Motivating Students to

Write: The Sky is the Limit Carolyn L. Cook Ph. D.

Selene Rayho, Ellen Rocha, Elizabeth SmithMount St. Mary’s University

cook@msmary.eduSoMIRACHunt Valley, MDApril 1, 2011 1

Overview of the Workshop

Motivation Creating a Learning Community Theoretical Foundation Activities and Practice Conclusion

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Motivation

How to motivate students? Choice and control Novelty Social interaction Feedback and response Attainable success Interest Real world experiences/relevancy Positive learning atmosphere

(Williams, Hendrick, & Tuschinski, 2008)

3

A Learning Community

A classroom environment where knowledge is constructed collaboratively among novice and expert learners (Wells & Wells-Chang, 1992)

Interactive dialogue among students and with the teacher

Valuing and caring for others

4

Theoretical Foundation

Writing Social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978)

Scaffolding by teacher (Bruner, 1990)

Collaborative activity (Wells & Wells-Chang, 1992)

Use of Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978)

5

Important Aspects for Teaching Writing

Social dialogu

e

Skills and

strategies

Critical

perspec-

tives

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Learning Commun

ity

Using Social Dialogue

Definition Peer and teacher talk

Goal To aid creativity, spark ideas, support

editing process Strategy

Memory Chain Activity Using pictures to assist brainstorming Conferring with a partner

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Memory Chain (Dorfman & Cappelli, 2007)

Summer

Driving to the beach with the windows

down Collecting sea shells with my

sisters

Walking 10 blocks to get ice cream every

night Hiding our lunch from the sea

gulls

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9

10

11

12

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Activity

Create your own Memory Chain Start with: The Park

Share your best story idea with a partner

Conferring points Listen to your partner Ask questions or make comments Clarify and elaborate ideas

Write on your paper 1-2 suggestions that could use to improve your story 14

TeachingSkills and Strategies

Definition (Routman, 2005)

Writing to learn the skills and strategies (whole to part instruction)

Use of mini-lessons and mentor texts Feedback from conferencing (noticing

& naming) Goal is to utilize specific skills and

strategies Teaching Strategy

Hand Map 15

Hand Map (Dorfman & Cappelli, 2007)

Lightning share various emotions Trace your hand Remember all your park

experiences Write an emotion on each finger Off each finger write a phrase or

word referring to a time when you felt that way

Now you have many story ideas from which to write

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Engaging inCritical Perspectives

Definition A stance or attitude to encourage

social responsibility Deconstructing the normal and

reconstructing it through “other” eyes Goal is to address issues of fairness,

power, and social justice Seeing multiple viewpoints

Result Change in self and action to help

others17

Anthony Browne

Before Reading

Overview of the 4 voices Mother Dad Charles Smudge

Preview the text What do you notice about the

pictures? What questions do you have? What predictions can you make? 19

During Reading

Think about your questions and predictions

Adjust your thinking as you read Focus questions

What do you learn about each character?

What ideas are challenged? Read with your group Use both pictures and text to

make meaning20

After Reading Discussion

Complete the Graphic Organizer Use it to spur discussion on the

story How do you feel about the

characters? Why? How would you interact with the

characters if you were at the park? Why do the dogs seem to have more

fun than the people?21

Writing

Promoting critical perspective through writing with a goal to take action to change unfairness or injustices

Possible prompts Relate Voices in the Park to when you

visit a park Relate Voices in the Park to recess time

Relating writing to social issues that students face via children’s literature (Heffernan, 2004)

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What would Victoria say about her day in the

park?

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What would Victoria see?

What would Victoria smell?

What would Victoria taste?

What would Victoria touch?

What would Victoria hear?

More Writing Prompts

Pick a voice from the story and write a journal entry reflecting your day at the park.

Compare and contrast the families How would the story be different if

the two families had both been from the same social class?

How would the book be different if the voices were in another order? 24

A Day in the ParkA modified lesson

In the park I see _________.

In the park I hear _________.

In the park I feel _________.

Motivating Your Students to Write

Create a learning community Positive learning atmosphere Choice and control

Allow social dialogue Interaction with peers & teacher

Teach skills and strategies Feedback and response Attainable success

Encourage critical perspectives Real world experiences/relevancy Interest 27

Conclusion

“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone…and whatever happens is the results of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that create something” (Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, 2007)

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Bridging to Your Classroom

How can you implement these ideas into your classroom?

Write What will you try next week? What will you implement later when you

are more comfortable with it?

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References

Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc.

Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Dorfman, L. & Cappelli, R. (2007). Mentor texts: Teaching writing through children’s literature, K-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Heffernan, L. (2004). Critical literacy and writer’s workshop: Bringing purpose and passion to student writing. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Routman, R. (2005). Writing essentials: Raising expectations and results while simplifying teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wells, G. & Chang-Wells, G. (1992). Constructing knowledge together: Classrooms as centers of inquiry and literacy. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

30

Motivating Students to

Write: The Sky is the Limit Carolyn L. Cook Ph. D.

Selene Rayho, Ellen Rocha, Elizabeth SmithMount St. Mary’s University

cook@msmary.eduSoMIRACHunt Valley, MDApril 1, 2011 31