1. Making Writing Assignments Fun!!!
Introduce Self
Ask a question: how many of you here teach or have taught non-credit classes? How many of you teach credit classes?
Making Writing Assignments Fun!!!
Gizelle Ponzillo, M.A. in TESOL
Irvine Valley College and
School of Continuing Education, NOCCCD
goo.gl/rcfxB4

2. The best teachers teach from the heart, not from a book
Introduce Thu
Highly functional ESL student who moved to the US years ago but could never go to school because she had to support her family back in Vietnam to help send her two younger siblings to school. Now that they have graduated from college, she can go to school.
She came in to my RW class panicking about writing even though her English was really good.
In elementary school she became traumatized about writing because she is left handed and she was made to write with her right hand. She has feared writing ever since.
She needed encouragement and motivation, which she received.
Later we will read her short story.
Later, finish the presentation showing where Thu is now.
The best teachers teach from the heart, not from a book

3. Students find many writing classes to be teacher- centered and view writing assignments as a necessary evil to complete the class.
In Adult Education, Reading and Writing classes seem scary for a lot of students who have never taken a writing class in their lives!
Innovative educators should always be exploring new ways to inject life into the classroom and their assignments in order to increase students’ motivation and retention.
Background

4. Academic Success Program
Transition from noncredit to credit
Two classes: Reading & Writing and Listening & Speaking
12 weeks, 4 days/week, 3 hours/day
Certificate of Completion and/or High School Credit
Yearly Student Success Award Ceremony
Academic skills: note-taking, academic vocabulary, essays, presentations

5. Certificate of Completion
Students who successfully complete RW and LS earn a Certificate of Completion
Every June we have our Student Success Award Ceremony (students receive their certificate and some are also recognized for their hard work and some are nominated to receive awards for having overcame difficulties in their lives)
Students look forward to the ceremony, which some of them call graduation
They also look forward to their story being in the two self-published books

6. Student Population
ORIGIN
AGE
PROFICIENCY
EDUCATION
Immigrants from all over the world with a unique life story
The age of the students ranges from 18 years and up
Are all at intermediate to advanced levels of English language Proficiency
Some completed Middle School, some have a B.A., some a M.A., and some are getting their PhD

7. Your Turn! What levels do you teach and where do you teach them?
What is your favorite assignment, and why?
5 minutes to discuss and 5 minutes to share answers
What types of assignments and
projects do you assign to your
students?
What is your least favorite assignment, and why?

8. Reading and Writing Learn to take notes from readings and annotate
Learn grammar in the context of writing
Build vocabulary
Learn the writing process and self-editing techniques
Become critical thinkers
Four Assignments:
1 descriptive essay, 1 compare/contrast essay, 1 play, 1 research paper

9. Listening and Speaking
• Write a play and perform it (there’s a theme every trimester)
Their plays are put into a book called Let It Shine
Listening and Speaking
Learn to take notes from lectures
Learn to give presentations and to perform
Participate in academic discussions and debates
Improve listening, speaking, and pronunciation
Four Assignments:
1 interpretative reading, 1 informative speech, 1 persuasive speech, 1 play

10. Rationale for Book Plays/drama in both RW and LS
RW replaced with a personified short story
Part I: Write a brief paragraph about yourself and about why you chose this object or animal
Part II: Pick an object or animal (It) and write a short story with “It” as the protagonist and/or narrator. 4-6 pages
The Life and Journey of It first edition Spring of 2014
Every trimester
SCE prints the book: memento

11. Short Story - Author Paragraph Prompt
Write a ½-page or 1-page, double-spaced, MLA-formatted paragraph “about you and why you chose this topic/object for your short story.”
The purpose of this short paper is for you to tell the story behind the story. Make sure to write topic sentence, at least 2 supporting details (one about yourself, and one about the story), and a concluding sentence.
As you know, once we are finished with the short stories, I will put together a class book with all the short stories. On the book, after each short story, there will be a paragraph that introduces you and that describes what inspired you to write your short story, so please write something interesting because people will be reading these!
You must write draft 1, and then revise it after you meet with the tutor, then write draft 2. I’ll collect draft 2 and you also need to it to me at

12. Excerpt From Writing Prompt
Write a 3-4 page short story. Be sure that the story has a specific event, at least two characters with some dialogue, and a lesson or statement to be communicated. Your story should be typed and double spaced in a standard 12 point font such as Times New Roman.
You may choose one of the following topics:
An event (issue, experience, or problem) related to the different cultural values between your home country and the US.
An event related to love, for example, your wedding proposal; your wedding day; something terrible that happened at your wedding; being in love with two people; loving someone that doesn’t return your love; etc.
A topic of your choice with your professor’s approval.

13. Your Turn!
You will write a very short, short story with an object as the main character.
(Maybe I can use remind 101 for this—or maybe quizlet)
10 minutes
With a partner take a few minutes and write your story- remember to personify it—the protagonist is an object.
Write it on a piece of paper, and I’ll collect it at the end of the presentation.

14. 10 Minutes
Let’s Share
Please read your stories

15. Your Turn!
5 Minutes
What are some fun writing assignments that you have assigned to your students?
How can you make your current writing assignments fun?

16. 3 Minutes
Let’s Share
Please share your answers

17. Student Samples An Unforgettable Journey of Venus Velvet Metamorphosis
Sample from “The Life and Journey of It, Volume 1”
An Unforgettable Journey of Venus Velvet
by Thu (from slide 1)
Sample from “The Life and Journey of It, Volume 2”
Metamorphosis
by Luz

18. A Student’s Story
I started out with a student’s story about Thu, and I’ll finish up with another story about Rosalia.

19. Resources Free download: Go to iBooks and type in Gizelle Ponzillo
Two volumes of The Life and Journey of It
Two volumes of Let It Shine
To watch my students’ plays go on Youtube and type Gizelle Ponzillo you will find my channel and lots of videos from my classes.

20. Short Story Resources 20 American Short Stories:
Library of Short Stories:

21. Story Resources for Kids
Mike Krath “High and Lifted Up”- a short story about a little boy and a leaf example of personification.
This website also has a section for teachers with questions and games.
They also have an app for iphone, ipod, ipad called Short Stories eReader.

22. Thank You! Gizelle Ponzillo, M.A. in TESOL gizelleponzillo@yahoo.com
Irvine Valley College and
School of Continuing Education, NOCCCD
goo.gl/rcfxB4