- The Writing Traits: Sentence Fluency helping your students "go deep" with sentence variety during classroom writing instruction
- WritingFix offers a free template of Sentence Fluency Post-It sized notes. These can either be printed on orange colored paper and cut out and stapled to students' drafts, or you can--if you dare--attempt to print them on real 3 x 3 Post-It Notes.
- The two most common English words that start our sentences? I and The. If you currently have a classroom of students, you know this to be true.
It's such a simple lesson to ask students to revisit their drafts by circling the first words of their sentences, then asking, "Did you think about starting with a variety of words?" Most of them haven't thought about this, and the question becomes the catalyst for a new way to think about revising writing.Here is our current collection of prompts and lessons to challenge students to begin their sentences differently.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Writing fix: Sentence Fluency Homepage
Guided Imagery and writing
From the soul food cafe blog: Guided Imagery in Writing:
The creative benefits of guided imagery and creative visualization have been well documented. I do not intend to do more than facilitate the process and help you access the vast, vale of solitude and light that Zora Cross describes. Enjoy the collection of quirky guided imageries that are based on Greek Mythology and great works of literature.
Read more at: http://www.dailywriting.net/guided-imagery.htm
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tired of Being a Red Ink Slave to Corrections?
I'm delighted to announce my latest article is now on The Writing Teacher: Tired of Being a Red Ink Slave to Corrections? This article is based on a lecture from my course, Teaching and Assessing Writing with the 6-Traits.
As part of this publication, The Writing Teacher is sponsoring a Free Webinar on June 2, 2009 11:00 am PDT. I'll be online live talking about how editing fits in the writing process; thanks to Wimba and Learning Express e-folio.
Here's the teaser:
Are you burning yourself out offering comments that are ignored? Are you a red-ink slave spoon-feeding your students doses of correctness? The Editing Not Correcting Webinar will help you shift the burden of correcting conventions to where it belongs: on the student. Shift your thinking and help them learn to become editors and assessors of their own writing.
I hope to see and hear you online!
~ Dennis
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Effective Communications Month
Resources from Annenburg Media & Learning.org
In "Teaching Persuasive Writing," http://www.learner.org/
An understanding of one's audience is absolutely essential to successful communication. In the program "Different Audiences," http://www.learner.org/
Fifth-grade teacher Laura Alvarez guides her students through techniques of debate and persuasion, plus research and organizational strategies, in "Social Justice and Action," http://www.learner.org/
Effective rhetorical strategy depends on a sound understanding of psychology. Learn more about how the human mind works with Discovering Psychology: Updated Edition. http://www.learner.org/
See how communication fosters an understanding of mathematical ideas and the language of mathematics in the "Communication" programs of Teaching Math: A Video Library, K-4 http://www.learner.org/
The programs of News Writing http://www.learner.org/
Learn ways to help your students communicate more effectively in a foreign language. Watch "Delivering the Message," http://www.learner.org/
Teachers encourage high school students to communicate genuinely and creatively through dance and visual media in "Fostering Genuine Communication," http://www.learner.org/
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wordle: Play with words!
This image was generated by a unique website called Wordle.
I 'fed' Wordle the contents of this blog and it generated a collage of the most frequently used words in the blog.
Think about it; what would you see it you fed Wordle a page from Shakespeare, or the names of all the kids in your class? What we have here, is a way to play with words that will intrigue our students; and let's admit it... this will be fun for us too!
Five Reasons to Use Wordle in the Classroom by Terry Freedman
For a quick tour of how Wordle can be used by educators read this informative post from Terry Freeman. Here are Freedman's ideas on how to use this tool:- As a means of summarizing the content of an essay or other piece of work.
- Wordle is handy for self-reflection.
- Wordle can be used by the teacher as a means of assessment.
- Wordle is also good for summonsing survey results where the survey uses free text fields.
- Wordle is just as good a way as any to break up the text a bit!
I couldn't resist creating another Wordle image based on my new article in the Writing Teacher: Tired of Being a Red Ink Slave to Corrections?
Go ahead... make your day... play with words with Wordle!
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Write Guy: Jeff Anderson
Jeff Anderson offers powerful resources for all of us looking for an effective, positive, and thoughtful way to improve student writing conventions with a writing process approach.I always suggest that teachers leave their red pens behind and shift responsibility to the student by teaching them editing skills. After all, when we do all the correcting, we also get all the practice.
For more on this approach see my latest article on The Writing Teacher: Tired of Being a Red Ink Slave to Corrections? This article is based on a lecture from my course, Teaching and Assessing Writing with the 6-Traits.
However, the road to great conventions is paved with more than editing lessons... as Jeff Anderson will help us see.
Notable Sentences Blog
Loren Wolter maintains this remarkable resource. "This blog is a resource for teachers who wish to view grammar as something to be explored and not just corrected. Sometimes even teachers who want to set aside tired, old daily language practices have trouble doing so due to the seeming abundance of those deplorable, error-filled sentences and the apparent lack of stimulating, "explore-able" model sentences. As you read adult, young adult, and children's books, please share the noteworthy sentences you find, so that we may build a useful resource together."
Jeff Anderson Resources:
The Write Guy
This is Jeff's personal website and it has resources you need. Well worth exploring. From his site: "Jeff Anderson has taught writing and reading for over 18 years. Over his career, Jeff has worked with writers in grades K-12, focusing in grades 4-8. Jeff’s passion is motivating and developing struggling writers with instructional strategies such as writer’s workshop and process writing, with a particular interest in making editing and grammar in context a meaning-making experience for students and teachers. Sharing strategies to create positive attitudes and confidence in young writers are central goals of his staff development and writing. "
Stenhouse Publishing: Author's Page
Jeff's books are published by Stenhouse. They have a lot of Jeff's work available online. (For Free!)
Everyday Editing: Inviting Students to Develop Skill and Craft in Writer's Workshop
Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop
Zooming In and Out: Putting Grammar In Context Into Context (PDF)
Copyright 2006 by the National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission.
"Jeff Anderson’s lessons involve shifting focus between writing or reading and speciļ¬c grammar problems inner-city middle school students encounter. Lessons or discussions on a topic are then applied to a larger context so that students see “the story of grammar’s power to communicate meaning and beauty.”
Author's in Action: Jeff Anderson demonstrates an alternative to daily oral language.
A podcast of Jeff working with teachers using an editing activity based on a mentor sentence of writer Maya Angelou
The Craft of Grammar (DVD): Integrated Instruction in Writer's Workshop
(DVD, some online video clips!)
- Grammar Instruction Integrated Into Writer's Workshop: (Quicktime Video)
- The Hair Lesson: (Quicktime Video)
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If you've been looking for a new way to improve writing conventions, you've found it! ~ Dennis
Saturday, March 14, 2009
National Writing Project Technology Initiative
Here's a link to a fine National Writing Project resource on how blogging and blogging projects can make writing the real, vital, and motivational experience we seek to foster in our classroom. Blogging can also be a personally transformative experience for teachers. We can all use a source of renewal once in awhile! From the website:
"Blogging in Place: Writing That Explores New Neighborhoods"
Publication: Edutopia
Date: January 7, 2009
Summary: Teachers with the National Writing Project are combining place-based learning, project learning, and blogging to connect classrooms, provide an authentic audience for student writing, and prompt students to explore the world outside the schoolhouse doors.
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/2791
Great ideas and great advice!
Also see on the NWP's Technology Initiatives: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/programs/ti
I hope this helps!
Den
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