Who wants to just “sit and get” at a workshop? Not me! It’s much better to be actively engaged in the learning. There’s lots of ways of doing this, including collaboration. In this class, participants worked in small groups to create posters, kinesthetic symbols, and activities related to the language of writing. They then shared it with the entire group.
Providing handouts or lecturing on this topic would save time and be more efficient, but it wouldn’t be as effective.
This is the first of three blog posts that will focus on sharing resources fro teaching writing. The activities posted as comments come from participants in the Writing Rocks! class that took place on June 17 at the Lane Education Service District in Eugene, Oregon. These activities are Six Trait related. Here’s an example:
Trait: Ideas/Content
Focus: Clear and focused writing
Book/Author: The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups by David Wisniewski
Publisher: Harper Trophy
ISBN: 0-06-443753-1
Summary: This creative book takes simple rules that adults make up such as “Eat your vegetables,” “Comb your hair,” and “Don’t play with your food” and provides imaginative, humorous explanations.
What you need: Paper, pencils, file folders or large construction paper to make folders
What you do: Read a couple of entries from the book. Then, as a class, identify a school rule (e.g No running in the halls) and write the “Official Reason.” Next, brainstorm a list of possible “Real Reasons” for this rule using the book as a model. Choose one of the reasons and show how this could be written as a short, focused narrative. Have students think of a rule (school, home, community) and go through the process themselves. Use folders to display finished copy: “Rule #” on the tab, “Official Reason” on the outside, and “The Truth” on the inside. Share compled folders then display outside the classroom for others to see.
As the school year races to its end, I can’t help but reflect on my volunteer experience. Each year I try to find a class to work with, doing the things that could help teachers navigate the waters of writing instruction. Like the ocean tides, these waters are ever-changing, challenging, and yes, sometimes treacherous. Fortunately, again I found a class willing and excited to learn.
I found the students of Mrs. Green’s fourth class at Lundy Elementary School in Lowell, Oregon to be the perfect group to work with. They were a diverse group, with varied abilities, backgrounds, and interests (the best kind!). We did a variety of projects this year, and they were always willing to try something, even if it was outside their comfort zone. Their willingness to participate and stretch their limits is a testament to their teacher, as teachers set the tone for the class. I am grateful for the experience.
Here’s some advice:
To teachers – Open up your classroom to the world. There are lots of people who have lots of talents that can help your students.
To writers – Get into classrooms. You have something to offer that can light a fire in kids.
To retired teachers – You spent your career working with kids, hopefully because you liked them. You still have something to offer and, given the state of education today, there are many classes that could need, and would love, your help.
To all – Offer your expertise to local public schools. Everyone will benefit.
Actually, opportunity did not knock. It came in the form of a letter. From a publisher. And not only that, it wasn’t a form letter, the traditional fare of publishers. It was a personal letter with my name at the top. And address.
The letter was written in response to a manuscript I had sent out a while back. So long ago that I had forgotten about it (this is why it’s important not to wait around for responses – move on to other projects). The response was positive: They liked the topic. A lot. They just had some issues with the way in which I addressed the topic. Would I be willing to make revisions and resubmit?
Uhhh…let’s see…YES! Even though my track record for such exercises is quite poor ( = I have never had a manuscript accepted after having made significant changes as requested). My experience has been that if a pub thinks enough of the manuscript, they will offer a contract and THEN work out the revisions. But, times have changed in the biz, and this is what you sometimes get. Hey it’s better than a “Thank you for submitting, but no thanks.”
So, I’m going to give it a try. In fact, I’m in the process of doing it right now (this post is a short break). Notice I haven’t named the topic? It’s not because I’m afraid someone will take the idea, run with it, and get it published before I finish. It’s because I want to focus my energies on doing the work and not telling about the work (other than this!).
Okay, that’s enough about this. Time to get back to the revision.
It was during one of my frequent breaks from writing – where I push myself away from the computer, get up, stroll around, and stare out the window, hoping that the words I’m searching for will suddenly appear – that I saw something better than words. About twenty yards past my deck, a cougar padded along the field and into the underbrush.
A cougar! Right here! I saw it! Yes, it was fleeting (a few seconds is all), but it was a cougar all right. Or else, one giant housecat. Its motion was so fluid, like a river, and it blended into its background like it was wearing camouflage. If it hadn’t been for the movement, I would have missed it for sure.
