COURSE TITLE:
WRITING WITH KIDS: Real Writing With Real Results
NO OF CREDITS:
5 QUARTER CREDITS
WA CLOCK HRS:
[semester equivalent = 3.33 credits] OREGON PDUs:
INSTRUCTOR:
DEB LUND, MALS
360/678-3687
deb@deblund.com
50
50
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Inspire great writing from your students with writing workshop tools and techniques that provide
structure, content, and increased confidence in your own writing and teaching. In this course
youʼll join writer and childrenʼs author Deb Lund who was already instructing teachers about
writing with kids when the text weʼll use by Lucy Calkins, The Art of Teaching Writing, was first
published in the mid-1980ʼs. Become a mentor for your students and model the writing process
as you explore fiction, memoir, essay, and poetry writing together. This comprehensive course
will help give you the excitement youʼve longed for in your writing teaching.
Appropriate for teachers of grades K-12. The Calkins text and Writing With Kids from Deb Lund
plus other materials is about $5.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
As a result of this course, participants will be able to:
1. Articulate developmental levels of writing acquisition and acquire techniques for
supporting students at the levels they can attain.
2. Establish a classroom-writing environment with set procedures and expectations.
3. Understand how to involve children in the writing process, the sharing of their
manuscripts, and their perception of themselves as authors.
4. Confer with students about their writing in a respectful, non-threatening, and
empowering manner, and teach them to do the same for each other.
5. Model steps of the writing process.
6. Design lessons to address specific classroom writing needs.
7. Assess writing using specific, chosen criteria.
8. Determine which district or state objectives, goals, student outcomes, or grade-level
equivalents for teaching writing have been met in their classroom writing activities.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage
Institute does not award partial credit
HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A: Information Acquisition) for this course
automatically earns participants their choice of 50 Washington State Clock Hours or 50 Oregon
PDUs. The Heritage Institute is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours and
Oregon PDUs.
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UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION
REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS
requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level (Upper Division) and 85% or better to issue credit
at the 500 level (Post-Baccalaureate). These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work
submitted. Teachers who register for Antioch University Seattle 400 or 500 Level Credit will be
required to:
1. Complete Section A: Information Acquisition assignments
30%
2. Complete Section B: Learning Application assignments
40%
3. Complete Section C: Integration Paper assignment
30%
CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education (CE) Quarter credit is offered on a
Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level
credit is equal to a “C” or better, 500 level credit is equal to a “B” or better. This information is
stated on the back of the transcript.
AUS CE quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering
determine with your district personnel, department head or state education office the acceptability
of these credits for your purpose.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
• The Art of Teaching Writing (1994) by Lucy McCormick Calkins.
• Current childrenʼs literature appropriate for the grade level you teach; borrowed or
purchased.
• Writing With Kids and classroom materials by Deb Lund (PDF from instructor).
• Your district or stateʼs objectives, goals, curriculum, student outcomes, requirements, or
grade-level equivalents for teaching writing.
ADDITIONAL COURSE MATERIAL:
Observing effective teaching of writing is a valuable learning tool. If possible, purchase or borrow
the optional DVDʼs for your teaching grade level listed below (Find more at Heinemann.com):
• K-2: Big Lessons from Small Writers: Teaching Primary Writing by Lucy Calkins, 2005,
Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-325-00748-9
• 3-5: Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3-5 by Lucy Calkins, Heinemann.
$179.00
• 6-12: In the Middle by Nancie Atwood. 2010, Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-325-04090-5 $195
MATERIALS FEES:
• $5 for required text The Art of Teaching Writing (1994) by Lucy Calkins, used on Amazon
• Additional text or DVD fees based on your grade level and assignment needs.
HEADING REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL ASSIGNMENTS:
Please use the following format for your assignment headings:
Your Name:
Instructor Name:
Course Number:
Course Name:
Date:
Level: Clock/PDU/Credit (400 or 500)
Assignment #:
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ASSIGNMENTS FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
A.
INFORMATION ACQUISITION
Assignment #1:
Developing a Philosophy of Teaching Writing: What do you already know?
Write your philosophy (as a pre-test of sorts) of teaching writing. Youʼll be asked how your views on
teaching writing have changed or evolved after you have completed this course.
Answer the question “Why Write?” Have students join you in this activity. Assign the writing exercise
without any previous reading or discussion about it, and collect their papers as a pre-test. At the end of
this course, you (and your students) will be asked to answer the question again.
In your downloaded pdf booklet, Writing With Kids, read the sections titled: Introduction, What Do We
Want?, Story Power, Why Teach?, and Teach Who You Are. Answer the following questions.
• What are your thoughts on why and how you will teach writing?
• What it is about “who you are” that that can be applied to your writing teaching?
• What are your questions, suggestions, ideas, or other reactions to this reading?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #1”
Assignment #2:
Writer Development: How do you get them from here to there?
Read Part I (chapters 1-4) in The Art of Teaching Writing, and answer these questions.
• What does it mean to you to live like a writer?
