Living Life Twice

Slice of Life Story -Saving Ephemera!

2012-02-07T18:04:00.001+11:00

The ‘raw stuff’ I pasteinto my notebooks includes an array of what is often referred to as ephemera.That is, printed or written matter, not necessarily intended to be retained orpreserved. By preserving such things in my notebook I am changing the intended destinyof these items. How’s that for power?

Hold on Ephemera, I'm here to save you!

When I secure these itemsin my notebook, it’s because I want them to last. Their preservation isimportant to me. I want them to act as memory aids. We writers are magpies;collectors of ephemera. The stuff we rescue may turn out to be importantrecords of life and social customs, popular culture and national events andissues. Who knows? It may also be viewedas treasure by the gatherer, yet insignificant to another. These various artifacts assist me to stay intouch with actual experiences. They become markers of my life’s journeys. Theystimulate my recall.

Today, as I pasted newitems into my notebook, they spoke to me, stimulating my recall. I lingered asthey announce their potential as future writing ideas.

I often leave space aroundthese items. This allows me to return at a future date to further explore thememories they dredge up. They possess a special magic. This is a magic powerfulenough to reclaim long forgotten memories.

Sometimes this ephemerajust sits between the pages waiting patiently to be rediscovered. I can neverbe quite sure what piece of ‘stuff’ I will settle upon in the future. It isonly in the critical act of rereading these precious pages that musty memoriesare given the opportunity to spark into life. Maybe the spark created will explode intowords to be shared with a wider audience.

Teaching Young Writers About CHOICE

2012-02-06T17:34:00.000+11:00

I don’t wake upeach morning thinking, -today I’ll write a persuasive essay, or maybe anexposition! It surprises me how the approach to student writing is so often so genre specific. When a student approaches and opens the conversation with -I want to write about fishing, the logical response is, How do you see yourself writing about this? Immediately, we establish in the mind of the young writer the notion of choice. Choice is good...

CHOICE motivates efforts to write and this in turn builds CONFIDENCE and consequently the desire to stay ENGAGED is heightened for the writer.

Each day I anticipatewriting. Usually, I have a sea of possibilities surging away in my head. Topicsand issues that have been consuming my conscious thought from the previous days and hours.

I once had amemorable conversation with author and illustrator, Terry Denton as we stood waitingfor our respective children on Fisherman’s Beach, Mornington. Terry’s wordshave remained with me over the intervening years. He shared his experience ofhow writing ideas came calling; remarking that ideas revolve around in hishead, like clothes in a tumble dryer. They mingle with other ideas. Whenthey’re ready, the ideas get taken out- fresh, and ready to use. It was a greatanalogy for the rehearsal writers experience.

So, I ruminate. I rehearse. I ponder possibilitiesand this propels me into the writes of the day. I think about the writing ideathat provokes me and ask, -How do otherwriters choose to write about this topic/ issue? Do I want to follow theirlead, or do I want to write about this in another way, another form?

Essentially, it's issuebefore genre; topic before form. I have a raft of choices about what to writeand how to write it. I may choose a particular shape and form for this writingpiece, or I may compose a hybrid text that crosses several genres. Ah, thepower of choice! The question for me as a writer is, - what’s appropriate forthis piece of writing? What do I want to achieve? And, who will be reading this? (audienceconsiderations)

I understand howimportant it is to share these thoughts with student writers. They deserve thesame level of choice when it comes to their writing. I want them to know whatit feels like to think about their writing intentions and then feel empoweredto act upon their options as writers. Choice empowers the writer.

When we share themany truths of our writing lives with students we create a lasting effect ontheir writing lives. We encourage the growth of the metacognitive writer.

My Teacher Has A Writer's Notebook Too!

2012-02-01T15:05:00.001+11:00

As another school year commences here in Australia an increasing number of teachers are taking up the challenge of maintaining their own Writer’s Notebook Those who are just beginning to develop their writing lives often request examples of the types of entries one might gather when starting out. Entries, that will serve as examples to share with their students. Entries that will show students how their teacher interacts with the world.

If you are experiencing trouble launching into your own writing, maybe these ideas might prompt your thinking. They may spark a connection to a topic/idea you feel strongly about; -enough to get the pen moving across the page...

I also hope we begin to see the whole class topic, 'My Holidays' disappear as a starting point for writing! It saddens me when this happens. It sets the bar of expectation so low for your teaching, and denies what we know about effective writing instruction.

Much better that classrooms hum with rich conversation about what is important to write about for each individual writer. Time invested in pre writing activities such as -drawing, discussing, brainstorming, listing, planning and reading enables student writers to gather the necessary ingredients to write about what matters to them. These are the necessary preliminaries!

The student writer receives a clear message from the teacher -I trust you to come up with ideas! I'm not going to tell you what to write, but I am going to do everything in my power to support you to find out what it is you want to say as a writer! I want you to find your true voice as a writer.

All the time this pre-writing is going on, the teacher is simultaneously sharing examples of their writing, guiding writers to find a focus for writing, asking lots of questions and establishing a conscious sense of community. Ideas begin to float on a sea of talk.

So, I urge you to dive straight in and start filling the pages of your own notebook with words, drawing, maps, photographs, quotes and the like. Your own writing is such a powerful model for your students. I urge you to take the risk...

To further support you, I offer up these possibilities:

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
Write to influence - 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

Write about disappointment

Write about joy

Make a list of settings you have been in during the holidays

Make a list of questions you wished you had asked
Write about your feet
Write about your treasures

Write about something that has changed

Write about something you consider to be fake

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 single entry will start you on your way...

Slice Of Life Story -The Lost Spirit of Cowabunga Days

2012-01-31T17:16:00.000+11:00

As I sat on the beachyesterday I began to think about change....

There was a time when Iwould race across the broad stretch of sand and charge into the surf –fearlessin the foaming waves; prepared for the impending plunge. I would dive into theon coming wave, embracing the sudden cold rush without hesitation. I was theembodiment of the Cowabunga spirit! Theembodiment of joy, happiness and surprise. I dashed, splashed and crashed withthe best of them. Well, that spirit evaporated fairly quickly. I’m not surewhat happened to it actually. Maybe it was the natural progression from thebravado of youth to the measured machinations of adulthood? Maybe the spirit of Cowabunga just drifted out with the tide?

I do know it’s gone. Thesedays I take a more leisurely approach to entering the surf. I sit on the beachunder my umbrella observing the state of the waves. I lather on sunscreen andconduct a quick poll of the numbers already swimming. I consider the sky, thestrength and direction of the breeze, and the temperature of the day.

In time I walk slowly to theshoreline to dip a tentative toe in the water to gauge the temperature. If mytest proves positive, I accept the invitation to undertake a full bodyimmersion.

I walk slowly into the water–ankles, knees waist deep. I immerse my wrists in the water and allow my bodyto adjust to its watery environment. The wind whips up the waves and I standtaller and involuntarily shudder as the plimsoll line is broached. Theoperation is complete when I take the final plunge into the approaching waves.Sudden, dramatic, cooling bracing- I’m in and under –at one with the wetness.

The ceremony is complete.The freshness of the water revives and refreshes. It amuses my grandchildren.They never got to see me in my Cowabunga days. My expressions of joy andhappiness are still apparent, just a little less physical these days.

I Received A 'Writer's Gift' Today

2012-01-31T16:52:00.002+11:00

It’s always fun to receivea parcel in the mail. Today I received a parcel that surprised and delightedme. A group of Grade 4 students from Regency Park Primary School I had the pleasure of working with lastyear sent me a ‘Writer’s Gift.’ With the assistance of their committed teacher,Katherine Corr, these students had assembled a broad sample of their bestwriting across 2011 parcelled it up and presented it to me.

Katherine gently andconsistently guided these students, encouraging their risk taking, promptingthem to try new ideas, and supporting them through conferencing and feedback.This approach has incorporated a metacognitive component where student writershave been encouraged to be reflective about their work as writers. These werefertile conditions for the writer consultant to move into, I must admit.

Upon reading these samplesI was astounded by the breadth of writing forms covered. I was immediatelyaware of the sense of ownership evident in the writing. Each writer had madeinformed choices regarding the shape and form for their respective pieces. Theyhad submitted in their preferred genre. The writing displays a growingawareness of the text structures and features of specific genres.

Reading also revealed the potential of these writing giftsfor use as student mentor texts. These are writing pieces I can easily bring tothe attention of other young writers to inspire and grow their work. So, I am doubly grateful to these fellowwriters. I now have tangible evidence ofthe growth of these enthusiastic young writers and an ongoing reminder of thesessions we spent together celebrating writing.

Let me briefly share someexamples:

‘My heart was beatingfast. My stomach felt like jelly. I couldn’t feel my legs. The Scenic Railwaywent up and down over the bumps. The whole of Luna Parkwas below me. The people looked like Barbie Dolls. On the road cars looked likelittle matchbox cars…’

Josie uses the Inside/Outside strategy

‘I shuffled closer to lookat the stretched out view of the brightly lit city. The lights were like acolony of fireflies, and the buildings shimmered like silvery coins…’

Nerika paints a scene with words

‘Delightful chocolatestuck to my fingers. Flickering, my tongue asked for more of the sweet, richchocolate. I was melting with happiness as the mix of sugary warm chocolateoozed through my mouth…’

Billie’s rich description

‘Planes shift around me,they travel left and right to their destinations

I am the cloud
When it is a stormy daythe sky turns grey and it starts to rain
I am the cloud’
Grace’s poem incorporates the use ofpersonification

‘This is no ordinary fairytale. It has a twist that you shall enjoy…”

Brooke’s Lead

‘Syvlia didn’t even get tosay bye. She was home in bed, same time, same day. ‘I’m never adding that magiccookie ingredient again she thought…’

Chayli’s Ending

‘ It all began when mytriple-decker chocolate fudge cake blew up in my face…’

Crystal surpriseLead

'Basketball is loved bymany people. It is one of the most popular sports in Australia. Males and females playbasketball in different age groups. You need five or more players on each teamto play.’

Daniel explains the game of Basketball

‘King Tutankhamen was onlya minor pharaoh in the history of Egypt. He became famous when histomb was discovered by Howard Carter…’

Katrina shares her growing knowledge of King Tut

‘Have you got time to goon a holiday? Why don’t you go to Africa!

Here are some reasons whyeveryone should go to Africa at least once intheir life…”
Janvi writes persuasively about Africa

‘I believe sharks shouldbe protected. They are wonderful animals and some species are now endangered.Here are three reasons why they should be protected…’

Rubyrose introduces her argument in favour ofprotecting sharks

'Pongopui Island has everything you want! Wait, I’ll tell you asecret, -the tickets are selling fast.’

Vivienne writes to influence us to visit thismythical holiday resort

‘Are you tired of normalwater?

This fizzy drink will burpyour mind!
It’s not normal Coca Cola,it’s…
BURP COLA!
It will make you feel likeyou’re in a different world!’
Chayli and Janvi try to persuade us to drink theirquestionable product

Slice of Life Story -Delight in Doing the Dishes

2012-01-24T09:41:00.000+11:00

As writers, we need to celebrate those smallseemingly mundane tasks in our daily lives. We need to embrace the wonder of ‘now’and not allow it to become a casualty of the pace of our lives; swept aside inthe rush towards the next item on a crowded agenda. There is beauty in smallmoments, even something viewed as a chore, -doing the dishes.

Just because I meander, don’t assume I’m lost…

Dishes

We share the kitchen

Washing the dishes

There are too few to fretover

When its tea for two

We work instinctively

Easily

Back and forth

At our respective tasks

Washing, wiping

Putting away

Never colliding

Never bumping

No clash or clamour

We glide

Through our detergentdriven manoeuvres

Partners in a waltz aroundthe kitchen sink

Pots and pans return toassigned places

And the dishwasher feedson the leftovers

Our conversation floatseasily

Background music driftingthrough

A moment

A memory

As we measure the day

The chore dissolves in a wordsea

We complete the task

Rinse and wring

Wipe and fold

Unconsciously

The dishes are done

No Problem

Making Effective Use Of The Writer's Notebook VIDEO

2012-01-23T14:43:00.001+11:00

This video is my humble attempt to explain how maintaining a Writer's Notebook assists as a writer and educator. It's another way of sharing experiences. I have been maintaining a Writer's Notebook for almost thirty years and over that time they have undergone much change in content and format. It is an ongoing process.

Hope you see and hear something that resonates with how you see the notebook supporting you as a teacher of writing.

Summer Writes - Where Does My Poetry Hide?

2012-01-18T11:11:00.001+11:00

Poetry should be part of the summer writes. It sings out to be included. So, where is it hiding? Where is it to be found? Let’s go see…

Where Does My Poetry Hide?

I look for it in conversations I hear on the street

In my collected treasures

Junky to precious

I look for it in lettuce, limes and lemons

In asparagus, apples, and apricots

I might find it in a packet of extra strong peppermints

A jar of peanut butter

Smooth and cloying

I can find poetry in a cluster of seashells

Glittering sea glass

sandcastles and seaweed

I seek it out in a song’s refrain

And a child’s voice in a playground

I find it in my favourite books

An isolated word

Angry or otherwise

I see it in photographs that gently embrace my history

Poetry hides in a banana

A voice on the radio

A storm

In a day old newspaper article

I look for poetry in my wife’s eyes

Or recollections of my parents

I look for poetry when I listen to the morning song of magpies

I wake each day and I know it’s out there

Waiting for me

So where does your poetry hide?

