Unit 1.3: Strategies for Implementation
Unit Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Evaluate the various forms and strategies/activities of writing to learn presented in this unit.
- Exemplify ways to incorporate writing-to-learn strategies in the classroom.
How can we apply different writing-to-learn activities in the classroom?
Access Knipper and Duggan's article (2006) here. The article:
- highlighted the lifelong benefits of encouraging students to engage in writing activities that allows them to recall, refine and question what they know about a topic,
- Introduced and described an eclectic set of instructional writing strategies and substantial resources to do so as they prepare for the lesson and reading assignments. Some of the strategies Knipper & Duggan (2006) enumerated include learning logs, structured note taking, listen-stop-and-write, and quick writes. They also provided sample templates of most of these strategies.
- delineated strategies that support students in summarizing and reviewing the lesson content. One of which was microthemes, whereby students write short, informal essays to summarize and explore main ideas in response to the reading. Since these are often presented on index cards, students would also have review notes for any upcoming formative or summative assessments (Knipper & Duggan, 2006). One student commented: “microthemes help me to think more in depth in a specific area” (p. 466). The emphasis in this case is depth rather than length, which further encourages the student to clarify a concept and their way of thinking carefully and concisely.
As you scan through the article and the delineated tools and strategies, consider the following questions:
What new tools and strategies can I apply to my next lesson?
What strategy will help me understand my students' learning needs and current level of knowledge?
What strategies are most suitable for my students at this point in their learning? How will they benefit from them?
How can I adjust a strategy/tool/template to better fit my teaching style?
Activity: Design your own WtL Classroom Activity!
Check out this blog post by a Primary School Science teacher on WtL activities with slow writing!
Now that you have looked at several examples and cases of WtL applications, it's time to create your own activity that you deem suitable for your lesson, or a certain concept you plan to introduce, and for students in your classroom. You may decide to employ one of the strategies presented in this unit or design your own.
Important reminder as you develop the activity: a unique feature of writing-to-learn is its versatility, in that it can be manifested in diverse styles and forms. While the writing activities involved may encourage learners to hone and develop their writing skills, they do not necessarily entail the process writing stages the teacher and student typically go through to produce an end product.
Post the WtL activity on the bulletin board on Padlet. Make sure to explore and comment on your peers' posts and activities. Let's spread the light of knowledge all around! Click here to access the board.
Activity: Journal Entry
This is your final reflection in this mini course. How has your understanding changed of writing-to-learn versus learning to write? Have you developed any new perspectives and ideas about writing to learn? How did this course help bring about these changes? What are some unresolved, lingering questions you still may have and how do you plan to seek further information to address them?
Click here to start your journaling exercise: Journal entry
Links
Want to go back to the home page of this course? Visit Writing-to-learn in Teaching STEM for Understanding