Motivating Students to Write: The Sky is the Limit Carolyn L. Cook Ph. D. Selene Rayho, Ellen Rocha, Elizabeth Smith Mount St. Mary’s University SoMIRAC Hunt Valley, MD April 1,

Overview of the Workshop Motivation Motivation Creating a Learning Community Creating a Learning Community Theoretical Foundation Theoretical Foundation Activities and Practice Activities and Practice Conclusion Conclusion 2

Motivation How to motivate students? How to motivate students? Choice and control Choice and control Novelty Novelty Social interaction Social interaction Feedback and response Feedback and response Attainable success Attainable success Interest Interest Real world experiences/relevancy Real world experiences/relevancy Positive learning atmosphere Positive learning atmosphere (Williams, Hendrick, & Tuschinski, 2008) 3

A Learning Community A classroom environment where knowledge is constructed collaboratively among novice and expert learners (Wells & Wells-Chang, 1992) A classroom environment where knowledge is constructed collaboratively among novice and expert learners (Wells & Wells-Chang, 1992) Interactive dialogue among students and with the teacher Interactive dialogue among students and with the teacher Valuing and caring for others Valuing and caring for others 4

Theoretical Foundation Writing Social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978) Social interaction (Vygotsky, 1978) Scaffolding by teacher (Bruner, 1990) Scaffolding by teacher (Bruner, 1990) Collaborative activity (Wells & Wells-Chang, 1992) Collaborative activity (Wells & Wells-Chang, 1992) Use of Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978) Use of Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978) 5

Important Aspects for Teaching Writing Social dialogue Skills and strategies Critical perspec- tives 6 LearningCommunity

Using Social Dialogue Definition Definition Peer and teacher talk Peer and teacher talk Goal Goal To aid creativity, spark ideas, support editing process To aid creativity, spark ideas, support editing process Strategy Strategy Memory Chain Activity Memory Chain Activity Using pictures to assist brainstorming Using pictures to assist brainstorming Conferring with a partner Conferring with a partner 7

Memory Chain (Dorfman & Cappelli, 2007) Summer Summer Driving to the beach with the windows Driving to the beach with the windows down down Collecting sea shells with my sisters Collecting sea shells with my sisters Walking 10 blocks to get ice cream every Walking 10 blocks to get ice cream every night night Hiding our lunch from the sea gulls Hiding our lunch from the sea gulls 8

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Activity Create your own Memory Chain Create your own Memory Chain Start with: The Park Start with: The Park Share your best story idea with a partner Share your best story idea with a partner Conferring points Conferring points Listen to your partner Listen to your partner Ask questions or make comments Ask questions or make comments Clarify and elaborate ideas Clarify and elaborate ideas Write on your paper 1-2 suggestions that could use to improve your story Write on your paper 1-2 suggestions that could use to improve your story 14

Teaching Skills and Strategies Definition (Routman, 2005) Definition (Routman, 2005) Writing to learn the skills and strategies (whole to part instruction) Writing to learn the skills and strategies (whole to part instruction) Use of mini-lessons and mentor texts Use of mini-lessons and mentor texts Feedback from conferencing (noticing & naming) Feedback from conferencing (noticing & naming) Goal is to utilize specific skills and strategies Goal is to utilize specific skills and strategies Teaching Strategy Teaching Strategy Hand Map Hand Map 15

Hand Map (Dorfman & Cappelli, 2007) Lightning share various emotions Lightning share various emotions Trace your hand Trace your hand Remember all your park experiences Remember all your park experiences Write an emotion on each finger Write an emotion on each finger Off each finger write a phrase or word referring to a time when you felt that way Off each finger write a phrase or word referring to a time when you felt that way Now you have many story ideas from which to write Now you have many story ideas from which to write 16

