Good Morning! Welcome Back to the Second Saturday of our Writing Academy “I’m writing. Please join me.” We will start this morning by doing some journaling. Write on whatever you like, or write on an amazing student that you have.

A Writing Process Exercise CollectPlanDevelop

Getting Set Up Please form into groups of THREE Find a group with people you did not come with or do not know—expand your horizons Grab five 3x5 cards from the center of your table Get a pen or pencil ready Move quickly—we start in three minutes

Attitude is more important than skills Writing should be fun. Failure is normal since writing is a series of experiments in finding meaning. Laugh at your own failures. There is no right or wrong, just what works and doesn’t work in the context of your evolving draft. The rules of this exercise can be broken. This is play—significant, profound play

Card 1: COLLECT On the first card, COLLECT specific details about some subject of interest by writing them down. Don’t worry about sentences, spelling, or punctuation—just get the details down. Move quickly. Specifics may center on one topic or wander all over. Possible topics? A current question or problem you have? A topic you have a deep interest in? Something related to teaching and writing? --3 to 4 minutes

Processing Card 1: Collect Go back over what you’ve scratched down Circle anything that is surprising Draw arrows between details that relate to each other The surprises and connections may indicate an area where writing is waiting to be written.

Response Groups Roles Writer Starts, shares card and makes the first response to the text, voices questions, needs. Teacher Responds to writers observations and questions Observer Gains by watching, does not participate Rotate roles, about 2 minutes per writer Three people per group

Card 2: PLAN Look at the first card and PLAN by deciding the focus, the single most important thing you may have to say. Write this focus on the second card This focus may change as you write! Write for 2-3 minutes about this focus Return to Triad Groups and follow the same response group procedure on Card 2

Response Groups on Card 2 Roles Writer Starts, shares card and makes the first response to the text, voices questions, needs. Teacher Responds to writers observations and questions Observer Gains by watching, does not participate Rotate roles, about 2 minutes per writer Three people per group

Card 3: PLAN by rehearsing Write a few sentences on your focus in different voices to hear which one is appropriate. What is voice? Voice is simply the way writing sounds. --it’s the attitude, emotion, vantage point that’s expressed in the language

Response Groups on Card 3 You know the drill! Rotate roles, about 2 minutes per writer

Card 4: PLAN by designing PLAN by designing the piece you may write. You could draft the first sentence, what may be in the last sentence, and then indicate some landmarks that may help you find your way from beginning to end. You could sketch a diagram or make a scratch outline Design the structure and direction of your writing piece.

Response Groups on Card 4 Once again. Last time! Rotate roles, about 2 minutes per writer

Card 5: DEVELOP Now DEVELOP your draft following your design. Write fast. Keep the draft moving: put “TK” for “to come” in the text where there is a fact or quotation missing

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