Good Morning! Welcome Back to the Second
Saturday of our Writing Academy
“I’m writing. Please join me.”
 We will start this morning
by doing some journaling.
 Write on whatever you
like, or write on an
amazing student that you
have.
A Writing Process Exercise
Plan
Collect
Develop
Getting Set Up
 Please form into groups of THREE
 Find a group with people you did not come with
or do not know—expand your horizons
 Grab five 3x5 cards from the center of your table
 Get a pen or pencil ready
 Move quickly—we start in three minutes
Attitude is more important than skills
 Writing should be fun.
 Failure is normal since writing is a series of experiments in




finding meaning.
Laugh at your own failures.
There is no right or wrong, just what works and doesn’t
work in the context of your evolving draft.
The rules of this exercise can be broken.
This is play—significant, profound play
Card 1: COLLECT
 On the first card, COLLECT specific details about some
subject of interest by writing them down.
 Don’t worry about sentences, spelling, or punctuation—just
get the details down. Move quickly.
 Specifics may center on one topic or wander all over.
Possible topics?
A current question or problem you have? A topic you have a
deep interest in? Something related to teaching and writing?
--3 to 4 minutes
Processing Card 1: Collect
 Go back over what you’ve scratched down
 Circle anything that is surprising
 Draw arrows between details that relate to each other
The surprises and connections may indicate an area where writing
is waiting to be written.
Response Groups
Three people per group
 Roles
 Writer
 Starts, shares card and makes
the first response to the text,
voices questions, needs.
 Teacher
 Responds to writers
observations and questions
 Observer
 Gains by watching, does not
participate
 Rotate roles, about 2
minutes per writer
Card 2: PLAN
 Look at the first card and PLAN by deciding the focus, the
single most important thing you may have to say.
 Write this focus on the second card
 This focus may change as you write!
 Write for 2-3 minutes about this focus
Return to Triad Groups and follow the same response group
procedure on Card 2
Response Groups on Card 2
Three people per group
 Roles
 Writer
 Starts, shares card and makes
the first response to the text,
voices questions, needs.
 Teacher
 Responds to writers
observations and questions
 Observer
 Gains by watching, does not
participate
 Rotate roles, about 2
minutes per writer
Card 3: PLAN by rehearsing
 Write a few sentences on your focus in different voices to
hear which one is appropriate.
What is voice?
Voice is simply the way writing sounds.
--it’s the attitude, emotion, vantage point that’s expressed in
the language
Response Groups on Card 3
 You know the drill!
Rotate roles, about 2 minutes
per writer
Card 4: PLAN by designing
 PLAN by designing the piece you may write.
 You could draft the first sentence, what may be in the last
sentence, and then indicate some landmarks that may help you
find your way from beginning to end.
 You could sketch a diagram or make a scratch outline
Design the structure and direction of your writing piece.
Response Groups on Card 4
 Once again. Last time!
Rotate roles, about 2 minutes
per writer
Card 5: DEVELOP
 Now DEVELOP your draft following your design.
 Write fast.
 Keep the draft moving: put “TK” for “to come” in the text
where there is a fact or quotation missing
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