Enhancing Student Learning Through Writing: A Workshop for TAs

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Enhancing Student Learning Through WritingA
Workshop for TAs

• Thomas Hilgers
• Manoa Writing Program

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Todays Goals

• Add new writing activities to use in teaching
• Improve your strategies for helping students learn

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What Are Your Plans?

• Please write a few sentences that continue this
  beginning
• To help my students learn, Im planning to . . .

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• Reflection
• As you enter a classroom ask yourself this
  question If there were no students in the room,
  could I do what I am planning to do?
• If your answer to the question is yes, don't do
  it.
• Gen. Ruben Cubero, Dean of the Faculty, United
  States Air Force Academy

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Your turn . . .

• Look over what you just wrote. Does it include
  anything that students can learn without being in
  your classroom?

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Two Models of Teaching a) Traditional/Teacher-Ce
ntered

• Ways of teaching Ways of student learning
• Teacher Student
• Tells Listens
• Shows Observes
• Requests activity Performs/Does

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Two Models of Teachinga. Teacher-Centered
b. Student-Centered

• Teacher finds out what students know
• Teacher monitors students new knowledge/
  understanding
• Gives students opportunities to own content

• Tells students what
• to know

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Student-Centered Ideas for Using WRITING
ASSIGNMENTS

• Use writing activities/assignments to help
  students
• finish homework before class
• participate in class discussions
• become involved, engaged
• learn more, better

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1. Freewriting ( thinking on paper)

• Process write without stopping, censoring,
  re-reading, or revising
• --Gives students opportunities to
• Uncover previous knowledge
• Make connections
• Explore current thinking
• Generate ideas

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Freewriting

• Students write 3-10 minutes on topic, question,
  or issue
• Use before, during, or after a class discussion
• (End of class summarize main point)
• (Mid class wake up slow discussion)

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Freewriting sample prompts

• When bee colonies die off, . . .
• Inca civilization was unique in . . .
• Children under 3 learn best when . . .

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2. Knowledge Checks

• Students write answers to questions
• or complete a short activity
• - Before a new topic or activity
• - At bridge in studying new topic
• - At end of topic

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Knowledge Check Sample Questions

• Ethnic Studies Class on Hawaii
• How many people currently live in Hawaii?
• How many people lived in Hawaii in 1700?
• How many people lived in Hawaii in 1000?
• Global Environmental Science
• What factors contribute to the depletion of the
  ozone layer?
• For each factor, give a brief explanation of why
  it depletes the ozone.

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Knowledge check Benefits

• Before new activity Reveals students prior
  knowledge, beliefs, misconceptions
• Stimulates students new thinking
• Before new material, helps uncover students
  background knowledge

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Your turn . . .

• Half Write a freewriting prompt you can use in
  one of your classes.
• Half Write a Knowledge Check question you can
  use in your subject area.

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3. Admit Tickets

• Students write summary of assigned reading for
  admission to class
• Option Ask for summary plus response
• You set standard define summary, discuss model
  summary you provide
• Follow-up in-class activities
• --Use summary as jumping-off point for discussion
• --Groups share and decide on main points

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4. Minute Paper/Quickie Answers

• In class, students write answer to question in
  one minute
• When?
• --beginning of class (re homework reading)
• --end of class (re one topic from today)
• --after group work
• Why?
• Encourages reflection, active listening
• Reinforces concepts

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5. Response Log

• Students write
• --brief (1- to 3-minute) response to prompt in
  class OR
• --longer (100-300 word) response to prompt for
  homework
• --Use after in-class reading
• --Use after in-class or out-of-class reading or
  observation session

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Response Log Example - informal

• After discussing/reading/seeing article, video,
  moon rock,
• I know . . .
• I dont know . . . And Id like to know because .
  . .

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Response Log Example -- formal

• After homework or in-class reading, students
  complete
• The main question raised by author X is ...
• X assumes everyone knows/believes that
• The central idea raised is
• People are likely to agree with X if ...
• People are likely to disagree with X if ...

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6. Learning Log (Exit Ticket)

• On index card at end of class, each student
  writes
• One thing I got from class today (that I didnt
  get earlier is) . . .
• One question I have is . . .
• My question is important because . . .
• One thing I hope we cover next class is . . .
  because . . .

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7. Muddiest Point

• In the middle of or
• after class/discussion/group work, students
  answer this question
• What is/was the muddiest point so far in
  todays lecture?

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Your Turn . . . Please write on 3

• How could you use
• Admit Tickets
• Minute Papers
• Response Logs
• End of class Learning Logs
• Muddiest Point impromptus . . .
• in one of your courses this semester?

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What Are Your Plans?

• Please write a few sentences that continue this
  beginning
• To help my students learn, Im planning to . . .

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What Are Your Plans?

• Please write a few sentences that continue this
  beginning
• To help my students learn, Im planning to . . .

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• My question for you If there are no students in
  the room, could I do what I am planning to do?
• My hoped-for answer
• Of course not!

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Thank You!

• Thomas Hilgers
• Manoa Writing Program
• 956-6660
• www.mwp.hawaii.edu