Writing and Thinking Across the Curriculum

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Writing and Thinking Across the Curriculum

• Basic Skills Panel
• _at_MSJC Academy
• August 13, 2007

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Our Challenge

• The literature on developmental learning
  generally asserts that writing must become an
  essential part of the community college framework
  because it is the critical link between thinking
  and learning, rather than being taught as an
  isolated skill set. According to Hughes, If
  writing is connected to thinking, it then becomes
  the domain of all teachers, not just those in
  English departments (1986, 174) (BSI 40).

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We Cant Wait . . .

• Unless students are challenged to think
  critically, even while they develop fundamental
  skills, they cannot begin to create the necessary
  cognitive framework to address their collegiate
  studies (BSI 39-40).
• Boylan (2002) observes that students are rarely
  exposed to instruction in critical thinking in
  high school (BSI 18).

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The Three Rs

• Reading
• Writing
• Arithmetic
• (ESL)
• These are still the key areas for the instruction
  of critical thinking (see BSI pp. 41-49).

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The New Three Rs

• Rigor
• Relevance
• Relationship

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Todays Journey

• Background/Theory
• Sample class session
• Discussion about technology
• Final thoughts on change

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Some Assumptions

• Any student is capable of participation
• Students are happiest when they are working
  actively
• Process is just as important as product

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Two Orders of Thinking

• First order thinking intuitive and creative and
  doesnt strive for conscious direction or
  control.
• Second order thinking conscious, directed,
  controlled.
• Peter Elbow, Teaching Two Kinds of Thinking by
  Teaching Writing (Embracing Contraries
  Explorations in Learning and Teaching, NY 1986)

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Habits of Mind

• Exploratory
• Narrative/Poetic
• Analytical
• Metacognitive/Process/Reflective
• Metacognition refers to the students awareness
  of their own learning and thinking processes
  (BSI 40).
• Helps with transition from concrete to abstract
  thinking, HS to College

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Loop Writing and Habits of Mind
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Critical Thinking

• All there is to thinking is seeing something
  noticeable, which makes you see something you
  werent noticing, which makes you see something
  that isnt even visible (Norman Maclean, A River
  Runs Through It).
• The integration of critical thinking skills
  throughout the curriculum is even more beneficial
  than stand alone courses, especially for the
  weakest students (BSI 40).

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Sample Class SessionGratitude

• Narration and Developing a Main Idea
• (English 062 Basic Writing Skills)

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Write Your First Thoughts on Gratitude.

• Focused Freewriting
• First order thinking intuitive and creative and
  doesnt strive for conscious direction or
  control.
• Exploratory thinking
• Private

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List 2-3 stories you could tell about a time when
you felt grateful.

• Listing
• The writer will have a choice when asked to do
  the next step.
• Exploratory and analytical thinking
• Private

15
Write a short narrative paragraph about a
particular time you felt grateful.

• Developing ideas through details in a linear
  narrative
• Second order thinking conscious, directed,
  controlled.
• Narrative thinking
• Public

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In groups of four, share your paragraphs by
reading them aloud. As you listen, write down
aspects the stories have in common.

• Reading aloud and critical listening
• Change of pace but still on task (Rigor)
• Building confidence (Relevance Relationship)
• Analytical thinking

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Arrive at a consensus about a collective main
idea. Summarize your agreement in 1-2 sentences.

• Focused, exploratory discussion
• Collaborative, analytical writing
• Specific to general/abstract

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Write these sentences on the board. As a class,
revise for focus.

• We are thankful for family and friends helping
  us in times of need.
• We are grateful for lifes changes.
• We are thankful for other peoples kindness
  toward us.
• We as a group feel grateful for living in
  California because we are able to do what we need
  in a timely manner.
• We are grateful for those who are close to us.

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Return to your paragraph and write a sentence
that introduces your paragraph and refers to your
groups main idea.

• Revision (process not product)
• Analytical, second order thinking

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Share your topic sentences with the group and
give and receive assistance in revising the
sentence.

• If there is one person close to you that you can
  count on, it is a best friend.
• The closest friend I will ever have is my
  mother.

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Decide on the most effective order for the
paragraphs as you begin to create an essay.

• Introducing revision during drafting process
• Considering purpose audience
• Metacognitive

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Write a few sentences to introduce and conclude
your collaborative essays.

• Guide students to think about how their
  introduction leaves room for inquiry and the
  conclusion provides closure without redundancy.

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Individually (in writing) respond to the
following questions 1) How do you now think
differently about gratitude? 2) How do you now
think differently about essay and paragraph
writing?

• Metacognitive thinking
• Use question one to revise conclusion
• Reinforces my teaching goals

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Student Learning Outcomes

• Understanding the role a main idea has in
  organizing paragraphs (and essays)
• Developing and deepening an idea through
  different types of writing and thinking
• Awareness that writing an essay can be rigorous
  but not imposing

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Extensions using technology

• Explore the web and find images/videos/podcasts/te
  xts that express and/or complicate the idea of
  gratitude
• Homework assignment that includes posting essay
  on discussion board, blog, or via e-mail and
  providing/receiving feedback from peer group
• Using the librarys web resources, research how
  gratitude is expressed in other cultures

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Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum

• Basic Skills Initiative
• Discipline specific ideas Math, Reading,
  Writing, ESL, and beyond!
• Writing to explore texts and improve reading
  (Dialectic Notebooks, Interrupted Reading)
• Interdisciplinary Learning Communities

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The New Three Rs

• Rigor
• Relevance
• Relationship

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Writing and Critical Thinking

• Students employ many different types of thinking
  so the classroom becomes rigorous but not rote
• Students discover the relevance of writing as a
  tool for critical thinking in any discipline or
  task
• Students explore and experience the
  relationship between writing and the process of
  thinking