Slice of Life Story- The Playground is a Magnet

2012-01-17T11:28:00.000+11:00

I returned to the local playground last week at the suggestion of two of my grandchildren. We were waiting for my wife to finish some essential fashion research in nearby shops and a timely suggestion emerged, -Can we go to the park?
We have been coming to this park, overlooking Mornington’s harbour for many years. Initially, Vicki and I came with their parents. All my grandchildren have played here over time. I am warmed by that knowledge. The playground is a magnet.

When we arrive, the children explode from the car, entering the playground with muscles twitching and limbs stretching into action. They climb they fall, they leap, they dive; swinging and sliding and hanging like monkeys. All the time they’re searching out the next piece of playground equipment to be conquered. They take risks and enter into personal challenges. They rise and fall incurring blisters and bruises, yet still they persist. Fun wins out. It is a time for the healthy pursuit of a bit of rough and tumble. This is no place for wimps. The playground is a metaphor for life.

As they have grown, I notice the children have adapted their use of certain equipment. It is fascinating to watch them find new ways to use familiar structures. Shimmying up a pole, rather than sliding down. Walking up the slippery slide, or sliding down on its outer edge in a move that openly defies the accepted manner of sitting in the groove provided and sliding sedately to the bottom. When they tire of the play equipment, they climb and scramble over the massive trees nearby.

Following this, they run laps of the adjoining open space, before demanding a game of ‘tiggy.’ I’m included in the contest. I should feel honoured that I’m considered capable. It’s a little difficult to chase because I’m holding a bag and a camera, but I do my best. They giggle and squeal as we romp about. Gotcha! You’re it!

The park is crowded with family groups on the day of our visit. Summer is the perfect time to let kids run free in the playground. Their voices sing a song of pure delight. Adults sport cameras in the quest to capture these special times. As usual I take a raft of photos. It is a compelling force. Kids are generally at their vibrant best in this environment. As they grow older they will move away from the playground, but I suspect they will return in time with the next generation of playground explorers, who will unleash their boundless energies in this space The playground is a magnet.

Summer Reads Feed the Writer Within

2012-01-13T11:04:00.002+11:00

I am working my way through a host of books across the summer…

I started out with Natalie Goldberg’s ‘Old Friend from Far Away’ which is adding to my knowledge of memoir writing. Natalie Goldbeg says to memoir we must know how to remember and to assist the reader to improve memory she provides timed and associative exercises to guide writing development around memoir. A great book if you are considering committing part of your life story to paper.

I am also reading ‘Beyond Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue' by Benjamin Green. Again, this is a practical guide to assisting students to write free verse. Green writes with a comfortable voice and guides the reader through a series of exercises aimed at helping students create high quality poems. I see this as a teacher resource book where ideas could be adopted, modified and presented. I am always a little wary of books that present a step by step process for writing, -poetry in particular, but the structure provides does provide support for those teachers who find teaching poetry a challenge.

Keri Smith’s, 'How to Be An Explorer of the World' is an exciting collection of possibilities for documenting your interactions with the world. It’s a dip into kind of book containing pages dripping with potential projects to pursue. The artist in me loves this book. It challenges the imagination and sparks thought with sixty explorations to consider from people watching to finding words; from found paper art creations to documenting differences. This book is for those of us with harvester hearts.

I am reading Michael Rosen’s picture story book, ‘Sad Book.’ Rosen writes with total honesty about his thinking following the death of his son Eddie. Rosen writes about his sadness, how it affects him and the things he does to cope with his emotional state. A very personal story is shared with sensitivity. It speaks truthfully to readers of all ages. I can imagine this book becoming a mentor text when discussing the emotional heart of the writer.

Rosen writes, ‘Sometimes I’m sad and I don’t know why. It’s just a cloud that comes along and covers me up. It’s not because Eddie’s gone. It’s not because my mum’s gone. It’s just because.’

Michael Rosen has been a favourite poet of mine for many years. His poetry makes a perfect fit with my need for humour. That’s what makes this book all the more important to me. Rosen is taking me in the opposite direction emotionally, but the level of trust is strong so I feel like I need to listen and learn from his experience. The full gamut of emotion has been bridged. It is easy to be moved by the honesty of the writer's experience. I felt like I knew Eddie through the poet's earlier work that focused on Eddie's formative years. I shared this book with two of my grandchildren. They listened with great intent, raised numerous questions and asked me to read it again. Now, that's a great review.

My final book arrived as a Christmas gift, - Paul Kelly’s ‘How to Make Gravy.’ The master Australian born song writer and story teller has written a weighty memoir. Using the lyric lines from his songs, Kelly tells the stories of his life including the art of songwriting. This book provides what the indigenous people call songlines. The book is an exploration of big and little things in life.

All these books provide insights. They sustain me as both reader and writer. The words wash over; soaking into me. I am the sum of all my reading. Curing my ignorance is an on going quest.

I’m always telling students you can’t be a writer unless you’re a reader. You can’t be a reader unless you’re a thinker. I’m trying to put that into action as summer unfolds. Afterall, I don’t want that summer drop off in my reading levels.

The Writer As EXPLORER- Things on the Ground PROJECT

2012-01-08T12:38:00.000+11:00

Each morning, when possible, I walk in the fresh air not too long after the sun has peeked above the far horizon. Being on holiday at present has enabled me to walk more frequently.

This morning though, as part of my summer writes I followed the lead of Keri Smith in her book, ‘How to be an Explorer of the World’ and set out for my morning walk with the words ‘Everything is interesting, look closer’ singing in my ears. My project was to take photos only of things found on the ground. Using my iphone I walked my usual route, pausing to snap items that caught my eye.

Since the age of about ten I have been enamoured by photography. As a teacher and a writer, this love of the photographic image has been a positive influence. I believe It has aided my eye as a writer. Small detail is important. What takes place inside a camera can also take place inside your head.

As teachers of writing we need to be collectors. We must observe, collect and analyse. This documentation of specific elements of our world, our culture through research is our lifeblood. I also collect to enable me to remember. Sometimes I collect things that initially appear meaningless or trivial, however the reflective process of writing often leads me back to an important realization or wider connection and I am better informed as a writer.

To have students grow into close observers of their world, we must lead them into new territories and methods of investigation. So, as I set out on my mission I found myself acutely focused.

The images I captured on my walk have become potential writing topics and ideas. They will assist me to achieve the vital link to new ideas.

I am already thinking about my next visual project. Maybe, the next focus (pardon the pun) could be, ‘things on walls.’ This was fun. It was easy and it was instructive. My summer writes continue. These images will go into my notebook. They will inform me as a writer. Anything can be a starting place…

Reflections on a Writing Year...

2011-12-30T09:32:00.001+11:00

I read this morning that globally, 2011 was as stinky as a teenager’s bedroom, so maybe it’s just as well we are about to put a lid on it. It must be said though, it wasn’t all bad; it’s never is completely one way.

From the perspective of this little blog, it was quite a good year. I want to spend a little writing time reflecting on the fortunes of Living Life Twice…

I am pleased that this humble attempt to support my fellow teachers of writing has been so well received since its inception in 2008. The readership has grown steadily- this makes my heart sing.

I want to sincerely thank those of you who drop by regularly and take the time to leave a response. Your time investment is most appreciated. The feedback informs me, guides me and sustains me. Particular thanks to Linda at teacherdance, Deb Day, and Elsie who regularly drop by. Thank you also to those of you who have tweeted and emailed across the year.

Thank you to guest bloggers Elaine Hirsch and Lindsey Wright for their respective contributions this year, -new voices adding to the mix.

Thank you to those of you who have purchased copies of my book, 'Igniting Writing-When a Teacher Writes.' Your generous support has been heart warming. The book continues to spread out into new frontiers. It is currently undergoing an update, with additional sections being added. An international book fair in Amsterdam next year is beckoning., so I am in for a busy summer of writing, - and rewriting.

I am going to take time over the Australian summer to read, write and relax. I will continue to be an explorer of my world, harvesting ideas and collecting notebook entries. Like so many of my colleagues I need to restore and recharge, so the pace of my life will consciously slow a little over the coming days and weeks. Remember, not everyone who meanders is lost!

So what does summer hold?

Family time and beach days
Catch up time with friends
Deeper reading and sustained writing
Watching cricket
Listening to music everyday
Daily writing opportunities
Some painting and photography
Rewriting an updated version of ‘Igniting Writing’
'The occasional bottle of wine' (Jimmy Buffett quote)
Adventures
Discoveries
Surprises

In 2012, I look forward to presenting at the VATE (Victorian Association of Teachers of English) Conference in April. ALEA (Australian Literacy Educators Association ) National Conference in Sydney in July

Working with Critical Agendas (professional learning providers) to spread the word about effective writing programs

Working with Hawker Brownlow Education, to present a series of writing workshops and continuing my on going consultancy work across schools including a project in Hamilton, Victoria on students and teachers using writer’s notebook

Stay safe blog followers. May your writing efforts be rewarding and may ideas flow to you freely. Best wishes to all for a happy and rewarding 2012. If you drop by, please leave a comment. Visitors are always welcome here...

Slice of Life Story -The Sound of Whistling

2011-12-21T16:11:00.002+11:00

I was sitting in my favourite coffee fix café, Via Boffe’ yesterday wandering through some recently written notebook entries, whilst slowly savouring a cappuccino. The café was packed and pulsing with caffeine desperadoes’ A waitress ask me, ‘How do you get inspiration when it’s crazy like this? I glibly replied, ‘I bring it with me.’ I should have more accurately admitted inspiration has its own magic and can take place at any time, anywhere. It’s a matter of whether one is ready to receive it…

I became aware of a sound, an altogether foreign sound in a café -a sound, not unpleasant, but a sound not to be denied. A high lilting sound that swirled through the tiny café like smoke wisps. -not Mini Ripperton high, but high nonetheless. Where was it coming from? I turned in an effort to find its source.

A bald headed man wearing a mostly white t shirt and fawn jeans sat at the front window seat; a place I frequenlty covet when I come to the café. He was whistling, quite loudly, yet pleasantly. On his lap sat an open newspaper and next to him on the shelf facing the window was his coffee. He whistled with the same joy as a bird of the forest. I have to say I have never heard someone whistle in a café in living memory. I felt a sense of dislocation. It was strangely intriguing to watch and listen to his tuneful whistling. The tune totally unfamiliar to my ears wafted around the café. Somehow it evaded the attention of the other patrons for no one appeared to notice the orchestra of the lips all around them. Conversations were not halted, nor heads turned (except mine) Café staff continued to go about their appointed tasks without any hint of a whistle stop. I don’t see dead people, but apparently I am the only person who hears café whistlers!

Presently, whistling man paused to take a sip of his coffee and thumbed through a few pages of the morning news. He rhythmically tapped the bench-top with his fingers. I turned back to my notebook and feverishly scribbled some notes about this small yet compelling moment in my day.

A short time later, the whistling refrain started once more and with feeling, so I turned for a second time, listening actively. The second concert was noticeably shorter, but just as entertaining. As I listened to his tuneful virtuosity, I found myself revisiting an earlier experience almost nine years ago to the day in a place on the opposite side of the world, and in another season …

‘Standing at a rather forlorn Brooklyn bus stop directly opposite a funeral parlour had me thinking that the street itself was a cause for grief.

The wind blew along its full length and slapped me squarely in the face. The bus shelter offered little respite from the icy blasts it carried. I was too cold to bother reading the advertising hoarding. And anyway, it hadn’t changed for months. I wrapped my coat more tightly around me, sunk down into my scarf while jamming my gloved hands into my coat pockets. I felt no warmer for these efforts. Winter plays the part of a bully so convincingly at times. Above the swirling wind, the traffic growled as cars and trucks negotiated the intersection.

I stood in this miserable place along with three women. We stood in silence, bracing ourselves against the bitterness of the day. I was counting down the freezing minutes, willing my bus to arrive.

…And then I heard it. -Faintly at first, but discernable as whistling. Where was it coming from this sweet sound in such a god forsaken place? It floated above the sounds of winter misery. I realized it was coming from somewhere behind me. I turned to see a tall, thin, elderly man. He was leaning against the wall of a corner deli, directly behind the bus shelter. A bag slung over his shoulder gave me the impression he was journeying home from a day at work somewhere. He wore a cap made of a stocking type material and a coat that appeared no match for the weather of the day. -His long narrow face reminiscent of the legendary Popeye. His whiskery face masked in a grey sheen. I kept taking momentary glimpses, not wishing to lock onto to his gaze for fear of making him feel conspicuous, uncomfortable.

The sound of his whistling rose gently above the wind, the traffic and the surrounding ugliness. It spiralled through the wintery air, embracing my consciousness. He was whistling the sounds of the season. ‘Let heaven and angels sing.’ I had never heard whistling like this. This man made a nightingale sound raucous. -The rawness of the day surpassed by the lyrical sound of his whistling. I stood silently, listening to this stranger and found myself successfully shutting winter out. I wondered if the other people were as absorbed as I was at that moment, by one man’s whistling….’ Do you hear what I hear?’ If the beauty of the whistler’s notes were reaching their hearts, their faces failed to reveal their inner joy. They stood like Easter Island statues throughout the entire performance.

