Strategic Writing Instruction
for Teachers (SWIFT)
Writing Your Way to
Wisdom
Welcome!
Strategic Writing Instruction for Teachers
www.swiftpens.com
“Reading proficiency is just half of the literacy picture, we have to
widen the literacy forum to include writing.”
– Writing Next
Goals and Focus
• Expose teachers to the various writing structures by highlighting the elements of
effective writing instruction for persuasive writing, constructed responses, and essays.
• Increase teacher understanding of how to create writing lessons which include
strategy instruction, prior knowledge triggers, guided practice, monitoring and adjusting
techniques, collaborative inquiry, and formative assessment.
• Increase teacher understanding of how to provide timely and explicit feedback that
encourages student confidence and promotes their continued focus on the writing
process.
• Provide teachers with tools to establish baseline data of their students’ writing skills
as measured against the HSCE, GLCE, MME, and MEAP to use for lesson planning
purposes.
• Provide teachers with a venue for examining the written work of their students to
formatively assess the level of students’ thinking and expertise. Teachers will be
exposed to rubrics to help them navigate this process.
• Effectively use technology to teach writing and enhance classroom instruction.
Logistics
Oakland Credit
SB-CEUS
Working
Agreements
Parking Lot
Agenda
Urgency: 21st Century Literacy
“Literacy in the 21st century will mean the
ability to find information, decode it,
critically evaluate it, organize it into
personal digital libraries and find
meaningful ways to share it with others.
Information is a raw material students will
need to learn to build with it.”
From: The World is Flat by Thomas
Friedman
Who ARE We?
Name
School
Assignment
Training
Expectation
Road Map for today’s work
Welcome and Introductions
Reflection and Digital Organization
Writing to Learn: Journals and Blogging
Break
What the research says: Writing Next
Kelly Gallagher’s Pillars of Writing Success - Teaching Adolescent
Writers
Lunch
More than a Temporary Acquaintance
(continued)
Learning-to-Write (Prewriting, Draft Writing, Revising, and Edition)
Assessment, Rubrics, and Graphic Organizers
Closing
Materials
 Notebook
 Teaching Adolescent Writers
by Kelly Gallagher
 30 Ideas for Teaching Writing
by the National Writing Project
 www.swiftpens.com
Day 1 - Toolbox
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Reflective Prompts and Rubrics
Delicious
More Than a Familiar Acquaintance
One-sentence Summary
Quickwrite
Synectic Metaphor
STAR
RAFT
Writing Websites
Day 2 - Toolbox
 Anchor Papers
 Graphic Organizers
 Great Debate
 MME/MEAP Prep Tools
Book Marks
Revision Rummy
 30 National Writing Strategies
Day 3 - Toolbox
Digital Storytelling
Weebly
Blog Website
Graphic Organizers
Student Portfolios
Weebly Website
Reflective Prompt
Think about the way you write. How has it
changed since you were in school? What
is different? What has stayed the same?
Introduction - SWIFTPENS Website
Getting Organized Digitally
www.swiftpens.com
The C's of Change
Competency with technology
Collaboration
Critical Thinking
Creativity
Communication
Self Control
Writing to Learn – Module 1
What is Writing-to-Learn?
Generally, writing-to-learn activities are short,
impromptu or otherwise informal writing tasks
that help students think through key concepts
or ideas presented in a course.
Two
Strategies:
Journaling
Blogging
Often, these writing tasks are limited to less
than five minutes of class time or are assigned
as brief, out-of-class assignments.
Writing-to-Learn
 Writing to learn differs from other types of writing
because it is not a process piece that will go through
multiple refinements toward an intended final product.
 Instead, it is meant to be a catalyst for further learning--an opportunity for students to recall, clarify, and question
what they know and what they still wonder about.
 In other words, writing provides students an opportunity
to clarify their own thinking.
Writing-to-Learn Continued
 Writing also provides teachers an opportunity to
gauge students’ understanding of content.
 Writing-to-learn “involves getting students to
think about and to find the words to explain what
they are learning, how they understand that
learning, and what their own processes of
learning involve” (Mitchell, 1996, p. 93).
BIG QUESTION
Are you grading this work or are you
providing feedback to let students know
where they need to focus their attention or
learning?
Have a 3-minute dialogue at your tables
about this question.
Journal Writing as a POWERFUL
Classroom Tool
Cognitive Activities in Journal Entries
(things to put in your journals)
Observations: describing what is visible, summarizing, and
interpreting details, or recalling key ideas
Questioning: formulating and recording personal doubts,
academic queries, validity of information, and theory.
