Observations of writing!!!

Throughout my field experience I have had the opportunity to observe writers workshop.  I am placed in a first grade class.  Though my class participates in writing workshop on a daily basis it is not conducted like our text book suggest.  The children are not able to pick their own topics for their writing.  The teacher gives them writing prompts for them to use.  The teacher does try to pick topics that are of interest for the students.  This really bothered me at first after reading the text but later I realized that though the children do not get to pick their topics during writing workshop they are able to do free writing during center time on a daily basis.  The students typically do centers for an hour every day.  One of the centers is a writing center.  At the writing center children sit a table in a section of the class that is designated just for writing.  The table is full of helpful resources for the children to use to help them with their writing.  The teacher has books in a variety of genres where students can get examples of good writing styles to use.  There are also informational texts present at the center if children want to write an informational piece.  Just the other day a student turned in an informational paper about sharks that he had wrote by gathering facts from a book the teacher had about sharks.  The story was over a page long and was very good for a first grader!  The teacher also has resources like sticky notes, magazines to cut out pictures, stamps, markers, crayons, glue, scissors,  pre-made cards from a store to write letters on, and a dictionary just to name a few.  The students are allowed to write about anything they want and in any genre they want.  Every child also has their own writing folder at the center where they can keep their drafts and their work.  After the students have finished a piece they can decide to publish it.  Once it is finished they turn it into the teacher and get to share with the class before centers start.  The only requirement is for the students to have at least seven complete sentences.  I think this works out wonderful and the children really enjoy it.  It’s really apparent that this center produces some of their best work.  After seeing how this center is conducted I want to make sure to have a center like this in my future classroom no matter what grade I teach.  The teacher also has a poetry center where students get to copy poems and circle special characteristics or themes used in it.  They are also allowed to write their own poems.  The children really enjoy getting to share the poems too!  It is nice to see that I can incorporate writing on a daily basis other than just during writer’s workshop or the designated writing time.

Thoughts on multi-genre research projects!

I think conducting multi-genre research projects are a great idea.  I would love to try something like this in my future class.  I have never seen anything like this done before when I was in school or in observing classrooms during my student teaching.  I think it is so beneficial for students to get to select their own topics like the children got to do in the article.  I also like the idea of the teachers working so hard to support students to select a meaningful topic.  I think having accountable talk, where students can defend their topic choice to their teachers and peers before picking it for sure could really make the topic more valuable for that student. 

Conducting multi-genre research projects are also valuable because it lets students emotions play a part in what they are researching.  I strongly agree that the role of emotion plays an important part on the learning process.  If students are researching something that means something to them they are likely to give more effort and will probably hold on to what they have learned.  I know when I  do any kind of project or writing that really means something to me I enjoy doing it, try harder to do my best, and remember it.  Another idea that I loved about the multi-genre research projects were how students have the option of writing in a range of genres.  Giving students this option will not only make the project more beneficial to them but also will teach them a lot about writing genres even if they choose not to use the ones they learn about.  I also really liked how the authors decided to steer away from the traditional research paper and allow students to learn about the person’s personal life they were researching and not just the main contributions they made.

Finally I really liked how students get to celebrate their projects and writing by making presentations that they present not only to their teacher but other people in their lives.  I feel this shows the student that their efforts were much more than just a grade and that their work was really valued.  I can’t wait to learn more about multi-genre projects.  From what I have read thus far I think these projects have the potential to be very powerful learning tools!

Reflections on Ray

                  I feel that distractions can be an ongoing challenge for students.  I know this from personal experience that it is easy to get distracted.  I tend to get distracted easily, especially when I am writing.   I agree that good writing workshop management can help limit these distractions for our students.  I can relate many of the ideas of managing distractions to the first grade class that I am placed in.  I feel that one of the best keys to minimizing distractions is for the teacher to have a strong presence in the classroom. This presence should involve constant interaction with the students and not the teacher simply sitting behind their desk.  I fortunately have the opportunity of observing a teacher that displays what Ray talks about.  My first grade teacher spends the entire writing workshop going around to student’s desk and conferencing with them.  This really helps the children stay on task and also shows them that she values the work that they are doing.  It is also great that in our classroom there is typically a paraprofessional in the room during writing time that also goes around the room conferencing and asking questions to students about their writing.  The teacher has set strong expectations on the students and the children know that it is not an option to do nothing.  I feel that the teacher’s interactions really help manage distractions. 

