Teaching Voice to Primary Students by Margaret McKanna

Guest Post by  Margaret McKanna

When it comes to effective teaching and learning, my inclination is to keep it whole. This is especially true in areas of literacy for students whose skills are still developing. Vicki Spandel asks the question:"So why do we study the traits if they're all part of a whole?' and then she answers: "Concentrating on a particular trait helps us see writing through a certain window...helps us appreciate how that trait connects us to others."

I'm all for celebrating voice in writing. Primary students understand this trait in a visceral way. Naming the trait of voice and celebrating it is critical to the development of young writers. Supporting voice while "opening windows" to other traits is also essential. It seems to me that voice has a unique relationship to the other writing traits. While ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, and conventions are definitely where the rubber meets the road, I think voice is the fuel that sparks the engine and moves the writing forward.

Here's an analogy I find useful. As children learn to ride bikes, we support them as they practice the essential skills for bike riding: pedaling, braking, steering, and balancing on two wheels. We support these emerging bike riders by holding on to the seats of their bikes as they sharpen these skills and consolidate them to achieve proficiency. We coach on the side, offer tips for one skill or the other. The learners are completely engaged in the act of riding and I wonder how much our words contribute to their success. We hang onto the bike seats knowing there is so much more to learn. Meanwhile, the young riders are pleading for more independence, a chance to test their own measure. At some point, we need to get out of the way; we need to let go.

In Chapter 8, Teaching Voice within Writing Process*, Vicki Spandel has an excellent collection of lessons and strategies for teaching voice. My hope is to use this resource sparingly; a little will go a long way. Our instruction in writing ought to be slow, deep, and wide with one strategy. Then we must let go. Young writers need the time to experience writing, the pure satisfaction of it. They need time to share writing, the pure joy of it. They also need time to assess their own writing, the undeniable challenge of it!

Margaret McKanna is an experienced teacher participating in the online professional development class, Teaching and Assessing Writing with the 6-Traits.

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Cynthia Rice on Voice

Final Reflection for Teaching and Assessing Writing with the 6-Traits by Cynthia Rice

As a reluctant yet aspiring writer, I approached this course with some ambivalent anticipation. My position as resource teacher requires me to know something about all academic areas, maybe quite a lot actually. My lack of experience in teaching writing with the 6-traits propelled me to take this course. My own schooling did not provide any inspiration for how writing could be taught so that students could discover their own creativity. I did have an excellent model, however, when I supported a child in the grade 2 class last year. The teacher implemented Writers’ Workshop with astounding results. This model gave me a vision of how writing could be taught and illuminated some excitement in me.

Our first trait, voice, was total immersion. Voice is the trait that I understood least. I was delighted to read Spandel’s chapter on voice. Her writing is a demonstration of how voice can be heard even in a textbook. Reading the chapters on voice was a refreshing change from texts that present material with a distinct lack of voice. I enjoyed reading her material; the examples illustrated clearly what she was conveying. Her writing drew me in and the pages seemed to turn themselves as I read. The quality of her writing did not diminish for me over the course and I now own three of her textbooks.

As the course progressed I realized that voice is supported by all of the other traits. The choice of ideas, the organization, the construction of sentences, the effectiveness of word choice, and the use of conventions all work to either produce and highlight the author’s voice or disguise voice. Even very young writers who have not mastered the alphabetic principle can write with strong voice. Indeed, their early voice is usually very loud and the distinct job of the educator is to nurture voice as the child grows. Struggling readers and children with limited skills with the mechanics of manipulating a pencil can have voice represented through the 6-traits. I work with a boy in grade 3 who has only begun to master the very basics of reading and writing. When he has authored a piece he writes his by-line “by Joey!” Nothing could be more demonstrative of Joey’s voice. He has to work ten times harder than any of his peers to write even one word. I smile everytime I see this exclamation.

