An NZATE resource

Aims of BETA presentation Introduce purpose of resource Take you through the resource. Show some examples. Note: Examples and IFTE presentation by the co- author Shaun Hawthorne can be found on BETA wiki and NZATE web site. Links: NZATE web site BETA wiki: betateachers.wikispaces.com

Facts about writing in NZ NEMP Statistics 2002 & 2006: Yr 8 students – writing ranked 10 th out of 12 school tasks Girls score better than boys on over 85% of tasks. Boys less positive than girls in attitudes towards writing. Attitude declines with age. Maori and PI students score less well on 39% of tasks In Focus Statistics 2006: Many secondary age students are not improving beyond curriculum level 3 in writing.

Introduction to the resource Teacher’s Book Resource Introduction to resource and a Section 1,a brief history of teaching writing in NZ pg 12 Section 2. Evidence from research for effective practices in teaching writing pg 19 Effective practices in the assessment practices for writing pg 39 Links to the NZC’s effective pedagogies pg45 Classroom examples for each of the identified effective practices pg 50 Section 4 describing a few examples of particular approaches in more detail pg 74 4

DVD of Effective Practices 2.5 hours of footage were taken in 4 classes over 4 or 5 points in each teacher’s class during Range from year 9 to year 12 Two ways of viewing examples of teacher practice 1. View by classroom and teacher – about 35mins for each of four classrooms and teachers from Yr 9 – View by practice – two or three brief extracts from the different classes that relate specifically to one of the practices 5

The Introduction Synthesis of effective practice in NZ. Based on four key studies. Myhill, D., et al (2008). Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Alton-Lee, A. (2003) Langer, J. (2002). An aid to helping departments reflect on their current writing practices Gives real evidence and approaches 6

Section 1Brief History From pre 1970 to Development and trends in writing. e.g 5 paragraph essay. Trends in 21 st Century Conflict between more common short answers tasks as opposed to required longer analytical essays. 7

Section 2 Review of Effective Practices in teaching writing. Synthesis of findings of some of the significant studies into teaching writing to adolescent aged students. 2 overarching aspects “What” “How” 7 key practices to aid teaching writing. 8

Instruction clearly describes the learning intentions and success criteria for each writing task. Instruction involves students in collaborative approaches. Instruction allows for individual, goal-directed work and inquiry. Instruction makes connections across and between: texts, text types, content and students’ own lives.

Instruction emphasises that writing is a process – i.e. requires students to work through the planning, drafting and revising stages of writing. Instruction involves students in learning strategies that help them manage the many processes involved in producing writing. Feedback is specific and mainly focused on the particular writing task and strategies/ procedures that students are learning.

Section 3 Classroom Examples of Effective Teacher Practices What does each practice means? Some classroom examples Some other activities that work What doesn’t work Backed up by DVD 11

Section from DVD Lynda McTaggart’s Year 9 class introduction to poetry – First 10 min or so of ‘School # 1’ Discussion point. What does Lynda do that is effective? 12

Some key principles/beliefs that underpin effective teaching of writing are: Writing is an essential skill that students need if they are to participate meaningfully and successfully in the modern world What teachers do makes a difference to how well students learn to write All students are able to improve their writing Students learn best in a supportive and nurturing environment Students’ own interests, backgrounds and goals are important to acknowledge and include in writing programmes Effective writing is linked to effective reading and oracy

Four types of knowledge writers need to write well ‘Genre’ knowledge this involves developing student knowledge and understanding of the key text types and forms that they will encounter in their lives and schooling and that they need to be able to reproduce to succeed in the 21 st century. Strategic knowledge this involves developing student knowledge of and skill in using strategies that help them to effectively manage the many different demands of the writing process.

Linguistic knowledge this involves developing student knowledge of and skill in using increasingly sophisticated and complex vocabulary, language resources, literary devices, sentence constructions and grammatical control. Content knowledge this involves developing student knowledge of the subjects and topics that they are required to write about.

Section from DVD Emphasising that writing is a process. Effective practice 6 Discussion What has been shown or exemplified in these two examples 16

Section 4 Appendices.  Lesson sequences teaching a writing skill Linked to effective practices and knowledge pupils are acquiring. Examples include: Response to text essay for yr9/10 A breakdown of the strategies connected to the effective practices 17

Supplementary slides A summary from some key studies about effective ways of teaching writing that show the evidence behind the seven practices. 18

From: “Writing: Teachers and Children at Work” 20th Anniversary Edition (Graves, 2003)

Outline of Feedback Steps – from Jennifer Glenn’s process Teacher gives specific feedback linked to success criteria and goals for writing task to enable students to know what they did well and where they can improve. Student interprets teacher feedback into own words so that they are processing teacher feedback and showing they understand it. Student records how they feel about the feedback so that s/he and the teacher can understand how they feel about this feedback. Student makes a small number of new goals for next attempt at (same kind of) writing to improve in some areas and develop in areas of strength Teacher checks student interpretation of feedback, feelings and goals to make sure the intent of their feedback and feed-forward is understood Record of the feedback is kept for later review and to document progress.

How to respond to student work

Ten ideas on how you could use this resource in PD in your department… 1. Have a session like this one to introduce the key ideas and the resource to everyone. 2. At each of seven department PD mtgs play one of the seven effective practice examples and discuss – also copy and read the information about that practice from the teacher’s book resource. In addition you could look at Appendix 3 and the suggested activities that link to each practice. Discuss how the department could improve their work on this practice. 3. Give everyone a copy of different sections from the teachers’ resource to read before a dept. PD mtg and then discuss the ideas and implications. Could view related segments from the DVD. 4. Watch each of the ‘Play by School’ options in 4 department PD mtgs and discuss the things you notice and take from the work of each of the teachers. 22

Contd… 5. Look at the section on Assessment in the teacher’s book and discuss this in relation to the practices your department adopts in relation to writing. 6. Look at how the ideas link to the NZC pedagogies by reading this short section in the book. 7. Give everyone a copy of Appendix 3 as a resource to help with planning. 8. Copy and discuss the ideas in Appendix 1 and/or 2 and see how applicable they may be to the work of your department. 9. Make copies of the Lit Review of the resource for those teachers interested in following up on the research evidence or further studies that support each practice. 10. Use the principles, 4 areas of knowledge and skill and the seven effective practices (+ ideas from Appendix 3 and each of the Classroom examples summaries etc) as a tool or lens through which you can review your department’s writing programme and units… 23

To sum up. HUGE resource Valuable data and insight into current trends in writing Practical Gives valuable PD as a department or year team. Easily broken down – manageable. Available now! Order forms or NZATE web site. Personal reading exemplars available. Oral presentation exemplars coming soon