                I also agree that using the classroom space fully can help minimize distractions and make the writing process more enjoyable.  I think that the entire classroom should be utilized.  In the first grade classroom that I am in the teacher does have the students come gather on the carpet for the focus lesson but then for writing time they all must return to their assigned desks to write.  This seems to work well for the students but I really like the idea of allowing children to decide where they would like to write.  I think giving students a freedom of space could help with distractions, especially for children who get distracted easily.  I also think that it is alright to allow children to discuss their writing with others during writing workshop.  The only downfall to this is that some children have a really hard time concentrating when there is a lot of noise.  I am kind of one of these students!  Despite that I still do not feel that teachers should make writing time a no talking time.  I might just have a hard time concentrating because when I was a child there was no talking allowed while we were writing!  After reading about this I am still a little confused on how to balance the noise in the class.  I really like the idea of having a few designated quiet zones for writing but I don’t see how this would work if you have a small classroom.  I wish I knew some other ideas to help students who are distracted easily while at the same time allowing students to discuss their writing. 

                In regards to transitions during writing workshop I think these are critical for having a smooth writing workshop.  I think the main way to accomplish having smooth transitions is to set expectations and a routine for the students from the beginning of the school year.  I think smooth transitions are vital to have throughout the school day.  I feel that my first grade teacher is excellent at transitions because the children know what is expected of them.  Once the children have returned to their desk for their writing time the teacher will always tell them when they need to start wrapping up their work.  Instead of yelling for all of the students to stop she rings a bell and says melt and the students know exactly what to do.  The teacher also does an excellent job of having all kinds of writing tools available for the students to access easily.  The only thing she does somewhat different than the book describes is she always hands out a certain type of paper she wants the students to write in or they just write in their writer’s notebook.  She does not give them any choice in regards to what they will write on.  I like the idea of giving them choices. 

                Writing workshop is structured and organized but teachers should not control it all.  I agree that writing workshop kits can be dangerous.  I think it is important to give students the freedom to have choices about writing workshop and that not all students are going to be doing the same things.  I strongly believe in giving students choices about the content of their writing but I also feel they may need a little guidance.  I think students should be allowed to write about what they want to but at the same time it may be hard for some students to come up with their own ideas, especially if they are use to always being assigned what topic to write about.  This is where I think teachers should use some of their focus lesson time to help students brainstorm possible ideas and development techniques but ultimately let it be the students decision what to write about.  Overall I feel that incorporating Ray’s advice and modifying it to fit your individual student’s needs can really help create an effective writing workshop experience.   

Thoughts On Chapters 14, 15, & 17

I feel that conferencing with students is something that should definitely be done during writers workshop.  I think it is so beneficial because it provides students the opportunity to have one on one help and instruction that they do not typically get through the school day.  Not only does it provide direct instruction but it also allows students to feel their work is valued by the teacher.  It also could help establish a better relationship between the student and the teacher. I also feel that it could help the teacher become a better teacher especially in regards to getting to know the students better and on a more personal level.  I feel that conferencing should not only be available for writing workshop but it would be beneficial to spread it across subject areas.  I personally cannot remember ever having the opportunity to conference with one of my teachers about anything.  I really think it would have been a great experience, especially the idea of getting to hear exactly what my teacher was thinking about my work instead of just reading comments on my paper where I wasn’t always sure where they were coming from or what they were talking about.  I will definitely make this a priority when I teach writers workshop and other subjects.

