Writing Across the Community by Paul Shen-Brown

Writing Across the Community by Paul Shen-Brown https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet A place to share our experiences & ideas. en-us 2016-11-15 20:36:40 UTC 2017-01-10 15:23:11 UTC hello@padlet.com hello everyone. I am having my r180 students journal daily about metacognitive topics that help them to think about their struggles and victories in reading. https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/137917054 -- KBB

Thanks for jumping on this so quickly! Sounds good, but you need to be sure you have a concrete goal for each writing prompt. Also, we are going to have to start collecting student samples with their prompts, so collect or copy some of this work.
Paul]]> 2016-11-15 21:14:55 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/137917054 Daily Closure pshenbrown https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/140401000 The daily closure questions Dr. Sims wanted us to start doing last year would be a good way to incorporate regular writing in any class. It isn't as involved as the 7-Minute Write in the video we saw or the Scratch Pad version I use twice a week, but it does get kids writing. Here's one of my prompts for Anatomy class:
11/27/16 Which of the five types of bone would have the most flexible joints? Would you expect these to have more muscles attached than other types of bones?]]> 2016-11-29 04:31:58 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/140401000 Article Lead-In pshenbrown https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/140709412 Today I gave my Anatomy/Physiology classes an article to read about the relationship between bone health and a sedentary lifestyle. The results of the experiment were somewhat surprising. Those who were thin but got little exercise turned out to have worse bone health than those who were overweight but exercised regularly. They filled out an anticipation guide for the article, we discussed the results and implications of the experiment, then I gave them a writing prompt to answer in their notebooks. So the learning for the day led directly into writing, which should consolidate their memory & understanding.]]> 2016-11-30 03:54:52 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/140709412 Bookending pshenbrown https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/141845147 When we discussed WAC as a staff together, Lisa B. came up with an idea she called Bookending. The idea is to do WTL on Mondays, using a prompt designed to get them thinking about what they will be learning that week. Then do WTL again on Friday, with a prompt that has them summarize what they learned during the week.
I have been trying this, but sometimes it seems like if you give them a prompt on Monday, after the weekend, they don't have a lot of thoughts in their minds to work with, especially without having anything new taught since they did WTL on Friday. I'm starting to do this on Tuesdays instead.
Paul]]> 2016-12-05 18:48:56 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/141845147 Starting with a Discussion https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/142467427 A simple strategy that I found greatly elevates the quality and focus of low-stakes writing is giving students the opportunity to discuss the prompt before giving them a (timed) writing opportunity. Students who are unclear about what to say enter writing with at least some grasp to get them started, and often times, that leads (through the natural process of writing) towards a more developed thought. Yes, you lose a couple minutes, but the writing becomes more purposeful.

Here's the format I generally use: Ask the question > Discuss in groups > Timed write > Discuss Response in Groups > Share out > Teacher Responds.

Dean

Ooo! I Like it!
Paul]]> 2016-12-08 05:57:38 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/142467427 A Culinary Final Beyond Multiple Choice https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/142869117 I want to get away from multiple choice questions to check for understanding. I am using a low stakes writing approach for the most part. Potentially as a final I want the students to do a self reflection on what they have learned, what they could improve on and what they feel they can ultimately achieve. I am teaching them to be problem solvers and not burger flippers. I feel regurgitating memorized answers only shows that they are capable of "flipping burgers" and defeats the purpose of my teachings. Dean did point out that I need to meet the course standards. I would appreciate feedback from anyone that feels this idea for a "final" is achievable as well as any suggestions to strengthen the concept.

-Jason

Love the idea, but it will be hard to grade, especially if we only have until midnight Thursday the 22nd to turn in grades. But short answer and essay questions would be good year-round. Remember that there is a recursive relationship between memory and understanding - they need both.
Paul]]> 2016-12-09 17:52:53 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/142869117 The First Five Minutes of Class https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/144759485 Here’s a great article on how to begin the first-five minutes of class and how low-stakes writing (writing to learn) might be used. It’s a pretty good read.

http://www.chronicle.com/article/Small-Changes-in-Teaching-The/234869?cid=cp79

]]> 2016-12-24 04:57:05 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/144759485 Over the vacation I heard something that I thought I would pass along about the power of writing. I was chatting with people on a blog – they mostly talk politics, which bores me, so I bring in other subjects, like brains – when one of the regulars mentioned how writing helped him through school. I’m not sure why he brought it up, except maybe that the host of the blog is a professional writer. He said he wasn’t doing so well in junior high, but when he got to high school he decided he needed to do something. His strategy was to write down everything he remembered his teachers talking about when he got home from school. He was pretty convinced that if he hadn’t done that he would have flunked. I didn’t ask the guy what his grades were like, but he is an automotive engineer making six figures, so it must have been good enough! After he told this story I told him about our WTL drive, and he was pretty convinced it would make a difference. pshenbrown https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/146276305 2017-01-10 15:23:11 UTC https://padlet.com/pshenbrown/DHSWaclet/wish/146276305