Slice of Life Writing Challenge MARCH 2011

For the past few years I have chosen to participate in the Slice of Life Writing Challenge hosted by Two Writing Teachers.  This is mission possible. Maybe you could get involved with your students? You need a BLOG and you need to be prepared to post a slice of life writing piece each day for the month of MARCH. Anyway, please read on for more information...

You Up for a Writing Challenge?

Posted on Thursday February 24, 2011 by Ruth

I’m hoping you plan to join the Slice of Life Story Challenge in March. I’m also hoping you talk to your friends, parents, children, spouses, or strangers in the grocery store line about the challenge because documenting the little moments in our ordinary days is rewarding. (Mom, are you reading this? It’s time for you to start a blog!) In fact, just this week I received two emails from people who have started Slicing and are excited about the way our writing community has given them more energy for writing.

This is a flyer I plan to share with teachers around my school (if we get to school — yikes ice!). Here is the PDF version for you to download and print (or attach to an email): sols flyer.

Spread the word about Slice of Life Story Challenge!

A few things to note about SOLS Challenge:

• You need a blog to participate. Here is information on starting a blog: http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/start-a-blog/. If you have twenty minutes, you have time to start a blog. And don’t use the excuse that you don’t have time to keep up. Some Slicers only use their blog once a year for the Slice of Life Story Challenge. This can be you too. See? Low pressure!
• You will need to write a Slice and then share the unique URL each day here at Two Writing Teachers. I will be closing comments at 5:00 am Eastern time on the next morning for the previous day post. This is a little different than previous years. If you get your URL linked before I close the comments it will count as your daily link. This should also help late night Slicers outside of the Eastern time zone. (Just a little side note — I’m crazy busy, so I’m sure there will be some days I don’t get the link closed at 5:00 am. Consider this a bonus if you happen to be busy too and don’t get your Slice linked one day. If the comments are open, you can link and count it as completing the daily Slice.)
• Prizes will be given to anyone who Slices and links their unique URL 28/31 days. At the end of the month, if you qualify, you will need to put your name in the giveaway post. This goes back to my crazy-busy life. I don’t have time to keep up with with who misses a day. You keep track and if you complete the challenge and post 28/31 days enter yourself in the giveaway at the end of the month.
• Prizes will also be given on random days throughout the challenge. It’s about writing because it’s good for you. Life will happen and for some of us it will hit harder than for others. Just because you aren’t able to complete 28/31 days doesn’t mean you fail. Don’t give up if you happen to miss three days early in the month. Writing is supposed to be fun.  This is why I’m donating the “writer’s packs.” I want to give them away just for attempting the challenge. Completely on a whim, I’ll select days to choose a random Slicer for a writer’s pack.

Some of my favorite writing "supplies:" A customized writer's notebook, my favorite pen, little markers, sticky notes, and gummy candy. These will be given out just for fun throughout the SOLS Challenge.

• Sorry international friends, but only those in the US are eligible for prizes. I’m sure you understand since I’m covering the shipping rates.
• Still wondering what a Slice is? Check out this post: http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/what-is-a-slice-of-life/.
• The back story of Slice of Life Story Challenge is here: http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/challenges/.

If you have questions, wonderings, or comments about Slice of Life Story Challenge 2011, please leave a note in the comments.

A Peek Inside A Writer's Notebook -Ruth Ayres

I have been considering making a video that would unveil some of the treasures one finds inside a writer's notebook when I stumbled across a great little video on You Tube created by Ruth Ayres of Two Writing Teachers fame. Ruth shares the influences on her writing and how they come together within the collective pages of her notebooks. I want to share it with you as I believe Ruth captures quite clearly the essence of why we as teachers need to develop our own writer's notebooks. It's a powerful model for our students, and a wonderful resource to use in our teaching. Check it out! 
I might still make a video. Ruth has inspired me...

Using The Writer's Notebook to Launch Publishing Projects

I have just updated a post from November 201O titled, 'Moving Writing from the Notebook towards Publication.' The rewrite came about due to questions teachers have been asking me recently concerning writer's notebooks and how we move students into the publishing phase. I hope you are able to make use of the information to guide students towards more effective use of their writing resources.

Starting Out With Your Own Writer’s Notebook!

Teachers who are embracing the Writer’s Notebook for the first time often request examples of the types of entries one might gather when starting out. Entries,  that will serve as examples to share with your students.

