Learning Blog 7

Chapter 8 focused on Writing to Learn. One idea encouraged in the beginning of the chapter was to use writing in every content area. I’ve found that I do this a lot in my teaching because I feel like the students really need that extra support in learning how to successfully use different methods of writing (letters, narratives, questions, etc.). This has just motivated me to do it even more!

I found it interesting that the authors mentioned the on-demand writing strategy and how ineffective it is. I was wondering, if it does not yield higher scores on standardized tests, why do educators keep doing it? Shouldn’t educators focus on student-choice, more authentic writing? I think that in order for students to be successful in writing, they need to have a personal connection to what they are writing.

I also found it interesting that the authors mentioned the importance of using writing as a comprehension tool, not just an evaluative tool. I think I use it too much as an evaluation tool in my classroom! Using the strategies mentioned in all aspects of the PAR framework, I’ll be able to implement them as a comprehension tool.

I found the write-alouds to be very helpful! This is something that we’re encouraged to do in our school and I’ve found it to be very effective! The students really need to see the writing process modeled and the write-alouds enable the teacher to do this. I also found it helpful to read about the importance of computers as writing tools. Page 224 says, “Teachers have the responsibility to integrate technology in their writing instruction.” This is something that I really need to incorporate into my writing lessons. Next year, I’ll be sure to do this!

I enjoyed reading the strategies for each phase of the PAR framework.

One strategy that I liked in the preparation phase was cubing. I think with a little modification, I can successfully implement this in my classroom. I also liked the student-generated questions because I think it will allow the students to think critically about the things they want to learn about a given topic.

The strategy I liked in the assistance phase is the one that we’re doing in class J: the learning logs. I think it’s a great strategy to use in monitoring comprehension and it will also allow the teacher to see any problems that a student is having in comprehending the material.

In the reflection phase, I like the C3B4ME because I think students really benefit from learning from each other and bouncing ideas off of each other. It also provides them with a practical real-life skill: accepting constructive criticism.

Overall, chapter 8 had a lot of helpful strategies to implement writing to learn in the classroom and I look forward to applying them in my classroom next school year!