Saturday, January 24, 2009
Writer's Notebook ch.1&2 group d 650pm
View the first sample chapters (available on line) Using the Writer's Notebook in Grades 3-8: A Teacher's Guide at (http://www1.ncte.org/library/files/Store/Books/Sample/35006chap1-2_x.pdf) and begin your writers notebook then post entries on Class Blog. Engage in an online discussion group on our class blog. Please read designated chapters and 1)propose “meaty” fat questions to discuss, 2) make connections to your teaching and work with students, and 3) make connections to your work as a writer (ie Keep your own notebook and share your response to it), 4)Please respond to two of your classmates’s entries in your study group, 4) Consider how what you have learned from this book might support the work of your integrated language arts unit.
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4 comments:
After reading chapters 1 & 2 of “Writer’s Notebook”, I came away with a sense that this is something that my more motivated students would enjoy doing, but I have many questions about how to make it a worthwhile exercise for more reluctant writers. I also wonder how to keep students motivated so that it doesn’t become an empty notebook.
First, I love the idea of the writer’s notebook. Having one place for students to collect their thoughts, record their ideas, or simply vent (we do teach middle school after all) could be an invaluable tool to help them express themselves through writing. I can also see it as a springboard of ideas for students to use when given those all to rare opportunities to choose a topic and explore it. As an adult writer, I think that I would benefit greatly from this type of idea collection system as well. It seems that often my best ideas are here one moment and lost the next.
I wonder, however, about my more reluctant students. I have many students who without some sort of clear structure--much more than the book suggests of dating every entry--simply will not write anything. These are not bad kids, and not all of them are weak writers. They just don’t enjoy it. As appealing as it sounds that you will motivate students to write simply by giving them the freedom to write whatever they want in the writer’s notebook, in my experience, this isn’t the case. I hope that the book goes into further detail and gives some suggestions on how to encourage students to write in their notebooks.
I haven’t given much though to using the writer’s notebook in my integrated unit, however, I think that it could be very valuable. Students write journal entries as if they were soldiers in the Civil War for the Language Arts piece of my unit, so perhaps I can have them collect ideas in their writer’s notebooks as they read and discuss the novels in my class.
So, my main questions are: 1. How would you motivate a reluctant writer to use a writer’s notebook? 2. In the data driven climates in which we all teach, how could we evaluate the writer’s notebook to give us insight into a student’s strengths and weaknesses with regard to the writing process? 3. What are some creative ways to allow students to explore topics that come up in their notebook?
Hello!
Nate, very thoughtful reflection of chapters 1 and 2. I agree with everything that you are saying. While I am a reading teacher, I don't teach writing. Unfortunately, reading and writing in 6th grade is the only place in my district where the subjects are not taught togehter. It makes no sense and is a big challenge we constantly face. So, with that being said, I always find it very interesting and enlightening to be able to read about and expand my knowledge on the writing process. Because I don't teach writing, it's harder for me to connect things back to my classroom, but it does generate a lot of questions in my head.
I agree with you, Nate, about the idea of the writer's notebook. After I read the first chapter (while getting my pedicure-ha), I became inspired to want to create one for myself. Any type of "notebook" that I have ever had has definitely had the "diary" feel to it. When I was younger (probably around 6th grade) I would write things about my day, who I liked, what was making me mad, but I never used it as a true place for me to record my thoughts, feelings, opinions, reactions, or memories. On page 2 Elliott says,"We must help our students understand that a writer's notebook is more than a diary. It is a place to write about experiences, observations, thoughts, and reactions. We want students to view their notebooks as a place to collect seeds by recording bits and pieces of their lives-a place to make sense of their lives and a place to savor their lives." I think this is such a strong message to send to students about the purpose of the writer's notebook. I also think that many students will get inspired and encouraged by this message. However, just like Nate said, I think there will be a handful of reluctant writers where this message will go in one ear and out the other. Just because it makes sense and sounds good doesn't mean it will magically work. So, how do we motivate and encourage the reluctant writers to find a passion to write?
Something important that the book touch upon (which may help to answer the question above) is teacher modeling. If we expect our students to value and use their writer's notebook, we must do it with them. We must show them that thier notebook is a place for them to take risks and encourage them to do the same. The book says that we should share some of our entries with them, which will allow them to appreciate our honesty and willingness to learn. When students see how we use our notebooks as teachers and the authenticity of it, perhaps, even the most reluctant writers, will learn to value their own notebooks.
In my integrated unit I was thinking of having studnets keep a writers notebook as a place for them to make connections to their own life on water conservation and water pollution. The studnets will be participating in an online web investigation on the Long Island Sound and they will be asked to record their thoughts, feelings to pollution and how it affects our everyday lives. I hope students will see it as a place for them to take risks with their connections.
Nate, the questions you posed were very good! Like I said earlier, I agree with them all. I know I touched upon the reluctant writers, but I also have the same questions that you do! I hope the books speaks to them as we get further along. I also have a question related to quality versus quantity of writing. What writing is good writing? Is there such a thing as too little or too much?
When I read "Writer's Notebook" a couple weeks ago, I was very inspired to begin my own writer's notebook. I love looking at the notebook as a way to record memories and looking at it as a piece of history in the making. When I taught third grade, my students used to keep a journal.
To address your question Nate, I found that even my most reluctant writers took great pride in their journal because they were able to express their ideas any way they wanted to. One of my most emotionally disturbed students found his voice through writing poetry and writing lyrics. He eventually performed at our school talent school show and sang his lyrics in the form of a rap song. He was reading on a first grade reading level but developed a passion for writing and by the end of the year, he made over a year and a half worth of growth in reading. This encourages and inspires me to get all or students writing. If they don’t want to write initially, I think this is a great place for a student to bring in an artifact or picture of something that is important to him/her. I think we just need to find different avenues and ways to inspire our students to want to write.
Just as Sarah said, we need to model what we want our students to do. And I agree, that once the students see the value the teacher or other students sharing their writing, then the more likely they are to at least attempt to produce something. I also found that even my sixth graders like to cut, paste, color and draw…so on some days, my reluctant writers might spend more time working on their artifact and then finishing their writing for homework.
I believe much of what we want our students to do falls in how we present it. And I think we have to keep reinventing our ways of reaching the student. Quality is important but is more important to know the student and what you know the student is capable of. I often wonder how you find the balance between quantity and quality and also the time to make sure you are reading their notebooks and still challenging all students.
April, it's good to know that it works. Sounds like your student really found an outlet for his creativity! I love your ideas for allowing reluctant writers to sketch, color, or use artifacts in their notebooks. That will definitely involve some students who already see themselves as ineffective writers.
I also agree with you both about modeling. It is extremely important in everything that we do. This year, I seem to have more kids than ever who look to that piece of instruction as a way to make sure that they are "on track".
The more that I read about the writer's notebook, the more interested I am in using it in my integrated unit.
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