Transcript More WRITING NOT More Grading

More student writing
without more grading…
…leaves
more time for content.
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Discipline-specific writing can
help students think on paper like
chemists, philosophers, historians,
mathematicians, sociologists,etc….
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Slow down your own thinking to
examine assumptions and make the
patterns visible to yourself and your
students.
Give students frequent opportunities
to practice writing in the discipline.
Create short, ungraded writing tasks
out of the patterns of thinking and
writing in your discipline.
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Why do ungraded writing?
Patterns of Academic Discourse
vary among disciplines
 are not transparent or
intuitively evident to novice
writers
 need to be practiced
 can be learned by doing
short, low stakes writing
tasks
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Ungraded writing can
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focus students’ attention on
important course content
give students space to think before
class discussions
provide opportunities to summarize,
analyze, synthesize readings,
discussions, lectures
let prof. give timely, formative, “inprocess,” feedback to help students
with next steps in learning
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Ungraded Writing Tasks
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focused free
writing
McFeely’s
“Minute Around”
mid-class “Break
Writing”
end-of-class
session
feedback in
writing
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reflective writing
about readings
one paragraph
intro/thesis/abstract
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writing partners/
peer reviewers
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Focused free writing:
SHORT, SPONTANEOUS
GRAMMAR ETC. UNIMPORTANT
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Pose a question.
What question/goals do students
have for today’s class?
Ask what students know about
today’s topic.
Use pictures, charts, data sets and
ask students to explain or draw
conclusions.
Ask students to summarize important
points from previous class.
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McFeely’s “Minute Around”
after focused free-write
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Students talk one-minute each
on ideas in the free writing.
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Timekeeper w/ sweep-hand
watch is student who just talked.
Prof. records ideas on board or
paper.
GENERALLY, MOST IDEAS and
ISSUES YOU WANT to EMPHASIZE
will TURN UP in the MINUTE
AROUND.
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Mid-class “break writing”
An opportunity for students to
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draw conclusions or put general
principles in their own words
note questions they want to ask
in class or during office hours
and/or tutoring sessions
TWPS: think, write, pair-up,
share ideas with classmates
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Class Closers:
End-of-class feedback for prof.
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How did today’s work fit in with your
overall understanding of the subject?
What questions do you still have
about….? What do you want to know
more about?
Summarize/synthesize important
ideas from today’s class
How effectively were your goals met
today?
What goal(s) do you have for next
assignment(s)?
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Outside of class reflective writing
on readings, discussions, projects
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posted to SOCS
shared with study/writing/project
group
used as building blocks for
drafting longer assignment
spot-checked by Prof. for “done”
or for formative feedback
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Intro/thesis/abstract paragraph
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Outside of class, students write
draft of one significant
paragraph for upcoming paper.
Prof. reads and suggests
narrowing/broadening focus
 more appropriate direction,
strategies, organization pattern
 using Write Place conferences to
develop/support ideas and attend
to correctness problems
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Writing partners/peer reviewers
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sharing drafts for constructive
feedback from classmate
conference with Write Place
tutor
questions:
thesis/claim/position?
 support/development?
 appropriate citation form?
 all assignment criteria met?
 correctness (grammar,
punctuation, format, diction,
spelling, etc.)
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