Speculation: free to wonder about the meaning of events, issues,
facts, readings, interpretations, problems, and solutions.
Self-Awareness: become conscious about what they stand for
and how they are different from others.
Digression: departs from the subject to connect to something that
"comes to mind."
Synthesis: Organize ideas and find relations and connections
between topics.
TEACHER
Reflective Prompt
How might using tools like
delicious support student
writing?
Support teaching learning?
Class Journal Rubric: Effort
Module 1
Page 3
Additional Rubrics
Module 1
Pages 4-8
Class Journal Rubric
Analytic Rubric for Logs and
Journal Writing
Rubrics Assessing Journals
Holistic Rubric for Lab Write-up
Blogging: Learning to Write
Module 1
Page 10-13
Blogging for Educators
(handout)
Today’s students want to blog, so we as educators
need to focus their learning in ways that use
technology to increase student engagement.
BLOGGING
WEB + LOG = BLOG
A blog is a website where entries are
written in chronological order. They are
commonly displayed in reverse
chronological order. Usually they are
narrative in fashion.
Blogging for Educators
Edugblog and Weebly
Explore website
 http://swiftp.weebly.com/
“Building a Literary Learning
Community with Technology”
Post Your Comment
One Minute Impression
Respond to this
question
How might you use
Del.icio.us in your
classroom?
or
How do you use
journaling and
quickwrites in the
classroom?
Blogging Rubrics for the Classroom:
MODULE 1 Ends
Blogging Rubric
Blog Evaluation
Blogging Assessment Rubric
Module 1
p. 13-15
Writing Next - Module 2
11 Effective Elements:
Strategies that Work
What are you currently doing?
Synectic Metaphor
William Gordon created the notions of
Synectics as a process for creative
thinking. It helps people understand a
more abstract concept by linking it to
something they already know. It taps into
both hemispheres of the brain and
stretches their thinking.
Resources: American Rhetoric
Synectic Metaphor
When you think about the
writing process for students,
does it feel more like:
Custom Puppies
OR
A Plate of Hors D’oeuvres?
Module 3 -LEARNING-to-Write
Shifting Gears:
We will focus our attention toward
helping students become better
writers.
Kelly Gallagher’s
Teaching Adolescent Writers
READING
MINUTE
“Running with the
Literacy Stampede”
Pg. 3
Righting Writing Wrongs: The SIX
Pillars of Writing Success
1. Students need a lot more writing practice.
2. Students need teachers who model good
writing.
3. Students need the opportunity to read and
study other writers.
4. Students need choice when it comes to writing
topics.
5. Students need to write for authentic purposes
and for authentic audiences.
6. Students need meaningful feedback from both
the teacher and their peers.
Students need meaningful feedback from
both the teacher and their peers.
Students need to write for authentic
purpose and to authentic audiences.
Students need choice when it comes to
writing topics.
Students need the opportunity to read and
study other writers.
Students need teachers who model good
writing.
Students need a lot more writing practice.
The Pillars of
Writing Success
SIX Pillars of Writing
 Each of these pillars plays an INTEGRAL
ROLE in building strong writers; take one
pillar away and the structure might still
stand, but it will be weakened.
 It is the COMBINED strength of these
pillars that serves to build a strong writing
foundation.
Five Assumptions about Writing
Instruction
STUDENT
More than a Temporary Acquaintance
Teaching Adolescent Writers
Read, skim, and highlight the key
points of your assigned chapter.
Discuss key points
Chart key ideas and strategies that
help address your particular
assumption Include page #’s (time,
teacher, strategy, or assessment)
Share Out
Activity
pgs. 10-11
Chapter 2 (Time) page 25
Chapter 3 (Teacher) page 47
Chapter 4 (Strategies) page 73
Chapter 7 (Assessment) page
141
Expert Jigsaw Groups
Thinking Map
Group #1 (Chapter 2) – pages 25 to 35
Group #2 (Chapter 2) – pages 36 to 46
Group #3 (Chapter 3) – pages 47 to 58
Group #4 (Chapter 3) – pages 58 to 71
Group #5 (Chapter 4) – all (page 73-89)
Group #6 (Chapter 7) – pages 141- 152
Group #7 (Chapter 7) – pages 152-167
The Role of Time - Chapter 2
Marzano defines time in classrooms as:
Allocated time: the time in the school day specifically set aside for
instruction, such as classes, as opposed to non-instructional
activities, such as recess, lunch, passing time and the like.