                In regards to sharing during writing workshop I do agree that all children should be provided with time to share on a daily basis.  I think it helps the thought process to share.  Also if a student is really proud of their writing or wants others to hear their message it is important that they get to share.  I think sharing also provides purpose to their writing.  If students think they are only writing for a grade or school then it can become not purposeful.  On the other hand if students are aware that their writing is not only for a grade but their message or story can be used to inform someone else I feel the writing takes on a purpose.  My only issue with sharing is that I do not think it should be required that everyone share every day.  Some students may be shy and like to hear others and learn from them but might become very anxious about sharing to others.  I also think that if students know they are required to share before writing they might worry about what they are writing and what other peers are going to think.  This might keep them from writing about what they truly want to write about especially if they get worried what others might think.  Also some writing is very personal and is written for self reflection and not for other people’s judgments or opinions.  In this case requiring students to share their work would probably keep students from writing about something that would be meaningful to them and could be possibly their best work.  I know that I am like this at times.  There is some of my work that I would not mind sharing at all but there are other times when I am embarrassed either about what I am writing about or how others might see my writing.  This at times causes anxiety for me.  I guess that I feel that sharing should be part of the daily writing workshop process and that it should be encouraged but not required.  I also think that if you do a good job of setting up a trusting and respectful community in the classroom more students would be open to share without being required.

                In chapter seventeen it discusses the questions that teachers ask their students during writing workshop.  I agree with the quote “Questioning students as writers teaches them to think of themselves as people who are supposed to have answers to these questions”.  I think it is important for teachers to ask their students questions that they do not already have the answers to.  I think doing this can help students grow as writers and teachers to see where their students are coming from.  I also think that it was helpful to see the ideas of evaluating students writing.  I liked the idea of students doing a rubric on themselves that is specific and with comments and not just a number with good, ok or bad.

Writing Resource: PicLits.com

We can always 
         start over!

 

Reflecting on Chapters 9, 10, & 11!

I love how Ray broke down the five layers of teaching into simple terms that should be used to have a successful writer’s workshop in chapter nine.  I feel that how we as teachers set up the room plays a big impact on how students will engage themselves.  I think it is so important to set up the room where your students can learn from what is in the room even if you are not there.  I really liked how Ray compared the classroom setup to a hands-on science center or museum.   As Ray said “You learn in these places because you are surrounded by things to learn from”.  Writer’s workshops should and can be like this.  If teachers set up the classroom learning environment to allow students time to write and resources all around the room to use it will help them become better writers.  I also like the suggestions of having students visit another class to talk about their writing.  I also think the idea of having a place in the room where students can teach small groups a writing strategy they have learned about is a wonderful idea.  I also feel it is so important to display students work.  I think this can help build their self-confidence.  My favorite suggestion was the “notebook news” board where students can write down their new strategies and other students can use the board to support their own writing.    I also agree that as a writing teacher it is vital to demonstrate what a writer is and students will respect that I can speak about writing from my own experiences.  This is something I know that I will have to work hard on because I have not really practiced writing on my own.  The only writing I have done is letters to people and school work!  I do see however that becoming a writer will help me be a more effective teacher.  I also agree with chapter nine when it discusses homework for writing.  I really like the idea to ask students to collect ideas from the real world and record them in their writer’s notebook.  I think this would not be too stressful for students but would also serve as a powerful tool to have when they are working on their writing pieces during writing workshop.

                The next chapter discussed what to teach during writing workshop.  These included teaching strategies, techniques, questions, relationships, and conventions to students.  When discussing strategies to use during direct instruction and during conferences I really enjoyed the example to help students sense their audience and how she suggested that the students have someone read their writing and then retell what happened.  I thought it was important that she mentioned not to ask the reader if it made sense, but instead ask questions about the content to see what the reader did understand.  I also think it was neat how the author suggested also allowing the student you were working with to read a short piece you have written and tell it back to you for practice.  Not only will this help the student understand the strategy but will help develop a strong relationship and trust because you as the teacher are using your own work for example.  I also think that teaching students to ask questions when writing and reviewing their writing is so important.  These questions can become habits that students ask themselves throughout the writing process.  I also think the idea of connecting the writing process to metaphors can be very beneficial to students.

