Top Ten 08/19/2009

26 Comment(s)

 

Take a few minutes and review Kelly's Top 10 Writing Wrongs in Secondary Education. Select one "wrong" and argue for or against this reason. Please support your thinking with specific examples.

 

Comments

Elaine

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:27:12

Pro #6
Content Title: Students are not given enough timed writing instruction or practice

I agree that students are not given enough timed writing instruction or practice. In my school, I have heard several English teachers complain that they have met great resistance from students regarding doing timed writing activities. This negative attitude takes a toll on the teacher, who tends to succumb to the pressure of the majority (many students - one teacher) and decreases the number of timed writing assignments. Additionally, the curriculum is quite replete and already "crowded" with so much valuable instruction, the teacher is hard-pressed to relinquish that classtime to timed writing practice.

 

rjh

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:57:13

Pro comment 3
We feel student should not have to write as much because it is overwhelming to them and they lack the skills. Therefor e, rather than moving forward they shut down. They need to feel they can accomplish the task given so they can learn at their level.

 

Katie

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:58:15

Con #3
We believe that below-grade level writers need to write more than their grade-level peers. Because they are below, they particularly need more writing practice to improve their sentence structure, organization, and writing fluency. This will not happen by writing less. They need additional writing instruction to address deficiencies. If they continue to be ignored, their writing will not progress at a necessary rate.

 

Joslyn and Sherri

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:39

Below-grde-level writers are not asked to write less than other students. First, in a writing classroom, all students are being given the same requirements for an assignment. Whether they meet the requirements or not depends on the individual student, however, the requirements are the same for all students.

 

Viginia

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:44

Pro
We agree that below grade level writers write less than on grade level writers. They are resistant to doing the writing. The physical act of writing is often difficult for these writers. It is a struggle for the teacher to get the student to do the work resulting in frustration on both sides.

 

Mike

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:45

I disagree that below grade level writers are are asked to write less. Many teacher teach to the whole and not to the individual student. Many teachers make lesson the are good for the masses and not the lower or higher level students. So I believe that lower level writers are asked to write the same amount as others. Even though they may not be able to keep up. They might also be looked over or not given extra help or time. This leads to frustration, bad grades, and giving up of the student.

 

Kris

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:01:45

Teachers spend a great deal of time teaching the assignment. With the use of rubrics, assignment sheets and mini-lessons on lead sentences, thesis, body paragraphs, transitions, conclusion - students still ask "what do you want me to say."

 

Lisa

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:01:49

PRO: Writing is sometimes assigned rather than taught.

In order for students to learn how to be better writers, they must be taught strategies that will allow them to develop the skills of a good writer. Teachers cannot assign students writing without any instruction and expect great results. Being a good writer is not an innate skill--it is something that is honed over time with strategic instruction and practice.

 

Diane

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:02:40

# 2 Teachers at the high school assume that students at their perspective grade levels already have a good understanding about formal writing expectations/standards. Because of this, teachers tend to assign writing without giving precise or direct instruction.

 

Corey and Ron

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:03:26

#7 Con
Content Title: Some teachers have little or no knowledge of district and state standards.

We disagree with this statement because each school district / teacher has been given the proper resources / tools to enhance their understanding of expectations of state standards and objectives. We as teachers have the ability to access these resources in numerous ways and our lack of understanding is due to our own reservations and unwillingness to increase our knowledge. We understand that the state is making changes on a regular basis, however we need to adapt to these changes for the continued improvement of our students.

 

amy/darren

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:03:43

Pro-#3 Below grade-level writers are asked to write less than others instead of more than others. Students are often given worksheets and basic skill activities in special education classes, replacing meaningful writing activities such as writer's workshop. Students are at a disadvantage not given the opportunity to write meaningful pieces. Students must have thorough instruction, writing about valuable experiences while teachers model through the use of mini-lessons.

 

Beth

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:04:19

Pro #1
Content Title: Students are not doing enough writing.

We agree that students are not doing enough writing, especially in the content areas. Some teachers believe that writing instruction should be isolated to English Language Arts class, but students need to practice writing skills across the curriculum. Without writing in the content areas, students are not preparing to write for the real-world - for example,in expository genre like a business letter. Teachers in the content areas do not need to feel expected to teach students to write long, but to teach them how to clarify understanding in a concise way. It is not necessary to grade everything a student writes, but instead allow them time to undergo the writing process, improving their quality over quantity. We expect students to know how to write in the content areas, but they will not know until they are taught and are given ample time to practice.

 

Mike

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:06:07

I would agree that the frustration level is high. The question is why is there frustration? How do we eliminate the frustration?