The course as a whole has made me intensely aware of voice in all kinds of literature. On PEI our phone book is an excellent example. How could a phone book have voice? Well, ours did. All Islanders eagerly awaited the delivery of the newly published phone book each May. The cover was a main attraction. A particular aspect of Island life was always portrayed. One year there were images of about 50 kids engaged in various activities. People took great delight in trying to identify how many of the kids they knew and where they lived. In one community there are so many people with the same names that most people go by their nicknames. The nickname often pointed to an idiosyncrasy of the person. A phone book was published using nicknames so people could find them more easily. Eventually, the Island Telephone Company was swallowed by a larger company and then as the fish in the sea do, the larger was again swallowed by an ever-larger company. No one takes notice anymore of the publication of the phone book. Someone in Toronto designs it. Voiceless…

The other traits are tools to communicate what the author has to say. Rating each trait was an adventure in itself. I enjoyed discovering how each trait has potential to enhance or deaden the message. Through the reading and even more so through the ratings I found myself discovering the potential of each trait. The author has the power to shape the reader’s experience and perception through the traits. An artist uses form, color, composition, light, and line to communicate in a similar way that the writer uses ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, conventions and organization. Or the musician can use tempo, dynamics, phrasing, melody choice, instrumentation, and vocals to speak through music. The artist can vary brush strokes, use line in novel and unexpected ways to provide a visual experience. So the writer can use word choice and sentence fluency to take the reader on a journey. These tools have so much potential as part of a whole effect.

It was through rating students’ pieces that I gained the most insight into how these traits can be effectively used. When reading a master’s piece the elements are not as obvious to me. I experience the whole piece and its aftermath as a whole. When looking at developing writers it was easier to see how the individual traits can be used, sometimes when the young author neglected to use them. In examining how a piece could be improved, I was able to focus on the impact of a trait. I had never thought of the effects of sentence length on the attention and feelings of the reader. An abrupt change in sentence length can act to alert the reader, make them more attentive. Using long, descriptive sentences can lull the reader into feeling complacent. As for convention, I was aware of the effect of using proper conventions but now I am aware of how conventions can be used to make a piece explode with voice.

Last summer, I traveled to Toronto with 2 boys who happen to have autism to pick up 2 of my grandsons and drive back to Prince Edward Island to spend the summer together. We stopped in Kingston, a city known for its university and maximum-security prison. We stopped to meet up for the afternoon with one of my Canada World Youth participants whom we all knew and loved. He attends university in Kingston and had planned activities for us. To my surprise, he had planned to take us to the prison museum. We all approached with caution. The tour of the museum turned out to be one of the most meaningful events of a densely packed summer. In the museum there was a gallery displaying work of the inmates, mostly visual art. There was one piece of writing displayed. All of the traits carried a voice that pierced me. It was a full biography. Presentation, conventions, sentence fluency, idea, organization, and word choice combined to bear the weight of a powerful voice. The piece was displayed with dignity beside a wonderfully rendered drawing of birds in flight. The piece was written on a broken hunk of Styrofoam with paint that had dripped down the sides.  It read “I wish al parints had to aksept there children the way thay ar..”

The course has given me the tools to teach writing effectively and to evaluate students’ writing so that they grow as writers. No doubt, the main objectives of the course have been achieved. In addition, my desire to write has been awakened and now I am working writing into my day. Writing can give me moments of reflection within the current, even the rapids, of my life. The question was posed for discussion consideration: Must a teacher be a writer to be effective at teaching writing? Perhaps not. However, I think that any teacher who is truly inspired by teaching through the 6-traits will be compelled to be a writer.

Reference
Spandel, Vicki. (2012). Creating young writers. Boston: Pearson.

Mode + Audience + Voice = Organization

The problem with rote memorization of a writing organizational formula is that it has no context.  The kids don't understand why they are using the form.  They just memorize the basics and stumble on. This usually means they know they need five paragraphs: 1 intro 3 body 1 concluding.  Hardly a universal formula for organizing writing. But that's what is usually taught (and often nothing else.) 

Organization is dictated to a large degree by the mode of writing we are pursuing.  Letters, Poetry, narrative, research, persuasive... all of these modes have forms of organization that we should recognize. 

