Writing Across the Curriculum, K-12

Course Description

A major emphasis has been placed upon measurement and accountability as foundational elements of the current education system. Today’s summative assessments not only require students to demonstrate proficiency in writing, but also require them to know how to write effectively so that they may be successful in the future. Furthermore, teachers are being held accountable for ensuring that their students are able to write competently for a variety of purposes. Some teachers, however, believe that this is yet another additional, arduous task that puts a strain on their already overtaxed curricula.

This course will provide participants with an understanding of the various aspects of writing, the establishment of a common language for teaching and assessing student writing, and a practical prescription for effectively teaching the tools of self-assessment.

Writing is not solely the responsibility of K-6 or English Language Arts educators. Rather, it is the responsibility of all educators including those in the upper-level grades. Writing should be an integral part of all instruction, no matter the content area. This course will provide participants with strategies and skills to be more effective teachers of writing.

Objectives

• Identify and interpret the concepts of writing instruction.
• Compare the relationship between effective writing instruction and student achievement.
• Explore ways to increase the frequency and scope of student writing.
• Devise methods to highlight and present student writing.
• Integrate writing strategies throughout all content areas.
• Differentiate strategies for enhancing writing skills that ensure student success in all their present and future academic endeavors.
• Examine and evaluate current writing programs introduced in schools.
• Promote effective writing to ensure success in the 21st century.
• Create writing lessons and activities to accommodate the diverse needs of students.
• Construct writing lessons and activities to target writing for various purposes.
• Discover effective writing assessment strategies.
• Develop strategies to foster self assessment.

Curriculum Design & Time Requirements

Writing research and instructional strategies will be presented by the instructor using the Socratic or Instructional Conversation method. Each concept acts as a building block to form an understanding of the writing process and the necessity to integrate writing into all instruction. Writing Across the Curriculum is a 3 credit graduate level or forty-five hour professional development course taught on weekends or over five full days.

Course Materials

The required text for this course is Content Area Writing, Every Teacher's Guide by Daniels, Harvey, Zemelman, Steven, Steineke, Nancy. Participants will also receive a student guide.

Session Outline

Session 1: Introduction to the Writing Process: 5 Steps
Contents:

1. Pre-Writing
2. Writing or Drafting
3. Revising and Editing
4. Publishing
5. Assignments

Session 2: Writing To Learn: Quick Writes
Contents:

1. Writing Breaks
2. Exit Slips and Admit Slips
3. Brainstorming and KWLs
4. Drawing and Illustrating
5. Clustering and Mapping
6. Double Entry Journals and Write-Arounds
7. Nonstop and Reflective Writing
8. Teacher-Student Correspondence
9. Assignment

Session 3: Formal or Public Writing
Contents:

1. Traits of Public Writing
2. People Research
3. Faction
4. R.A.F.T.
5. Newspaper Front Page
6. Brochures
7. Web Page
8. Assignments

Session 4: More Ambitious Public Writing Projects
Contents:

1. Multi-genre Projects
2. Social Action Papers
3. Learning Fairs
4. I-Search Papers
5. Assignments

Session 5: Assessing Student Writing
Contents:

1. Rubrics for Assessment
2. Conferencing
3. Peer Review
4. Self Assessment
5. Alternate Assessments
6. Assignments

Session 6: Another Point of View
Contents:

1. The Six Traits Plus One
2. Trait One: Ideas
3. Trait Two: Organization
4. Trait Three: Voice
5. Assignments

Session 7: Six Traits Plus One Continued
Contents:

1. Trait Four: Word Choice
2. Trait Five: Sentence Fluency
3. Trait Six: Conventions
4. The Plus One Trait: Presentation
5. Combining the Six Traits
6. Assignments

Session 8: Sharing Writing
Contents:

1. Portfolios
2. Oral Presentations
3. Visual Presentations
4. Cooperative Presentations
5. Writing Workshops

6. Bulletin Boards
7. Assignments

Session 9: Creating Even More Writing Opportunities
Contents:

1. School Wide Programs
2. Essay Questions
3. Contests
4. Response to Literature
5. Assignments

Session 10: Final Integration Project
Contents:

1. Using web-based resources
2. Electronic portfolios
3. Final Integration Project
4. Final examination

Grading

		Assignment	Points			Grading Scale
		Attendance and Classroom Participation	20			100 – 93	A
		Reading/Written Assignments	40			92 – 85	B
		Final Exam	10			84 – 77	C
		Final Integration Project	30
		Total Points	100

Student Requirements

1. Participation: Actively participate in all class activities.
2. Reading assignments: Complete all readings and assignments.
3. Instructional Designs: Develop curriculum-based writing instruction and activities.
4. The Final Integration Project will require participants to develop three effective writing projects in their specific curriculum discipline, each for a different writing purpose. Each project will include an assessment tool.
5. Share and reflect on colleagues' Final Integration Projects.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by our partnering colleges and universities and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Register

To register to take TEI's Writing Across the Curriculum course, go to the Course Registration page.