Use Writing to Learn Tools for Greater Student Thinking

As the Spring semester comes to a close, I am impressed by the impact a focus on writing to learn (WTL) tools has had on the pre-service teachers in the Writing in the Content Areas course I teach at our local university. We know from research (summary available in the Writing Next report) the impact writing to learn tools can have on student thinking and learning. The idea for our course was for university students to use WTL tools as learners so they would know how to use the tools when they work with K-12 students in the future. To help the university students understand effective use of WTL tools for greater student thinking, they read articles and used different tools each week to demonstrate their own thinking and learning with thoughtfulness and reflection.

Samuel Totten writes on the National Writing Project blog about the importance of pre-service teachers utilizing writing to learn tools in their education programs if we are ever going to change the approach to disciplinary writing in K-12 classrooms. From an informal survey he conducted over a decade ago, Totten writes that not many universities adequately prepare pre-service teachers to teach writing. Fortunately, the university where I teach part-time does emphasize the importance of teaching pre-service teachers writing in the content areas, and the entire state of Kentucky emphasizes writing (not just writing to learn) in all disciplines as evidenced by the required literacy courses for all future teachers.

I appreciate Totten's references to The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution, and I am optimistic about the changes that have occurred in pre-service programs across the nation since 2003 when this report was published. However, we know there's still room for improvement when we talk with K-12 students about their school writing experiences, and I contend that if pre-service teachers like those I taught this semester continue utilizing the tools they learn in their education programs, they will be prepared to help change what happens in our public schools.

We know that writing to learn tools impact student learning and that when teachers utilize writing to promote thinking, it's more effective than cramming information and facts into their heads via rote memorization or low level worksheets. For additional information on why this is important, the Writing Across the Curriculum Clearinghouse from Colorado State University offers resources and suggestions for teaching not only writing to learn but other disciplinary writing as well.
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Since I'm a firm believer in student choice and ownership in learning, my students and I co-developed a holistic rubric on the first day of class to help them think about the task of using the WTL tool intentionally. By the end of the semester students shared with one another more than 25 WTL tools and discussed how different tools fit better with specific writing lessons and goals. They also began building their "teacher toolbox."

I'm sharing below the task and rubric we used this semester, and I hope you, too, will share links to your favorite tasks and rubrics for helping pre-service teachers understand how and/or why to use writing to learn tools.
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TASK: For each week we have class, select and read an article or a blog relevant to your content area. Utilize a writing to learn tool to demonstrate your understanding of the article or blog. 

Holistic Rubric (co-developed with students during our first class session this semester)

Exemplary	Accomplished	Developing	Beginning
--Find a relevant and unique article --Explain what the tool is and how it connects to your article --Utilize the tool very effectively to promote student thinking --Utilize a new tool for each WTL assignment --Submit the link to the article --Submit the WTL assignment on time  --Be thoughtful and reflective in what you are submitting	--Finding a relevant article --Identify the tool you are using -- Utilize the tool effectively to promote student thinking --Utilize a new tool for each WTL assignment -- Submit the link to the article --Submit WTL assignment on time  --Be reflective in what you are submitting	--Finding an article relevant to a specific content area --Utilize the tool without effectively identifying the tool to promote student thinking --Repeats a tool for the WTL assignment from a previous assignment --Submit the link to the article --Submit WTL assignment on time --Lacks reflection	--Article is irrelevant to a specific content area --Tool and the article don’t fit together --Submit the link to the article --Tool does not adequately promote student thinking

What about you--what are your favorite writing to learn tools and how do you use them? Were you taught how to teach writing in your pre-service programs? Do the student teachers with whom you work know how to use WTL tools and other writing strategies? What suggestions do you have for improving student thinking in our public schools?

Rethinking Literacy Instruction

As parents, educators, and community members, we must collaborate to change literacy instruction in many of our nation's public schools. Over Thanksgiving weekend, a friend and high school English teacher sent me a piece she wrote to express her frustration with Accelerated Reader. I, too, am not a fan of AR because I think it contributes to what Kelly Ghallager calls "readicide." I asked Summer if I could post a portion of what she shared with me on this blog because I think you, readers, will appreciate Summer's sentiments and will offer your own ideas about how we can move forward and keep from feeling powerless. I remain committed to my idea that if we read up, team up, and speak up, we can and will change public education for the better.

Guest Blog Post by Summer Garris

“Mama, if I get finished reading my AR book, can I please have a little time to read Ungifted tonight?”

“We’ll see if we have time,” I say making myself concentrate on the peppers and mushrooms I’m chopping.  The truth is, inside of me I’m seething.

