table groups, students will individually write 2 or 3 setups for a joke, and will let their tablemates finish the punchline for them. The action will be repeated until the are various amounts of punchlines and the student receives their original setups.

WHY: Students will participate in designing comedic jokes or punchlines, generating immersive and responsive interactions among peers. Students will grow comfortable with their writing and feel included in producing a comedic product.

Link/Resource: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xI_RY2M5F04lVBKbgQcKp0KHa45-2NsrUAi3Zp9sm2k/edit?usp=sharing

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: Pictionary offers a variety of ways for students to interact; this fun game allows students to communicate in innovative and creative ways. I found this by looking over a couple of Google sites that suggested pictionary was a great way to engage students---it is also a method for engaging ESL students.

RATIONALE: Not only is Pictionary a great way to have students engage creatively, but it also functions as a method of learning new vocabulary or new word concepts instead of just writing it down and memorizing it.

APPLICATION: Pictionary can be molded to fit the class enviroment or coincide with the lesson. In a future classroom, I would use (new) vocabulary that fits with the lesson that day.

Link/Resource:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14HEdpe405x4-GGm4ftTgoV12s2vjFK1hMneYK2CEVoU/edit?usp=sharing

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: At some point in the middle of the semester (or at the end of the first trimester/quarter), invite students to take an anonymous Google survey to evaluate you (the teacher) and the class and provide feedback.

RATIONALE: Students should be allowed to evaluate the instructor's efforts and how well the course is going, to foster a student-teacher & teacher-student relationship. More importantly, the teacher will be able to gather evidence/data needed to either re-evaluate the class or rework how they give out instructions to students.

APPLICATION: At the mid-point, create a Google survey with 5-10 simple questions regarding their feelings about the course, what they think has gone well, what could be done better, and how that could be done.

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: Story maps are visual representations of building or drafting ideas and concepts before writing out definitive summaries. In the story maps, students will "learn to summarize the main ideas, characters, setting, and plot of an assigned reading," as well, having both a visual and written description of the current novel they are engaging with (AdLit).

RATIONALE: Story maps can be done individually or in large group settings, making the reading and writing strategy versatile. It can also be used for different types of literature (fiction or non-fiction) and is a helpful graphic organizer that students can keep for the entire unit, semester, or year.

APPLICATION: In an English class, teachers must create and hand out printouts with specific prompts or sentence starters, divided into sections (main ideas, characters, important events, etc.), advise students how to use the story maps through a teacher model, and encourage students to use it for each assigned reading.

Link/Resource:

https://www.adlit.org/in-the-classroom/strategies/story-maps

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Background

Story Maps are used for teaching students to work with story structure for better comprehension. This technique uses visual representations to help students organize important elements of a story. Students learn to summarize the main ideas, characters, setting, and plot of an assigned reading.

Benefits

Story Maps can be used with the entire class, small groups, or for individual work. This strategy helps students examine the different components of an assigned text or story. Story Maps can be used with both fiction (i.e., defining characters; events) and nonfiction (i.e., main ideas; details). The use of Story Maps as a comprehension strategy can be beneficial for all students, and are especially helpful for students needing the additional support of a graphic organizer.

Create and use the strategy

The teacher decides upon that text to be read and determines the key elements that the students should identify. Teachers choose (or create) a Story Map that is most appropriate for the type of assigned reading (i.e., fiction or non-fiction). As with all strategy instruction, teachers should model the procedure to ensure that students understand why and how to use the strategy. Teachers should monitor and support students as they work.
Story Element Characters Examples Setting

Who are the people who were involved?

Which ones played major roles?

Which ones were minor?

Plot

Where and when did this event take place? Over what period of time?
Theme

Problem/Goal: What set events in motion? What problem arose, or what were the key players after?

Events/Episodes: the key steps or events that capture the progress of the situation.

Resolution/Outcome: How was the problem solved? Was the goal attained?

The larger meaning or importance, the moral, the "so what?"

1. Teachers should introduce the text/story to be read and provide each student with a blank Story Map.

2. Students begin by recording the title of the assigned text on the Story Map.

3. The other components of the story may be mapped out during the reading process. Examples of such key elements are listed below:

4. After the students have completed their Story Maps, they may discuss why each element was recorded.

5. A class Story Map may be created by putting the information on a large sheet of paper. The map is discussed and students are encouraged to add items to the categories or even to suggest new categories.

