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The Writing Process
Presenters:
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Participants will…
• KNOW
– Five steps of the writing process
– How to use the writing process for
descriptive, narrative, persuasive and
informational composition (content
areas)
– How to use classroom
assessment for learning
to improve writing
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Participants will…
• DO
– Define the components of the writing process
– Participate in prewriting, drafting , revising and
editing strategies
– View applications of the
writing process with Thinkfinity
– Assess writing using rubrics
– Create a writing lesson for the
content area classroom
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Essential Questions
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• Why write?
• Why do effective writers use the five-step
writing process?
• How does using the writing process help with
descriptive, narrative, persuasive and
informational writing in all grade levels and
across all disciplines?
• How does assessment drive better student
writing?
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
A Process…
Fluency
Control
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Precision
and
Getting It
Started
Getting It
Down
Getting It
Good
Getting It
Right
Getting It
Out
Prewriting
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Publishing
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
SEEPS STRATEGY
•
•
•
•
•
Statement
Explanation/Example
Elaboration
Personal Tidbit (Specific Detail)
So…
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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•
“I like to go to school because it is fun.”
•
“I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments
with frogs.”
•
“I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments
with frogs. We learned what kind of foods frogs like to eat by offering them flies, worms
and seeds. We observed the frogs during the morning and afternoon to determine when
they were more active. We also compared frogs to other amphibians to see what
characteristics they share.”
•
“I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments
with frogs instead of just reading about them in books. We learned what kinds of foods
frogs like to eat by offering them flies, worms, and seeds and observed them during
different hours to determine when they were more active.”
•
“I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments
with frogs instead of just reading about them in books. We learned what kind of foods
frogs like to eat by offering them flies, worms, and seeds and observed them during
different hours to determine when they were more active. Experiments allow us to have
the fun of discovering for ourselves how far and fast these slimy creatures can jump and
what kinds of foods they like to eat.”
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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You Try It!
Language Arts teachers each need an
assistant to help with grading. In a typical
teacher’s day, she has so much work.
Think about grading one paper. If I have
all my students write one paper and it
takes me 5 minutes to grade each one, it
will take just over 9 hours to grade those
papers. An assistant will solve this
problem.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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CUPS
•C•U•P•S-
Capitalization
Usage
Punctuation
Spelling
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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How do content area teachers
use the writing process?
•
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/g68/noaashipwrecks2.html
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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In effective learning environments,
assessment and instruction are
inexorably linked (Spandel &
Stiggins, 1990, p. ix).
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Role
Audience
Format
Topic
Role
Audience
Format
Topic
constituent
governor
letter
State
taxes
parent
Board of
Education
complaint
No Child Left
Behind
21st Century
American
James Madison
Thank-you
note
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
The
Constitution
RAFT WRITING FRAMEWORKS
Science
Geography
Role: A planet
Audience: Readers of
personal advertisements
Format: Personal
advertisement
Topic: Description of self
Physical Education
Role: A piece of sports
equipment
Audience: An alien from space
Format: Rules of the game
Topic: Your role in the game
Role: A landform (e.g.
canyon)
Audience: A star
Format: A journal entry
Topic: How landforms are
created and changed
Mathematics
Role: A unit of measurement
Audience: An ant
Format: A poem
Topic: The uses of a specific
unit of measurement
Taken from: Improving Writing (2000), pg. 74, Susan Davis Lenski,
Jerry L. Johns, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, Dubuque, Iowa.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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RAFT Assignment Assessment and Feedback
Rubric
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Assignment Traits
•
•
•
•
Accuracy
How correct is your information? Is it fully
supported by the text and/or history?
Perspective
Do you stay in role? How effective are you at
performing your role and convincing audience?
Focus
Do you stay in assigned format? Do you fully
satisfy the chosen topic with numerous details
and examples?
Mechanics
Does your writing contain a minimal of mechanical
errors? Does your writing contain no errors as your
grammar goals?
5
4
3
2
1
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
4
3
2
1
5
Assessment Guide: 5 = Exceptional
4 = Effective
3 = Developing
2 = Emerging
1 = Not Yet
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Writing Rubrics
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• http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockgui
de/assess.html
• http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
• http://www.rubrics.com/best_practices_rubric_de
sign.html
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RAFT Assignment
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Tell students that they have just left college and have landed their
first job with the National Marine Sanctuary Program. It is their job to
convince others that the shipwreck they evaluated in the Thunder
Bay National Marine Sanctuary should become a national landmark
and national monument due to its historical and cultural significance.
In the persuasive argument, students should not only refer to the
National Park Service criteria, but also to #12 and #18 on the
Frequently Asked Questions webpage to highlight the benefits, both
to the vessel and to the public, of designation. Also, students should
include information about why shipwrecks are historically significant
and what people can learn by preserving them. Students will create
essays to present their ideas. Remind students to keep the criteria in
mind. Also, remind students that they are trying to persuade the
selection committee to select that particular shipwreck.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Conferencing
• Peer conferences
• Teacher/student conferences
• Parent/student conferences
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Focused Feedback PQP
•P •Q•P -
Praise
Question
Polish
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Writing in Your Content
Area
• Design a process writing lesson for
use in your content area.
• Use the Understanding by Design
lesson template.
• Participants may work in groups of 3
or fewer.
• Share your plan.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Reflection
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
1. How can you use process writing in your
classroom to help students improve as writers?

2. How can you use assessment to help students
take ownership of writing?

3. How can using process writing increase student
learning in your classroom?
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION