Week 14: Writing and Reading
Have you ever thought about your writing process? Or asked yourself, what exactly is a writing process? Me, honestly I never thought about writing process or if I had one. For as long as I can remember I just wrote what comes to mind, took a break, came back and if I didn’t like what was written I usually delete and started over. Which caused a repeated cycle until my paper was complete and I was satisfied with what was written.
According to Chapter 12 Writing and Reading, the process approach consist of prewriting, composing or drafting, revising, editing and publishing. When teaching about the writing process this chapter describes how as teachers our job is to encourage our students to see the power and importance of writing in their lives. Rather it’s from students writing about their everyday events, topics of interest, a summary on what was read, and/or writing about friendships.
Writing processes develop and change with age and experience. As future educators it’s important to understand that in order for our students to compare, contrast, conclude, and evaluate that we have to do more than just have them summarize. Writers are reconsidering and drawing conclusions, which are reflected in their writing (p.475).
Getting a deeper look into the writing approach:
Prewriting : Most important step; topic selection, planning, rehearings, and goal setting.
Composing (Drafting) : the act of writing; putting thoughts down on paper with no concern of spelling or mechanics.
Revising : the heart of writing; involves adding or deleting material
Editing : checking for mechanical errors
Publishing : strongest way to help encourage students to revise and copyedit, according to Elbow (2002, p.5)
Something to think about:
According to the chapter, testing has increased dramatically, especially the written responses on the Common Core State Standards. Common Core State Standards has since placed a greater emphasis on informational writing.
According to the chapter, testing has increased dramatically, especially the written responses on the Common Core State Standards. Common Core State Standards has since placed a greater emphasis on informational writing.
“Though the standards still expect narrative writing throughout the grades, they also expect a command of sequence and detail that are essential for effective argumentative and informative writing. The standards’ focus on evidence-based writing along with the ability to inform and persuade is a significant shift from current practice. (Common Core State Standards Initiative, 2014)”
Questions:
- Do you have a writing process? If so, what is it and does it make writing easier for you?
- Do you remember learning about writing process in Elementary or High School? If so, what is something you remember about the lesson being taught?
- How can we as future educators make sure our students are comprehending the right steps to the writing process when it comes to the written response on the Common Core State Standards test?
- Besides knowing how to write for the Common Core State Standards written response, do you believe the writing process is beneficial to teach?
- How would you as a teacher go about teaching the writing process in your classroom?
I remember in high school having to brainstorm and create an outline of what we were going to write about before we were allowed to write our papers. I do think it helped me with organizing my thoughts before I got started, but I also felt like I was writing the exact same thing twice, just in a different format. I think this attributed to my dislike of writing papers because they always took so long to plan and write. I think for me as a teacher, I would do a better job of showing my students exactly how to plan, write, revise, and edit their papers because some of my frustrations came from not knowing exactly what was expected of me.
ReplyDeleteDoing the organizer in high school also made me hate doing my papers. If I liked the topic of my paper, and finished the organizer, I then did not want to finish my paper. Teaching students how to write with a graphic organizer would be beneficial to have them understand every single part that is needed in a paper. In high school, it did not feel as needed for me to use a graphic organizer for every single paper.
DeleteI agree. I think it is useful when you are trying to teach the students what parts are needed within their paper, but I think having them use it every time they write a paper is repetitive and gets boring.
DeleteMy writing process now is pretty similar to the basic writing process. I normally create an outline then go through the process of writing and revising before editing and completing but I feel like I did not get this process down until my freshman year of college because a class I took forced us to use the process. I do remember learning about the process in middle school. I remember writing papers and revising them about three times due to getting peer feedback and teacher feedback. I absolutely hated the writing process because what we were supposed to write about was being controlled so I was not interested in what I was writing about. This made the writing process long and agonizing.
ReplyDelete- Deja Shelton
I'm with you, I feel like I wasn't introduced to this writing process-brainstorming, composing, revising, editing, etc. really until a writing class in college. I feel like in middle and high school teachers attempted to teach it like this, but it didn't really help when it came time for standardized tests because you're given a fraction of the time to write a paper and everything you were taught pretty much gets put on the back burner. I didn't really like writing until college because you're given more control on a topic which I think turns people away from writing when you're younger and forced to write about a topic chosen for you.
DeleteMy writing process depends on the length of what I'm writing I think. For example, I did not draft what I'm writing now. I just write it as it comes to my mind. But for school papers, sometimes I do draft out what I'm going to write. I think that the writing process is more beneficial to people who are just learning to write. After that, it's kind of ingrained into you and you use the same writing process every time you write. I think that I would teach the writing process as it is written above, just because it's the easiest way to write academic papers.
ReplyDeleteI agree, my writing process depends on the length as well. I honestly think the writing process is only used when you are writing papers because it seems impossible to do it when you're writing a short sentence or replying to something that is written. I don't think I agree when you say it's more beneficial to people who are just learning to write because of the details that go into it. When learning how to write the person needs to focus on the words, how to properly write their letters and etc., as for the writing process they have to focus on their thoughts and ideas on the topic they are writing about.
