A few ideas to ponder from Ch. 13 Best Practices; how do these statements connect with your experiences; with our class readings?
- Writing should be an integral part of instruction because WRITING REVEALS THINKING (p. 267).
- Writing takes time and patience (p. 267).
- Best practices in writing assessment begin with an authentic task, where purpose and audience are clear and meaningful, where support and feedback are readily available, and where the final product has academic value for the student (p.269).
- Student writing provides information about both content and process, about what students have learned and how well they can communicate it (p. 272).
- What a writer needs most is words (p. 279).
- Develop and draft, review and revise, polish and publish (p. 280).
- Students can demonstrate understanding by transforming resources and experience into a genuine composition-the building of something new from a collection of basic elements (p. 283).
- TEACHING STUDENTS TO BECOME INDEPENDENT AND RESPONSIBLE LEARNERS IS DIFFICULT, BUT ADDRESSING THIS CHALLENGE IS CRITICAL FOR REFORM OF SCHOOLING IN OUR COUNTRY (p. 284).
- Do your writing assessments include rubrics that gauge students’ capacities to transform the substance of the topic?
- Do you believe that assessment should be an integral ongoing part of our instruction? Should assessment inform our instruction?
Please review the NCTE and IRA Standards for the English Language Arts
Do you notice any parallels to multigenre writing?
Please feel free to check out Rubistar and Writing Fix. What do you think?
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Holley Wright said,
March 28, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Dr. Frye:
I agree with the points you have referenced and I am excited about trying out lots of these ideas next year.
But, call me a glass-half-filled kind of person. I have struggled with research based practice and the “real” world of schools for years. I believe one of the best outcomes from students working on the kinds of projects whe have seen and worked on is that they do promote independence and responsibility and an authentic voice for students. But in a world driven by high stakes test scores, administrators tend to direct teachers towards “cramming” as much as they can into students in a manner that they will see on a test. This does not in any way promote the above. Also, I think rubrics are vital to assessment and that students should have a part in this. Again, glass-half-full, rubrics can be subjective and are not considered as “hard score” in terms of true measurement.
I am not arguing that the things you mention cannot be done. And I agree that they are critical for school reform. I just don’t know how much progress we can make in school reform with the upstream battle of testing. I guess my frustration is that I want to see change, I think it is a child’s inherent right to become independent and responsible for their learning so that this can transfer throughout their lives, but I am daunted by where we are now in the institution (and I don’t mean that in a kind way because I don’t like linking the definition to children’s learning) of education. I want to be a maverick, I want to battle bureaucracy, but I must be a wimp when it comes to observation wielding adminstrators. I will continue to reflect on this.
Nicole Atkins said,
April 14, 2008 at 11:15 pm
After completing our multigenre presentations last week, I had to comment on Chapter 13. I remember reading the chapter and found it interesting how the state of North Carolina stresses writing particularly in grades four, seven, and ten due to the exam. However, the comment was made in the scenario on page 266 that “no one teaches writing.” At first, I became angry because our school emphasizes “writing across the curriculum.” Then, I thought perhaps this comment was accurate. As a high school teacher, I assume the students can write the dreaded five paragraph theme. However, students are too familiar with this approach.
As our class learned last week, writing is enjoyed more when it’s an authentic product/ task. Writing should be assessed one step at a time and taught with “patience.” However, I too feel the average classroom teacher is overworked and overwhelmed due to the intensity of the curriculum. Personally, the multigenre captures the essence of what writing could be if one had the resources and time. In chapter thirteen of Best Practices, the authors focus on key elements such as audience and purpose. Instant feedback for students is essential whether conducted in a conference or with a rubic. But more importantly, the final product must have academic value.
When I wrote my reflction on my multigenre paper, I stated that a teacher would have to defend this paper and validate it with research. As Holley mentioned our state will assess our students whether we deem it fair or not. I cannot in good conscience allow my students to be tested without preparing them for what’s ahead. Sadly, the multigenre paper is not A, B, C, or D. It’s more open ended, and therefore, problematic for administrators to evaluate.
As a classroom teacher, I must expose my students to current practices. I must allow them the opportunity to establish their voice, perfect their craft, yet not take away too much time from EOC Preparation. This is why I am excited about doing poetry this week. I will teach the same concepts, yet allow them to individualize each piece with references to their past. I will be doing a mini memoir assignment at the end of the term, and this poetry is only the beginning. So, to answer your questions Dr. Frye I truly believe we educators must voice our opinions. We need to teach writing; not the formula to pass the exam in March. However, who will lead us? Not the administrators or even the superintendents. How can graduate students like those of us in 5130 demonstrate what we are learning and not be patronized?