I am not a great fan of prompts, but if you are having trouble gaining the inspiration to launch your writing, maybe these ideas might prompt your thinking. They may prompt you to think of a connection to a topic/idea you feel more strongly about. Most importantly, I urge you to dive straight in and start filling the page with your words. Your own writing is such a powerful model for your students. I urge you to take the risk...

• Write about the first book you remember reading 
•  Create a Life Map to show events in your life so far
• Write an entry about one of the items on your Life Map.
• Write an entry over any topic of your choosing. Write about your personal opinion
• Write a response to a book you are currently reading 
• Write about the meaning behind a treasured object - what memories do you associate with that object? 
• Create a plan for a memoir piece
• Write a memoir including all the sensory details and what you discovered about yourself from that slice of life experience
• Make a list of your personal choosing. E.g. Things that take too much time
• Persuasive Writing - Choose an issue that is important to you, and write an opinion piece
• Respond to an issue in the news
• Write a short narrative about being sick as a child
• Write about a place you would go right now and why
• Write about something that was no fun at all
• Make a list of things you still wish to do
• Write about a time when you knew you were in trouble
• How did you spend your pocket money?
• Write about an embarrassing moment
• Write about your relationship with weekends
• Write a list about things you don’t need
• Write about noise
• Write about silence
• Write about pretending
• Make a list of questions you wished you had asked
• Write about your feet
• Write about your treasures
• Write about something you wish you could still do
• Write and DRAW about a place that is important to you
• Create a map of a place you recall from your childhood

A Way To Use Mentor Texts With Student Writers

Lynne Dorfman and  Rose Capelli in their book ‘Mentor Texts –Teaching Writing Through Literature, K-6 refer to having students walk around in the shoes of another author; to use the syntax of that author. I like this approach...

Using the style of another author enables one to teach aspects of grammar and mechanics in an authentic way. Using mentor texts we can embed the teaching of grammatical language. That way we allow students to view it in the same context experienced writers do.

A way to teach these important messages about language structures is to have students copy exemplars from mentor authors in to their writer’s notebooks and then try it out for themselves. They are effectively trying to 'write in the style of the chosen mentor. Dorfmann and Capelli refer to this as having students walk around in the syntax.

We start with the mentor text, imitate it ourselves, then have our students try it with us in a shared writing exercise. Then we challenge them to try it independently. There we have the gradual release of responsibility model in action!

After having students share their pieces, we are in a position to analyse exactly what the author did. Students are able to respond from an informed position having tried it themselves.

At this point I suggest recording their thinking and observations on an anchor chart. While you and your students are immersed in this quality conversation, the opportunity to reinforce the vocabulary of grammar and mechanics presents as a natural outcome of the discussion. Using such specialised vocabulary empowers students to discuss the language use of mentors in progressively meaningful ways. Your community of writers will be using the same language, and it will eventually become more precise. 

Here is an example using Margaret Wild and Ron Brook’s fantastic picture story book, ‘Fox’

Some additional things to look for with Mentor Texts:

·         connections to special places, people, wishes, dreams;

·         snapshots of setting and character;

·         rich descriptions;

·         use of parentheses;

·         effective use of  repetition

·         writing in the present tense

·         strong verbs

·         effective repetition

·         hyphenated words

·         using adjectives after the noun

·         variation in sentence length

·         variations in print

·         listing – with semicolon and commas

·         effective use of dialogue

·         using a sentence fragment with a dash

·         setting up the ending in the beginning

·         variation in leads

·         use of exact nouns and names

Where Does Inspiration For Writing Come From?

As students return to classrooms across Australia to commence a new school year, I find myself reflecting upon what it requires to launch an effective writing program. There are a number of vital ingredients, but in those early days of contact with students, we don’t get far without energy, enthusiasm and examples. It’s as if we are standing on a launching pad. This is one rocket, we need to successfully launch!

 How do we create the necessary spark to firstly draw in and then draw out the best in our young writers? How do we set them up to be successful? How do we set ourselves up to teach as successfully as we desire to teach?

During the last two days of professional learning, I have tried to share the irrefutable truth about writing. That is, if you truly wish to develop a great writing program in your classroom, then you have to be prepared to be a writer yourself. Accepting the challenge is the first important step each of us can take. We gain credibility and develop understanding of the challenges writing presents to our students when we make the conscious decision to join them as writers.

But where do we go for inspiration? A great place to start is the existing work of other writers. The words of other writers can inspire us to greater effort.  This is where we practice the critical skill of reading like a writer.