DeleteFor my writing process, I wish that I was more organized. I remember in school we used to create a big graphic organizer and my teacher used to check it before I start on my paper. The first thing that I do now when writing a paper, is I like to think about my ideas for a while. Then I write all them down on the word document. I usually write fairly fast, so with my points I will have complete sentences and then other ideas with it. When thinking about my writing process, it seems to be very scrambled. If it was more organized, my papers may be more organized when I turn it in.
ReplyDeleteDo you know why you stop creating a big graphic organizer? I also think that since you are thinking about your ideas, it's still a form of pre-writing because you are planning and selecting certain ideas. When you talk about your writing process seeming scrambled, I sometimes feel the same because I just write and once I'm at that editing stage I realize most of the time I don't make sense.
DeleteI remember in school having to brainstorm and do a pre-write every time before writing an essay. After the pre-write we wrote the actual paper and then we did a peer review. Of course in the actual essay we would do the 5 paragraph essay. My process now is not like that at all now I will either just start writing or I would do bullet points to do the main ideas of what I want my paper to talk about. Also for my writing process I will often just start typing and writing ideas and then I would go back and fix the structure later on.
ReplyDeleteI think the bullet points are the same as when you use to pre-write. Just a shorter version and quicker. I never thought of doing the bullet points, I just always went for the write the first thing that comes to my mine regarding the topic.
DeleteAriana, my process in writing and English was the same as the one you described. What always messed me up was formatting or adding works cited and such. Brainstorming seems to always be my favorite part of the writing process. It reminds me of how I take such colored and described notes. Brainstorming for me usually consisted of bulletins and random thoughts or quotes.
DeleteI also remember always having to brainstorm and then make a rough draft and then have a peer review my writing. I also never liked brainstorming and felt like it wasted a lot of time. I also wrote down bullet points. We also had a clear structured type of essay and it couldn't be past a certain length.
DeleteIn middle school/ high school, I recall that our teachers made us do the bubble map in order to arrange our thoughts. We would start by putting our main idea in the middle and we would branch off with things we would want to talk about. The branches would be the topics for the paragraphs and you would expand upon those when you write. I don't recall having a lesson teaching us about how to do it, we were just told we needed to have it because we would get graded on it when we turned in the final product. Same with revising, I remember we had to revise our peers papers but we weren't ever really told how to revise them. I would just get corrections on grammar and a smiley face on the top which wasn't really helpful when writing the final one.To answer your first question, I wish I was more organized and gave myself time when brainstorming. For my writing process, I usually stare at the assignment for a while and then think about how I am going to organize it. I usually don't start on my introduction, I write my body paragraphs first and then write my thesis based on what I talk about. I re-read it before turning it in and if I add stuff, I go back and read it to make sure it flows.
ReplyDeleteI remember doing the bubble map as well, and now that I think about it I wasn't really taught anything about it. Just the same as you, we were told we needed to do it. I think the bubble map is basically the same approach as the writing process, but with the right tools it could be more successful and meaningful. If we actually teach it and explain the meaning our future students would probably have better writing approaches instead of just writing with no idea of where to start.
DeleteOh my gosh, I remember the bubble organizer from middle school now. The funny thing is that, when inputting my topics or main ideas into the bubbles those specific ideas never made it into my actual paper. It was easy to come up with topics beforehand, but once I started writing the actual paper I would change the topics as I wrote because it made more sense. I also for the most part leave the introduction for last, as you mentioned you do. I don't know exactly why, but I feel like as I begin writing, the introduction just doesn't make sense if I write it first, I always end up changing it based off of the rest of the paper.
DeleteI remember using the bubble map as well. I think this would help me think about what I want to write but not a way to organized it once I started writing. when I started my writing process I like to change some ideas around before I writing it on my paper. I like being old school I like to write my essays first with paper and pencil. Then I like to erase things once I reread my draft paper. Once I think my paper is ready to start typing then I do so and once I'm done with that I reread it or send it to a friends to proof read it for me.
DeleteI would like to answer your first question, Do you have a writing process? If so, what is it and does it make writing easier for you? When I write my papers I like to first write down my paragraphs in bullet points with my ideas. then I like to read over them and then start my paper. Once I start my paper I start to adding more to it. I think this way it helps me keep my thoughts organized when i write.
ReplyDeleteJulissa,
DeleteI make bullet points when I write papers too because it reminds me of what I want to discuss or state in my paper. It also helps keep me organized.
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DeleteJulie,
DeleteI've actually never tried it like that before. It's interesting to me to see the different types of ideas that helped you and other throughout their writing process that I was never introduced to. I'd like to try your way of doing it to see if maybe it works for me as well. I usually do a brainstorming thing that looks like a cloud in the middle and just lines coming out from it with ideas, in a way it looks like a spider.
When I write, I usually just come up with 2-5 ideas that I want to cover in my head. Then I write down what order I want to talk about each idea and then I write it out. I've always had trouble coming up with outlines because I usually just write and then correct it after.