Instructional time: the in-class time that a teacher devotes to
instruction (as opposed to management-oriented activities).
Engaged time: the portion of instructional time during which
students are actually paying attention to the content being
presented.
Academic learning time: the proportion of engaged time during
which students are successful at the task they are engaged in.
The Role of the Teacher
Chapter 3
Prewriting Conditions
These conditions encourage
students to “fuel up” on
information. With a “full
tank” they are more
prepared to pour their
newfound knowledge onto
a page.
 Reading
 Dialogue
 Inquiry
 Personal Interest
The Role Strategies
Chapter 4
Help Organize your students’ THINKING
 Freewriting
 Loop writing and
looping
 Brainstorming/listing
 Clustering/Mapping
 SDQR Chart
 Movie Writing
 Prewriting THINK
Sheet
The Role of Assessment
Chapter 7
EVALUATION
ASSESSMENT

gathering information
to meet the particular
needs of a student

judging the information that
results

having students retell

a story because it is an
informal way to gather
information about a
students’ needs
standardized tests because
the resulting test scores
represent a formal judgment
Writing for
Assessment—
writing-for-learning
Writing-as-Evaluation—
what was learned
Using Writing Assignments for
Assessment
writing-tolearn
learning-towrite
SUPPORT Building Content Knowledge
UNCOVER the Curriculum vs.
COVER the Curriculum
 Teaching writers requires that we create
extended writing time in our classes.
 If we create extended writing time to truly
teach students how to write, doesn’t that
mean other parts of the curriculum will
have to be sacrificed? In a word, YES.
How Can Teachers Help?
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
Classroom Culture
Norms
Resources
Opportunities to Write
Scaffolding Instruction
Modeling Writing
Providing Feedback
Using Thinking Maps
Peer Evaluating
The Role of Technology
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Am I using available technology to the fullest extent
possible in my classroom?
How do I know when software applications are
appropriate and have real instructional value?
How can I use technology in my lesson planning and
instruction?
What changes can I expect in my students, my
classroom, and myself when I increase my use of
technology?
Online Graphic Organizers help
Students Organize and Hold their
THINKING
 http://web000.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction
/ela/6-12/Writing/Index.htm
 http://www.internet4classrooms.com/index
.htm
11 Minute Essay
STEP ONE
Develop a starting point prompt. This
could be a statement such as: “We can
learn lessons from the people around us.
They often demonstrate how to be
honorable, loyal, and brave.” Pictures
make excellent prompts, such as this
picture of a soldier working with an
aroused cobra.
Module 4 Learning-to-Write Toolbox
Toolbox for Learning-toWrite
Prewriting
Draft Writing:
Revising and Editing
Rubrics
Graphic Organizers and Thinking
Skills
Check out the website: Module 4
Ten Things That BUG You
First - and Second Draft Writing…more
Learning-to-Write
First-Draft Writing
•“Down draft (get it down)
Done to work out what
one thinks or understands
Is tentative and
exploratory in form
Done for self or trusted
reader
Receives responses but no
grade
Second-Draft Writing
Response come
from:
•Self
Peers
Teachers
Parents
Friends
•“Up draft (fix it up)
Done to demonstrate
‘final” thinking on a topic
Done with careful
attention to content and
mechanics
Is handed in with previous
draft
Is often assessed/graded
From the work of: Bay Area Writing Project, Mary K. Healy
Draft Writing
 2-Minute Free write
about one of the
things on your list that
bothers you.
1st Draft
2nd Draft
Teacher Hints
Ask students to revise their papers as it
was just modeled.
Second – Draft Writing
STAR Strategy
S = SUBSTITUTE
T = TAKE THINGS OUT
A = A DD
R = REARRANGE
Complete the STAR Chart
SUBSTITUT
E
TAKE THINGS
OUT
ADD
REARRANGE
Second – Draft Writing
S
T
A
R
SUBSTITUTE
TAKE THINGS OUT
ADD
REARRANGE
Replace:
overused words
weak verbs with
strong verbs
weak adjectives
with strong
adjectives
common nouns
with proper
nouns
“dead” words
Take out:
unnecessary
repetitions
unimportant or
irrelevant
information
parts that might
belong in another
piece
Add:
detail
decryption
new information
figurative
language
development
clarification of
meanings
expanded ideas
Rearrange:
the sequence to
produce a desired
effect
the order for a
more logical flow
STAR ACTIVITY
Kelly Gallagher
Surface vs. Deep Revision
The STAR framework helps students visually
see that there are two levels of revision---the
surface revision and deep revision.