More importantly, the mode is determined by the audience for the writing.  A reporter isn't going to write a poem about a traffic accident. A research paper isn't going to follow the 5 paragraph format.  

Also, keep in mind that the audience and mode also predict the kind of voice a writer will use.

IF our students understand the concepts of voice, audience, and mode, they will have context for the kinds of organization they need to bring to their writing.  This takes a conceptual understanding of writing, rather than rote memorization of an organizational form. 

Can we teach this? You bet!  We are right now!

Does it make sense? ~ Dennis

Synesthesia, Painting, Poetry, Sentence Fluency, Rhythm with Toby Lurie

Poetry - Painting - Song 

Later in my teaching practice I started writing grants to bring writers and illustrators to my school district. This helped me build a relationship with painter, musician and poet, Toby Lurie: http://www.tobypoet.com.

Toby is an amazing, creative, and unpredictable guy. (The link to his site will introduce you to his work. He shares many QuickTime audio clips of his work that trigger creativity.) It is fun to find him on the Internet after all these years.

I recall meeting him for the first time. Toby was wild white bearded poet with a dangerous gleam in his eye. One look at him and I realized that he was going to draw some lightening.  I was the language arts coordinator for a conservative Nevada school district. I knew Toby was going to make waves and I was glad to aide and abet in a little artistic subversion.  We were at the district's biggest high school.  I'd planned a full school assembly, but an uptight vice principal sand bagged me and side tracked us to a remote spot in the school where they kept the 'tough' kids.

As I was about to introduce Toby to a huge class of hyper-active alternative ed high school kids.  I didn't have a clue what he was going to do. The rowdy group had the bored vibe of caged cats.  I was sure this crowd of edgy and angry adolescents would tear us apart. 

Just as I introduced Toby, he whispered in my ear, "Tell them I don't speak any English."  I followed his lead and got out of the way.

Toby proceed to emote with sounds and facial gestures and within seconds he captured everyone's attention. He spoke gibberish but it didn't matter. This guy knew how to communicate with sound alone, words were an afterthought. The kids were riveted by the odd man capering and grunting in front of them.

By the end of the assembly everyone was up moving and chanting,  found poetry echoed off the walls and we were all swimming in Toby's unique tone patterns.  Sometimes it's good to be in alternative ed!

To really appreciate Toby's work you need to hear and see him. This new video Synesthesia Part 1 will give you a taste. 

Synesthesia part 1 from Terrence Vaughn on Vimeo.

Choral Reading, Toby Style

Several years later on one of his return visits, Toby taught me a great method that ties perfectly into the concepts of rhythm and sentence fluency. After a writing session, Toby had each student pick a single line from their work. Then he called 6-8 volunteers to come to the front of the room. They lined up shoulder to shoulder and started to read their lines in order from left to right. The first boy read. Then the second. Suddenly Toby would point back to the first and have him repeat the line. Toby would would mug and gesture and flail his arms like a demented conductor, all to draw more emotion and voice from the reader.

We soon understood that Toby was conducting a word orchestra and hearing special music.

The kids began reading their lines louder or lower, deadpan or angry, happy or weeping. Once the whole group of young ones had read once, Toby layered together a sound poem based on the melodies of repeated lines and varied voice.

Sometimes Toby had the same student read two or three times in a row or come back to one particularly powerful line repeatedly. No one in the chorus knew when they'd be called on and everyone was amazed at the nuances and lunacies that spilled out of it all.

Toby created a wild reader's theater  of word choice, sentence fluency, voice, organization, and ideas all wrapped in a spontaneously generated poem. It was hilarious, energizing,  fun. Everyone loved it.

All of this points to the powerful mix of music, performance, and poetry that supports sentence fluency (and all the other traits as well).

I  used this method myself two or three times a year for the rest of my classroom teaching career. I got so I could conduct a pretty good sound/word poem, but I could never top the Maestro!



Synesthesia part 2 from Terrence Vaughn on Vimeo.