The bus arrived just as he launched into ‘Deck The Halls.’ We all eagerly climbed on board. I stood back so that I could get a better look at whistling man, as he boarded the bus. The bus was mercifully devoid of crazies and we all sat in relative peace. I sat opposite the whistling stranger and wondered how he had learned to whistle with such virtuosity. What made him decide to whistle Christmas carols in that drab and depressing place? I’m glad he did of course, but it was a delight I had not expected. I had approached that bus stop contemplating a battle with winter’s freeze and found myself moved by one man’s attitude to life. The simple act of one man’s whistling had refocused my energies. As I departed the bus near Grand Army Plaza, I passed by the whistling stranger and placed my hand on his shoulder. I thanked him for his beautiful whistling. ‘Thank you sir,’ he replied. ‘Thank you so much’ He offered me the bonus of a smile.

As we went our respective ways, I think we both felt warmed. I was glad that I spoke to him. I could have easily sat in my seat, wrapped in silence, but then he would never have known what pleasure his whistling had provided. Hopefully he will continue to whistle, and others will enjoy the simple pleasure I enjoyed.

Music is all around us just waiting to be heard. Sometimes you hear it in the most unlikely settings and in quite unexpected forms too. The simple act of whistling is a spirit lifter, no doubt in my mind anyway. From a wintery Brooklyn street to a tiny Italian café in Mornington, Australia, it makes no difference- the effect is the same. The spirit is lifted by the sound of another person’s joy. Power to you, whistlers all…

Summer and the Joyfully Literate Teacher…

2011-12-14T10:04:00.001+11:00

The end of the Australian school year is rapidly approaching. At the conclusion of every school year the need to tie up a multitude of loose ends prior to the summer holidays is paramount. It is a demanding time
However, I am equally aware there is a period of time looming on summer’s horizon when tired educators will have time to relax and regenerate their energy reserves.- A time for relaxation, holidays, family and recreation.

May I suggest that summer holidays present a fantastic opportunity to embrace your inner writer and launch your very own writer’s notebook? If you have already made this decision - I applaud your actions. What a wonderful investment in your role as a teacher of writing!

Many teachers read extensively during vacation breaks. Free of the pressure of the classroom, it is possible to indulge in more personal reading; becoming re-acquainted with favourite authors; reading that book you received as a gift.

It seems to me that at this point it makes perfect sense to add a little writing alongside your reading. If you accept this challenge, it will mean that when the new school year begins you will have compiled a sampling of text that will assist you to model aspects of writing to a fresh group of students. It will give you immediate writing credibility with your students. You will have captured summer memories, made lists, gathered artefacts, made drawings, gathered photos, capture small yet significant moments. Such action will assist you to connect more easily to your students. You will assume the role of a teacher who writes, enabling you to teach writing from the inside. This is far better than trying to get kids to do something you make a conscious choice to avoid. Your credibility plummets like a wounded duck!

Don’t wait until the school year begins. It will be too late then and you will be overwhelmed by a tsunami of administrative demands and organizational matters –you get the picture, I’m sure. The world is full of people who are full of good intentions. The challenge is to turn one’s self into a real life action hero!

Just as you want your students to make a good start to the school year, you should expect the same for yourself. I’m not suggesting you write to some rigid schedule, just quarantine a little time to document some of the rich pickings of your summer. It will be a great investment in designing the writing curriculum – and it’s painless! I am not suggesting that you dedicate yourself to just writing about summer exclusively. As always you should focus on matters that are important to you. Maybe your reading may spark your writing, who knows?

There is no better time to send this message. I need to reach you now while you still have your educators cap on. Hopefully, it isn’t pulled down over your eyes and your hands aren’t over your ears.

This summer, don’t just dive into the surf. Dive into some writing. -Approach writing in the same manner that one approaches summer reading. The writes of summer could provide the stimulus to launch a fabulous school year in 2012! I can’t offer a free set of steak of knives with that, but I know it comes with certain intrinsic rewards. Should you choose to accept this mission –share this joyous news with your colleagues!

As a writer, I love this time of the year. It affords me precious time to read and write. Time I don't have to steal. When the fog of the academic year fades away, my writing comes to the fore. I embrace it eagerly, knowing it will take me to new places and present new discoveries.

Good luck with your projects. May you experience a joyfully literate summer.

Creating Sparks In the Writing Classroom

2011-11-28T16:04:00.000+11:00

How do we spark and then maintain an interest in writing among our students? This is the challenge all teachers of writing face. Here are a few ideas to ignite the writing in your classroom.
I begin by sharing my own writing. This is where you establish credibility as a teacher of writing. My writer’s notebook with its range of text investigations lets students know that I am a writer -just like them!

I engage students in conversations around my writing life.- Sharing how I harvest ideas, how I notice things and how I solve problems in my writing. Such conversations create a powerful dialogue that aims to demystify writing, making it appear more accessible to the novice writer. I am sharing the powerful message that writing holds something worth pursuing.

I share examples of quality writing (fiction and non fiction) that have caught my eye. It is important for young writers to see what it means to read like a writer.

I celebrate the wonder of words used by authors in innovative and interesting ways and invite students to write in the style of an author they admire. I take time to show them how I also learn from authors I admire.

I am consciously laying a foundation for writing; creating a climate that welcomes the celebration of language. To do this I encourage students to join me, take a risk and dive into the writing life! I am investing heavily in a range of pre-writing strategies and activities. Writing is so much more than form and structure.

Important Actions That Spark Writing

Encourage students to develop regular lists of potential writing ideas/topics
Encourage students to decide how they might best write about a specific idea
Introduce artifacts into the classroom and show how they can spark memories and ideas
Demonstrate the value of inquiry to stimulate writing ideas
Draw- maps, characters, storyboards
Demonstrate how you write across a range of genres when considering a topic to find what best suits your needs as a writer
Read, read, read and make the reading –writing connections visible
Read about writing and identify writing mentors for yourself. Encourage your students to follow your lead.
Make talking about writing an integral part of your writing classroom.

Action VERBS! Guest Blogger, Elaine Hirsch Returns

2011-11-22T18:44:00.000+11:00

Guest Blogger, Elaine Hirsch returns with a post about verbs and the potential they possess for injecting action and vitality into our writing. Our work with developing writers should place verbs in a prominent position. They are the muscles of our writing- the heavy lifters, and as Elaine writes, verbs ‘incite all your words to dance and sing together instead of just standing in incoherent, silent groups.’ More power to verbs!

I’m certain you’ll gain renewed appreciation for the great work action verbs perform when you read Elaine’s post:

Verbs describe some kind of action, but some verbs are more active than others. Your writing leaps from commonplace to persuasive and engaging just by changing the types of verbs you use. Whether you're writing fiction, a master's degree dissertation, or copy for advertisements, active verbs make readers want more. They switch on readers' imaginative vision and help them truly feel the meaning of your words.

“The verb is the heartthrob of the sentence,” as Karen Gordon writes in The Transitive Vampire. “Without a verb, a group of words can never hope to be anything more than a fragment, a hopelessly incomplete sentence, a eunuch or dummy of a grammatical expression.” What's more, selection of active and more interesting verbs can make the difference between lively writing and words that merely shamble along.

Using plain verbs like “walk” when you could use something like “amble” can condemn your writing to be ordinary and unconvincing. Readers want to be hooked from the first sentence. They want their imaginations thrust in the middle of the action. Active verbs help readers understand what you’re trying to convey, and stay engaged in your writing.

Active verbs also help you keep your writing concise. The shorter your sentences, the easier they are for readers to understand. While it's not a good idea to have short, choppy sentences throughout your writing, using active verbs to reduce the number of words readers must comprehend in your writing makes a positive difference.

Verbs like “elicit,” “conducted,” and “modified” help readers quickly grasp the full meaning of your words. Active verbs capture the subtle connotative meanings more commonplace verbs can't reach. Using active verbs in your business writing is especially important to convince and persuade readers. Concise writing in business is also highly valued because it takes less time to process and understand.

Active verbs give readers more powerful mental images and help them more easily understand your meaning. Words that do more than just state what happened but also convey the emotional tenor or some other level of nuance associated with the event are vital to good writing. Without them, your writing just does the bare minimum of communicating basic meaning.

With active verbs, you can reduce the number of words it takes to say something. You also express deeper and fuller meaning. Since verbs connect words to form complete ideas, your writing should be full of verbs to incite all your words to dance and sing together instead of just standing in incoherent, silent groups. Active verbs are the key to starting the music and getting the words’ feet tapping.

Writing Lessons? Please Stop Says Jay Mathews

2011-11-16T07:50:00.001+11:00

Confronting article written by Jay Mathews on his view of the teaching of writing in many U.S. schools. Mathew's article first appeared in the Washington Post under the banner, Class Struggle. I thought it was worth sharing, as it provides another perspective on writing, particularly in the Secondary education setting in a comparative system. The column has stirred debate about the teaching of writing with the NWP (National Writing Project) urging educators to join in with their responses. Jay Mathews is an education columnist.

Originally Posted at 10:00 AM ET, 11/13/2011

Writing lessons? Please stop

By Jay Mathews

With a few exceptions, our schools are bad at teaching writing. Students are not asked to do much of it, mostly because reading and correcting their work takes so much time. Instruction methods are often academic and lifeless.
English teachers rarely assign non-fiction reading and are even less apt to require non-fiction writing. Almost no high school students, except those in private or International Baccalaureate schools, are required to do major research papers.
Worthy attempts at reform haven’t gotten far. Writing instruction is killing our children’s natural desire to express themselves. Compare their school assignments to their e-mails and you will see what I mean.
The only way to fix this is to tear up what we are doing and start over.
Leading this movement is Paula Stacey, an editor and educator who has taught every level of writing instruction. Her Sept. 21 Education Week piece exposed the torture that is Composition 101. “We have the entire English department at a local high school,” Stacey wrote, “embracing a schoolwide essay format that calls for exactly three central paragraphs containing exactly eight sentences: topic sentence, detail sentence, commentary sentence, another detail sentence, another commentary sentence, a final detail sentence, a final commentary sentence, and a concluding sentence.
“At a different high school across town, a history teacher hands out zeros to students who don’t have the thesis statement as the final sentence in the opening paragraph. Meanwhile, a woman I know who teaches at an elite research university bemoans the fact that her students, among the best in the country, have mastered the five-paragraph essay, but can’t develop a complex idea in writing.”
The new common core standards for ninth and 10th grade writing are enough to chill a classroom. Here is what they recommend for teaching how to write an argument:
“Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.”
The result of such clerical work is usually unreadable. Few people who learn to write this way ever make it their life’s work. The professional writers I know got excited not in class but while compiling personal journals, or composing poems and songs, or sending long letters or e-mails to friends, or working for the school newspaper.
I have been influenced by educators who think free reading is the best homework for elementary school. Why not add some free writing? Stacey suggested junking “the narrow models, the graphic organizers, the formats and the steps” and do something very simple: “Ask students questions, read their answers, and ask more questions.”
Even elementary school students love research opportunities. How long would it take for a fifth grader to produce a report on which of her grandparents spent the most time in school, and why? Once in high school, they can read Strunk and White’s “The Elements of Style” and do a 4,000-word researched essay on a teacher-approved topic.
They will still need good teachers. Teaching writing the right way is hard work. But educators have told me they do it because for many of their students it is the most satisfying work they will ever do.
Most school districts don’t see this. But some teachers have already discarded the old rules. They inspire their students to be vivid and clear, rather than just orderly. They show how much this can improve their lives, from love letters to job applications. What better lesson is there in an Internet era in which more words are being written than ever before?

By Jay Mathews |

Finding the Right Approach with Errors in Student Writing

2011-11-15T14:44:00.001+11:00

If parents don’tunderstand why you’re not marking up mistakes on a piece of writing or’correcting’ writer’s notebook entries with relentless zeal, then consider this drastic action.
Take a child’s painting andcover it in transparent plastic or laminate. Then, start marking all over it,crossing things out, redrawing other parts, putting notes and comments on it.Parents will most likely find such action discomforting. They might even gaspin horror. Then ask, why should we do this to a student’s writing? Afterall,both are artistic creations –works of art.

Inexperienced writers makeerrors. So do experienced writers. Learning cannot take place without somelevel of error. One of the greatest issues a developing writer can face in theprocess of becoming a competent writer is to be inhibited from responding, forfear of being wrong.

When a young writer tackles an unfamiliar word in theirwriting and spells it correctly they confirm their existing beliefs concerningthat word. If they happen to get it ‘wrong’ then they learn something just asimportant. They learn that they must modify their belief about that word. Thewriter learns by testing their existing belief. This is the kind of healthyrisk taking we must encourage in our classrooms. Writers should not be afraidto tackle new words.

I watched with glowing pride as a Grade 1 writer recentlytackled the word aquarium in herwriting, because ‘fish tank’ just wouldn’t do. We celebrated the risk takingwith much ceremony during the share time that day. The next lesson saw manymore risk takers emerge in that writing community.

Frank Smith in ‘EssaysInto Literacy,’ wrote, ‘Children do not learn from being corrected but fromwanting to do things the right way.’