Use a metaphor with your students to help
move this point with students.
Surface-Level Improvements
to a student’s bedroom
 giving the bedroom a new paint job
 changing the carpet
 replacing my light fixture with a light
fixture that has a fan
Deep-Level Improvements
to a student’s bedroom
 removing the drywall
 removing the bathtub in your
bathroom and adding a shower stall
 removing the walk-in closet to utilize
more square feet in the bedroom
WRITE YOUR 2ND – Draft
Revisions
Reread your 1st – Draft
Identify the most dynamic sentence from
your free write
Can this sentence springboard your
revision writing?
 Write Your 2nd – Draft
Assessment Rubrics
The Role of Assessment Teachers who
recognize the importance of writing as a
tool for learning in any content area
intuitively understand that writing helps
students connect their thoughts, deepen
their content knowledge, and
communicate with others.
Module 4…Assessment
Do You Know What Your Students
are Thinking?
Most educators intuitively understand the
critical relationship between thinking and
writing: writing allows us to express what we
think, but the very act of writing spurs a
process of exploration that changes our
thinking and helps us learn.
By Vicki Urquhart
KNOWLEDGE
K
N
O
W
L
E
D
G
E
DEFINITION
Demonstrate
knowledge of
previously
learned
material by
recalling facts,
terms, basic
concepts, and
answers
Page 128
KEY WORDS
who, what,
when, where,
choose, find,
how, define,
label, show,
list, name,
relate, recall,
select
QUESTIONS
How would you
explain…?
How would you
show…?
Can you select….?
Who were the
main…?
Can you list
three…?
COMPREHENSION
DEFINITION
C
O
M
P
R
E
H
E
N
S
I
O
N
Demonstrate
understanding
of facts ad
ideas by
organizing,
comparing,
translating,
interpreting,
giving
descriptions,
and stating
main ideas
KEY WORDS
compare,
contrast
demonstrate
, interpret,
explain,
illustrate,
outline,
rephrase,
summarize,
show,
classify
Pages 129-131
QUESTIONS
How would you
compare…?
How would you
interpret…?
Which statements
support…?
How would you
rephrase…?
Which is the best
answer…?
How would you
summarize…?
How would you
classify…?
APPLICATION
DEFINITION
A
P
P
L
I
C
A
T
I
O
N
Demonstrate
ability to solve
problems by
applying
acquired
knowledge,
facts,
concepts, and
strategies in
new and
different
contexts
KEY WORDS
QUESTIONS
apply, build,
construct,
develop,
interview,
plan, select,
solve, utilize,
model,
identify
How would you
apply…?
How would you
solve…?
What approach
would you use...?
What would result
if…?
How would you
show…?
What examples can
you find…?
ANALYSIS
DEFINITION
A
N
A
L
Y
S
I
S
Demonstrate
ability to examine
and break
information or
concepts into
parts by
identifying
different
components,
making inference
, and finding
evidence to
support
generalizations
KEY WORDS
analyze,
categorize,
dissect,
divide,
examine,
distinguish,
infer,
conclude,
hypothesize
QUESTIONS
What do you
think…?
What conclusions
can you draw…?
How would you
classify…?
What evidence can
you find…?
What is the
relationship…?
How would you
distinguish…?
SYNTHESIS
DEFINITION
S
Y
S
N
T
H
E
S
I
S
Demonstrate
ability to
compile
information in a
different way
by combing
concepts or
parts in a new
pattern or
proposing
alternative
solutions
KEY WORDS
Build, choose,
combine,
compile,
construct,
create, design,
develop,
imagine, invent,
propose, solve,
suppose, modify,
improve, adapt,
test, change
QUESTIONS
What would
happen if…?
How could you
change…? How
would you test…?
How could you
connect…?
How would you
construct…?
EVALUATION
DEFINITION
E
V
A
L
U
A
T
I
O
N
Demonstrate
ability to
present and
defend
opinions by
making
judgments
about
information, the
validity of
ideas, or
quality of work
based on
criteria
KEY WORDS
criticize, defend,
determine,
evaluate, judge,
justify,
recommend,
interpret,
prioritize,
criteria, prove,
assess, decide,
support,
estimate
QUESTIONS
What is your
opinion of…?
How would you
evaluate…? How
would you
select…?
How would you
judge…? Why is
it better or
worse…?
Remember. . .
The potential all students hold:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LExJ6oN4hUo