Writer’s Workshop UW 131 Unit 1

Setting It Up Course Intro – beginning of the year College entrance essay assignment Composition course description – outcomes assignment This was roughly week two or three into the year First assignment was College essay Formative lesson on the outcomes – Explain like I’m five assignment

Writer’s Workshop Dartmouth College “Ways of Reading” – approaches to collaborative revision https://writing-speech.dartmouth.edu/teaching/first-year- writing-pedagogies-methods-design/diagnosing-and- responding-student-writing Drafts almost due: have students read this page on Dartmouth’s site as homework. It explains how to respond to student writing thoughtfully We brainstormed past experienced that students had that were less than helpful on the board Found a PDF called “Ways of Reading” on this site – made it available to kids and had them read it before going through my own essay (my project proposal from my CE senior year) – students took notes on items that were positives of peer review – basically set norms for the class procedure

Model Sample written piece – someone in class or your own! Share steps of Workshop Found a PDF called “Ways of Reading” on this site – made it available to kids and had them read it before going through my own essay (my project proposal from my CE senior year) Create a seminar style fishbowl setting – group of four or five goes through the process with teacher sample Win points by showing students your own past writing! 

Writer’s Workshop Tuning Protocol: Presentation (3 minutes) – Writer shares their work and supporting materials; participants are silent Clarifying Questions (3 minutes) – Participants preview the work and ask clarifying questions in order to get information that may have been missed/omitted to better understand the work Examining the Work (10 minutes) – Participants look closely at the work, making notes on where it seems to be “in tune” with the goals and where there might be disconnect; presenter is REMOVED and silent Pause to Reflect (2 minutes) – Participants individually review their notes silently Feedback (10 minutes) – Participants share feedback with each other, while the presenter is silent and takes notes Reflection (2 minutes) – Presenter rejoins the group and shares their thinking – not defending 2 Days (if in groups of four): Begin the Tuning protocol with students (idea: show your own writing entrance essay as a model with the whole class!) Following days should be kids using this protocol for each others’ work. First year doing this…Kids kinda rushed through the protocol (perhaps due to rushed modeling). It seems they may have reverted back to same feedback style. May need to REALLY push for following the directions. During feedback – have the participant sit further away from the group (kids directing the feedback to the person “YOU” statements rather than objective feedback). Loved the discussions regardless…kids gave really specific feedback and balanced strengths and weaknesses. After redirecting, kids followed the protocol pretty closely, which seemed to work pretty well. They still go faster than the allotted times, but that is okay considering time constraints of the course.

Things WE’ve Learned… Students become faster reviewers Students become more familiar with the language of the outcomes Groups need to change each time Students require reminders of the protocol Ill-prepared students do not earn Workshop feedback

Feedback? Questions? Comments?