Engaging in Critical Perspectives Definition Definition A stance or attitude to encourage social responsibility A stance or attitude to encourage social responsibility Deconstructing the normal and reconstructing it through “other” eyes Deconstructing the normal and reconstructing it through “other” eyes Goal is to address issues of fairness, power, and social justice Goal is to address issues of fairness, power, and social justice Seeing multiple viewpoints Seeing multiple viewpoints Result Result Change in self and action to help others Change in self and action to help others 17

Anthony Browne

Before Reading Overview of the 4 voices Overview of the 4 voices Mother Mother Dad Dad Charles Charles Smudge Smudge Preview the text Preview the text What do you notice about the pictures? What do you notice about the pictures? What questions do you have? What questions do you have? What predictions can you make? What predictions can you make? 19

During Reading Think about your questions and predictions Think about your questions and predictions Adjust your thinking as you read Adjust your thinking as you read Focus questions Focus questions What do you learn about each character? What do you learn about each character? What ideas are challenged? What ideas are challenged? Read with your group Read with your group Use both pictures and text to make meaning Use both pictures and text to make meaning 20

After Reading Discussion Complete the Graphic Organizer Complete the Graphic Organizer Use it to spur discussion on the story Use it to spur discussion on the story How do you feel about the characters? Why? How do you feel about the characters? Why? How would you interact with the characters if you were at the park? How would you interact with the characters if you were at the park? Why do the dogs seem to have more fun than the people? Why do the dogs seem to have more fun than the people? 21

Writing Promoting critical perspective through writing with a goal to take action to change unfairness or injustices Promoting critical perspective through writing with a goal to take action to change unfairness or injustices Possible prompts Possible prompts Relate Voices in the Park to when you visit a park Relate Voices in the Park to when you visit a park Relate Voices in the Park to recess time Relate Voices in the Park to recess time Relating writing to social issues that students face via children’s literature (Heffernan, 2004) Relating writing to social issues that students face via children’s literature (Heffernan, 2004) 22

What would Victoria say about her day in the park? What would Victoria say about her day in the park? 23 What would Victoria see? What would Victoria smell? What would Victoria taste? What would Victoria touch? What would Victoria hear?

More Writing Prompts Pick a voice from the story and write a journal entry reflecting your day at the park. Pick a voice from the story and write a journal entry reflecting your day at the park. Compare and contrast the families Compare and contrast the families How would the story be different if the two families had both been from the same social class? How would the story be different if the two families had both been from the same social class? How would the book be different if the voices were in another order? How would the book be different if the voices were in another order? 24

A Day in the Park A modified lesson

In the park I see _________. In the park I hear _________. In the park I feel _________.

Motivating Your Students to Write Create a learning community Create a learning community Positive learning atmosphere Positive learning atmosphere Choice and control Choice and control Allow social dialogue Allow social dialogue Interaction with peers & teacher Interaction with peers & teacher Teach skills and strategies Teach skills and strategies Feedback and response Feedback and response Attainable success Attainable success Encourage critical perspectives Encourage critical perspectives Real world experiences/relevancy Real world experiences/relevancy Interest Interest 27

Conclusion “We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone…and whatever happens is the results of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that create something” (Former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, 2007) 28

Bridging to Your Classroom How can you implement these ideas into your classroom? How can you implement these ideas into your classroom? Write Write What will you try next week? What will you try next week? What will you implement later when you are more comfortable with it? What will you implement later when you are more comfortable with it? 29

References Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc. Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Dorfman, L. & Cappelli, R. (2007). Mentor texts: Teaching writing through children’s literature, K-6. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Heffernan, L. (2004). Critical literacy and writer’s workshop: Bringing purpose and passion to student writing. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Routman, R. (2005). Writing essentials: Raising expectations and results while simplifying teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wells, G. & Chang-Wells, G. (1992). Constructing knowledge together: Classrooms as centers of inquiry and literacy. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 30

Motivating Students to Write: The Sky is the Limit Carolyn L. Cook Ph. D. Selene Rayho, Ellen Rocha, Elizabeth Smith Mount St. Mary’s University SoMIRAC Hunt Valley, MD April 1,