Word Choice: The J. Peterman Way

The J. Peterman Catalog is real and online!  http://www.jpeterman.com/

What a great way to teach word choice and voice!  From the online catalog:

The Victoria Falls Jacket


http://www.jpeterman.com/Mens-Jackets-Vests/Victoria-Falls-Jacket

It has the look of a true jacket. Substantial and trim, not flimsy and baggy. You could navigate down the Zambezi and then proceed directly to high tea on Stanley's Terrace without raising any eyebrows.

Victoria Falls Jacket (No. 1636). Four buttoning, flapped pockets outside, three inside. Crisp notched collar with chin strap. Airy mesh half-lining. Pointed yoke, deep inverted pleats, and stitched-down Norfolk-style waist in back.

Carry on, gentlemen.

Men's even sizes: 38 through 48.

Color: Tobacco.

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More:

J.Peterman Writing Idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9tvATHGya0
Uploaded to YouTube by Barry Lane.

This is a brief Interview with Dena and Corbett Harrison (the write couple).  Corbett is the Webmaster and writer behind the great 6-Traits oriented WritingFix website http://www.writingfix.com/. Dena discusses how sharing the J.Peterman catalog with her students generated some great writing.

Great Voice and Word Choice Example:

For a prime example the J.Peterman overblown speaking style: http://youtu.be/qtj5BHnnjzw

Seinfeld - Peterman Background

Larry David, Seinfeld and J. Peterman (The real J.Peterman.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9tvATHGya0

This topic was suggested during a discussion on Word Choice in my Teaching and Assessing Writing with the 6-Traits online class.

I had some fun running down these resources. I'm not sure how they might play for the current generation of kids in the seats who may not be Seinfeld fans.  Not many will know who J.Peterman is.  That's why I tried so hard to find the right video  example of word choice and voice!

Let me know what you think?

~ Dennis (In exotic Valley Center)

Larry David, Seinfeld and J. Peterman (The read J.Peterman.)

Voice and Research Writing

There is an expected research paper voice and while the mode is driven by organization, voice still plays a part in this form of writing.

I'd describe the desired voice in this mode as; authoritative. Other descriptors would be strong, confident, and understanding. Lovitts 2007 p 36

It comes down to understanding the audience for the writing. There is a very clear and defined audience for research papers: other professionals or academics. Knowing the audience helps a student writer determine the voice (once they have the concept of voice in place).

You can help your students understand voice as a concept, and your expectations for a 'research voice' by using contrasting examples. (Here's where a search for appropriate mentor texts will help.)

For instance, you could provide strong and week thesis statements.

Also find or create contrasting examples. Demonstrate overly casual, or insecure voice, and contrast it with confident (fact supported) academic voice.

On one hand, you have an example of clear well supported, and authoritative writing.

Contrast this with excessively elaborate, vague and uncertain writing.

Examples of students attempting to hide a lack of understanding and content with elaborate long winded and confusing sentences could go a long way toward helping define the concept of ' research voice '

This reinforces the need to tune the writing to the audience.

You could also contrast the research piece with an expository piece to show differences in voice based on mode of writing.

While the voice of a research report is more constrained, it's there. By helping your students learn to recognize voice you clarify the intent of the writing and help build the concept.

Dennis/San Diego

reference:

Lovitts, B. E. 2007 Making the implicit explicit: creating performance expectations for the dissertation. Virginia, Stylus Publishing

Teaching Traits in the Second Grade by Cathy Rencavage

 "I think kids know when something is off in a story." Children are very savvy even at the earliest of ages.

This reminds me of a humorous story involving my second grade students a few years back. After being immersed in craft/trait instruction and investigating the qualities of effective writing, I introduced the students to our new Social Studies Program titled Social Studies Alive. It wasn't long into the first chapter when  one little boy raised his hand and stated, "This author does NOT know how to write!"

Another raised her hand and stated, "I agree, this book should be called Social Studies Dead because there is no voice behind the writing whatsoever!"