References

Block, C., & Pressley, M. (2002). Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices. Guilford Press: New York, NY.

Reutzel, D.R. (1985). Story maps improve comprehension. Reading Teacher, 38(4), 400-404.

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Story Maps are used for teaching students to work with story structure for better comprehension. This technique uses visual representations to help students organize important elements of a story. Students learn to summarize the main ideas, characters, setting, and plot of an assigned reading.

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: Similar to a brainstorming web, concept maps help students develop a familiarity with new ideas (or concepts) by building off prior knowledge and having them reflect on the process of constructing connections before and after reading. However, concept maps can also be used to learn new words. Using a "before reading" and "after reading" concept map, students can begin making generalizations and connections to new vocabulary.

RATIONALE: Concept maps are easy to create and construct, and can be used across multiple disciplines (or even genres of novels). It is important to have the essential word, question, or idea in the middle, and then have students tap into their prior knowledge to build connections with something new.

APPLICATION: Students can either be handed pre-made worksheets or create maps of their own. It is important to have a teacher model so students are aware of how concept maps are utilized. This will help them in the future to create independent concept maps.

Link/Resource:

https://www.adlit.org/in-the-classroom/strategies/concept-maps

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: Using the story setup strategy is indicative of allowing students, especially ELL students, to understand a new text. To set up of story, go over key vocabulary that will be informative and connect with the new text; pick content-specific vocabulary words to introduce. Using verbal and physical cues to guide students along is encouraged---simple hand movements are allowed. Additionally, having students revisit vocab concepts furthers their knowledge.

RATIONALE: In an English classroom, this pre-reading strategy is an actionable way to introduce new texts to ELLs and possibly non-ELL students who have a trickier time grasping new concepts and words. Developing a routine, like setting up a story before reading it, can develop reading comprehension at a pace where students can keep up and build connections to it.

APPLICATION: In an English classroom, this pre-reading strategy can be used for both ELLs and non-ELL students. Listing out main characters, genre, if it's fiction or non-fiction, and new vocabulary terms, along with encouraging students to use their prior knowledge, can lead to fruitful engagement and new knowledge. The teacher can provide handouts or work through specific areas with the students on the whiteboard, and have a large group discussion with students.

LINK/RESOURCE:

https://www.adlit.org/topics/english-language-learners

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The population of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. public schools is growing quickly. This section includes information on effective ways to teach ELL (also called ESL) students , methods for encouraging learning, and ways to promote family involvement. Please also visit our sister website Colorín Colorado, which focuses exclusively on ELLs.

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: Sentence frames is a method or strategy that reinforces comprehension and reading skills. Typically, sentence frames mark the beginning of an idea or concept, followed by the student filling in the rest, using the text to infer what the "answer" is. Sentence frames can be used to look for characteristics of a character or produce main ideas based on what the text says. The scaffolding method targets both drawing conclusions about the text and language development, without putting too much pressure on learning a new language on their own.

RATIONALE: Using sentence frames in a classroom, provides students with the opportunity to analyze and draw conclusions of a text, without the external pressure of having to fluently know their L2 (or the language they are currently learning). Sentence frames are an excellent scaffolding strategy, which can then be later applied to future texts and reworked as students become more proficient in their L2.

APPLICATION: In an English classroom, sentence stems can benefit every student. Having pre-made hand out with specific guiding questions about the reading will most likely work best for ELLs and non-ELL students. Be sure to model what a sentence stem does, and possibly go over 1 or 2 sentence stems in the students' packets before letting them work individually or with their table members.

LINK/RESOURCE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3rXwstobh8&t=1s

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ESOL Teacher Sheila Majdi: Using Sentence Frames with ELLs

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: To improve students' reading comprehension, introducing helpful annotation practices can strengthen analysis, make sense of complex sentences or new words, draw on prior knowledge, and much more. Through the HUM method (Highlight - Underline - Mark), students will learn the importance of annotation skills.

RATIONALE: Although there are various methods for annotating a text, the HUM method offers a flexible and easy way to develop annotation skills. Annotating is an "effortless" way to show student understanding, questioning, and developing ideas. Some teachers may want to grade annotations, while others may want to go over and assess how the skill is progressing; it is up to the teacher how they wish to use this method.

