1. Writing Assessment Presentation Cathy Mergele July 8, 2003

2. Who Has Taught You the Most About Writing? They were all good writers themselves!!

3. What Is Good Writing? A process (Nancie Atwell) Expressing the author’s ideas clearly Making meaning on the page (Lucy Calkins) Making significance of details (Lucy Calkins) A response to life Personal -voice Writing is the making of reading (Donald Graves)

4. Theory Students can write authentically Writing must be a priority in the classroom Students match expectations Learn best when writing is modeled Teacher-researcher role Students can discover their own topics Students can guide their learning

5. Who Are Pioneers in the Field? Donald H. Graves Lucy Calkins Nancie Atwell Donald M. Murray Regie Routman Randy Bomer

6. Donald H. Graves Began teaching in 1956 Interest in writing began with doctoral study (1973) Initially worked as a researcher First book 1982, Writing; Teachers and Children at Work Retired in 1992 after 20 years at University of New Hampshire Continues to publish

7. Lucy Calkins Founding Director of Teachers College Writing Project 1979 Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University First book in 1983, Lessons from a Child 1986, 1994 The Art of Teaching Writing

8. Nancie Atwell Began teaching in 1973 Taught Junior High English for 12 years Founded Center for Teaching and Learning in 1990 First classroom teacher to receive major research awards for In The Middle Continues to refine process Side by Side, Lessons that Change Writers

9. What Do They All Have in Common? 1.Began as traditional teachers Taught curriculum as standard 2.Total freedom of students Choose books, topics, and style 3.Intervention in student writing Taught concepts as needed 4.Collaborate with other writers Continue to grow as writers themselves

10. Why Do We Need to Change? Students have only mastered predictable writing—change from TAAS to TAKS “We have taught grammar for 12 years and the kids still don’t know it!” Students think of writing as a “school only” activity

11. Writing Response to Literature Journal Letters Response to art Shared writing Response to Literature Circles Focus on content Write every day

12. Teacher's Role Facilitate writing and learning Provide materials and time Teach based on demonstrated need Mini-lessons on problems noted Personalize learning Individual vocabulary and spelling Literature rich environment All types of texts Model writing Various types/purposes

13. Objections to Writing Time, time, time Material won’t be covered--No set curriculum Won’t cover the standards How do I know they know?

14. Authentic Assessments Ensure specific criteria are met for success Use indicators as a concrete sign of criterion being met Properly balance the impact of the work with an assessment of content and process Relearning by Design, 2000

15. Authentic Assessments Grow out of and reflect our values and plans and our students values and plans Grow out of and are woven into the very fabric of the school day Inform our teaching and our students’ learning Lucy Calkins, The Art of Writing

16. Using Writing to Inform Our Teaching What are the students doing frequently? Is everybody doing it? Why are they doing it? What do I need to do a mini-lesson on? How can I model it? What will I look for to know they understand? Does it need to be added to a check sheet?

17. Before it comes to you… Self-evaluation –Rough drafts –Line throughs Peer evaluation (2) –Initials –Different colors Is this your best work?

20. Gifted/Talented Area of giftedness Multiple intelligences Access to information Richer literature Encouragement to develop writing skills

21. Inclusion/ESL Students start where they are Content based grading- ideas before spelling Conventions added more slowly Learn from other students-peer editing Experience success in expressing ideas

22. Bibliography “Professional History,” http://www.donaldgraves.org/professional_history.asp http://www.donaldgraves.org/professional_history.asp “Lucy McCormick Calkins,” http://www.tc.columbia.edu/campaign/Pages/lmcalkins.html In The Middle, 2 nd Edition, Nancie Atwell, Heineman, 1998 Side by Side, Nancie Atwell, Heineman, 1991 A Fresh Look at Writing, Donald H. Graves, Heineman, 1994 The Art of Teaching Writing, New Edition, Lucy Calkins, Heineman, 1994 Conversations, Regie Routman, Heinemen, 2000 Classrooms that Work; They can ALL Read and Write, 3rd EditionPaticia Cunninghan and Richard Allington, Allyn and Bacon, 2003

23. Bibliography, con’t http://www.relearning.org/resources/PDF/rubric_sampler. pdfhttp://www.relearning.org/resources/PDF/rubric_sampler. pdf http://www.nald.ca/CLR/Btg/ed/evaluation/Reading.htm http://www.middleweb.com/ReadWrkshp/RWdownloads. html#anchor6471050http://www.middleweb.com/ReadWrkshp/RWdownloads. html#anchor6471050 http://www.iu29.org/pg/rubric.html http://www.writingproject.org/index.html http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/writing/graves_proce ss.htmlhttp://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/writing/graves_proce ss.html http://www.literacyconnections.com/Writing.html