Little by little, before I knew it, chaos erupted in my classroom. Hands were shooting up here and there as students angrily shouted out..."There are no sensory details, not one!"

"Talk about redundancy, the rivers this and the rivers that..." Etc..., Etc... Etc... LOL.

As happy as I was that the students realized quality writing when they saw it, (Believe me, my heart was singing a very happy song!) I also realized that we were married to this text for the second half of the semester. Every time I asked the students to pull the book out of their desk I was met with moans and groans and chants about Social Studies Dead!

The moral of this long thread is... students know when something is off in a story. When students are immersed in trait instruction, they gradually begin to read through the lens of a writer and emulate the craft of authentic authors.

Cathy_Pennsylvania

Voice & Point of View

This slam dunk classroom activity was shared by Tiffany, a first year teacher with a vision for writing with the traits...  

This last year was my first year of teaching and therefore the first year I taught the 6 Traits of Writing (and really learned them myself for that matter!) Here is an activity that I did in my classroom:

 

I gave each student in the room a photograph with a prompt on the back, they didn't know it at the time but someone else in the room had the same photograph with a very different prompt on back.

For example, two students would have a picture of an ice cream sundae. One prompt would say, "Write about this sundae as if you haven't eaten anything in a week", oppositely the other prompt would say, "Write about this sundae as if you are on a very strict diet." 

Two students would have a picture of a person about to jump out of an airplane with the ground visible far below - One prompt would say, "Write as if you are this person and you love thrill seeking and adventures," the other, "Write as if you are this person and you are deathly afraid of heights." I told the students to answer the prompt based on the photo and that they would eventually share their writing with a peer.

After everyone was done writing I explained that there was another person who had the same photo and the two partners met and shared their writings - obviously very different!

We then talked about how different writers have different voices based on their experiences, background, what they are writing, etc. To be honest, I'm not sure if this was a proper activity to convey the topic of voice or not, but the students seemed to understand the concept - they liked the activity and sharing the very different writings that could come from the same picture. Any thoughts or modifications? I'm open for further ideas too! :0)

Tiffany @ Mosinee

Modeling Writing with 6-Traits + Podcast Sharing

I love to get email from graduates of my online 6-traits class. I get a glimpse of their classrooms and the fun and excitement of teaching writing with the six traits. Here's news from Karen's 5th grade class!

I've done 3 traits so far this term and have never received such overall great writing from a class. The three or four that really shine have become 17 and 18. I am truly impressed with the improvement and excitement about their writing (and honestly - I'd put a lot of energy into my writing program BEFORE 6 Traits!).

I really think the key changes for me in my teaching were including a lot of modeling of my own work with the students. When they see the time and effort I've put into my samples for sharing (of both good and bad writing!) they know I'm looking at specific features of their own writing very thoroughly. The very methodical coverage of key points for each trait helps students see, in a tangible way, what they need to address when they are writing.

Inspiration diagrams of each trait (simplified) help the children check their work for each of the significant points of the trait. I'm having them color in their own diagram, and I color one as I'm marking. We have a mini conference to compare and discuss our evaluations.

I came up with a rather neat plan. Using GarageBand ( a Mac program that allows one to create a podcast very easily), I had the children each rehearse and make an aural podcast of themselves reading their stories. They put them into our classroom public folder where anyone in the class can listen to them. Not only are they working on their reading fluency and expression, they have a whole class audience. I get to listen to everyone's aural reading at my leisure, and can choose samples of exceptional work to use as examples for the rest of the class.

My next challenge is to figure out how I can get the students to email their file home. How wonderful for a parent to be able to listen to their child reading their own story!

Gotta love this technology!

Karen (Grade 5 teacher, 31 years experience)

National Writing Project: Letters to the next president

Letters are a great way to teach voice. The audience is focused on a single person. The writer is having a conversation with words with an audience of one. The Letters to the Next President Project began with a specific audience of two possible presidents. Now the audience is a little more defined! This great idea is sponsored by the National Wrtiing Project

Check out a short video on the topic: Letters to the Next President: Writing Our Future

Let's keep writing!

