1. Collins Writing Type One What it is….. “Thinking through the pencil” All or nothing grading. Don’t collect it. Students are accountable for the # of lines or amount of time given. (I prefer # of lines!) PLN addition-All type ones should be read aloud to a partner.

2. Advantages of type one It encourages accountability, rewards habit and builds stamina. It is low threat and easy to get a “good grade”. It is a way for reluctant students to engage. Reading aloud develops the first tool of revision-hearing what you wrote. 4-6pportunities a day are recommended for H.S. students

3. Type one writing What are you doing now? What else could you try?

4. Collins type two writing What it is….. A short written quiz, type two writing checks for students’ understanding. Always a paragraph, not a list Ask for number of things not number of lines. Students do not read to a partner. They reread silently and highlight and number responses.

5. Collins type two…. Grade on a 0-4 scale.(4=perfect,0=didn’t do) This can be done quickly. It’s fast! Return them to students and put answers on the overhead. Have students correct their own and resubmit. The writing most connected to improving learning. It also strengthens retrieval. Frank Dempster, U of FLA, says there is a 48 hr window between reading and writing for new info to be processed.

6. Collins type three…. Similar to type two but it includes Focus correction areas. 3 FCAs per piece is recommended for H.S. students. There are variations. (Take a look at the W. Deptford writing assessment in course docs) This is a great opportunity to use mini paragraphs or other templates.

7. Collins type three….. Tells kids how to get better the most authentic academic writing kids do

8. John Collins says, “Focus correcting saves grading time and helps students consider the quality of the paper in relationship to a few clearly specified criteria rather than an infinite number of highly subjective criteria.”

9. Advantages of FCAs- Focuses instruction: you teach what you grade. Facilitates writing across the curriculum: provides consistency in expectation and practice. Saves teacher time: you don’t grade everything. Focuses feedback: easier to highlight and correct weaknesses.

10. For best result FCAs should be- Systematic (vertically articulated) Limited Include a mix of criteria (content, organization, style, mechanics)

11. FCAs for Content area teachers- What’s most important in your area? What types of things are most related to standardized testing in your area? Example: Clearly stated reasons:30 pts 2 relevant examples for each reason:60 pts Correct use of capitalization:10 pts