They do not become betterwriters by writing less, and this is the possible negative outcome from an overemphasis on correction.

Correction is beneficialwhen the student sees the need for it. When students have an authentic purposefor the writing they are doing, they engage in the process with purpose and adesire to make it work for the reader. The pen that makes the correction is inthe hand of the writer, not the teacher. Correction needs ownership rather thanimposition. Most of the effort put in by teachers acting the part of thecorrection police is largely a waste of time. It overwhelms the learner andopenly promotes the notion of why bother?in the mind of the hapless victim.

Jeff Anderson’s idea ofissuing students with’ an invitation to explore’ exemplars of good writing is awonderful way to deal with many of the issues that young writers deal withas they grapple with making their writing reader friendly. It encourages the developing writer to look for things they might be able to imitate in their own writing. Anderson’sapproach condemns the idea of putting up a piece of mistake riddled writing andhaving students conduct a kind of misguidedautopsy on the body of errors. It is consigned to the rubbish bin of irrelevance.

Remember, the argument is not aboutthe standard of student writing but how we go about achieving the standard. Byconsistently sharing models of great writing we have the opportunity tohighlight the conventional wisdom regarding spelling, grammar and sentenceconstruction. Armed with this information the young writer is then invited toconduct a discrepancy analysis and make the appropriate changes. More power tothe writer…

Do we want students to beable to identify errors and make corrections, or do we want them to use thepower of punctuation to create messages that resonate with clarity and beauty?Actually, we want both!

Breathing Life into Sentences.

2011-11-14T16:20:00.001+11:00

The issue of sentenceconstruction arises consistently when discussing the development of studentwriting. Sentences regularly appear in the work of young writers. Sentencesthat draw frowns on the faces of teachers. -Sentences that lack variety, spark,energy or complexity. The challenge is, how do we support young writers to moreconsciously construct sentence brimming with energy and intent?

Let's begin by drawingthe young writer’s attention to the sentences constructed by mentor authors.Examining closely the work of other writers. Spotlight sentences that revealpossibilities for the developing writer. Encourage them to write in the style of the mentor. Doing this can lead to almost instant improvement in their work. It remains a powerful mechanism for change.

Consider the following actions to Soup Up Sentences:

Draw attention to the wayother writers use strong verbs to create vivid images for the reader. Verbs arethe muscles of the sentence. They need to know this. Precise, accurate verbscan replace longer inefficient phrases.

Do the same with theprecise use of nouns. Nouns that take the reader from the general to thespecific. Don’t write dog when you mean Doberman.

Alert students to thecareful use of adjectives in their written pieces. -Adjectives that assist thereader to visualize. Think of adjectives in the way that you think of fastfood; indulge in them sparingly. Inexperienced writers often throw a collectionof adjectives at a subject hoping to impress. It rarely works.

Encourage students to lookfor alternative ways to say the same thing to avoid monotony. Words and phrasesused repeatedly should be identified and weeded out. The exception being wheredeliberate repetition is used for effect.

Show students how to combinetwo sentences into one using connectives (conjunctions). Literature aboundswith examples. Show them how you use this important information to inform your writing. Sentence combining is a powerful mechanism for improving the flow of writing.

Aim for precision in wordchoice. Encourage students to search for the word/words that states exactly what theywish to say to the reader.

Check out the way mentorsuse a variety of sentence beginnings to keep the reader engaged.

Teach the strategy ofreading sentences OUT LOUD to ensure they sound right and flow easily from thelips.

Studying sentences closelycan make them come to life with the essential energy good writing requires.

When Authors Write to Effect a Change

2011-11-12T08:28:00.001+11:00

Writers have apurpose when they write and so it is important to embed this understanding inthe minds of young writers. A reader can be influenced by the words used by thewriter. We want young authors to fully understand this purpose for writing. The writer evokes a response, or a change inattitude from the reader and is thus fulfilled,

What weare attempting to do here is to encourage the development of a persuasive toneinto the writing without immediately descending into a pale imitation of apersuasive essay. To avoid this, we need to focus on the reasons for writing,rather than being mesmerized by the form.

It istherefore vital that we show students how to read like writers. Show them howthe writer is using words to influence and inform the reader.

What craft is the writer using toachieve this?

What do you notice about thewriter’s voice?
What words are the most powerful?
What is the writer’s point of viewhere?

Thisrequires us as teachers to seek out good quality texts that convey a sense ofsocial consciousness or awareness. A variety of texts written in a range ofgenres and styles can be used most effectively to show students how authors usewords and illustrative techniques to affect the reader’s attitude, opinion, andunderstanding of any given issue. From here, students may then set aboutwriting their own pieces. This is when we support students to try writing aboutdifferent ideas and topics, or try a particular writing style another authorhas used to effect. Topics generally range from global issues to more personalconcerns. –those things that drive us crazy (think-what cheeses me off!)

This approach aims to encouragestudents to:

· Keeptheir writing focused on the purpose they have identified.

· Choosea genre for exploring their opinion, idea, point of view

· Continueto be aware of the target audience throughout the writing

· Continueto develop their voices as writers

· Organizethe writing to clearly convey their thoughts

· Noticeillustrative techniques that support the written messages

Some Suggested Actions For Young Writers To Follow:

· Participatein class discussions around relevant, age appropriate social issues that arisefrom the reading that takes place.

· Talkto each other about the focus of their writing

· Articulatetheir writing intentions(pre-writing) and what they hope to achieve

· Readand reread their work at regular intervals

· Spendadequate time revising their work

· Edittheir work with a partner

Gathering Suitable Resources:

Collectas many texts as you can that convey a social message or are written from aperspective that desires to effect a change. In selecting books, we must remainmindful of selecting texts that are appropriate and accessible for the studentsyou are teaching. These texts will be used to extend the thinking of studentsand open their minds to a variety of possible writing topics and ideas.

Exploring Issues

· Ask students:

What matters to you enough to want to write about it, orexplore it in your writing?

      What frustrates or annoys you?
      What is something you feel strongly enough about to writeit down
      How do other authors present such issues and could you dosomething similar?

· List

Issues that matterto your students

Possible audiences

· Talk about

Issues and they waythey affect people and communities

Ways to bring abouta change, or improvement

· Rehearse

How they would support a cause or deal with an issue intheir writing

Encourage students to talk about an issue with a partneras if they were talking to
a reader

· Document/chart

Some of the words, phrases etc that the mentor authors areusing to influence the reader.

In What Ways Do Writers InfluenceUs?

· Bywarning us through their writing both fiction and non fiction

· Bytelling a story that brings the issue to our attention

· Bytelling a story that has a message

· Byproviding the reader with examples

· Bydescribing details

· Bybegging us to change

· Bywriting letters –public and personal

· Bywriting about something worth preserving or protecting

· By describing a scene to highlight a problem

· Bywriting poetry

· Bywriting about how to treat people, places, objects, treasures

· Byinspiring us to try new things

· Byinspiring us to be brave or resolute

· Bydescribing the benefits to be gained by a particular action/actions

· Byrepeating words, or a group of words (word patterns) to add emphasis

· Bywriting a story with a moral

· Byasking questions

When writers dothese things they are ‘prodding’ us to think more deeply about an issue.

Who Were Your Writing Champions in School?

2011-11-07T17:30:00.000+11:00

Who were your writing champions as you went through school? Who do you recall as a writing hero; a teacher who promoted writing through their own actions?

Sadly, it wasn’t until I reached my tertiary education that I actually encountered such a person. The late Tom McCabe encouraged me to become editor of the college newspaper. He talked about writing in a way that previous teachers had conspicuously failed to do. He ignited my passion for writing poetry. He talked with passion and authority about the joy of writing. He was a stand out champion for writing!

I certainly had teachers who stood out as beacons for literature and reading. People such as John Harris, my Grade 6 teacher, who read the poetry of Henry Lawson and A B Paterson with great enthusiasm. He also introduced us to the work of Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling. His reading was intoxicating. He had a way of taking the listener with him as he read. He made Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, come to life in my mind.

In high school John Simpson and Fred Male were passionate champions of great literature and poetry. We were exposed to a wide range of literary models for which I am now eternally grateful. At the urgings of our school librarian, Dorothy Poynter, I recall reading, ‘Prisoner of Zenda’, by Anthony Hope Hawkins, ‘Hawaii’ and ‘Caravans’ by James A Michener, ‘Robbery Under Arms’ by Rolf Boldrewood as well as the works of Shakespeare and the poetry of John Keats and Elisabeth Browning. These educators worked hard to shape their students as life long readers. I also read a series of detective novels by Arthur Upfield. Upfield was an Australian writer, whose books featured fictional Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte ('Bony') of the Queensland Police Force. I really enjoyed this series of books.

But for all their efforts around reading, and for their consistent urgings for their students to read, I do not recall them having the same champion’s voice for writing. I wonder how students today think of us in this regard? Do they see us as teachers who champion both reading and writing? Have we influenced them to such an extent that the siblings of the literature family have an equal place in their future plans?

Do you have a writing champion that stands out in your educational journey? I hope you do.

LookBooks and The Writer- Guest Blogger, Elaine Hirsch

2011-10-22T15:06:00.001+11:00

This latest post comes from Guest writer, Elaine Hirsch and revisits the concept of LookBooks, examining the potential of this resource, originally applied to the fashion industry, to further assist the writer within each of us...

Elaine is kind of a jack-of-all-interests, from education and history to medicine and videogames. This makes it difficult for her to choose just one life path, so she is currently working as a writer for various education-related sites and writing about all these things instead.

Elaine writes:
'In the fashion industry as well as others , people use lookbooks and mood boards to draw inspiration from and define their own particular styles. These creative tools are used to collect visuals of interest to designers, from photographs of models to swatches of fabric to sketches, layouts, and whatever else helps to inspire them and direct their creative impulses in a particular fashion, as well as quickly inform other people as to the specific “feel” of their projects.

Lookbooks and mood boards can be useful for writers, as well. Whether you're working on an essay for an online doctorate or your magnum opus novel, it can be highly productive to collect together in one place resources that inspire you and help you to focus on a particular goal. They're likely to look different than fashion lookbooks or a web designers' mood boards because you are working with more cognitive inspirations and less visuals, but the principles at work remain the same.

Some writers may already have the equivalents of lookbooks lining their bookshelves. No writer exists in a vacuum, and most have been reading all their lives so the influences of other writers on their own writing can't be denied. Having libraries of beloved books at hand to escape into when you're having trouble with your own can be really useful because you can look at them analytically, especially since you've likely read them before.

Think about what in a book impresses you so strongly, whether it's plot twists or certain turns of phrase. Read lots and really try to understand what it is that makes the writers you love masters of the craft. Collect together the books you most want to emulate in your work, whether in form or genre, near your writing desk so you can use them as references. Obviously wholesale copying is no good, but all writers have read something that makes their hearts sing or pound. You can utilize the lessons your favorite authors offer to write more compelling work, and to keep you on track with whatever you're writing.

Writers can make more lightweight lookbooks too though. Fill a large, blank sketchbook with stuff related to your project, whether written words, photographs, or sketches. If you're writing a novel, you can devote a page to the things that inspired you to write it in the first place, such as a news story you heard or a life experience you had, and maybe another page to your goals in the project. Catalogue everything, write notes everywhere. You can literally sketch out characters on a page, even if you don't have much drawing skill. Cut out images from magazines that speak to what you feel is the direction you want to head in or the feel you're looking for.

This can also work for more academic endeavors by clipping in news stories, research papers, or other resources you need. You can also draw out mind-maps on the pages, and then all your work can be collected in one place.

This effort to collect’ inspiration’ can also be done digitally, which can be helpful if you prefer to work in cafes or otherwise travel around while writing. Web services like Evernote and many more besides can be used to collect bookmarks, digital images, and other notes and inspirations into a single visual space that can be used for reference wherever you go, from local libraries to distant lands.

While this creative aid was developed for more visual arts, it's still quite applicable to writing. Assembling together your thoughts and influences into an easily accessible space like this can make it much easier for you to keep a cohesive feel to your work. Whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, it will help continue to inspire you as well as keeping you focused on your goals in writing. For teachers, this type of collecting represents yet another powerful resource to share with the developing writers in their care.'

Yielding To the Influence of Other Writers

2011-10-08T16:13:00.000+11:00

Renowned Australian singer, songwriter, and story teller Paul Kelly was once asked where he found ideas, and he answered, ‘I steal them.’ Kelly was being somewhat self effacing, but he was also close to a truth all writers know. They know what imitation looks like. Such influences are unavoidable.
At some stage in our writing journey we try on other voices, adopting, then adapting them. Such influences are important to our development as writers. We may find ourselves drawn to the rhythm, description or structure of the words. This influence on our ears and eyes is inevitable. The more we read as writers, the more we are exposed to the influence of our fellow writers.

I read somewhere - ‘Bad writers borrow, good writers steal.’ When you notice yourself influenced by the words of another writer you need to shape that influence to make it fit your writing intentions and your particular voice. I have previously mentioned how I have been informed by the writing of Jerry Spinelli and his influence on my writing, particularly his use of repetition, and short, punchy sentences. Roald Dahl’s wonderful character descriptions are another influential craft consideration I find compelling. At various times, I have been most conscious of writing under their influence.

