Setting up Writer’s
Workshop
Lisa Harrison
Writing Curriculum Support, ETO
Cover Page Set-up
Components of an effective
Writer’s Workshop
Interactive journals
Goal Setting
Identified framework (purposeful lessons)
Planning (get organized)
Explicit Instruction (rigorous mini-lessons)
Modeling
Progress Monitoring
Grouping
Providing Feedback
Interactive Journals
Rules Page
Rule 1: I will Never tear out a page in my journal.
Rule 2: I will write a page number for every entry in my journal.
Rule 3: I will include a title for every entry in my journal.
Rule 4: All of my entries will be placed in my table of contents at the front of my
journal.
Rule 5: I will use the following “Left Side/Right Side” Rules:
What goes on my LEFT
SIDE?
What goes on my RIGHT
SIDE?
Prompt (stapled)
Responses to prompt
Editing/Revising
Reflections to literature
Comments from teacher
Graphic Organizers
Summary Frames
Essential Questions
Rule 6: I will write in my journal everyday!
Table of Contents
Date
Entry
Page #
A Teacher’s Goal: Inspiring
Writers!
Diagnosing student needs
Grouping students for instruction
Evaluating this instruction
Providing meaningful feedback to increase
student performance
Empowering students to think critically and
personally about writing
Classroom writing assessment: intermingled, varied,
shared, informative*, personal
What resources do I use for
modeling lessons?
Calibration sets (Anchor sets)
Writing Task Cards
Mentored Text
Grammar Resources (G.U.M)
Framework: 30 minutes vs. 60
Minutes
Framework:
30 minutes vs. 60
Minutes
Writing Framework for the
week
Explicit Instruction
Bell Ringer/Opening Routine:
1. Have students complete five review items as a warm-up activity.
2. Review any additional prerequisites for the skill/strategy to be
taught.
Whole Group:
3. Establish the goal and relevance of today’s lesson.
4. Model the new skill/strategy.
Small Group Rotation:
5. Provide guided practice with the new skill/strategy.
6. Introduce independent practice with the skill/strategy.
7. Provide small-group instruction to struggling students as needed
based on Focus, Organization, Support, Conventions.
Wrap-Up:
8. Review the focus skill at the end of the period and assign
homework.
Rigorous Planner
Where can I access resources
for planning?
The 2012 FCAT Writing Calibration Scoring Guides
http://sharepoint.leon.k12.fl.us/tdc/external/default.aspx
2012 FCAT Writing Anchor Sets
http://sharepoint.leon.k12.fl.us/tdc/external/default.aspx
FCAT, FCAT 2.0, Florida EOC Assessments, Computer-Based
Testing, and Test Schedules
http://fcat.fldoe.org/default.asp
Link to Common Core State Standards
http://www.corestandards.org/
Link to PARCC information
http://www.fldoe.org/parcc/
Writing environment looks
like…
Seating arranged for ease of collaboration, peer
response, revision, and editing
Student folders with student writing, word lists,
planners, rubrics, etc.
Student journals with focused lessons, responses
to prompts, evidence of the writing process
Classroom environment should be visually
stimulating:
•
•
•
•
•
Anchor charts
Student friendly rubrics
Editor’s checklist
Posters of planners
Current student writing
Endings
Endings that Work
Integrating Reading and
Writing
A Definition of Rigor
Rigor is the expectation that
students will be able to perform at
levels of cognitive complexity
necessary for proficiency at each
grade level.
Rigorous Classroom
Only by creating a culture of high
expectations and providing support so
students can truly succeed do you have
a rigorous classroom.
Barbara Blackburn 2008
Rigorous Classroom
Standards-based teaching
Look for Lots of high level activity- - -
High Levels of Questioning
Reflecting
Analyzing
Doing experiments
Discussing
Writing
Working in groups
And a Scoring Guide available to all students for all major
assignments
ACT Report on Increasing Rigor
The following strategies should be promoted to increase
course rigor and student achievement:
Instruction that
Is Bell-to-bell
Is Connected to prior learning*
Incorporates probing questions, group work,
and higher level reasoning
STRATEGIES TO EXTEND THINKING
Remember "wait time I and II"
– Provide at least five seconds of thinking time after a question and after
a response.
Ask "follow-ups'
– E.g., "Why? How do you know? Do you agree? Will you give an
example? Can you tell me more?
Cue responses to "open ended" questions
– E.g., "There is not a single correct answer to this question. I want you to
consider alternatives.
Use "think-pair-share"
– Allow individual thinking time, discussion with a partner, and then open up for class
discussion.
Call on students randomly
– Avoid the pattern of only calling on those students with raised hands. Say you are
going to wait until you see 5, 10, 15 hands, etc…
Ask students to "unpack their thinking"
– E.g., ‘Describe how you arrived at your answer."
STRATEGIES TO EXTEND THINKING
Ask for summary to promote active listening
– E.g., "Could you please summarize our discussion thus far?"
Play devil's advocate
– Require students to defend their reasoning against different points
of view.
Survey the class
– E.g., "How many people agree with the authors point of view?"
(thumbs up, thumbs down)
Allow for student calling
– E.g., "Richard, will you please call on someone to respond?"
Encourage student questioning/Elicit responses
– Provide opportunities for students to generate their own questions.
Use task cards.
Relevance Connection
Reinforce the skill into the students
writing…
– Students need to understand how the skill or
concept applies to their life.
– Students need to know why this an important
skill to know?
– This builds buy-in from the students.
Dissect the
Prompt
Writing
Situation
Something
to think
about
Specific
Writing task
Progress Monitoring
TEACHER:
STUDENT:
Providing Feedback
Grouping
EXIT SLIP
Three things you learned…..
Two things you will incorporate into your
instruction…..
One question or comment you have…..