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Writing Across the Curriculum, K-12 Online


Course Outline


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


  • Summarize the history of writing instruction in the classroom.Acquire an overview of the 5 steps in the writing process.
  • Evaluate the changing paradigm of writing instruction.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of various Quick Writing Strategies to improve student achievement.
  • Evaluate various Quick Writing Strategies to improve student achievement.
  • Develop curriculum based activities for Quick Write strategies.
  • Evaluate the traits of public writing.
  • Implement the power of people research.
  • Implement the connection between factual research and imagination.
  • Acquire and assess the ability to implement these strategies.
  • Design curriculum based activities for Public Writing.
  • Demonstrate the ability to develop Multi-Genre Projects (MGP).
  • Evaluate the power of Social Action Papers.
  • Demonstrate strategies for Learning Fairs.
  • Assess the power of I-Search Papers.
  • Design curriculum based activities for more ambitious Public Writing projects.
  • Develop effective rubrics to assess writing.
  • Discover and Analyze effective conferencing strategies.
  • Develop skills to utilize the power of peer review.
  • Develop strategies to encourage self assessment.
  • Design a curriculum-based writing project and appropriate assessment.
  • Recognize how the Six Traits of Writing fit into the Big Picture…The Five Steps in the Writing Process.
  • Implement Trait One:  Ideas and instructional strategies.
  • Implement Trait Two:  Organization and instructional strategies.
  • Implement Trait Three:  Voice and instructional strategies for implementation.
  • Design a lesson for students in your grade level and discipline demonstrating Traits One, Two, and Three.
  • Implement Trait Four:  Word Choice and instructional strategies
  • Implement Trait Five:  Sentence Fluency and instructional strategies
  • Implement Trait Six:  Conventions and instructional strategies for implementation
  • Design a lesson for students in your grade level and discipline demonstrating Traits Four, Five and Six.
  • Evaluate the purpose of sharing writing.
  • Create interesting, exciting venues to share writing.
  • Develop appropriate and effective activities for students to share their writing.
  • Recognize the role writing plays in preparing students for their future lives.
  • Demonstrate strategies for teaching poetry.
  • Write prompts for convergent and divergent thinking.
  • Synthesize the concepts of effective writing theory and strategies.
  • Develop and share an integrated writing project for students at your grade level and discipline.

Curriculum Design & Time Requirements


Writing Across the Curriculum is a three-credit graduate level or 60-hour online professional development course completed over a thirteen-week period. Modules One through Nine will be completed one per week. Module Ten will be completed over a two-week period to enable students to develop, revise, and complete the final integration project. 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.

Hardware & Computer Skills Requirements


Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have internet access with an active e-mail account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox etc.

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 be directed to various, relevant websites throughout the course. A textbook will be provided for all students.

Session Outline

Introduction: Writing Across the Curriculum
Contents:
  1. Course Forum
  2. Personal Introduction
  3. Personal Writing Reflection

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  
  Forum Participation   20      100 – 93 A
  Reading & Reflection Assignments   25       92 – 85 B
  Writing Tasks   25       84 – 77 C
    Final Integration Project   30            
  Total Points 100    

Student Requirements


1. Actively participate in all forum activities.
2. Reading assignments: Complete all readings and reflection assignments.
3. Reflection assignments: Reflect on their own and colleagues assignments as required.
4. Writing tasks: Develop writing tasks and assessment tools as required.
5. 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.

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 Online course, go to the Course Registration page.