Using Free Writing to Reclaim Voice Kellie R. Heckert North Star of Texas Writing Project Summer 2005 9/20/2018

Your Writing History What were your positive writing experiences? When did they occur? What were your negative writing experiences? When did they occur? 9/20/2018

Negative Writing Experiences How have they affected your writing? Have they affected your attitude(s) about writing? 9/20/2018

Free Writing What do you already know about it? Stream of consciousness Try it! 9/20/2018

Theory Base Freedom of choice does not undercut structure (Atwell 1994). Voice is the writer’s presence on the page (Romano 2004). 9/20/2018

My Initial Questions & Problems Student writing was dry and formulaic Student writing lacked voice Students had little to no concept of writing for pleasure and/or for themselves Without voice, helping them to improve their writing was like making a soufflé out of a stale saltine Without emotional investment and some pleasure, TEKS and TAKS requirements were harder to fulfill 9/20/2018

Voiceless writing is addressed “to whom it may concern” (Graves 1994). 9/20/2018

My Students’ Stories, My Stories Lower elementary writing was fun! A.J., Juan and The Girls 9/20/2018

Student Insights “I’ve never written this much in my life.” “Writing helps me deal with things.” “I didn’t know I had so many stories in my head.” “Writing is supposed to be fun when you’re little, but not when you’re older. Then it’s serious.” 9/20/2018

ELA TEKS Addressed by Free Writing 15A-Write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect on ideas, problem solve 18A-Generate ideas and plans for writing by using pre-writing strategies 18B-Develop drafts by categorizing ideas, organizing them into paragraphs, and blending paragraphs with larger units of text 9/20/2018

TAKS Writing Criteria Score Point 1: The writer does not engage the reader, therefore failing to establish a connection. The composition does not sound authentic… (They engage me constantly, they are some of the most unique people I have ever met, and connections? We have TONS of connections…) 9/20/2018

TAKS Writing Criteria Score Point 2: There may be moments when the writer engages the reader but fails to sustain the connection. (Maybe, but for the most part, their voices sustain a connection with me even when I’m not at school…) 9/20/2018

TAKS Writing Criteria Score Point 3: The writer engages the reader and sustains that connection throughout most of the composition (Getting closer here…) Score Point 4: The writer engages the reader and sustains that connection throughout the composition (YES! Now they’re describing my kids!) 9/20/2018

Literacy involves the written AND spoken word. They HAVE voices Literacy involves the written AND spoken word. They HAVE voices. Where do they go when they write? 9/20/2018

[Peter] Elbow felt it was crucial to separate composing from editing: writers should first write freely to get their ideas down in an unrestricted fashion….(Dornan, Rosen, & Wilson 2003). 9/20/2018

Collaborative Reflection What can you use with your own students? How would free writing have to be modified for your students? How do you feel about free writing when it comes to your own generation of topics/ideas? 9/20/2018

Bibliography Atwell, Nancie. (1998). In the middle: new understandings about writing, reading, and learning. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook Publishers, Inc. Dornan, R., Rosen, L., & Wilson, M. (2003). Within and beyond the writing process in the secondary English classroom. New York: Pearson Education Group, Inc. Graves, Donald. (1994). A fresh look at writing. Ontario, Canada: Irwin Publishing. Romano, Tom. (2004). Crafting authentic voice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Publishing. 9/20/2018