• How can you involve students in their writing?
• What writing rituals can you create for your classroom?
• How can you help children re-imagine their material?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #2”
Assignment #3:
Read Section II (chapters 5-10) of The Art of Teaching Writing, and answer these questions.
• What roles do listening and observation play in writing with children?
• Create an outline, chart, or list of developmental stages of writing acquisition. Where are your
students in these stages?
• What are the particular issues in teaching writing at the level(s) you teach?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #3”
Assignment #4:
Teaching Writing: How do you set up and manage writing workshops?
Read Section III (chapters 11-20) of The Art of Teaching Writing, and answer these questions.
• How you will physically organize your writing classroom and schedule writing activities?
• What are your writing workshop rules and guidelines?
• How will you encourage student choice in your writing classroom?
• What are your plans for conferring with students about their writing, both teacher-to-student, and
student-to-student?
• What mini-lessons might you need to teach? (Begin a list) How will you format and present them?
• When students say, “Iʼm done,” how can you encourage revision?
• How will you use literature to teach writing?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #4”
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Assignment #5:
In your downloaded pdf booklet, Writing With Kids, read the sections titled: Reluctant Writers, Free
Writing, Risk to Write, Write to Teach, Risky Spelling, Taking the Oath, Courage to En-courage, Take the
Time, and Take a Break. Answer the following questions.
• How can you combat perfectionism and low self-esteem in your writing students?
• How would you respond to a parent concerned about their childʼs spelling, grammar, or
punctuation mistakes?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #5”
Assignment #6:
Teaching Writing: What do you teach in writing workshops?
Identify district or state writing requirements that align with lessons you could develop for teaching fiction,
poetry, memoir, and nonfiction writing.
Read Section IV (chapters 21-26) of The Art of Teaching Writing, and answer these questions.
• What needs to be included in a curriculum for teaching writing at the level you teach?
• How can you integrate writing workshop with the rest of your curriculum? Are there ways to
incorporate nonfiction writing, as well as other genres, into your existing curriculum?
• How will you inspire students to write poetry and memoir?
• Create a theme study flow chart that fits with your district curriculum and your understanding of
the best practices in teaching writing. What surprises did you encounter in this process?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #6”
Assignment #7:
In your downloaded pdf booklet, Writing With Kids, read the sections titled: Lifelong Learning, Read to
Write, Read First?, Read & React, Reading to Critiquing, Where Do You Get Your Ideas?, The Idea Bank,
and The Rest of the Story.
• What are your views on how lifelong learning relates to writing, and how writing can promote
lifelong learning?
• In what ways can students use their reading to support their writing?
• What methods will you encourage your students to use in tracking their writing ideas?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #7”
Assignment #8
Teaching Writing: How will you grow and change?
Read Section V (chapters 27-28) of The Art of Teaching Writing, and answer these questions.
• How can writing promote active, engaged learning?
• How can you support writing and your studentsʼ writing in their homes, neighborhoods, and
communities?
• What are some classroom writing or teaching issues you still want support with after going
through this course? In discussing them with other teachers, can you brainstorm and incorporate
possible solutions or improvements?
• How have your views on teaching writing changed or evolved because of this course? How have
you grown as a writer and as a teacher?
• After having students write again on “Why Write?” how have their responses changed?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #8”
This completes the assignments required for Hours.
Continue to next page for additional assignments required for University Quarter Credit.
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ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED for UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
B. LEARNING APPLICATION
In this section you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most
participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you are not teaching in a classroom,
please contact the instructor for course modifications. If you are a classroom teacher and start or need to
complete this course during the summer, please try to apply your ideas when possible with youth from
your neighborhood, at a local public library or parks department facility (they will often be glad to sponsor
community-based learning) or with students in another teacherʼs summer classroom in session.
Assignment #9
(Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Modeling the Writing Process: What can your students learn from the writing of others?
• Write in front of your students in whole class (white board or projector) and small group settings,
sharing your internal thoughts as you write. Write a reflection on sharing your writing process in
this way with students, what you learned from the experience, and any student reactions.
• Complete at least five writing projects youʼve assigned to your students in more than one genre.
Itʼs helpful to keep adding to your collection of writing samples.
• Let your students learn from the masters, too. Find mini-lesson material examples in current
published childrenʼs literature. Begin a document or outline citing the lesson content, book title
and author, and page number. How this might be helpful? Ask students and other teachers for
assistance.
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #9”
Assignment #10
(Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Student Writing: What will you look for?
• Summarize at least three lesson plans you created and taught. Provide at least one studentwriting sample from your classroom (with each studentʼs name changed and with their
permission) for each lesson you submit. Do you feel the three lessons you taught were effective?
Why or why not?
• Assess these student assignments, and include the criteria or rubric used in the assessment.
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #10”
Assignment #11
(Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Posttest: Evaluating your success
• Review and revise your original writing on your philosophy of teaching writing. How have your
views changed?
• Assign your students to write again on “Why Write?” Collect and review their responses. How
have their responses changed? Give back their original and current responses to “Why Write?”
and record their comments.
