Saturday, January 24, 2009
Writer's Notebook ch.7&8 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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2 comments:
MEATY QUESTIONS:
As I was reading chapters 7&8, I was getting some really good ideas (especially for my integrated unit since I don't teach writing), but I also found myself getting a little confused about the overall purpose of the writer's notebook. I guess up until this point, I was under the impression that the writer's notebook is a safe place for students to be creative and to write without the pressure of assessment. However, in chapter 7, Elliott refers to "have-a-go" where writers go back into their notebook to apply specific strategies that were taught during a recent minilesson. I understand that the transfer of knowledge and the application to personal writing shows learning, but I thought this notebook wasn't a place where teachers will look to see the transfer for assessment. So, I guess my question is, where does the transfer of knowledge occur for assessment purposes?
CONNECTIONS TO MY TEACHING:
I like how ch. 8 refers to reading with a "writers eye". Elliott refers to studying the writer rather than the content. Genre study allows writers to be immeresed with the writing and to question the writer's craft. What is the purpose? Who is their audience? This allows students to connect to the real-life writing that writers do. Elliott says, "once we start noticing things, it is difficult not to notice them again". That's exactly what we want our students to do-to notice things so they can develop their writing skills.
CONNECTIONS TO MY WRITER'S NOTEBOOK:
These two chapters gave me some new ideas to implement into my own writing. Just like students do, I enjoy to write in a variety of genres and formats. I like the creativity of writing letters or recipes to change up my entries. This book definitely gives me new perspective and direction for my ow writer's notebook. Maybe I will write a recipe for how to survive working as a teacher and going to graduate school...hmmmm....
CONNECTIONS TO MY INTEGRATED UNIT
Like I mentioned in on of my more recent posts, I am going to have my students write a letter to a local government official about creating an awareness of water conservation and water pollution. I was happy to see in ch. 7 that Elliott mentioned writing letters as an important part of the writing process. Any time that we can help writers find an authentic audience, we are giving them a sense of purpose for their writing. It allows them to articulate their thoughts and accomplish their goals.
Hope you guys had a nice Easter:)
Hi Sarah,
Like you, I do think that the notebook is not a place for students to write for assessment purposes. Maybe, the author means that they should try out a style in their notebooks. I think that in the world in which we teach now, we are always looking to assess to know for sure if the student "got it". Whereas with the writer's notebook, I think that the idea is just for the student to "try it" in a safe place. Then later, there will be time for assessment. (There always is.)
Like you, I was also thinking that genre study is a good way to allow students to create/find their voice in writing. As I posted last week, using mentor texts as a jumping off point can be very useful for many students. Since you and I both teach reading, I think that it is also a way in which we can incorporate more writing into our classrooms. I know that much of the writing my kids do right now is formulaic answering of CMT style open ended questions. It does work well to show their reading skill, but doesn't do much to develop their writing.
I love your recipe idea. When you get done with that, please share it with me. I think if I were to explore the grad school/ full time teacher/ 2 kids at home topic, I'd have to use the genre of Shakespearean tragedy rather than recipe. It might still end with me gouging my eyes out. Of course I'm kidding, but the writer's notebook if nothing else has keyed me in on some things about which I'd like to write. Someday. When all of the teaching/grad school/fatherhood thing subsides.
I love your idea about using authentic writing as part of your integrated unit. For me, I think that I will still stick to using the writer's notebook as a place for students to explore their voice and point of view in relation to their novel. I want the focus to be narrow enough so that it helps them in their LA culminating activity writing, but not too structured or it will become repetitive and not get done.
I guess those are my thoughts for now. I still have questions about how well this method works for students who are looking for a more concrete sequential approach. The freedom that the writer's notebook gives may be liberating for many students, but for some it will be terrifying or confusing. How can we reach those students through this method, or is their process just so much different that a different method is needed all together to reach them?
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