 

Lisa

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:06:24

Rebuttal: to Kris

We can teach students using rubrics, mini-lessons, etc., but if students do not understand the concept that is being presented, they are not going to to improve their writing. Most students see rubrics as "how they are going to be graded" rather than "how can I use this scale to make my writing better." Students need instruction on how to use the materials and tools provided to them to improve their writing, rather than just extra work they have to do when they write an essay.

 

Candace, Lindsay, and Katherine

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:06:41

#7 (Pro)

We believe that many teachers have little or no knowledge of district and state writing standards. First, it is very common for non-English teachers to be unaware of the standards because it is not necessarily viewed as their discipline or responsibility, therefore they are not trained to understand this area. Second, teachers who instruct non-core subjects receive little or no training in writing standards for their college experience and/or teacher certification program because it is not their content area. Lastly, school districts in general do not seem to provide adequate training or professional development focused on the writing standards for all subject matters and for all staff members. All of these factors combined lead to a lack of knowledge and understanding for many teachers in regards to the writing standards and expectations.

 

Diane

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:07:57

To Kris,
I agree that at times teachers do teach students how to use a rubric and give clear expectations. I also agree that students don't listen and do ask for help beyond what they should require at the high school level. Still, if student's are given direct instruction about what goes into a single paragraph using both verbal and graphic forms of explanation, then students may not ask that question.

 

Kris

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:07:58

To Lisa and Diane, When students are at the high school level it must be assumed that students have received pre-requisite instruction in writing that much can/should be assumed. The higher levels of writing can then be stressed without having to re-invent the wheel.

 

Mike

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:08:20

I beleive that we need to slow down and look at what our individual students need. Instead of just looking at trying to hit every bench mark we need to figure out how to improve every student. We need to look at what they need and devise lessons on how to improve them.

 

Virginia

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:08:39

Being asked to complete writing tasks that are too hard for them does cause problems for below level writers.

 

katie

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:09:00

Rebuttal to rjh

Although there is a great concern that students will feel overwhelmed and shut down, by creating high-interest writing activities that engage the students, they will develop the skills to improve their writing and build their confidence.

 

Joslyn and Sherri

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:10:55

Indeed, if a special education teacher is neglecting the curriculum set forth by the state of Michigan, special education students will suffer. Isn't this the job of the administrator? Shouldn't he/she be overseeing what the teachers are teaching in their classrooms and making sure that the Grade Level Content Expectations are being met? If all teachers are doing their jbo, below-grade level writing students will be given the same opportunities on-grade level and above-grade level students. Therefore, if everyone is doing their job correctly, all students have the same demands for writing.

 

Virginia

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:11:19

Number 3 Conclusion


Not more or less of the same, but more of something different.

 

Candace, Lindsay, and Katherine

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:12:57

Rebuttal to Corey and Ron #7

We strongly disagree with their position because we do not believe that all teachers have been given the appropriate resources to use in their classrooms. Perhaps some schools have distributed these materials, but not all schools in the state of Michigan have done so. Second, we believe that many teachers are anxious to increase their own knowledge but are simply unaware of how to do so. Teachers need a starting point and some initial training. Lastly, we realize that the state is making changes quite swiftly, but again, teachers are not given the necessary resources or training to stay on top of these changes.

 

Corey and Ron

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:13:19

Rebuttal to #7
It is our understanding that "writing" is across the curriculum. It is not the school districts' job to make teachers understand the standards, but to help provide professional training on best practices.

Even if all of your factors were combined, it still requires teacher effort.

 

amy/darren

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:15:05

Students are oftentimes given the same assignment with the same requirements, but expecattions for certain students may be lower. Teachers need to have high expectaitons for all students, and require that students are engaged in high-interest, high-level writing.

 

Kim and Laura

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:15:15

#1 CON

While it may be true that students are not doing an extensive amount of writing in some of their secondary classes, there are some very good reasons for that.

Content area teachers do not have English language arts expertise. In fact, we have all met teachers who are very poor writers. Do we want our students acquiring the bad habits they see from some teachers? English teachers have to pass the English or language arts certification test. Content area teachers have not passed that test. Are they highly qualified to teach writing?

Second, there is not enough time to teach content objectives and also teach writing skillls. Content areas are already overwhelmed with the number of expectations and the depth of knowledge required of students in order for them to master the GLCEs and HSCEs. Time spent on writing requires sacrificing content.

Furthermore, the content teachers' primary objective is to teach and assess content area expectations. Not all kids are great writers, but they may be great at math or science. It is important for students to feel success in some area of the curriculum; it's unfair to penalize a kid who has mastered science objectives, for example, just because their writing skills are weak.

 

Leave a Reply