(Page 122) “When students understand the real-world purposes for writing (instead of simply writing to meet the next school assignment) they begin to internalize the relevance of writing, and more important, they develop an understanding that writing is an important skill to carry into adulthood.”
So often kids don’t realize how much they will need to write once they get out into the “real world.” I suppose, perhaps, a person could get by without doing a whole lot of writing, but they could end up with many more advantages with being able to write well. I can’t begin to tell you how many free dinners my sister has received because of complaint letters she’s written to restaurants. One time a bag of mints were 25 cents more at one Wal-Mart than another but the cashier said they didn’t price match Wal-Mart stores. My sister then took to her pen and ended up with at $25 gift card to Wal-Mart…over a quarter! Maybe a lesson in how to write a letter of complaint would seem worthwhile to students because they could possibly “get something” out of it. There are just so many instances of when being able to write well can be beneficial. My goodness, just in the last month I’ve had to write a letter of appeal to the insurance company and a letter to the state benefits office to convince them that a health power of attorney was good enough to sign some disability retirement documents for Mike. If I had no writing skills, I don’t know that things would have swung in my favor. I know we have to get through the HSAP writing with kids (and the SAT writing goes against good writing habits as well) so that kids can graduate, but what service are we doing students if we don’t do more than teach them how to write for a test?
I’ll tell ya, the more I read of Kelly Gallagher, the more I want to just to go out and have dinner with him to talk shop. I think I’ll add him to the list of people I want teaching at my dream charter school.
So often kids don’t realize how much they will need to write once they get out into the “real world.” I suppose, perhaps, a person could get by without doing a whole lot of writing, but they could end up with many more advantages with being able to write well. I can’t begin to tell you how many free dinners my sister has received because of complaint letters she’s written to restaurants. One time a bag of mints were 25 cents more at one Wal-Mart than another but the cashier said they didn’t price match Wal-Mart stores. My sister then took to her pen and ended up with at $25 gift card to Wal-Mart…over a quarter! Maybe a lesson in how to write a letter of complaint would seem worthwhile to students because they could possibly “get something” out of it. There are just so many instances of when being able to write well can be beneficial. My goodness, just in the last month I’ve had to write a letter of appeal to the insurance company and a letter to the state benefits office to convince them that a health power of attorney was good enough to sign some disability retirement documents for Mike. If I had no writing skills, I don’t know that things would have swung in my favor. I know we have to get through the HSAP writing with kids (and the SAT writing goes against good writing habits as well) so that kids can graduate, but what service are we doing students if we don’t do more than teach them how to write for a test?
I’ll tell ya, the more I read of Kelly Gallagher, the more I want to just to go out and have dinner with him to talk shop. I think I’ll add him to the list of people I want teaching at my dream charter school.
8 comments:
Blog Entry #10 (Teaching Adolescent Writers – Chapter Six)
Page 124 – “It is important for my students to know, however, that a writer’s notebook is not a diary. It is not a place simply to record a yearlong reflection of whether your true love is going to ask you to prom. To give them the kind of practice in their writer’s notebook that they may come to find useful as adults, I have set up a timetable for them to rehearse the different purposes of writing.”
After reading this quote and the Writer’s Notebook Schedule immediately below the quote, I know how I want to restructure my daily writing for next year. This year and the last two, I’ve required my students to write at least 10 lines in their writing journal each day. The topic is their choice, and sometimes I get some really significant entries. For instance, one of my seniors who played football did the best writing I’ve seen from him in the three years I have taught him during the week after the team lost in the playoffs. He truly had something to say about the season, the disappointing way it ended, what life without football would be like, and the role of his position coach in his life. Then there’s one of my sophomores who writes the same thing, what he’s going to do when he gets home, every single day. His journal gets harder and harder to read and respond to in a meaningful way. The schedule on page 124 combined with an activity from Chapter 5 (Areas to Explore for Writing Ideas on pages 104-105) would be a significant departure but a much richer writing experience for my students.
Diane, you need to read my post for Chapter 5. Let’s get Kelly Gallagher to be the keynote for the Winter Literacy Conference. We can all go out to dinner the night before!
Teaching Adolescent Writers Chapter 6
I totally agree with Diane that if we would think about the fact that our students also need to be able to write and write well outside of school - even if they aren’t going to college. Listening to your sister’s Walmart experience makes me think that I should have written McDonald’s in Chapin. Two years ago I stopped at McDonald’s to get the apple, yogurt and nuts in the fruit tray and found that the McDonald’s in Chapin had doubled their price. When I questioned it she told me that each McDonald’s did individual pricing. Maybe I should have put my writing skills to use too!
Even though the students in my class today didn’t want to take up the national guard opportunity to write a 500 word essay for $1,500 they very well will use the ability to write letters and fill out job applications at the very least so we have an obligation to help them establish their purpose and audience. (page139)
In Psychology my students have to be taught what makes a well-done scientific study. They have to be taught how to recognize variables and identify anything that could account for the results of an experiment. After learning these things the students come in each day telling about bogus studies reported on the nightly news identifying the elements which made it poorly done. I think if we are able to teach the students how to write well and how to determine purpose of what we are writing that they will come in and do like we do with some of the editorials or books that they read.