APPLICATION: To use the HUM method, begin by using an excerpt from a text as a teacher model. "Think aloud," or work with your students to "highlight the important ideas, underline main ideas or evidence connected to a critical lens," and mark areas where something stood out to you with exclamation points, or places that were confusing with question marks (Grinage). Emphasize to your students the importance of annotating a text, begin making connections between annotations and notes, and, if possible, provide book tabs and highlighters.

LINK/RESOURCE: Justin Grinage (class slides).

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: Jigsaws or reciprocal teaching allow students to become "teachers" of a specific topic or text, which they will then teach to their peers. "Reciprocal Teaching involves four strategies that guide the discussion: predicting, question generating, clarifying, and summarizing" (AdLit). Each jigsaw session may look different; reciprocal teaching can also take on a different approach, such as having a student or a group teach the whole class a lesson about a topic or text. However, the most important part of jigsaws or reciprocal teaching is that the students get a chance to learn in a new way, through their peers, and as the teacher.

RATIONALE: Through jigsaw or reciprocal teaching, students who learn from their peers engage differently with the lesson material. Students may find it easier to understand a new or difficult concept/text through their peer's explanation. Depending on the formality of the strategy, students can use their language to explain a concept/text to their peers, developing questions and ideas without the pressures of academic language. On the flip side, academic language can be taught in a more "student-friendly" way when the student becomes the teacher, with knowledge on how they would want to learn the concept/text.

APPLICATION: Jigsaws or reciprocal teaching can be done in many ways; however, two methods have worked well time and time again.

Jigsaw Groups or Reciprocal Teaching (1): Split the classroom into groups of 3 or 4, and assign or give students the option to teach a specific concept or text, informing them that they will share their findings with their peers and teach it to them. After a designated amount of time for students to complete their assignment, they will then be split into different groups of 3 or 4 students and assigned to teach their "lesson" to their peers.

Jigsaw Groups or Reciprocal Teaching (2): Similar to the first method, split the classroom into groups of 3 or 4 students, OR have students choose their group members. Students will then be assigned a topic/text---they can also choose one---where they will build a lesson to teach to the class. This is more of a formative than a summative assessment.

LINK/RESOURCE:

https://www.adlit.org/in-the-classroom/strategies/reciprocal-teaching

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: In Speed Dial, students will have a random number of cards. As the teacher passes the cards out, students cannot look at their cards until everyone has cards in their hands and the teacher says, "Go." Students will then look at their cards and begin sorting them by numerical order (Ace to King). Students will need to work as a team to get the fastest time possible.

RATIONALE: Whether the classroom is split or not, students will work on team building and communication skills through the brain break. Students will have to strategize what will work best to get the fastest time and relay important information to their peers.

APPLICATION: Depending on the size of the class, use one or two decks of cards so every student has at least 4 cards on hand.

Rules:

1. Take a deck of cards (or two) and divide them up randomly between each person. DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR CARDS!

2. On “go,” everyone can look at their cards and begin sorting them in numerical order (Ace to King).

3. At the same time as “go,” a timer will start

The Goal: Get the fastest time you can (Timmy and Walter)

LINK/RESOURCE:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GsNVTVBZwFEHb0YPshnxu6FLY4Q_fj0R6DRRultbY_8/edit?usp=sharing

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SUMMARY & CONTEXT: A gallery walk is another form of annotation, where students can assess their peers' understanding of an idea or concept by giving in-person feedback and responses. This method connects students' prior knowledge to new knowledge, creatively models understanding, and facilitates peer review.

RATIONALE: Gallery walks are less pressurized methods of peer review and annotation. Students will gather their understanding from their peers and often make connections to prior knowledge more easily. It is also a way to provide discussion about specific topics after the gallery walk, going over observations, questions, or ideas students may have had as they walked through the gallery.

APPLICATION: Either in groups or individually, students will draw or create charts about their understanding of a concept/topic. They will then place it somewhere around the room (either on the desks or on the walls). Students will then be provided with sticky notes to write down their observations, connections, questions, and ideas based on their peers' products. This can also be done digitally through platforms like Canva or Google Slides.