Books for Teaching 6-Traits

Looking for just the right book to present a traits concept?

Checkout my Writer's Bookshelf!

6-Traits: Vickie Spandel

6-Traits: Ruth Culham

Great Writing Advice

Teaching Ideas & Content

Teaching Voice

Teaching Organization

Teaching Word Choice

Teaching Conventions

Where writing and music connect...

I wanted to share some ideas about the relationship between writing music and writing prose. This was written by Michael McHugh, a muscian, composer and educator currently working in Japan. Mike is also currently taking my online 6-traits class. (Thank you Mike for letting me post this for everyone!) ~ Dennis

***

It continues to amaze me, as we progress through this course, how many techniques for crafting a great paper can be related to similar techniques for writing interesting pieces of music. The lead, or even the title, of a narrative or essay can make a reader hungry for the story or message that will follow, just as a beginning melody will "hook" a listener within the first few measures of a piece. What follows, of course, will determine whether or not the reader or listener STAYS engaged.

I always tell my IB students not to attempt to title their music compositions--even if they already have a pretty comprehensive idea of where it's going to go--until the piece is at least near completion. They sometimes surprise themselves with where they actually end up in their impressions, and how they finally choose to encapsulate the piece with those few words at the top. And when their peers go to listen to the pieces, there seems to be a sense of intense curiosity about how the title applies--what's going to happen here?

What kills me is that I have never asked any of my students writing their experiential papers on their outside musical activities to attempt to do the same. There is a huge amount of character--"voice"--in much of their work, yet there in the top corner of all of the papers is the same stale "name, due date, assignment name" that I told them to put there, absent any kind of focus or hook to give the reader (which is only me at this stage) that initial jolt of anticipation. I dare say that some students might actually produce more engaging works if they believed they had the choice of giving their papers a more narrative flare (another revelation that I need to make sure to employ this semester).

Roundaboutedly related to the above, I do have a question about leads. Can they be like titles, in that sometimes a student really can't come up with a good one until they have a clearer idea about the direction of their paper? Or should a lead be a part of the student's organizational process from the beginning, as a focusing tool? Is there necessarily a right or a wrong?

Thanks much,

Mike@Kobe, Japan

Six Traits Search Engine

Try this Six Traits Search Engine I built using a social search system called Swicky. You can vote for your favorite materials and suggest sites you'd like included in the search results. Go to the site and click on the keywords in the tag cloud. See what you think! ~ Dennis

Ideas & Voice

Let me share Audrey's response to the following question: --"Wouldn't a piece that has well developed ideas usually contain voice?"


She helps us see the interactions and differences clearly:

I started wondering about this very same question as I was scoring "The Note".

My first thinking was that a piece with voice = 4 or 5 would also have a high score for ideas. Topic focus and selection of relevant, compelling, personal (experiential) details are shared by both voice and ideas.

But #1: Would it be possible to have a piece of writing where the author is very engaging and personal (Voice 4 or 5) but the ideas are just a string of wonderings grouped together, a broad range of topics (Ideas 3 or 2)?

But #2: Would it be possible to have a piece of writing where the the topic is narrow; the writer speaks from experience, giving quality details; and the reader's questions are anticipated and answered, (Ideas 4 or 5) yet the writing is sincere but impersonal and lacking risk (Voice 3)?

Perhaps a high score for Voice or Ideas would mean at least a 3 or 4 for the other trait of this pair?

What do you think?

Are there any examples you can think of?

I May Have Found My Voice

Maria reports from Summer School:

One thing I learned from the class readings, which was reinforced oddly enough in my summer school Kindergarten job today, is that the best way to engage students is to share your own writing with them. Show them your own struggles/process/evolution as a writer. Invite their input.

I tried it with Kindergarteners today, with phenomenal success.