                In chapter eleven it pointed out “The teaching of writing should revolve around strategies, techniques, and understandings that aren’t connected to specific material”.  I completely agree with this point.  When I was in school I remember us only writing about the same topic.  I still see this going on in schools today.  I think it is so beneficial to have students decide on their own topics based on what they have been observing in their writers notebooks.  I giving students the opportunity to choose their own topics will allow them to express themselves more and allow you as a teacher to see the individual writer.  I also think it would make it easier for you not to compare students to one another based on just their story line.  I also think students would enjoy writing more if they had more individual choice.  I know I would have enjoyed writing more this way.  Due to the fact I never really got to pick out my own topics that I felt were important for me to write about, now if I do have that opportunity I have a real hard time thinking of ideas because I have always been provided with what to write about!

My thoughts on Katie Wood Ray’s “The Writing Workshop”

I felt the first five chapters in Ray’s book were truly inspirational.  Before reading these chapters I did not completely understand the benefits of conducting a writing workshop in my classroom.  I personally have never been in a classroom setting that had a writer’s workshop like the one Ray describes in her book.  I have always been in classrooms that assigned what genre students were to use, the topic students should write about, the length the paper should be, and the amount of time they would have to complete it.  The students showed no real attachment to their writing because they viewed it as simply another assignment that was not meaningful or showed who they really were or felt.  After reading I completely agree on the potential power these workshops could have in developing my students as writers.  These workshops could give students an opportunity to display their identities and write about topics that are passionate and meaningful to them. I feel that having a writing workshop as described gives students a purpose for writing and serves as a valuable tool.  As quoted in the book, “They see the writing process as a tool they can give their students to use when rocking the world, not just something to learn to do”.  I agree with Ray that so many times teachers just focus on teaching students the writing process but that is not the only thing that writing is about.  I love how writing workshop gives students the opportunity to decide their own topic to write about that is powerful to them.  I feel that this is how writing should be and what it is all about.  Writing is not just something you learn to do it is about having something to say and sharing it.  I also agree that if a writer cares about the topic it will influence how good the writing will be.  If students are not passionate about what they are writing about it seems that it would be challenging for it to be good writing. 

                In recollecting on my past as a writer I only did writing to support my learning, not writing to compose my own ideas.  I really wish that I was given the opportunity to explore writing about my own ideas when I was younger.  I feel that if I had been given this opportunity I might feel more confident in my own writing.  I think it is great to give students a set thirty five to forty five minute time frame each day to write about the topics they would like to write about.  If this continues all year long as a set routine with set expectations it will work in the classroom and help develop more confident writers.  I know that many teachers worry about maintaining classroom management while conducting a writer’s workshop where all students are working on different things but I think this is totally possible and beneficial if students know their expectations.  Students have to realize like Ray said that writing workshop is a block of time with rituals and routines to follow.

                I really liked how Ray broke down the difference between writing to live and composition and then related it to the writing that goes on during the school day and why writing workshop is still needed.  If you really think about it most of the writing that occurs during the school day is writing to live and students need time to compose their own ideas not just the ideas and concepts the teacher is requiring.  It’s clear to see that writing workshop has the potential to positively develop writers if it is conducted properly by allowing students choices about content, time for writing, teaching, periods of focused study, publication rituals, high expectations, safety, and structured management.  To be successful it must incorporate all of the above along with the teacher setting a tone in their writing workshop where students know all about their teachers as writers and teachers know the same toward their students.  To be honest the fact that students should know their teachers as writers makes me a little nervous because of my own insecurities with writing.  Though I am nervous because of my own writing insecurities Ray seemed to stress that this is not uncommon so hopefully I will continue to improve my writing over time so I too can successfully implement a writing workshop in my classroom.

Ray, K. (2001). The writing workshop: working through the hard parts (and they’re all hard parts). Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English.