DeleteTo answer question 2 I think I remember the writing process from high school more since I learned the format and such then. Elementary I cannot remember much but peer reviews since thats what took up the most time.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I remember learning some sort of writing process when I was in high school. I don't really remember going through a process when I was in elementary school either. I remember writing somewhat but in a very vague way.
DeleteTo answer question two, "Do you remember learning about writing process in Elementary or High School? If so, what is something you remember about the lesson being taught?" yes I remember the writing process being taught in high school. I remember for every paper I wrote in any of my Language Arts classes the writing process was always brainstorming, rough draft, peer editing, revising and final draft. To answer question one, "Do you have a writing process? If so, what is it and does it make writing easier for you?" I do not like as if I have an actual writing process because I typically just try to write, take a break, come back to edit and do this process until I am done as you said in your post. One thing that does help me when I am writing is that I make a notes sheet with make bullet points of things I want to say or talk about in my paper.
ReplyDeleteI definitely used and was told to apply the writing process when in school. I remember prewriting as doing some sort of chart to write down my first thoughts based on the topic I was given. Next, the composing and drafting was typically the main and often the step I stopped at. Yeah I would let my peers "revise" it but that typically considered of just moving around a few words or replacing one word with a more intelligent sounding word. After that, the revising was over and my paper mainly stayed the same.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the peer revising process. To me it was like my peers were just knit picking at my paper to find something wrong with it. The examples you gave like switching a sentence around and finding a more "sophisticated" synonym were the ones that really bothered me. Not all of us talk the same so we will use different words and word things differently in sentences so unless it is a run on or makes no sense at all don't comment! Biggest pet peeve when it came to peer revising!!!
Delete- Deja Shelton
I wanted to answer one of your questions, Do you remember learning about writing process in Elementary or High School? If so, what is something you remember about the lesson being taught? I remember it being very much like majority of the time brainstorming and then writing down your story. There was also a structured pattern and how we really focused a lot on the thesis and making sure the three main points were clear and answered in the passage. It was very direct and you had to have the whole order for it. We also did a lot of timed writing so that always made me feel like writing was really pressuring.
ReplyDeleteI too had a similar experience with writing Alina. Always before writing we had to brainstorm our ideas and then we were allowed to write. In high school was were my teachers really started pushing thesis statements and how our entire paper should be structured. I hated timed writing because I felt like I never had enough time to write down everything I wanted to and I knew it wasn't as good as it could have been.
DeleteI totally had a similar experience. I remember having to make sure we had a strong thesis and always having to have my teachers read the thesis and have them critique it. I also remember having to do the first paragraph then the three body paragraphs then the conclusion. We did a lot of brainstorming. I also remember having to brainstorm when I wrote during ISTEP.
DeleteTo answer question number 2, a lesson being taught that I remember is called brainstorming which I learned in Elementary. It was a writing process that helped me sort out my ideas around the main topic then be able to put it altogether. Another writing process I learned in Elementary was how to best identify the beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Something else I learned was the main topic (thesis), supporting points, then the conclusion. All of those things helped me till this day to be able to be some what decent in writing.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that I have somewhat of a writing process. Before I start to write I think about what I want my paragraphs to be about and then I write down tiny ideas underneath each paragraph. After that I'm good and just go with the flow. As I write things just come to me. I believe that teaching our students how to organize their thoughts before they write is important. Even if it's just tiny comments underneath each of their planned sections, I think it will help them gain confidence in their writing.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question #1, "Do you have a writing process? If so, what is it and does it make writing easier for you?", I think that I do have a writing process. I like to first think about what i'm going to write about. Then I like to think about what 3 main points will be in my thesis. I also like to make sure I have enough information to talk about for those three points. I then start writing and make sure I have enough for the amount of pages I am supposed to be writing.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question #2, "Do you remember learning about writing process in Elementary or High School? If so, what is something you remember about the lesson being taught?"
I remember learning about peer reviews. I also remember being taught that we have to write 3 body paragraphs and how many sentences each paragraph needs to be.
I don't really remember learning the writing process. I vaguely remember writing uppercase and lowercase letters on the lined paper. I have always had pretty good handwriting so that was never a problem. I remember when I would write, my writing would be very jumbled and mixed up. My train of thought would be everywhere and I would just spit it all out onto the paper. My teachers would complain about it every time but would never really tell me how to fix it. When I would write it would all make complete sense in my head but it wouldn't to other people. We we would do peer reflections my teacher would ask everyone to grade punctuation and not content. I always enjoyed that so much more because I could then write about whatever I wanted and it could be as jumbled up as I wanted it to be. I later got into classes where they didn't grade on what we wrote but the graded on how they wrote it. I also enjoyed that because I could be free when I wrote.
ReplyDeleteI remember learning about the writing process in elementary school. We just enforced it more in high school and went more in depth. I do believe the writing process is beneficial to teach because the process makes students really look into their work and how they're writing. It's also important to gain feedback so you can improve for next time. To teach the writing process, I would tell them all of the steps and then focus on them individually.
ReplyDelete