Sage and I have struggled to acclimate to the AR reading program and processes they use in his school.  It took us a full nine weeks to figure out that he had weekly reading AR point goals that were calculated, we’re told, based on his reading level.  Although one notice said that his reading independently for 30 minutes a night should allow him to meet these goals (which makes sense), this has not been the case.  He reads for his 30 minutes independently, and inevitably, I read to him for 30 minutes to an hour every night, so that he can take his multiple choice book test by Thursday to meet his requirements. 

We had an incident the week of Valentine’s Day.  Despite our nightly binge reading of this horribly trite novel, we had not finished the book.  Since missing his point goal for the week meant missing the Valentine’s party, he took the test on a Wednesday even though he had not finished reading the book.  He failed the test, and then realized that there would be no way to gain his required points in time to ensure he could attend his party. He was devastated, and I could not fathom that this mistake could actually keep him from exchanging paper Valentines and candy with his friends.  I decided to talk to his teachers.

I asked the teachers questions like, “If he finds a book that he really loves that is longer and takes him more than 30 minutes of independent reading each night, can he wait until he finishes the book in order to take his test?” 

His teacher replied, “If the book is too long for him to finish in the allotted time, he should choose shorter books, so he can earn his weekly point goals.”

I thought she misunderstood my question.  “No, I mean, if he picks out a longer book, one that he wants to read, one that takes him more time to read, and he is reading each night, he can wait until he finishes it before he takes his test, right? “

“No,” she replied, “he has to meet those point goals.”

It’s not the reading that upsets me, it is what and how we read.  This business with the book, Ungifted, kind of sums it up.  He picked out this book at the book fair. It is about a boy who invents robots and, according to the back of the book, conducts some kind of experiment on his sister that goes awry.  If you know Sage, you know why this book excites him. 

We started the book a few nights ago, taking turn reading a page.  In the few pages we’ve read together, he’s learned the words “cope,” “justify,” and “inevitably.”  He looked up and read about Atlas, so he could know what the statue looked like that the character accidentally destroyed.  We read together one passage from the point of view of main character Donovan:.  . . when a think is right there in front of me, and I can kick it, grab it, shout it out, jump into it, paint it, launch it, or light it on fire, it’s like I’m a puppet on a string, powerless to resist.  He and I both started to giggle.  He didn’t have to tell me that he deeply identified with this character.  “What’s a puppet on a string mean?” he asked.  Before I could answer, he answered for himself, “Oh, wait – I get it, like the horse puppet GG got me at Derby, right? It’s a simile!”  I glowed inside, the educator inside of me checking of literacy skills as we continued to read.  This is what “engaging in a text” looks like!

This isn’t the only engaging literacy experience I’ve watched my son experience.  From five years old to seven, he was obsessed with the Encyclopedia of Snakes.   When I allowed the kids to pick out a book before bed (for fun – not points), he would ask me to read about some species.  Though snakes are certainly not my favorite subject, it was exciting to watch him make connections with the information.  At the sport hunting store, he checked out the 3D camouflaged shirts.  “Look, this shirt is like keeled scales on a rattle snake.  The different surfaces make it easier to blend in.” 

When he heard about Nikoli Tesla, he spent hours reading (and taking notes) on his new hero.  Twenty four hours later, he asked me if he could build a Teslacoil, and showed me his diagrams where he had calculated how many volts of battery power he would need to create the necessary charge.  I later realized he neglected to take an AR test on his teacher read class book that day.  I guess the idea of a Telacoil was just more exciting than those 10 multiple choice questions.  (We binge read an AR book just in time to allow him to get his banana split on Friday anyway).

Seeing him engage in literacy delights me.  But, this Ungifted book poses a logistical problem in our house.  The book is above his reading level, and so, he can’t read it for points toward his AR goal. 

With the hustle and bustle of weeknights, if he is to meet his AR point goal, we won’t have time to read it most evenings. There’s so little time to read all the wonderful books available anyway; it saddens me that pumping out AR points keeps him from such experiences.  While visiting his school one day, I sat waiting in the library.  I happened to notice a book titled Incredible Plants.  I remembered his fascination with the corpse flower when he read about it in a Weird Facts almanac (another book he loves, but isn’t worth “points.”)  He would love this book, I mused remembering him asking, “Mama, do you think we could grow a corpse flower in the green house?”  I picked up the book to read the back.  The book featured all kind of gross and weird plants.  I flipped it over and looked inside the cover; it wasn’t AR.  I put the book back on the shelf.    