In my US History classes I have to teach primary documents and the fact that history is evolving and never stagnant. To this effort I have to teach the students how to determine the author’s purpose so that as Gallagher notes (page 127) they will not be susceptible to a liberal or conservative news station on the nightly news. They have to be taught not to just be a consumer of news but a critical thinker or news whether on the tv or in print. I liked the exploring before determining purpose which will lend itself well to history. I also liked the golden lines idea because I believe we need to work harder at catching the good things our students are doing. I have found that like Pam, it is difficult to give the students journal entries that are open-ended because too many times they become diaries for the girls and the sports page with no depth for the boys. I think the journals would have a lot more impact if the students knew there would be a bigger audience for them than just the teacher.
Writing well is something that most people struggle with. I have stuggled with this my whole life. I know what I want to say but I get frustrated when the words don't come. I think alot of our students have this problem. They can visualize what they want to say but can't get the words down on paper. The classes I have taught and are teaching, I make the students write about current events and what impact it will have on them and for the most part the students don't care. I try to let these students know that being able to write well is an important key to their success, whether it being able to pass the HSAP to filling out a job application. I think I am going to try what Pam has been doing, with the students writing a minimum of 10 lines each day, there choice.
I would LOVE to have Kelly Gallagher as the keynote speaker then go out for dinner, but I'm afraid with the district not funding literacy coaches anymore, there will be no more Winter Literacy Conferences.
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Chapter Six
Oooh!!! I love the idea of Kelly Gallagher being the keynote speaker for the Winter Literacy Conference. If that happened, it wouldn’t really matter how many high school sessions were offered.
Writing for real purposes and real audiences definitely makes a difference in the quality of student writing. Heck, it makes a difference in mine. I imagine the quality of something I might write to the school board persuading them to allow employees to give their own days to fellow employees in need would be much greater than say the quality of my blogs which I actually enjoy writing. Along the lines of writing in protest, my mom’s friend Tammy wrote to the Chex Mix people when she bought a bag that only had two rye chips. I’m not sure what exactly she got in return, but I think it was coupons for several free full-size bags.
This chapter made me want to teach English again! I loved the explanation on writing purposes on pages 123 -124. If I were teaching English, I’d be like Pam and definitely structure my writing journals this way. The section on Exploring Thinking before Determining Purpose was also very good. Getting our kids to think deeply and often is so very important, especially before they write. I also liked the concept behind Bloodlines. I can see that working in my class. Also creating a Friday Night Lights atmosphere for writing was interesting. (A side note, between all the sports analogies in this book and the fact that KG writes thank you notes, he and Pam definitely should meet!!)
Teaching children that there are real world purposes for writing (other than just notes to their friends) is essential. When I work with students on job applications and college applications, it is amazing how few of them know how to sit down and write a letter. It is not that they do not know how to set up a letter, but they do not know how to express what they need to in the letter. Kids know how to write book reports and take information out of dictionaries and encyclopedias, but to sit down and express themselves to potential employers and/or colleges, they don’t understand how to do it.
Writing is definitely not my strong suit and I am well aware of that fact. I am very self conscious about my writing and get very stressed at the thought of people reading what I have written (which makes blogging very hard for me). This year, I have had the experience to write for quite a few different (and new) purposes. I had the unpleasant opportunity to write a letter or termination a few weeks ago. This was a type of letter I had never written and was something that I struggled with writing. It had to be eloquent as well as direct and specific. I honestly never thought when I was in high school that this would be something I would be doing and probably never would have internalized how important it is to learn to write for a purpose.
I have recently been thinking of ways to change up the writing journals that my students do and Pam’s blog could not be more on track to what I have in mind for next year (granted I am still at Airport : ). I think using Areas to Explore for Writing Ideas Writer’s Notebook Schedule will be great ways to help my students have choice and purpose in their writing.
I would really like to try the Cubing strategy with my students. I am not sure exactly how I would implement it but it is something that I will definitely be thinking about. I would love to have my students make a classroom anthology (page 134). The three topics Gallagher suggests seem like they would really get students writing. I made a note in chapter 5 as I read The Myth of the Boring Topic and was quite excited when I saw it again as one of the anthology ideas! I can only imagine the boring topics that my students would come up with and the interesting information that they would discover about the topic. Using this specific strategy is also a great way for me to integrate technology into my classroom.
As I read the last few chapters, I can’t help but think how amazingly (if that’s even a word) smart Kelly Gallagher is and how much wonderful information he has to share.
I am quite sad that there is a possibility I won’t be teaching high school next year because I have recently found some many great ways to teach writing…who knows, maybe I can find a way to work these strategies into my next job.
Teaching Adolescent Writers- Chapter 6
I would love to have Gallagher come to Airport and talk to our faculty. I love this book, especially this chapter. It is hard for to imagine an audience other than the teacher. Sometimes I wonder if we are really teaching our kids for the world after graduation. I don’t write as much as I could- or like Diane’s sister. The “Friday Night Lights” strategies were great. I like the Author’s Chair and the Golden Line draft. These are perfect opportunities for students to share in a non-threatening environment. One advantage that I could utilize next year in the Freshmen program is working more closely with English teacher so that we could plan more writing and actually share the grading load. This, perhaps, would give students an incentive if they know that more than one teacher will be looking at their work.
Post a Comment