As I relayed a description of my backyard, using simple drawings on a whiteboard and labeling the pictures, the students enthusiastically chimed in with suggestions of what to add ("How about a cat who wants to eat the goldfish in your pond?"); comments about their own backyards ("My dad built a waterfall in ours."); and helpful hints on spelling ("Sun" is spelled s-u-n.). Then, when I had the students develop their own stories in their journals, I found myself absorbed in the details of their lives. In the past, I have insisted that they write something first, then illustrate it. I learned today how unnatural that is for young writers. I also learned how much fun it is to hear other people's stories, even 6-year-olds!

Tomorrow, I am going to revisit the description of my backyard with my young charges. I am going to muse out loud about whether there is anything I could add to my story, either in the form of more pictures, or more words. Perhaps I will even venture to write a sentence about it. I will teach them, subtly, that you can go back to a piece anytime you want, planting the seeds of "revision". I will ask them to revisit their stories from yesterday, and decide if there is anything they wish to add.

(You may or may not recognize that I got the Kindergarten ideas from author Lucy Caulkins and her books on writer's workshop. Her work reinforces my conviction that sharing my writing with students is a sure way to prime their creative pump.)

6-Traits Voice: Quotations found by the group...

AUTHOR: Alexander Pope (1688–1744) QUOTATION: Truths would you teach, or save a sinking land? All fear, none aid you, and few understand. Submitted by Sharon

Put your whole self into it, and you will find your true voice. Hold back and you won't. It's that simple. ~Hugh Macleod (Submitted by Eryn)

And the day came
when the risk it took
to remain tight inside the bud
was more painful
than the risk it took to blossom.

Anais Nin


I love this quote, and it seems to suit many students, having soooo much to say and perhaps struggling with the risks they perceive in the classroom.

And another thought....I had a thought earlier about having my ninth grade students head to the elementary school library to check out books by Dr. Suess for the day, read them aloud to play around with voice. (Submitted by Deborah)

"Who can confidently say what ignites a certain combination of words, causing them to explode in the mind? Who knows why certain notes in music are capable of stirring the listener deeply, though the same notes slightly rearranged are impotent? These are high mysteries." - E.B. White (Submitted by Kathy)

"Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader--not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon." E.L. Doctorow (Submitted by Sheryl)

"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." Pudd'nhead Wilson Mark Twain (Submitted by Adam)

The important thing is being capable of emotions, but to experience only one's own would be a sorry limitation. Andre Gide (Submitted by Nancy)

Change your thoughts and you change your world. ~Norman Vincent Peale US clergyman (1898 - 1993)

I changed my thoughts on "Voice" this week and thought this appropriate. I'm feeling like I can change the world of my classroom! (Submitted by Terese)

"Let one who wants to move and convince others, first be convinced and moved themselves. If a person speaks with genuine earnestness the thoughts, the emotion and the actual condition of their own heart, others will listen…" -Thomas Carlyle

I've been considering the sincerity factor of the Voice rubric while reading the online papers. It's pretty hard to fake. But when we do sense it in writing, can we be sure it's genuine? I guess if we're fooled, it's a sign of successful (if dishonest) writing. Sincerely, submitted by Paul

"Some men come into your life....and screw it up forever" from Janet Evanovich - opening line in her book/series "One For the Money"

To me this says VOICE. And it is also why I bought the book. (Submitted by Eliz

I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) (Submitted by Mary)

Don't tell us the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream. Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) ~Submitted by Mark

An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before. Mark Twain

I think we are all willing to try new methods in our classrooms! ~Shirley

So many methods, ideas, and stories are flowing in the discussion threads!

The minds of the e-learners in my current online class about the 6-traits are the source of so much practical classroom wisdom.

I've got a diverse and very articulate group of educators from around the world discussing voice this week. From Primary Teachers to University Instructors... everyone has insight, methods and Eureka moments to share.

I've asked my class for permission to blog some of their posts.

I must walk a careful line here. We're building a very generous community in class. People are sharing and talking and helping each other think. I don't want to make them self conscious or have they worry that the blogosphere is looking over their shoulders.

On the other hand, there are so many nuggets of wisdom I'd like to share with the teachers of writing that read this blog.

We'll see!

Den@SanMarcos