Now THIS is what I call a writing strategy. 3/28

I'm not sure how many of my classmates still read my blog posts...I know I am SERIOUSLY long-winded.

:)

I was so excited to read the 6+1 Trait writing piece. We have spent so much time talking about how formulaic writing is the least effective strategy for teaching writing, which I will freely admit came as a surprise to me. For me, the problem with getting rid of the formula is that it left no guidelines at all for writing, no way to create a framework for students who are just learning to write. It just felt like setting them to the task of writing without a clear path seems like it would be a herculean task and one that would not inspire a love of writing in students.

THEN I read this article. This is the not-formula formula that I have been looking for. These traits seem to be the traits that exist in all great writing, no matter the genre, and they act as rough boundaries instead of an unyielding formula. That's a win.

The other part about these traits that I like are that they can be applied not only across different kinds of writing but across different contents as well. I can see this being used in history and social studies classes for sure. If the traits were successfully used across different disciplines, it would reiterate the idea that writing well doesn't only happen in an English class, and it would also show how being a better writer helps you succeed outside of the English classroom!

One more point--the traits don't address specifics in the way that common core does (for the most part), which makes these traits attainable for students who have different skill levels. Another win.

I think that the 6+1 traits will find their way into my classroom for sure.

Just one question...why aren't they the 7 Traits? 

Comments

  1. UnknownMarch 27, 2017 at 12:15 PM

    I agree that these traits of writing provide a non-formulaic way to teach writing to students. By emphasizing the important aspects of good writing, students can have guidelines that are not so restrictive. I also love your point about how these traits are attainable for students at different levels - they don't discriminate based on ability, but work to grow students abilities and produce better writers. Great post!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Personal 2/28

I am really glad to see an entire week of assignments dedicated to personalized learning. I feel like personalized learning is coming at me from many different directions--it started with a Socratic  seminar in my SED 406 class last semester (when Kelli-Lynne and I had to research and play the role of Don Halquist, remember, Kelli?), I attended the EdCamp professional development earlier in the semester and this was a major topic that was discussed, I have a dear friend who works for the Highlander Institute who is a major supporter of personalized learning, and another good friend is a high school teacher in Barrington and will be presenting at the Blended Learning Conference in April. Needless to say, this is not the first time I'm hearing about personalized learning. NETFLIXING HUMAN CAPITAL I tackled the Roberts-Mahoney piece first, and it might be the first time I've read something describing the detriments of big data. And maybe she doesn't directly say that data ...
Read more

Leaning In 4/18

This Nate Bowling article was one of the first articles I came across this semester. It was extremely uncomfortable reading it, uncomfortable with the idea that someone--a teacher no less--would tell me that America doesn't care what happens to black students. OF COURSE I CARE! I felt immediately defensive but kept reading. One of the speakers at a conference I recently attended spoke about striving for equity and social justice in the classroom and started the conversation by saying that we would be discussing things that made us uncomfortable, and she wanted us to lean into that discomfort. Bowling makes his feelings very clear: segregation is alive and well in the U.S. and the white community is totally okay with it. Once more, my immediate internal response was to feel defensive. I reminded myself of something I often tell my own kids, that just because it isn't an issue in YOUR life doesn't mean it isn't the most important issue in someone else's. Lean in. ...
Read more

Writing Between Languages 3/21

When this class started, I mistakenly referred to Kelly Gallagher as "she." Every time I reference a new text since then, I read a little about the author, to make sure I'm using not only the correct pronoun, but I also want to know a little about the author. It's like reading the labels on food in the grocery store. I noted that Danling Fu learned how to write in English when she was in grad school, and as such has an important perspective as an English Language Learner, what works and doesn't. Gives me confidence that what I'm reading is important and accurate. Something that pops up early and often in this book is the idea of identifying students' home cultures as an asset instead of a deficiency. When she refers to her students as "funds of knowledge" it reminds me of literacy practices and Emdin's co-teaching article, which references students as experts. I think it's critical to recognize the importance of a student's first-...
Read more