Writing in the style of another author is something we need to practice as teachers of writing. By experiencing the influence of a mentor on our writing, we are better positioned to ‘show’ our students how this act of writing in the style of another author, can influence writing; nudging it forward.

Some teachers express concern that inviting students to write in the style of an author they admire will result in ‘copying.’ The modeling we do as teachers is a critical element in this aspect of writing. By example we show how we imitate the style, not the content. This type of powerful demonstration is essential, Again, it employs the notion of show, don’t tell to influence change. Our student writers need to see how it is done by a more proficient writer.

Try these ideas in the safety of your own writer’s notebook before sharing them with your students:

Select a passage/extract from a text you find appealing. How would you write it differently? Maybe you could change the setting, or the tone., or redefine the character/s.

Select a piece from a mentor text that provides you with a strong sense of voice. Rewrite it, heightening or exaggerating the voice.

Writing in the style or syntax of another writer can often lead to discoveries. Discoveries about characters and events you actually want to write about. It may lead you to the story you need to write. Try it for your students sake.

Guess What I Found On Page 23?

2011-10-02T17:05:00.000+11:00

When searching for mentor samples or craft examples you might consider this.

Gather some of your favourite books in a pile. Then, select a random page number (I chose 23) and open each book at that exact same page and let your eyes rove the page carefully in search of those special words that catch your attention and generally appeal.

Record what you are drawn to. Write the words you find straight into your notebook or your computer, if you prefer. Look at the assembled words carefully and let your writer’s eye take over. Notice the words, the craft, the language structure.

We are merely practicing the art of reading like a writer. You might actually find some pearls in your word search. Pearls you can put to further use in your important work as a teacher of writing.

Remember, not everyone who wanders is lost. We are afterall, explorers.

My Notebook Entry:

‘Everything has a value, Provided it appears at the right time in the right place. It’s a matter of recognizing that value, that quality, and then transform it into something that can be used…’

Jurgen Bey

BRAINSTORMING With Stenhouse Publishing

2011-10-01T11:02:00.002+10:00

I woke this morning to some great news! My article on brainstorming previously posted by Two Writing Teachers earlier this year, has been picked up by Stenhouse Publishers in their latest Newslinks.

Like me, you can subscribe to Newslinks which is free and provides lots of great professional support with writing, reading and numeracy.

If you missed the original article, or are interested in reading about assisting young writers to more effectively generate ideas for writing then go to Stenhouse Newslinks at: http://www.stenhouse.com/html/nl227.htm or you can link to the article at Two Writing Teachers: http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/wright/

Tenielle's Brainstorming Ideas when thinking about
her Aunt

Some Issues Around the Writer's Notebook

2011-09-14T10:58:00.001+10:00

Writer Joan Didion said our (writer’s) notebooks give us away. We are revealed by the contents. Our notebooks are a place to collect and then take those collected items and use them to spark further original writing. As Ralph Fletcher, writer and educator reminds us, we use our notebooks to breathe in (collect) and breathe out (generate).

With these thoughts ringing in my ears, I envisage notebooks brimming with words and ideas across a range of subjects and genres. The notebook is a place to experiment, take risks, make important discoveries or excavate memories and ideas from deep within. It can be a place to have fun with words.

So why is it that in many classrooms when students take out their notebooks the pages reveal a picture far removed from the images I have just outlined? Why does one get the impression that the notebook in these school settings is only realizing a small part of its potential?

Why is the critical ingredient –‘writing,’ so sadly lacking as to be almost missing in action? Content is so critical to the developing writer and yet the writer’s notebooks in these contexts, lack integrity because they’re not being used to generate authentic writing.

What does one see documented in these notebooks? Well, usually it’s limited to such entries as pictures, artifacts, lists, Y charts, plans, graphic organizers, but very little genuine writing! A closer examination of the few notebook entries reveals the sad fact that the entire class is frequently writing about the one same topic in exactly the same way. The teacher’s topic reigns supreme! The writer’s notebook takes on the appearance of a stage managed planning book, rather than a place to write. Some student notebook look like scrapbooks, and it is obvious that ‘writing’ is not the major focus of these stylized, stilted and overly managed creations.

The name says it all really- it’s a writer’s notebook! It may contain elements of scrapbooks, sketchbooks, diaries, or journals, -but at the end of the day, it is the writing that is the critical component.

I have been told on numerous occasions, ‘This is where my students do their thinking. They do their writing in a writing draft book!’ Why the dis-connect?

I have always believed that it is in my writing that I reveal my thinking and if I have a writer’s notebook, why do I need a writing book? It seems redundant.

Student writers certainly benefit from having a writing folder. When the time comes to lift a piece from the notebook for further ‘developing’ a folder provides the freedom for writing to spread and expand across several pages if necessary. The writer has the option to cut and paste and generally move the writing about.

Some teachers encourage student writers to leave a blank page opposite the writing page in their notebooks. -The aim here is to allow students the option of adding additional information, changes and the like. This idea works because it is about growing the writing.

I could espouse a theory as to why this situation has developed, but I want to focus on possible solutions rather than further examination of the problem at this time. So

· How do we maximize the potential of the writer’s notebook?

· How do we improve the situation for student writers and their teachers?

I propose the following actions to preserve the integrity of the writer's notebook:

Increased professional reading about writing. Books such as Ralph Fletcher’s Breathing In, Breathing Out, Keeping A Writer’s Notebook, or Aimee Buckner’s, ‘Notebook Knowhow’ provide a great insight into using notebooks. That’s a start.

Increased use of the writer’s notebook by teachers. We learn by doing. For the notebook to be truly impactful, it requires teachers willing to embrace it. --Risk taking educators who lead the way forward for the young writers seeking direction. The notebook is not just another thing we make students do.

Sharing notebook entries provides further insight as to how a notebook might look. Let the sharing begin!

Strengthen the reading writing links. Embrace literature as a tool for teaching writing. Teachers of writing are not alone. Mentors await discovery.

Teach students how to harvest ideas for writing. This requires the teacher to discover where ideas reside and then share these places with their students. A simple place to start is your own life, books, places, people, pictures, photographs, media, events…

Allow students some choice in the configuration of their notebooks. One size doesn’t fit all. I have notebooks of various sizes to suit various situations.

Use the notebook to make lots of ‘starts’ before choosing one special piece that may be lifted out of the notebook and developed further.

Make the notebook a place for the writer to experiment, collect, and wonder through writing.

Encourage students to fill the pages of their notebooks with words and ideas. Let them follow your lead as a joyfully literate educator.

Encourage students to take their notebooks out into the world beyond their classroom. Set the notebooks free!

Let’s remove the unnatural impediments to writing. Teach into the notebook through our actions as writers and teachers. Then watch the writing take off and the notebook realize its true potential as a resource.

I would love to hear your views and suggestiions on this issue.

The Silent Share Time- A Writing Idea From Deb Day

2011-09-06T17:55:00.000+10:00

In her recent guest blog hosted by Two Writing Teachers on September 2, Deb Day, shared a wonderful idea for adding variety to share time. I thought it was so good, I am ‘sharing’ it with you.

Deb Day has been teaching English and reading classes in northeast Iowa since 1989. In her current position she teaches speech, creative writing, ninth grade English, and coaches contest speech. Her blog about teaching and her life is called Coffee With Chloe.

‘This year I want to share more and in several different ways. A favorite with past students has been the “silent share.” I’ve noticed students seem to have trouble sharing their writing aloud. So in silent share, I have students lay out their writing around the room, with or without their name. The class then goes around the room with post-it notes and reads at least three pieces. They write their comments on the notes and stick them to the piece when they are done reading. Gradually, as students become more comfortable with each other, I will work toward more public sharing of drafts and snippets of long pieces.’

To read more about Deb Day’s ideas for teaching writing go to
http://deb-day.blogspot.com/

A Variety of Powerful Voices Assist Young Writers

2011-09-05T17:33:00.001+10:00

Last week I wandered into ‘Enchanted By Books’, a specialty book shop in the Melbourne suburb of Williamstown. http://www.enchantedbybooks.com.au/ It is one of three book stores, I have so far discovered in Williamstown. The shop caters for readers 0 -14 and has a select collection of fiction and non fiction titles. It was another chance to browse and seek out books suitable for teaching aspects of writing. Some time later I walked out with three great titles I firmly believe will assist me to more effectively teach young writers about ‘voice’ These vastly different books have much to ‘tell’ us about voice in writing. -A concept often difficult for students to incorporate into their writing.

I found Anthony Browne's cleverly constructed picture book, Voices in the Park, Doubleday, 1998, where the author uses inventive voice and vision to create four interrelated tales based around the setting of the park. Browne describes their version of the events, altering light, colours and words. Browne also changes font to further reinforce the difference in narrating voice. The benefits in having students note the contrasting voices and how they contribute to the overall voice of a piece are most obvious. Browne’s characters reveal themselves through their words.

‘You get some frightful types in the park these days’ ( First Voice)

'I settled on a bench and looked the paper for a job. I know it’s a waste of time really, but you’ve got to have a bit of hope, haven’t you?’ (Second Voice)

‘D’you wanna come on the slide?’ a voice asked. It was a girl unfortunately, but I went anyway. She was brilliant on the slide, she went really fast. (Third Voice)

‘I got talking to this boy. I thought he was a bit of a wimp at first, but he’s okay. (Fourth Voice)

Students are more likely to begin experimenting with voice in their own writing. They may begin to look at how their favorite authors distinguish themselves and compare one author's style to another. I can see much potential for teaching young writers about voice using this rich text.

The second book I purchased was Martin Jenkins and Vicki White’s non fiction title, ‘Can We Save the Tiger?’ Walker Books

, 2011. What distinguishes this book from many non fiction titles was the sense that the author was talking directly to me; the reader. I got the impression the author was indulging in a personal conversation with me. There existed an intimacy in the words. The author could well have been whispering in my ear with words like these:

‘The world’s quite a big place, you know…’

Still, I’m sure you’ll all agree that tigers are pretty special’

‘Or…I could go on and on. And I think that would be a shame, don’t you?’ (regarding the plight of various animals)

These personal words are interspersed with factual data about respective endangered species, labels and detailed illustrations by Vicki White. The book also uses a variety of fonts and font sizes to draw attention to the messages in the text. What distinguishes this book from many non fiction texts is the narrator’s voice. It is neither detached or impersonal. There is a conscious attempt to speak directly to the reader. The voice shines through.

The final book in my bag was, ‘I Won’t Say Please’ written by Mij Kelly and illustrated by Ruth Palmer, Koala Books 2002. –a cautionary tale about a Queen Bee who is having a bad day and refuses to apologize for her lack of good manners. The book cleverly reveals the characters through rich exchanges of dialogue. The use of voice is self evident here, but it has much to teach young writers about effective use of speech in a text. The voices are clearly defined through exchanges such as:

‘Fetch me my clothes and my crown’

Look here, Queen Bee, You don’t have to beg or get down on your knees, but you could at least say please.’

‘Why should i?’

And later…

‘You see, Queen Bee, I shan’t make your breakfast until you say please.’

‘Oh go and hide your head!’ Queen Bee said.

Like the previous titles, this picture book uses a variety of font sizes to emphasize tonal differences.

‘I feel stung! She wailed and moaned.

My new books will add to my growing collection of mentor texts. -Texts that serve to show students how to write well. -Texts carefully chosen to illuminate craft elements (in this instance, voice) in a variety of ways. Using conversation and observation and my personal writing, I will utilize these wonderful books to strengthen the natural connections between reading and writing.

Assisting Young Writers to Embrace Revision

2011-09-04T10:48:00.004+10:00

All too frequently a teacher will inform me that their students passively resist revision as a tool for improving their writing. Their students are yet to understand that ‘revision is the magic behind great writing.’ If we, as teachers of writing want students to embrace the idea of revision we must remove some very obvious obstacles that may be getting in the way of real revision.

Let’s begin with topic selection!

When students are able to choose what they really want to write about, then they usually display increased commitment to producing their best writing. As a consequence, they indulge in their best revision efforts. If the teacher owns the topic, the idea, the response, the student experiences a disconnection from the piece. Allowing students to choose topics is central to the philosophy of an authentic writing program. If students feel a sense of passion about what they’re writing, revision is more likely to be viewed as integral to the process of producing something worth reading.

The Principle of Purpose

The writing our students are doing must have a real and obvious purpose. It is critical that the writing has an authentic purpose. It must be linked to the idea of ‘audience.’ Who are you writing this for? Who are your readers? Where will this be read? Where is the writing going next? Without a reason to write there is little point being invested in the effort required to write it. It saddens me to hear students respond, ‘Its for my teacher’ when I ask them who the writing is for. As teachers we need to invest a lot of time in establishing an awareness of audience in writers. This implies publishing and a range of audiences. This is where purpose resides… As teachers we need to be more creative than merely pinning the writing up on the walls of the classroom. Taking writing beyond the school is critical. When writing goes public, it leads to feedback. This leads the writer back to the purpose and value of revision.

Is this Editing or Revision?

