Hi, Usually I'm just a reader, but when I saw your e-mail (I have an ongoing writers' workshop ala Teacher's College), I had to ask: Why not allow the children to generate the questions for the survey. If the goal is to have them feel like real writers, shouldn't they pose the questions they want to know about what real writers do? My class generates 10-15 questions which they ask one another. We then go out into the larger school community and ask other teachers, secretaries, custodians, etc. about their writing life. It's amazing what learning goes on from that. Hope I've helped. Myra Brand Plainview
----- Original Message ----- From: Kim Richard Date: Friday, November 24, 2006 11:07 am Subject: Re: [LIT] NCTE To: "'A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades.'" > Hi Bill, > > I wondered the same things. (By the way, number 2 has a typo -- > it should > read Do they TAKE a long view of learning to write). What I > love about > these questions is that they sort of shy away from the standard > jargon of > the writing process, and asks both teacher and student to take a > look at > themselves as writers in a different light. A reflection on the > writer is > required to answer these questions. I think in order to teach > the writing > process and all the components that go along with it, kids need > to see > themselves as writers. > > I participated in the Connecticut Writing Project during the > summer of 1999, > and it totally changed me and how I teach writing. Why? > Because for the > first time I saw myself as a writer, and others validated me as > a writer. > It was such an "aha" moment for me! I realized that writing > takes time, > effort and patience. I realized that writers don't always have > to produce a > final product -- that the process is just as important. I > realized that I > needed multiple sources to write -- including a group of writers > to offer > both positive feedback and constructive criticism. What a > powerful message > to share with our students! > > I like the idea of a survey for students. I might give them the > same survey > a few times a year, and generate a discussion about the changes > that they > have in their answers. Some questions I might add to a survey > might be: > What do you think a good writer needs to do in order to write > well? How do > you decide which pieces of writing are the good ones? > > I am in the process of trying to develop a writing curriculum. > I am curious > about what others use to assess students' writing, and how you > build a > writing community so that kids are not afraid to take a risk. > > Kim > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill IVEY [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, November 24, 2006 10:37 AM > Subject: Re: [LIT] NCTE > > "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." > on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at > 10:24 AM > -0500 wrote: > >Cyrene Wells, Joanne Portalupi and Martha Horn talked about > learning and > >what we all need to learn. > > > >Joanne shared her true assessments of learning as being: > > > >1. Do students see themselves as writers? > >2. Do they talk a long view of learning to write? > >3. Does experimentation arise from a "what if" attitude? > >4. Do they learn from multiple sources? > >5. Do they understand the important and complex relationship between > >process and product? > > Hi! > > In my school, we are undertaking a fairly intense re-evaluation > of how we > assess and report student work and progress. So when I see these five > questions, which I love, I also find myself wondering how one > goes about > answering each question for each individual student. It seems as > though it > would have to be an objective self-evaluation given to the kids > to which > the teachers then react. Does that make sense? If so, what would > be the > exact questions asked on such an evaluation? How often might > such an > evaluation be given? > > Take care, > Bill Ivey > Stoneleigh-Burnham School > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