Whenever my reading reveals ‘gems,’ I have developed the habit of writing them into my notebook. I do this in the hope that some of the magic of the language may rub off on me.  It is fascinating see what makes its way onto the pages of my notebook.

‘The water flows over my outstretched palms, and suddenly I am not sure if the water is flowing out of me or over me.’

Small Memories, Jose Saramago

Strong visual images are evoked with these words from Jose Saramago’s memoir.

‘Robert looked extremely embarrassed, but he gave his glasses a firm push with his middle finger and walked to the centre of the room.’

The Perfect Goal, Julia McClelland.

Julia McClelland captures the essential gestures in a small moment. The detail is exact down to the middle finger.

When a writer evokes a genuine sense of place, it assists me to visualise where the characters are acting out their lives on the page.

‘The trees and bushes in the garden were a miserable dark green that seemed to swallow up the light. Buddy noticed that where the branches of one of the tree had leaned against the stone of the house, the leaves had died as though poisoned by touch.’

Buddy, Nigel Hinton

Nigel Hinton paints a word scene that creates a sense of foreboding. It raises my concern for the character Buddy. It’s atmospheric writing, and that what makes this a great example to place in my notebook.

The more I read, the more I notice sparkling words to store away in my notebook. I am attracted to words that sparkle and gleam. I gain energy from these collected extracts. I aspire to such word usage, so I try to emulate the powerful use of language demonstrated by my fellow writers.

My own word play is driven by the hope of creating fresh passages of my own:

‘For me, fear lay in dark rooms, anything to do with heights and the wet yourself kind of fear that takes over when a large snarling dog looms into sight, snarling and barking.’

‘Lightning announced itself by scribbling on the sky’

‘ His eyebrows stirred into action at the hint of anything being his fault.’

‘ A voice pierced the silence. The street stood to attention- The houses, trees, every blade of grass, the hair on the back of my neck.’

‘Baz was a pile of clothes in desperate need of ironing.’

‘Unfortunately Julius was afraid of bathing. No one came near him in the same way no one wants to approach a wheelbarrow full of  dead fish.

So this is how we gain inspiration for the writing we do. We read, we record, we mindfullly indulge in word play when we write.

Ralph Fletcher says,

‘While I’m scribbling in my writer’s notebook I sometimes feel like a mad scientist experimenting with words, altering, combining … and hoping nothing blows up.’

Pyrotechnics on The Page –Playful Craft That Sparks Writing.

So your notebook is clearly a place to conduct writing experiments. A place where you, the writer can improvise and play with language spurred on by the inspirational efforts of your fellow writers.

In summary, inspiration can be found when we:

• Seek out writers known to you and your students and share their words as examples.

• Share examples of language where writers use words in special ways.

• Make time for your students to collect and share examples of exceptional language they notice their mentor authors using.

• Practice writing in the style of mentors we trust and admire. 

Using Alliteration –Writing With Your Ear

We first meet alliteration in those early rhymes, chants and tongue twisters so much a part of the early primary years of schooling. It’s the literary technique that involves the deliberate repetition of the initial sounds of particular words. Examples are plentiful in literature: ’Swollen steams snatched the nests from ducks and forced moles from their earth fortresses.’ (The Boat, Helen Ward and Ian Andrew.)

We often think of alliteration in relation to poetry, but other writers use this technique too, as the example above shows. Alliteration used in this way directs attention to a particular phrase and it is more likely to register in the mind of the reader. Alliteration adds rhythm. It adds a lyrical quality to the writing. However, it is important not to over use alliteration. Used in moderation it can be highly effective.

One of our tasks as teachers is to teach students not just to pay attention to meaning in the sentences they write, but to listen to how they sound to the reader. Some young writers use alliteration quite naturally, but most students need to be actively encouraged to experiment with alliteration when they write.  You could begin by conducting an inquiry to seek out examples in literature. Collect and display evidence of other writers using this technique.

Here are a few I found among my book collection:

‘She snatched a patch of grubby lawn. She scuffled with the dirt.’

Mrs Biddlebox, Linda Smith

‘ Fox slipped through ferns and across leaves like a shifting shadow.’

Fox and Fine Feathers, Narelle Oliver

‘Through the wind and the rain came the bellowing and bleating of beasts’

The Boat, Helen Ward and Ian Andrew

‘The silence steals into corners and cracks, nooks and crannies. It spreads and suffocates everything, like a hot, dry blanket.’

Raindance, Cathy Applegate and Dee Huxley

Once students ‘get it,’ invite them to try it for themselves. They will then be writing with their ears!