If we as teachers are confused about these processes then it will hamper the level of revision that occurs. If students just ‘fix up’ the surface features of the writing (spelling, grammar, punctuation) they are not revising the piece, they are editing. Revision requires the writer to re-vision the writing. This means revisiting the content and working to improve the way it is written. The writing is re-crafted not just fixed up. Sometimes this may involve surgery, cutting and pasting chunks of text. Young writers need to be shown how to do this.

Did I Mention Mentors?

All young writers need regular contact with someone willing to share their writing at all stages of the writing process. Students need to see how another writer uses revision to improve the content of their writing. This is the action that most effectively breaks down the resistance to revision. Its up to the most proficient writer in the class to demonstrate how revision works for them as writers.

Web 2.0 Writing and Education

2011-08-29T09:27:00.000+10:00

This post comes courtesy of Lindsey Wright, a guest blogger to Living Life Twice. Welcome Lindsey!

Lindsey is fascinated with the potential of emerging educational technologies, particularly the online school, to transform the landscape of learning. She writes about web-based learning, electronic and mobile learning, and the possible future of education and its potential for writing.

'From hieroglyphics to blogs, humans have always had a need for written communication. Evolution and technology have made use of the written word increasingly complex. The rise of Web 2.0 has brought about a major shift in the media through which people communicate. Consumers of media are now increasingly the producers of media. Writing has become the fundamental skill essential to surviving in a globalized, Internet-based society. Writing is the basis for Web 2.0 participation and contribution and has become one of the most important skills learned in school.

Scholars Sean Wiebe and Sandy McAuley say "the push-pull relationship of academic writing with emerging forms of writing in social media has been a significant area of tension for writing teachers." Blogs, social media, and even e-mails require that traditional composition and writing classes alter their approaches to teaching writing skills. Especially in online college classes students must now be able to communicate with clear, concise, intelligent writing on various Web 2.0 platforms and in multiple media in addition to being capable of conventional forms of writing, such as essays and reports. Jason Ohler goes to far as to contend the notion of literacy has changed in the 21st century. He suggests "valuing writing, integrating the arts, blending traditional and emerging literacies, harnessing both report and story, practicing private and participatory social literacy, developing literacy about digital tools, and pursuing fluency" are the new main objectives of education.

A study in the Australian Journal of Education confirms that writing skills are crucially important due to globalization and the increase in computer-mediated communication. Now students and writers are writing for a worldwide, mostly unknown audience, and must develop their writing skills accordingly. The study argues that even ESL students must be taught effective writing, as opposed to predominately oral communication. The traditional grammar exercises on paper won't cut it when trying to develop writing skills. Authors Ben Dan-Canaan and Wu Li state "the rise of informationalism, and the widespread use of computers and the Internet, dramatically raised the profile of writing and the need for effective written communication." With the increasing use of participatory social media, the pressure to create high-quality work has increased. Students can no longer get by with mediocre writing abilities.

In order for students to develop advanced writing skills, teaching strategies must be altered. The International Society for Technology in Education suggests that Web 2.0 tools should be used in the classroom because in addition to increasing digital literacy they engage and motivate students to practice their writing skills. The organization's research found that teachers who instituted daily writing practice with blogs or wikis, created so-called 'always on' classrooms for their students, and encouraged ongoing conversation among students were most successful.

When teachers had students blog each day, it proved an effective way for students to develop their own literary voices and learn to express and develop ideas in writing. Individual blogs were usually used as a means of communication between teacher and student. In some cases students were asked to reflect on their daily experiences in the classroom. Shared class blogs often centered around student responses to a prompt from the teacher. Students could see the responses of classmates and leave comments or provide feedback. The research found that class blogs not only motivated students to write but also allowed students to engage in healthy debate and provide thoughtful feedback to one another. The 'always on' aspect of the classroom kept students engaged in learning and writing throughout the day.

The use of Wikis often takes the learning process further. In a Lourdes College research paper, David Harms suggests that by using wikis in the classroom students improved their writing skills and gained strong editing and publishing knowledge. Since each individual has to collaborate with others on creating a written product, wiki writing motivates students to write with more enthusiasm, while also allowing them to learn improved writing and grammar skills from their classmates.

The advent of Web 2.0 has made strong writing skills even more essential than ever before. To allow students to communicate in a digital world, it is crucial that schools make writing a top priority. However, simple book reports and research papers can no longer be the main avenue of cultivating writing skills. To prepare them for a future in the professional world that actually awaits students, teachers must educate them on writing in different contexts for the various platforms of Web 2.0 media. By integrating Web 2.0 technology into classrooms and acknowledging that writing is the fundamental skill involved in Web 2.0 participation, educators can arm students with the necessary expertise to meet the real demands of the increasingly globalized, technology-driven world.'

Have Students Read Their Writing Aloud When Revising

2011-08-27T18:11:00.004+10:00

If we purposefully teach student writers the habit of ‘rereading’ their writing, we provide them with a powerful tool for improving the quality of their writing. This reading includes, rereading as they draft, and rereading as part of revision. They begin to hear their words as a reader will hear them. It provides powerful feedback.

When drafting a piece of writing the developing writer is commonly driven by the production of words across the page. The urgency surrounds the act of writing, so the writer is not necessarily focusing on what the words are ultimately saying. The result is often- too many words or too many ideas. The writing may lack focus. A decision is required at this point. What exactly do I want my words to say and mean? It may be difficult to throw away words considered precious. Remember though, each word cut from the text may lead to preserving the energy of the overall piece. The writer should not retain words that refuse to contribute to the overall message. No freeloading allowed!

When conferring with student writers, I often ask them to cover up a particular word in a sentence and then have them reread without uttering that word just to see if it makes any difference to the meaning; the flow of ideas. The covered word is usually redundant. the sentence is tighter without it.

To assist in this process of identifying and culling the words not pulling their weight, it is helpful to read the piece OUT LOUD. I once taught a student who would regularly read her draft pieces to her pet dog when she returned home after school. Not sure what feedback she received from the dog, but she often found parts she believed needed revising. So the strategy certainly worked in her favour.

When reading aloud, it is often helpful for the writer to imagine they are hearing the words for the very first time. The writer needs to listen for places where there is hesitation, or the words stumble across the tongue. -Noticing where confusion or a sense of losing the flow develops while reading. -The Hhh? moment!

The writer needs to listen for places where the words cease to carry the meaning they wish to convey. These are the places where more precise language needs to be injected. The words may need to be re-energized. If the words sounds ‘fluffy’ or unclear the writer has work to do. If the words sound dry and formal (essay speak) and there is no sense of the writer’s voice –more revision is needed. One of the goals of the writer is to make the writing reader friendly.

These are the rereading messages we need to drive home to our students. We also need to practice what we preach as teachers and demonstrate these strategies ourselves (Think Aloud Strategy).

Encourage students to read their words aloud and ask them what they hear. Sentences should be lively! The meaning should leap off the page straight into the mind of the reader. Reading the raw stuff aloud helps the writer to improve the content. That way sentences have more hope of approximating the energy they need and the words begin to shine.

Assisting Students to Appreciate SMALL MOMENTS in Time When Writing

2011-08-21T11:46:00.001+10:00

The stories we tell others and eventually write about often emerge out of small moments, in which there is only time enough to perform a brief task or action. Think of things that happen in your life that, while taking only a moment of your day, assume great significance.

One way to begin teaching inexperienced writers to appreciate the power of ‘small moments is to read aloud a small extract from a book. A carefully chosen excerpt can help children better understand what it means to write about a small moment within a bigger story. To slow down the action and meander about in the moment. The writer may also attach importance to a small moment to build tension and illustrate the significance of the event to the overall story. Writers don't apportion the same amount of attention to every detail within the story. The story ebbs and flows. The writer controls the speed and the attention given to various aspects of the story.

Chris Van Allsburg is skilled at focusing on one small moment and describing it in detail. This approach is difficult to achieve for many young writers who tend toward abstraction. Each detail is given equal time. We see it reflected in their recounting of events on an almost daily basis.

Van Allsburg's art of description is useful when talking to your students about focusing on small moments. For example in the book Just A Dream he writes:

As usual, Walter stopped at the bakery on his way home from school. He bought one large jelly-filled doughnut. He took the pastry from its bag, eating quickly as he walked along. He licked the red jelly from his fingers. Then he crumpled up the empty bag and threw it at a fire hydrant.

This passage tells readers a great deal about Walter's character by focusing on one instant in his life. After sharing this extract It is useful to ask the students to tell a partner the details they recall from the text. The action described is short in terms of real time, but it reveals much about Walter's character.

Use your own writing to show children how you write about small moments across several paragraphs (even pages) to make the moment feel important and interesting.

Another great example of writing about small moments appears in Roald Dahl's, 'The Twits' where the author devotes an entire chapter to describing Mr Twit's beard. Dahl stays with the moment. He considers this aspect of the character important enough to devote many words to describing the beard. It is also a great example of an author using the strategy of 'show, don't tell.'

Encourage young writers to take their writing pieces and stretch their small moments into even longer stories.

Start them thinking about the techniques that authors use. Authors use details to stretch out those small moments. This is something we must reinforce with student writers before getting them to write about their own small moments.

I am currently working with students across two schools who are writing memoir pieces. I am impressing upon them how important it is explore the small moments in their pieces. Otherwise the reader remains shut out and the writing lacks an essential connection for the reader. Notice how the author of this piece, Peter Fitzsimons writes around a small, yet important small moment in his life:

'One day I was walking with Dad just down from the house and we see a whole new batch of baby chickens wobbling around in our chook yard, leaving only one unhatched, still struggling to get out if its shell. Dad and I see its little wet leg poking out from the crack, vainly trying to make that crack bigger. When I ask Dad if I can help get the chicken out, my Father tells me no- that if the baby chicken does not have sufficient strength to get out of the shell then it wont be able to make it in the world anyway, whereas by struggling to emerge from its shell it is also hardening itself up to cope with whatever the world can throw at it. That baby chicken, he says is going to have to get out on its own, and there is a good reason why the mother hen doesn’t peck away at the shell herself.'

From: A Simpler Time, Peter Fitzsimons

Don't forget, not everyone who meanders is lost. Teaching about small moments is important...

Initiating Conversations About The Teaching of Writing

2011-08-20T11:45:00.001+10:00

Is it time for a discussion around how writing is taught in your school? Is there a lingering concern that maybe things could be done differently, better?
I have used the following questions on a number of occasions to initiate critical conversations around writing. Feel free to adopt or adapt them to suit your particular circumstance. The aim is to provoke those essential conversations:

What are some of the structures, rituals, and routines that are present in successful school based writing programs?

What are the critical considerations when scheduling adequate time for writing and writing instruction?

What does good writing look like and sound like?

What are some of the important things writers do that could be shared with your students?

Do you currently share your writing with your students? Why or why not?

If teachers were to write alongside their students, sharing and taking risks with their own writing- How might this work?

How do you think it can help your students to see you, their teacher struggle with and solve problems as a writer?

How do teachers best model respect for writing and writers?

Do you think it is necessary for teachers to be good writers? Why or why not?

In what ways can writers share their work and celebrate one another's writing successes?

What can teachers do to nurture productivity and collegiality in the classroom writing community?

How can we, as teachers link writing to reading and talking?

What strategies could teachers employ that provide multiple opportunities for students to talk about their lives and their writing?

Creating Possibilities For Writers To Use Digital Storytelling

2011-08-14T14:50:00.001+10:00

Storytelling: digital technology allows us to tell tales in innovative new ways

As the tools available to publishers grow more sophisticated, it's up to us to experiment and see what sticks.

Check out this link for some thought provoking possibilities.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/aug/07/digital-media-storytelling-internet?CMP=twt_gu

Stringing Sentences Together

2011-08-14T14:36:00.000+10:00

Sentences can be sensational when used effectively. Assisting student writers to incorporate a variety of sentence structures into their pieces instantly improves the quality of the writing they produce.

Frequently student writers produce the short sharp repetitive structures as seen in the example that follows:

I have a bike. It is red. I like to ride it. It is fun. My friend and I like to ride in the forest. It is really cool there. We have a good time. When it is time to go home I have to put my bike in the garage. That is where I keep it

The sentences lack variety

The structure of the sentences is similar in most sentences

The sentences lack energy or excitement

Here we are able to teach the strategy of sentence combining using –connectives to make sentences flow. This improves the fluency of the piece for the reader. We can also teach the writer to use a variety of sentence beginnings. With varied beginnings the writing is more interesting to read, and this keeps the reader engaged.

Ralph Fletcher reminds us good sentences have a musicality to them. (Page 128, Pyrotechnics on the Page- Playful Craft That Sparks Writing’) The aim for the writer is to create sentences that sound good to the ear of the reader.

Fletcher suggests teaching students to write a string of three sentences where the first sentence is a long sentence, followed by a shorter sentence and ending with an even shorter sentence. The rhythm this sets up prepares the reader for the final short sentence.

My leg began throbbing as I tried to climb clear of the large grey car. David asked if I was alright. I wasn’t sure.

From: Pieces of Life

The first sentence contains eighteen syllables, the second has eight and the third has four. The diminishing sentence length builds expectation. You can challenge students to try this in reverse as well. Just to add to the fun.

It was a small car. Its faded black duco and unfashionable shape made it unpopular with Jimmy. He saw the family car as a slow lumbering black tortoise that offered a less than comfortable ride.