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #11”
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500 LEVEL ASSIGNMENTS:
(500 Level only)
Assignment #12: Select ONE of the following assignments:
Option A)
Create a video, recording, paper, or PowerPoint (or similar) presentation demonstrating something youʼve
learned in this course that can be shared with other teachers.
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #12-A”
OR
Option B)
Read a text from the syllabus bibliography (or one pre-approved by the instructor) or watch one of the
DVDʼs listed in Additional Materials, and discuss how you might incorporate ideas from the chosen
materials into your teaching.
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #12-B”
OR
Option C)
Another assignment of your own choosing with the instructorʼs prior approval.
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #12-C”
ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENT REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
400 & 500 LEVEL ASSIGNMENT
C. INTEGRATION PAPER
(Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Assignment #13
Write an integration paper covering the following questions and statements:
1. What did you learn from this course that you didnʼt expect to learn?
2. How do your students feel about your writing program because of this course? (Share specific
responses, anecdotes, or quotes.)
3. What activities or lessons were most helpful?
4. What else would you like to see covered in a course about teaching writing?
5. Who, in addition to your students, might benefit from learning this information from you?
Send to instructor: deb@deblund.com. Subject line to read “Writing #13”
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:
Please indicate by email if you would like to receive instructor comments on your work. Personal writing
critiques are not part of this course.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:
Deb Lund, MALS, is a childrenʼs author and a certificated music, classroom, and library teacher. She
founded and co-directed an arts-based school. Debʼs Hamline University masterʼs project was on
teaching writing, and she has taught teachers and writers of all ages in the 25 years since then. She is a
popular presenter at schools, young author programs, libraries, university teacher programs, MFA
programs, and educational and writing conferences. As a creativity coach, Deb partners with people who
want to create in order to achieve their artistic goals, supplement their income, or to add more joy and
meaning to their lives. Sheʼs passionate about reaching reluctant writers and supporting classroom
teachers who facilitate writing workshops. You can learn more about Deb at www.deblund.com.
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WRITING WITH KIDS: Real Writing With Real Results
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anderson, Carl, Howʼs It Going?: A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers, Heinemann,
2000, paperback, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-325-00224-8
One to one talks with students about their writing can be daunting, but Anderson walks elementary and
middle school teachers through the process with a defined structure, taking what they know and providing
insight that will instill confidence and success for both teachers and students. Among the topics included
are teacher role, student role, mini-lessons, classroom management, and responses to most frequently
asked questions.
Atwell, Nancie, Lessons That Change Writers, Heinemann, 2002, 3-ring binder, 1080 pages, ISBN 9780-86709-506-7
Mini-lessons have become a popular vehicle for writing workshop teachers to support student learning.
Atwell, author of the popular book Writing in the Middle, presents over one hundred mini-lessons grouped
by categories, accompanied by the theories behind them, student examples, and hundreds of
reproducibles.
Atwell, Nancie, Writing in the Middle DVD, Heinemann, 2010, 32 pages, 1:51 DVD, ISBN 978-0-32504090-5
On this staff development DVD, Atwell guides writing workshop participants through the methods she
covers in her celebrated classic, In the Middle. Thirty years in the making, this DVD and accompanying
CD of before and after student writing samples and reproducible forms shows teachers how to set rules
and expectations, confer with students, present mini-lessons, and inspire young writers.
Calkins, Lucy McCormick, The Art of Teaching Writing, New Edition, Heinemann, 1994, paperback, 564
pages, ISBN 0-435-08809-2
In the past couple of decades writing workshops have spread like wildfire through classrooms around the
world. Calkinsʼ text remains the most comprehensive, classroom-tested guide available to assist teachers
at all grade levels and levels of writing teaching experience. This new edition (the text for this course) is
almost an entirely new book, containing everything from setting up your writing classroom and motivating
students to assessment and integrating writing throughout the school day and beyond.
Calkins, Lucy McCormick, Big Lessons from Small Writers: Teaching Primary Writing, Heinemann,
2005, DVD, ISBN 978-0-325-00748-9
This excellent resource shows the inner workings of writing workshops in a variety of K-2 classrooms in
22 video clips. Calkins does a voice-over to explain the strategies used as she confers with students,
teaches mini-lessons, and works with whole classes.
Hicks, Troy, The Digital Writing Workshop, Heinemann, 2009, paperback, 176 pages, ISBN 978-0-32502674-9
Hicks shows grade 7-12 teachers how to use technology to enhance the writing teaching they already do.
Popular writing workshop topics like student choice, revision, author craft, revision, and publication are
included in this exploration of online resources and guidance for incorporating new technologies.
Kittle, Penny, Write Beside Them: Risk, Voice, and Clarity in High School Writing, Heinemann, 2008,
272 pages, DVD, ISBN 978-0-325-01097-7
Kittle honors the gifts of teachers when it comes to modeling writing to students. This award-winning book
and DVD will give teachers confidence in all facets of teaching writing.
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