Status Update

We started to discuss the ways to attack the writing process and what we can do to support the brainstorming process.  Jason is looking for ways to attack new vocabulary.  My personal goal is find the strategy we had to break down a question-- I can't remember its name.  I think it was a part of our Wyandotte First materials.  I think it could be powerful to marry those strategies with our technology.  The ability to breakdown a question is a skill that will help students both inside and outside of the classroom.  Giving them the ability to tackle a problem is a necessary skill for survival.  Whether it is for an essay test or figuring out what to do if you are short on rent, you have to be able to tackle a problem and look at it from all sides. At this stage, I think the only measure we can have is if we are prepared to implement some aspect of our research in the classroom in the coming week, we aren't quite to the point to apply it to students yet.

Entry 8.29

1)  What are we going to do over the next week that contributes to our PLC learning topic?

Investigate methods for dissecting questions, so students know what they are answering before they begin writing. **Possibly using the highlighting functions of word.

Increase student vocabulary, so they can increase comprehension and thereby have a better foundation to write from.** Possibly using dictionary shortcuts when reading material online.

Look for ways to use technology for pre-writing: see if Inspiration can be put on student computers, look for a software similar to "Dragonfly" that allows speech to text on the regular laptops.

2)  How does this contribute to student learning?

Students cannot write about that which they do not know or understand, so by equipping them with the skills and resources to figure out difficult passages or questions we will help them prepare for the writing process.  The use of software such as Inspiration and Dragonfly will make the writing process more accessible for students who possess stronger visual or auditory skills.

3)  How will the impact of this week’s work be measured?

Emphasis will be on "Ideas & Content" to make sure students are actually answering the prompt or question and not writing random, irrelevant information.  We will also be looking for connections to the text that indicate a basic understanding of the ideas presented.

1.) Over the next week I will key on essential vocabulary that is required to comprehend the text and incorporate it into the writing process. Not only do they need to understand the writing process, but they need to maximize their writing. Six trait writing rubric is helpful in this area (word choice), but initially they need to understand the first step (background knowledge, APK (KWL) and pre-write. We must get them understand the process, so we start at the very beginning. Get them to begin to pre-write effectively while incorporating new and creative vocabulary.

2.) Students learning, writing and vocabulary are intertwined. If they can harness and manipulate an extensive vocabulary their writing will have more meaning and depth. If their writing has more meaning and depth then we can focus on the key components required for comprehension, but they first need to understand the writing process (brainstorm, pre-write, revise-edit, publish - at the very least)

3.) The new vocabulary used effectively in new writing amplifies the comprehension of the learner, but they need to brainstorm to produce a sloppy copy to revise and edit before vocabulary can become the main focus. They have to learn the process first.