From: Owls In The Sunlight

When students have written their own sentences have them count the syllables then ask them to read their sentences aloud and listen to the flow of the words. Just like playing with individual words, sentences can provide a sense of playfulness for the writer.

Reference:

‘Pyrotechnics On The Page Playful Craft That Sparks Writing,’ Fletcher, Ralph, Stenhouse, 2010

Writing And Assessment

2011-08-13T15:43:00.000+10:00

As teachers of writing we need to continuously refine and improve the work of our students. We want student writers to perform with understanding . We must therefore record evidence of student growth against learning goals we have identified in consultation with said students.

The following questions (slightly modified) come from the Victorian Education Department's E5 document and deal specifically with evaluation. When applied to the teaching of writing they certainly act as a stimulus for effective teaching and assessment.

How can I ensure that my judgements about student work are consistent with those of my colleagues?
What evidence would I provide that demonstrates how I assist students to reflect on their learning as writers?
How can I assist students to identify their future learning goals?
How can I improve the quality of the writing lessons I design for students?
What evidence would I provide that demonstrated the fairness and consistency of my assessment methods?

Student Reflection:

Linda Darling Hammond reminds us that asking students to reflect on their own performance serves both cognitive and motivational purposes. it also increases student responsibiity for their own learning. We can support young writers to reflect on their learning by asking questions such as the following;

Why is this important?
How well do I do it?
How can I improve?

Leads – Revising Our First Words

2011-08-13T14:36:00.000+10:00

I have heard them called grabber leads and sizzling starts but the fact remains that leads are a critical craft strategy that all writers need in their armory. It’s where the reader and the writer meet for the first time. It’s about first impressions.

I am more inclined to teach the use of leads as a revision strategy these days because once students have drafted a written piece one can readily teach into improving the ‘wow’ factor of those important opening words. The young writer has provided some ‘raw stuff’ to work with, to polish and improve. After all, revision is about improving the content of the text.

What is a LEAD?

First, we must agree on what a lead is exactly. A lead is an introduction to a piece of writing. It can be a sentence, a paragraph or even longer. Some children mistakenly believe it is always the first sentence.

It is the task of the ‘lead’ to capture the attention of the reader.

-Arousing within the reader a desire to continue the reading experience. A great lead arouses interest and curiosity within the mind of the reader. It may also astound and amaze. The writer’s challenge is to turn the reader into an enthusiastic page turner.

The writer may use the lead to do many things:

Set the scene

Introduce characters

Introduce situations/problems/dilemmas

Establish time and place

A single lead does not have to do all these things, but it must aim to establish at least one of these ideas in the mind of the reader.

By looking at other writer’s work, we can begin to think about different ways to start our own writing. This is the way in for developing writers. Encourage them to inquire into the work of writers they admire and then try to write in the style of that author.

Encourage student writers to copy into their notebooks, examples of leads that grab their attention. Don’t be afraid to ask them to fill a page with a variety of leads. Once this is accomplished you have rich data for students to share with a partner, a small group. Having students undertake this task challenges them to read like writers, examining the writing of others to seek out what makes it work. Armed with this knowledge they are able to reflect on their own writing and decide what they want to accomplish as writers.

From here students might choose to revise an earlier lead. This allows the student writer to turn a good lead into a potentially great lead. At this point encourage the writer to try writing the lead in a variety of ways, so that they have some choice in the final version to be used in the piece they are writing.

Examples of LEADS

DIALOGUE

‘Are you ever going to get out of bed? Said Mom. Little did she know how much I wanted to stay in bed forever.’

QUESTION /FACT

‘Did you know that the water we drink is the same water that the dinosaurs drank?’

SURPRISE

‘My little brother was eight years old, which was rather young to have a baby!’

BEGIN WITH THE END

‘In the end I went to bed and read quietly before dropping off to sleep, but before that, oh boy what a day!’

AROUSE CURIOSITY

‘In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit.’

USE REPETITION EFFECTIVELY

‘Seeing something on your plate you know you’re not going to like –is

scary. Stepping on something squishy when you’re in your bare feet –
is scary.’

NON FICTION

‘Giant Pandas are massive bears, just like black bears, polar bears and brown bears.’

I often add examples from the work of students:

· Sometimes I like to ride my bike to the shops, but today I will walk.

· My brother reckons he’s so smart.

· Cats annoy me!

· Mum shook me. ‘Wake up sleepy head. It’s time for school.’

· Yesterday was so hot. I was sitting under the oak tree in the backyard and I still felt like I was melting.

· Dad tried to grow mushrooms under our house!

Think about situations where you are meeting someone for the first time. You want to make a good impression. It’s the same with leads. It’s where the reader meets the writer. The writer aims to make a good impression.

Developing writers need opportunities to examine the many ways authors craft effective leads and then they need to encouragement to write in the style of a particular author. This is where we get real traction in writing development.

Why Publishing Student Writing Is Important

2011-08-09T17:31:00.000+10:00

A recent question from a teacher prompted me to think more deeply about publishing student writing. She was searching for professional reading that dealt more deeply with the publishing phase of the writing process. My own search revealed that many of the available texts deal more comprehensively with the lead up (revision, editing) to publishing than publishing itself. It doesn’t seem to get the attention that it deserves. Publishing and all it entails is only lightly explored in many professional texts.

I have always believed that when the young writer reaches this important stage of the process, a wonderful opportunity exists for empowering the writer to make some really important decisions concerning the shape and form of the final product. I had to go back to one of my earliest books on writing- ‘Writing, Teachers and Children at Work’, Donald Graves, to find any meaty detail surrounding this part of the process. Reading Graves’ words was like reconnecting with an old friend. Graves reminded me students need to know that publishing actually contributes to their development as writers. It also increases their awareness of audience. It helps at home, as it provides tangible evidence of growth and development as a writer, evidence parents can understand. I felt re-assured about publishing and its pivotal role in the development of the student writer.

When we reach the point of publishing our task is to ‘nudge’ our student writers in the right direction so that they feel empowered to summon the hard discipline to guide their writing ‘home’ –not always easy. A task akin to herding cats for some teachers.

Some students work through the process quicker than others. Others are travelling down a somewhat unfamiliar road and display uncertainty. They gradually descend into indecision. A number of ideas come to mind to address these issues.

We Can:

Set deadlines in consultation with students. Deadlines are a reality in the life of a writer and we risk selling kids short if we don’t set certain expectations for completing tasks –particularly tasks they themselves have selected as important.

Make visible where kids are up to in the process and having kids explain to their peers where they are up to and what action they intend to take next. I have previously used this as an opportunity to set ‘check in’ groups where students discuss in small groups the plan for publishing their writing and their progress towards achieving their goal. Five minutes, maybe twice a week would be sufficient to implement this strategy. It works because the power of the group incorporates a measure of accountability for each member of the group. They feel the need to enact their professed plans.
Draw attention to publishing in whole class discussions by randomly asking students to share examples of progress being made and future actions and tie this to specific days and dates.

The process you take for your own writing also serves as a model. Make that process visible across pre-writing- planning- drafting, revising. editing and finally publication. Let them see how a polished piece of writing develops. Our students have to see something enacted to fully understand it.

Not only consider how student writing might be published, but also ‘where? Encourage thinking and discussion around the variety of ways a writer can make a piece of writing ’public’

Assist students how to think about the text they have written as an entity and evaluate how it communicates meaning and information through the use of language conventions as well as visual elements ( layout, illustrations etc).

One of the problems with ‘publishing’ is that it consumes considerable chunks of class time, -so how do we create additional time for it to prove its worth to our students? Our planning rarely grapples adequately with this issue and therefore the quality and range of ‘published writing suffers in the rush that ensues.

Consider the following questions:

How do we create more time for publishing to reach its potential?

How do we build publishing time into our homework routines?

How do we enlist support for publishing?

Publishing has fallen away in recent years as the curriculum has become ever more crowded. Like standardization in the food industry, publishing in schools has become a little standardised to fit the time available –fast food writing if you like!

Donald Graves when posing the question, Why publish? responded with another question, Why write?

Some Useful Links for Writing Teachers

2011-07-31T10:51:00.000+10:00

The following links come to you via my wonderful twitter contacts.

The first one comes from Choice Literacy and focuses on a six week framework in Word Study and how our work in this important area supports student writing. Check it out at:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/465.cfm

The second is a podcast by Ralph Fletcher and Franki Sibberson discussing how we reinvent language every time we write. You will find it at:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/1574.cfm

The final link is to Trevor Cairney's excellent blog and his entry on Why Kids Reread Books.
Find it at:
http://trevorcairney.blogspot.com/2010/02/why-kids-re-read-books.html

Slice of Life Story -Best Foot Forward in Bali

2011-07-13T14:57:00.000+10:00

In Bali the days drift slowly across the page...
I am fortunate to have two weeks of vacation courtesy of school vacation time in Australia. The time difference between Australia and Bali is two hours, but the difference in the pace of living is considerably greater.

It is the Hindu celebration of ‘Galungan’ when Dharma (virtue) triumphed over Adharma (evil) So the streets are quiet and trade is slow.

I have done a lot of walking while in Bali, so in search of a much needed foot reflexology massage. I enter the Magic Fingers Bali Spa in Seminyak. I am welcomed by a small lady in a uniform. As I enter, another woman is cleaning an enormous tank of tiny fish. Soothing music fills the room. The young woman who offers to massage my feet is small and slight, but her diminutive stature proves misleading for I am about to discover- she possesses fingers of steel!

She begins by gently bathing my feet in a small foot bath. The water has a hint of rosewater. Assorted petals float on the surface. She gently lifts each foot and dries it carefully and deliberately. From this moment forward the scene changes dramatically for my tired feet.

She massages with fierce determination, pressing, prodding and poking into the soles of my feet. I feel her thumbs search for the pressure points in my toes and I try to disguise my discomfort. This is definitely not skin polishing! I want to wriggle free of the occasional, yet acute pain that comes with her intense massaging. Relax, smile I tell myself. She smiles and I sip on the ice water drink she has kindly provided.

This is a journey through agony and ecstasy. This is a not a tickle fest, but it works wonders. For the remainder of the day, I’m like Katrina and the Waves- I’m walking on sunshine! My legs feel reenergized. The small lady with fingers of steel has prepared me well. No pain, no gain…

Identifying Your Writing HEROES

2011-06-20T15:11:00.000+10:00

Who were your writing champions as you went through the formative years of learning? Who do you recall as a writing hero; a teacher who promoted writing through their own actions?

Sadly, it wasn’t until I reached my tertiary education that I actually encountered such a person. The late Tom McCabe encouraged me to become editor of the college newspaper. He talked about writing in a way that previous teachers had conspicuously failed to do. He re-ignited my passion for writing poetry. He talked with passion and authority about the joy of writing. He was a stand out champion for writing!

I certainly had teachers who stood out as beacons for literature and reading. People such as John Harris, my Grade 6 teacher, who read the poetry of Henry Lawson and A B Paterson with great enthusiasm. He also introduced us to the work of Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling. His reading was intoxicating. He had a way of taking the listener with him as he read. He made Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, come to life in my mind.

In high school John Simpson and Fred Male were passionate champions of great literature and poetry. We were exposed to a wide range of literary models for which I am now eternally grateful. I recall reading, ‘Prisoner of Zenda’, by Anthony Hope Hawkins, ‘Hawaii’ and ‘Caravans’ by James A Michener, ‘Robbery Under Arms’ by Rolf Boldrewood as well as the works of Shakespeare and the poetry of John Keats and Elisabeth Browning because of their efforts to shape their students as life long readers. I also read a series of detective novels by Arthur Upfield. Upfield's books featured fictional Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte('Bony') of the Queensland Police Force.

But for all their efforts around reading, and for their consistent urgings for us to read, I do not recall them having the same voice for writing. I wonder how students today think of us in this regard? Do they see us as teachers who champion both reading and writing? Have we influenced them to such an extent that the siblings of the literature family have a place in their future plans?

Do you have a writing champion that stands out in your educational journey? I hope you do. Things have improved dramatically for me over the years, I now have several writing heroes. How fortunate is that?

Developing A Writing Kind of Life

2011-06-11T16:57:00.000+10:00

This post first appeared on Two Writing Teachers as part of the Summer Guest Blogger Series. I really like the journey the writer, Ruth Metcalfe, has embarked upon. I felt it was worthy of sharing. I encourage those of you who have made the important step of developing your own writing life to read about Ruth's discoveries. It may instil greater confidence to continue...
*Follow the links to discover more.

GUEST BLOG POST: My (Wanna Be) Writing Life–and How It Changed My Work with Kids

Posted on Friday June 10, 2011 by guestteacher

Ruth Metcalfe infuses her classroom with joyful and purposeful teaching. She is passionate about teaching and learning, and loves thinking about how theory looks when put into practice in the classroom—the place where theory and practice meet. In her 20 years as an educator, Ruth has taught first, second, and fourth grades and provided professional development and coaching at both the building and district level. She has also served as a literacy consultant, presented at local, state, and national conferences, and co-authored Building Bridges From Early to Intermediate Literacy, Grades 2-4.
Ruth lives with her husband and three children in northern Indiana. This school year, she was lucky to teach and learn alongside 23 first graders.