This AR mania apparently doesn’t just supersede our “at home” literary experiences.   If I ask my son what he did in his classes, he tells me the same story nearly every day.  He reads AR books, takes AR tests, and his teacher reads AR books to him for him to take tests.  Rewards day at his school, holiday parties in class, banana splits in class, the photographs in the hallways of the high achievers, the end of the year sleep over celebration are all for what?  Gaining AR points. 

My child’s elementary literacy instruction has become a race to choke down random books to gain AR points.  And these points are gained by taking multiple choice tests that ask trite knowledge level questions that in no way engage readers in critical thinking.  How can this be?

The new Common Core standards emphasize needs for students to engage in texts, to evaluate texts, to write about texts, to access their schema, to make inferences, and to engage in conversations about the text.  As the state department rolled out these standards, they provided us resources in order to change our teaching practices in order to meet these standards.   

The Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) provides modules designed to help teachers acclimate to the required coherent approach to teaching literacy.  It provides templates for teachers to design lessons that allow students to read and analyze texts and to use and synthesize the knowledge they gain from this thinking to solve problems.

Then, there are reading and literature circles.  There are so many amazing resources that lay out units that allow students to discuss and engage in texts.    Models have them illustrating favorite scenes, asking characters questions, finding new words to discover, and asking their peers questions.  In such a context they are thinking about what they are reading, making connections to their schema, and all the while, improving their literary competence. 

Why are these initiatives not happening at my child’s school?  Why am I going to tell him that by the time we eat our pizza, take showers, and read another installment of this AR book, we won’t be able to find out if Donovan gets in trouble for the Atlas statue incident?  And, why do I feel so powerless to change it? 

What if: Thoughts on Middle School

A few nights ago my oldest child and I were discussing his venture into middle school—I asked if he was nervous.  He replied by asking questions which he answered before launching into a long story about how his favorite thing to do at school is to ask questions, especially what if questions.

Here’s how he replied to my question if he was nervous about going to middle school:

What would I have to be nervous about?  Going to the building?  I’m not nervous about that—I’ve been going there for the past two weeks for cross country practice.  Meeting my teachers?  I already met my teachers at Camp Beaumont.  Using a locker?  I already have that down.

His responses with questions caused me to probe deeper into his thinking about what middle school would be like, and they also caused me to start asking my own what if questions.  Since I like to think and to blog about education and the possibilities for making learning experiences positive for students, I decided to utilize Ethan’s what if approach to rethink some thoughts about how traditional middle school operates in the United States.  When I told Ethan what I was doing, he came up with a better suggestion:  posting the what ifs on the blog and asking readers to respond.  So, reader, check out the what if scenarios here and respond to those which interest you. 

• What if I woke up and middle school was over?
• What if teachers turned into monkeys so we could do whatever we want?
• What if summer reading meant you could read any book you wanted at your level?
• What if desks quit the job?
• What if instead of recess there were only tests?
• What if when you did your homework--the papers walked away?
• What if whenever you wrote with a pencil it bit your finger?
• What if books flew away into the sunset?
• What if schools had no electric power?
• We didn’t have roofs on schools?
• What if we had more adventurous hands-on activities?

 In a future post, Ethan and I will revisit your suggestions and offer our own responses.  You will notice that some of these what if questions are more serious and some more silly.  That’s what makes the mind of a curious eleven year old boy so much fun.  He’s certainly unafraid to think outside the typical box.

Collaboration and Creativity

Guest blog by Gwyn Ridenhour.  Part 2 of 2

Let students make mistakes

This is such an important point, and one we as parents and teachers are often too quick to “fix.” Our world is currently experiencing more rapid change – in technology, population, and environment - than perhaps in any other point in history. We don’t know what to expect in five years or ten, and that means that we don’t know exactly what to teach our kids in order to make sure they are prepared for their future. Since we don’t know what technologies or global situations our kids will experience when they are adults, the best tools we can give them now are ones they can use in any situation, and these are critical thinking and problem solving.

Kids need to learn how to look at a problem and identify multiple solutions. They need to make mistakes, because it is in these moments that true opportunity happens. They identify what’s wrong. Then they identify what happened to make the project go wrong. Then they identify the possible solutions to create a more successful outcome. Repeat. And repeat again. Only then will they gain the skills to teach themselves – and that should be one of the ultimate goals of education.

Allow more time for the arts, physical education, and recess

This one’s a bit tricky, because though I feel strongly that kids need more of these things, I don’t like the models that are currently being used in the school system. I was shocked earlier this year when I heard a 6^th grade band perform “Old MacDonald” for the middle school band concert. Old MacDonald? For real? Come on. No eleven-year old can play that song with any true feeling, except for one of embarrassment. Band teachers who do it “right” use music from the students’ current world, giving them opportunity to explore themselves through their music.

