Writing Assessment Writing Modules

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Writing Assessment Writing Modules

• Four-Week High School Course
• Elaboration
• Introductions and Conclusions

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Purpose

• To share teaching strategies that will help level
  2 students improve their expository and
  persuasive writing, including conventions, in
  order to meet standard on the writing portion of
  the WASL

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Regional Trainings

• April 25Mt. Vernon (Cotton Tree Inn)
• April 27Vancouver (Hilton)
• May 9Spokane (Red Lion Inn at the River)
• May 16Seattle (SeaTac Red Lion)
• May 17Wenatchee (Red Lion)
• May 18Yakima (Red Lion Central)
• Register on OSPI Events Manager Page

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Nuts and Bolts of Training

• A one-day training
• Time 830 a.m. 315 p.m.
• Cost 79.00 per person
• Training for 3 modules4 Week High School Course,
  Elaboration, and Introductions and Conclusions
• CDs for the 3 modules
• Also included lunch

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Who should attend?

• Teachers who will be teaching the 4-Week High
  School summer module
• Teachers who will be planning the use of the
  modules in classrooms for this next school year

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Why attend regional workshop?

• Teacher benefits
• Understand the three writing PowerPoints
• Learn and apply the strategies and hands-on
  activities
• Learn how to access teacher notes and document
  folders

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Overview

• Four weeks
• Minimum of two hours a day
• Additional instruction for students just missing
  standard

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Delivery System

• PowerPoint
• Slides designed for student instruction
• Shown with projector, or
• Copied to transparencies
• Detailed teacher directions
• Document Folder to include necessary handouts,
  scoring guides, checklists, pre/post writing
  samples

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Delivery System

• Student materials within the class
• Working folders for formative/summative writing
  assignments
• Writing notebooks or journals for reflections,
  daily writing assignments
• Student goal setting forms
• Active learning
• Whole group, partners, individual work

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Who should teach the class?

• Teachers who understand how to teach writing
• Papers to score overnight (Use Expository and
  Persuasive Checklists)
• Feedback on writing during class
• Teachers who are comfortable working with
  struggling students
• Helping students feel capable
• Working to get them unstuck
• Teachers who are comfortable with different
  approaches
• Groups, pairs, conferences
• Activities, hands-on projects, discussion
• Goal setting based on feedback

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Course Structure

• Week 1 Choosing, narrowing, and organizing
  topics for expository writing
• Week 2 Elaboration in expository writing
• Week 3 Persuasive writing, including
  elaboration
• Week 4 Introductions and conclusions,
  application to independent work, evaluation of
  progress
• All four weeks stress correct conventions.

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Assessments

• Course
• Baseline formative assessment on Day 1
• Summative assessment in week 4
• Each week
• Formative Assessments on Monday
• Summative Assessments on Friday

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10 Drama - Pre and Post Writing Sample

• Pre
• Student A first draft
• Besides helping to forget the problems life
  throws at us for awhile, acting is a fun learning
  experience. You get to pose as characters who
  are much different from yourself. You can be
  heroes or villains. Acting is also good because
  for a short period of time, get to walk in
  someone elses shoes. With acting, you can be
  whatever you like.
• Score of 2

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Drama-Pre -- Annotation

• Score of 2
• The writer include details in a list (heroes,
  villains)
• Some concern for audience is evident (You get to
  poseYou can be heroes)
• Support throughout is limited (who are much
  different from yourself).
• The opening sentence begins with a phrase
  (Besides helping to forget the problems life
  throws at us for awhile,.. ) and the last
  sentence begins with a prepositional phrase (with
  acting,)
• The paragraph seems somewhat complete in that it
  has an opening and a closing.

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Post

• Student A revision
• Besides helping to forget the problems life
  throws at us for awhile, like bad grades on a
  test or fighting with your girlfriend, acting is
  a fun learning experience. You get to pose as
  characters who are much different from you, such
  as Vin Diesel, Ryan Atwood, or even Harry Potter.
  My friend Benjamin, who goes to Metro High
  School, had to play a really geeky guy in our
  schools production of Bye Bye Birdie.
  Actually, hes popular and plays drums in a band
  and could be a poster boy for Abercrombie. Acting
  is also good because for a short period of time,
  you get to walk in someone elses shoes yourself.
  You can be an evil janitor, Martin Luther King,
  or a giant mouse. With acting you can be whatever
  you like.
• Score of 4

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Drama-Post -- Annotation

• Score of 4
• The support is clear, relevant, and connected.
  The writer uses the strategies of anecdote (my
  friend Benjamin), example (he plays drumsevil
  janitor), and description (could be a poster boy
  for Abercrombie).
• The writer demonstrates awareness of audience by
  using names as examples that would be familiar to
  a wide age range of adults (Martin Luther King,
  Vin Diesel, Ryan Atwood).
• Clear and relevant elaboration is found within
  sentences. The writer uses an appositive (who
  goes to Metro High School).
• Each sentence provides a layer of explanation of
  how acting is a fun learning experience, moving
  from personal to more general information.
• The elaboration feels complete for the audience
  and purpose.

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Try it out

• Overview of Week 2
• Elaboration

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Definition of Elaboration

• Elaboration means to tell the reader more using
• Specific words
• Extensions (phrases, clauses)
• Onion-like layering of detail
• Specific strategies, e.g., anecdotes or scenario,
  lists for specificity, examples, definitions,
  descriptions, quotations, statistics, and facts.

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Elaboration Strategies

• ANECDOTES - a short narrative inserted into an
  essay that develops an idea or argument
• SCENARIO - hypothetical situation or event
• EXAMPLES - more specific information about an
  idea
• DEFINITIONS - restatement of an unfamiliar word
  or phrase to tell what it means
• STATISTICS and FACTS - the numbers (data) and
  information that help support your idea or
  argument
• QUOTATIONS - words someone says that can help
  support your idea or argument
• DESCRIPTIONS - a way to create vivid images for
  the reader- Show, not just tell, your reader. Be
  specific with your word choice. Try to create an
  image that appeals to your readers senses.

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What does elaboration look like?

• ANECDOTES -- An anecdote is a short
  narrative/story inserted into an essay to support
  and develop an idea or argument. This sounds
  like. . .

Hey, I remember the time when I had to carry my .
. .
Once when I was in middle school, the kids would
always. . .
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Develop your point with an anecdote.

• Student Sample
• You cant give up, Jack. I remember one time
  when I played on the high school baseball team.
  We were losing, and it was the 8th inning.
  Everyone was getting discouraged, and then the
  coach said, BOYS! Youve got to RALLY here!
  Turn your ball caps around and GET OUT THERE!
  So, Jack, turn your ball cap I mean ATTITUDE --
  around and get out there!

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ANECDOTES - your turn

• Do you remember any teacher who told many stories
  as they were teaching? Or parents who told
  stories about when they were young?
• What story might you tell about walking the halls
  in your school or eating in the cafeteria?

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Two Extended Modules

• Elaboration
• Introductions and Conclusions
• Grade 6-10