I have a confession to make. I don’t talk about my life as a writer. Or at least I didn’t until this year. It’s difficult for me to think of myself as a writer. Yes, I know that’s strange coming from someone who has published “for real.” I’ve tried. I started journals and writer’s notebooks. I talked the talk in my classroom; however, I wasn’t really backing it up with action.
About a year ago, I joined a writing group. Ruth A. has posted about our group, and it’s the best thing I’ve done as a writer. It has made me pay more attention to my writing life and how I could talk about it like I talk about my reading life. It has impacted my classroom practice. It’s still something I have to think deliberately about and I will probably always feel more like a reader than a writer. The difference is that I have made my writing life more visible. I also took some deliberate action—one thing at a time over the course of a year.

I started blogging about my professional life (http://teachingwithjoyandpurpose.blogspot.com/).
I started a blog (http://slicesfromthesofa.blogspot.com/) for slicing on TWT and did the SOLSC.
I learned that I prefer to have different notebooks for different purposes.
I talked to some of my colleagues about my writing and encouraged them to write.
I wrote what I asked my kids to write.
I started carrying a small notebook.

Sharing my writing life is making a difference in my classroom. I was able to pull out my idea notebook to show F. when he commented that he started, but didn’t finish a lot of stories because he had lots of ideas he didn’t want to forget. We got out my idea notebook and I showed him how I use it. We stapled together note cards to make him a tiny idea book. It worked for him, and he taught three

other kids how to use one—he even made them idea books.
I started verbalizing what I was doing when I made lists, jotted reminders or took notes so the kids would see me doing these writerly things. Soon they started doing them too, and writing became a more natural part of our classroom lives. I showed the kids my notebooks and talked about how I used each one. Several kids started carrying their own notebooks to and from school. C. would run for his observation notebook when it started to snow, during thunderstorms, and when our seeds sprouted.

Our comfort level grew together. I talked about my writing group and how our workshop was sort of like that in some ways. I shared how I was growing as a writer when we talked about how they were growing as writers. During the SOLSC, we bonded over the shared experience of learning to pay attention to the world, identifying possibilities for writing, and remembering things like writers do. We shared the agony of days when that little blank box felt bigger than we were. I started responding differently to my kids—writer to writer—and they started responding differently as well. We felt like a true community of writers.
The important thing to notice is that when I deliberately started acting like I was the kind of person who does writerly things, and when I talked to others about my writing, it impacted my classroom practice.
Recently, Ruth A. posted about how often we as teachers teach kids to plan for their reading lives, but how we almost never do the same for writing. She’s right. Reading plans seem natural to most of us—after all, it’s easier for many of us to think of ourselves as readers than it is to think of ourselves as writers. Maybe we need to start by making writing plans for ourselves.
So this summer, I made plans for my writing life. I plan to continue blogging about once a week on both blogs—slicing should be easier than usual, since I love to write about family life or things I notice outside my windows. Summer is good for that. Blogging professionally will be a bit more challenging, since I mostly reflect on things that are happening in my classroom. However, since I do have some professional reading planned, I’ll blog about what I’m reading and thinking.
I set a goal to write at least once a week in the notebook I use to write about our family. It sits out where I can see it and is next to the spot where I sit with my coffee in the morning. I’ll continue to carry with me the tiny notebook for ideas and the one I use for lists and the other stuff of day-to-day life. I’ll meet with my writing group and plan to work with some poetry ideas that are in my head but not on paper, and will work more on the story idea that came to me this spring. They’ll ask to see what I’ve been doing, and I don’t want to show up with nothing.

How about you? What plans will you make? I know it’s not easy, and you may have started many times before. Start small, but keep starting. It’ll make you a better teacher of writing and when you talk with your kids about your writing life, you will become a true member of the community of writers in your room.|
5 Comments »

Stone Poetry- Assisting Writers to Build Vocabulary and Text Structure Knowledge

2011-06-06T17:00:00.000+10:00

I recently read a newspaper account of an approach to poetry using Lego blocks used by Daniel Donahoo that was highlighted at the Emerging Writers Festival in Melbourne. Donahoo glued words to individual Lego pieces and then constructed shapes that served as 3D poetry. The poetry created is both a literate and visual art form. Donahoo photographs each word sculpture and then posts to various internet sites and venues around town. Donahoo’s first experiment with Lego poetry was to print out the words to Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’ and stick them on Lego blocks assembled into the shape of a large dragon like creature. As I read this, I wondered where I could take the idea of three-dimensional poetry…

I settled on using washed stones and combining them with the deconstruction of original poetry pieces. Because I chose to work with stones, I decided to choose short pieces of verse. Imagine working with John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost,’ you would need a truck load of gravel!

A search through my poetry collection unearthed Charlotte Zolotow’s delightful books of short poems, ‘Seasons.’ I selected ‘My Shadow’ a poem containing a mere twenty words. I then wrote each word on a separate stone with a permanent marker. Following this, I presented the stones in a container and trialled them on a willing participant.-In this instance, my wife and colleague, Vicki. The aim of the exercise was to use as many of the words as possible to create a poem. You are faced with using only the words that are available, -and using them to guide your word creation.

The stone poet works to create an original poem, using their own line breaks and as many pieces as they see fit. It also challenges the ‘writer’ to consider language construction when juxtaposing the words available. The economy of words one associates with poetry is emphasized in the task. The fact that opportunities for a range of student responses is possible, adds to the open ended nature of the task. Every participant is able to experience a measure of success.

Following the creation of the poem, Vicki was curious to view the original and compare the two pieces. Both of us see potential for extending the vocabulary of students in this exercise as well.

Working with second language learners was a further motivation for pursuing this type of activity as it emphasizes text structure and encourages vocabulary development.

If you try this, I would be pleased to hear how it went…

When A Teacher Writes VIDEO

2011-05-31T16:11:00.000+10:00

Encouraging Deeper Writing Conversations With Students

2011-05-30T16:28:00.000+10:00

When students begin talking about their writing, they usually want to tell you what it is about, not how it is written. Sharing subject matter is important, but we want to encourage students to talk about their writing in more sophisticated ways.

Over time student writers can be encouraged to talk about their purpose as writers, their audience for each piece of writing, and the techniques they use as writers in order to reach their audience.

We also need to teach children to have similar conversations with each other about their respective writing pieces. In order to encourage this sort of “writing workshop conversation,” you can set up specific paired sharing times for students to share their writing in the way you have modeled in conferences.

You can pose specific questions or tasks for the sharing sessions, such as: ‘I want you to talk with your partner about why you are writing your story—what feelings do you want the reader to feel?’ or ‘Try to find as many elements of style as you can in your partner’s piece and label them with post-its. Be ready to name the elements and give examples.’

Once children are experienced at this sort of writing conversation, you can leave the conversation agenda up to them! Teaching how to have good writing conversations is well worth the time and energy—children soon teach each other and routinely go through revisions with every piece of writing!

Reading-Writing Connections – How We Strengthen the Links

2011-05-23T14:35:00.002+10:00

‘Nobody but a reader ever became a writer.’

Richard Peck

To strengthen those essential reading- writing connections for students I frequently share books I am currently reading with the various classes I visit. They may include books I am currently reading, or books I have recently purchased and intend to read next. I give them a ‘tasting’ of the book; explaining why I chose that particular book, what its mainly about and some of the things I’ve discovered or hope to discover during my reading.

Recently I shared the following books:

A Family of Readers by Roger Sutton and Martha Parravano -a book lover’s guide to sharing children and young adult literature.

Land’s Edge by Tim Winton – A coastal memoir of rich childhood memories

Write Starts by Hal Zine Bennett – wisdom and encouragement in the process of writing

Hurricane by David Wiesner – a picture story book that tells the story of a hurricane’s progress

It’s A Book by Lane Smith –a picture story book that celebrates the traditional form of books in the world of twitter, instant messaging and e-reading in a humorous and engaging way.

If you consider some of the books in your current reading list inappropriate for the students you teach, then merely talk about your reading. When I share my books, it’s about what I am reading to feed and sustain my writing-reading life. I don’t expect my students to necessarily read the same books. It’s the model of a reader I want them to see. They very quickly come to view me as a person who connects my reading to my writing.

Students could clearly see that my current and future reading involved professional reading, a memoir by a favourite author, a non fiction picture story book, a book chosen for its humour. They can also see that my reading choices relate strongly to my work with literacy and children’s literature. My passion for reading will hopefully shine through. Our reading and writing lives should never be swathed secrecy.

Our students need to be aware of the fact that as proficient readers and writers we frequently read books simultaneously. I often find myself balancing professional and recreational texts during my reading time. We also need to share the fact we often know exactly what we intend to read next. We should use this revelation to encourage young readers and writers to develop a plan for their future reading. Regie Routman is onto a great idea when she asks students:

What is your ‘now’ book?

What is your 'next' book?

The reading writing connection needs to actively pursued and never ever taken for granted. It is true that you need to be a reader if you want to be successful as a writer. By reading good quality literature often and widely, students more readily learn to grow into writers.

The Way Forward With Brainstorming

2011-05-20T15:30:00.004+10:00

Student's comprehensive brainstorming sample

This post is appearing similtaneously on The Two Writing Teachers blog site where I am honoured to be this week's guest blogger. I hope you enjoy reading about brainstorming. I also hope you find strategies here that you can readily apply to your own writing workshops.

Brainstorming is a strategy that has many learning applications. In this post, as guest blogger, I want to specifically look at brainstorming within the context of writing workshop and how we can assist developing writers to use it more effectively.

It would be inaccurate to think of pre-writing as merely brainstorming. From my observations many teachers do, unfortunately. This is not to say that brainstorming is not a critical pre writing skill for young writers to acquire. In fact, it provides an excellent way to deepen student thinking around a new topic. It activates prior knowledge critical to writing success. Brainstorming allows the writer to generate ideas before organizing them. The challenge remains how to do it most effectively.

Many teachers view brainstorming as problematic. They frequently voice concern over what they perceive as student inability to generate ideas when asked to brainstorm as a pre cursor to writing.

What often occurs is that students are asked to think of as many ideas as they can around a topic or idea and the result is a minimal list more recognisable as drizzle than brainstorm. ’How come they can’t do this? teachers ask.

Well, let’s look at what happens when young writers are initially asked to brainstorm. Watching the inexperienced writer ‘brainstorm’ is revealing. They frequently indulge in what might be termed ‘self censoring’ or ‘editing out’ of potential ideas. In other words they think of ideas/ connections and then immediately discount them for fear of writing down the wrong answer. They hesitate for fear of making mistakes. They apply judgments to their ideas before they are even hatched. This apparent lack of confidence or faith in their ideas may also result from choosing a topic they know little about. The resultant list contains predictable responses. It has long been a concern of mine that as teachers we frequently invite young writers to brainstorm, but we omit to show them how this important strategy actually works.

The most experienced, proficient writer in the room needs to step forward at this point of the lesson and reveal the secrets of successful brainstorming. In the same way a magician reveals special magic to the audience, the writing teacher needs to create some sparks around brainstorming.

Let’s begin…

Adopt the notion of ‘show, don’t tell’ when revealing the brainstorming strategy to young writers. Begin by saying, ‘Young writers watch me closely, as I go about my thinking around a topic of interest to me as a writer.’

Then ask the students gathered before you to time you as you document your thinking in front of them. It is important for them to experience your thinking in action. Use a think aloud strategy, so the thoughts in your head are transmitted. After the allotted time, say three minutes, ask them to provide feedback on what they saw you doing, and heard you saying.

You will probably receive comments like:

‘You worked really quickly.’

‘You were concentrating on your ideas.’
‘You made a list.’ (my preferred style for documenting my thinking)
‘You reread your ideas to get new ones.’
‘You wrote down almost everything that came into your head.’
‘You didn’t cross anything out.’
‘You made a long list.’
'You didn’t stop thinking and writing.’
'You asked yourself questions.’

Document the feedback on a chart to draw attention to the brainstorming behaviours, you want noticed. This is such an important part of the process. Then tell them that the next step would be to organize and refine the listed items. Ask them, ‘Do I have to use every listed item?’

They understand that you are not obligated to do this. They also understand that because you have many listed ideas, there are more options at your disposal.

When I demonstrate in this way, I always sense an immediate change in the group. They are ready and primed to try this for themselves. The change is palpable. It is prudent to advise students to choose a topic they feel they know a lot about. -That way students are more likely dive straight in when their turn arrives. The challenge of the blank page just melts away under a flurry of words and phrases, clustering, mind maps, etc. I love it! When teachers see this change take place, they are often astounded that such growth in thinking appears to have taken place in the blink of an eye.

The brainstorming demonstration is without doubt, transformational. It is yet another example of the power of allowing the inexperienced writer to witness, up close and personal, how a particular aspect of the pre-writing process is conducted by a proficient writer. I am never disappointed by the response!

Don’t forget, the aim of brainstorming is quantity, not quality. We want our developing writers to deeply explore their thinking without any judgmental overlay. They should delay judgment until the list is produced. If they do this, something of interest is more likely to bubble to the surface. The lists are far more extensive and the likelihood of divergent thinking is enhanced.

Brainstorming used in conjunction with other pre-writing strategies, greatly enhances the likelihood the writing students produce will be of a higher quality when it eventually appears on the page. Now, that’s a good outcome to pursue!