As for art class, yes – for all of these things, kids need more – but again, you can’t box it up and present it in a sterile package if kids are going to get anything out of it. My daughter, who adores art, hated art class when she was still in public school. I was curious, so I came in to observe. The teacher gave all the kids the same materials and then told them to all paint the same Japanese style cherry blossom tree. If they didn’t do it exactly like her example, she was quick to criticize, guiding kids to become more accurate copiers, perhaps, but surely not artists. There was no joy, no creativity, no freedom of expression. No wonder my daughter hated it. Art should be about the explorative process – not a line of identical copies.

Physical education needs to be about getting kids moving, not exposing them to all the sports that Americans love. Get them dancing, moving, running, whatever. Ask kids what they like and offer different PE mini-classes within the larger group so that they can have choices. Don’t make them play basketball if they hate basketball. What’s the point in that? This should be joyful and rejuvenating, not competitive and stressful. But yes, of course, we need exercise – every day. We need to move, to be outside, to get our blood flowing every day. It makes us happy and keeps us sharp.

And finally, for recess, again, there should be some free choice here. Recess for many kids is bliss – freedom of play, of choice, of conversation. It’s a break in the day and provides much needed sunshine. But for many kids, recess is a nightmare. They dread that time every day because they don’t know who to hang out with. Or they’re bullied. Kids for whom recess is a punishment should have a safer alternative. If the kid is a book lover, then perhaps have an opportunity to volunteer in the library (even better if there is more than one student like this – you can make a volunteer club!). Or if outside time is truly the goal, then create adult-led opportunities that can be done outside. Perhaps a list of recess alternatives could be posted that kids could choose from.

       Allow more time for creating, performing, dreaming, and thinking

This is perhaps the most important of the imperatives. I would actually put these in a particular order: Dreaming, thinking, creating, performing. Allow kids to dream up what they want to do – to be (the idea generator stage). Then think about it – how will you do it? What resources do you need? Who can you talk to for assistance (the problem solving stage). Once ideas are outlined, then the child creates. This isn’t a worksheet assignment. It’s a short film. A new app. A working robot. A book. A painting. A project. This is messy business which can’t be evaluated by a standardized test. And then finally, we come to the performing stage. This is the bit where the student gets to enjoy the limelight and get real positive feedback about her hard work and design. Show off the creation! Share it with class, online, with teachers outside the classroom. The teacher’s role is facilitator, helping the child move through each of these stages. But the work and sense of satisfaction all belongs to the child.

Stop Squashing Creativity in Education

More and more when I travel, I hear teachers share stories of scripted curriculum programs they are expected to follow in their schools.  Often schools and districts are so concerned with high-stakes standardized tests, they seek uniform means for providing instruction to students.  Many schools and districts do this because they don’t trust teachers to be professionals.  Other schools do this because they think it’s a quick fix answer to their low test scores.  Does a standardized approach to education provide students what they need to be successful in the 21^st century and beyond?  Is a standardized approach to instruction what we really want?  No!  We don’t.  Evidence of this not being what we want was unmistakable at the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts (KCTE/LA) annual conference, which concluded only hours ago.  This year’s conference theme was Literacy Matters:  The Common Core and Beyond. 

Professional conferences like this provide occasion for educators to refuel and network so they can return to schools energized and ready to provide students creative and critical opportunities to learn, and so they can be more connected to other educators.  Personally, I am on a creative high after hearing Sara Kajder discuss digital literacies and after hearing Kentucky’s poet laureate, Maureen Morehead, read her poetry.   Not only did I hear these well-established authors, I also heard Kentucky teachers talk about best practices in their classrooms.  The showcased sessions were not teachers sharing the page number they were covering in a scripted program.  Exciting session titles included “What’s the Big Idea?  The Real Purpose of Literature in Society and the Classroom,” and “The Power of Narrative in Writing and Teaching.”

I had the joy of reconnecting with a teacher I first met a couple of years ago; this teacher shares the passion I have for promoting creativity in education.   This all has me thinking about what we can do to stop squashing creativity in education.  With creative and thoughtful planning of time and resources, there’s no reason why schools couldn’t and shouldn’t do these five things. 

1. Let students study and explore topics that interest them
2. Let students use their own technology devices to enhance their learning
3. Let students make mistakes
4. Allow more time for the arts, physical education, and recess
5. Allow more time for creating,  performing, dreaming, and thinking

In future posts, I will explore these ideas more fully and offer suggestions for how schools can pragmatically approach ways to stop squashing creativity.  If you have your own ideas, please share them here so we can all learn from one another.

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