Oh, and the break part, let’s not forget about that. At one point in time I used to admonish myself for taking them. Stay with the writing, I’d tell myself. Stick with it, or you’ll never finish what you start. That was the old days, when I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish something. But with experience – I did finish – comes insights. And, the ability to give yourself permission.
Give yourself permission to take breaks from your writing. Look out the window. Who knows what you might see.
This book, a novel for readers aged 8-11, is a beloved project I have been involved with for many years. The setting – a small town, near a migrating bird sanctuary – was inspired by Hawk Mountain, PA, where I took my seventh graders on field trips while teaching in New Jersey. Over the years, I have returned to Hawk Mt. on several occasions, the last being the fall of 2012 during a cross-country road trip with my son. It’s still an amazing place.
The topic explored in Moving Targets is a universal one: bullying. Bullying happens everywhere and, sadly, is not limited to certain time periods. I experienced it growing up and confronted it during my years as a teacher. It still goes on today, for sure, but it’s reassuring to see the concerted efforts being made to stand up against it (e.g. Project Anti-Bully).
In the book, eleven-year-old David Jennings, moves to a small town (Eagle View, PA) with his mom. He does his best to make friends, but the best he can do is a small group led by the town bully. Paul gets thrills picking on kids and abusing animals. Reluctantly, David follows until events force him to consider actions that could change – or end – his life.
The setting figures heavily in this story, as townspeople debate the future of the sanctuary. Should the town keep it commercial-free, or should they permit businesses to operate there? Finding a balance between commercial interests and nature is a universal theme that is considered in towns and cities throughout the world.
After writing twenty-five books, this is my second work of fiction and my very first novel. It has taken more hours than I care to recount to create this book. Has it been worth it? Only if the story gets readers thinking about their lives and about their own personal responsibilities. That’s a first step in making the world a better place.
Lots going on these days. Talked writing and authoring earlier this week at McCornack Elementary School in Eugene. Yesterday celebrated the joys of learning and bubble gum with the 4th graders of Lundy Elementary School in Lowell. We did writing, science, and math in addition to chewing, chewing, chewing, and bubble-blowing. It was a “popping” good time!
Tomorrow heading to the Pleasant Hill Elementary School Writing Festival where I’ll be conducting workshops on personal his-story and her-story. Everyone’s got stories, and we’re going to dig them out.
WRITING ROCKS!
WRITING ROCKS and teaching writing double rocks! There is no better way to engage students in their own lives and the world around them than through writing. Doing so is an energizing and fulfilling experience for students and teachers alike. We’ll begin with a solid foundation of structures (especially writers’ workshop), process (with an emphasis on revision), and a common language (Six Traits). Then, we’ll add evidence-based strategies and practical activities to transform your K-8 classroom into a dynamic and supportive community where every student finds success, whatever the standards may be.
The instructor is Robert Young, experienced classroom teacher (25 years), curriculum specialist (10 years), writing consultant (13 years), and children’s book author (26 books). Robert has worked in schools as near as his neighborhood school and as far as Argentina. He has taught many classes focusing on writing instruction at the University of Oregon, Portland State University, and on-site at schools.
Hybrid class – One day workshop + online work
One graduate credit from Portland State University
Cost – $180 (= $125 class fee + $55 credit fee)
Offered in two locations:
When: Monday June 17, 2013 from 8:30 to 3:30
Where: Lane Education Service District, 1200 Highway 99 North, Eugene OR, 97402
Or
When: Thursday June 20, 2013 from 8:30 to 3:30
Where: Southwest Charter School, 0640 SW Bancroft St, Portland, OR 97239
Class size limited – Register Today
To register, e-mail Robert Young for directions.
Here’s some photos from my recent Author Visit to Pope Pius X School in Portland, Oregon. It was a blast!
Working with fellow writers
Great audience questions!
Bear is NOT happy.
Got gum art?
Winner of the Chicken Challenge
Just wrapped up my first MOOC experience. That’s Massive Open Online Course for those out of the loop. Which, of course, I was until I entered the fray. Now I’m an experienced MOOCer. Well, sort of.
I don’t recall how I learned about the phenomenon of massive online courses. It might have been a tech-savvy friend, of which I only have a handful. Maybe it was in the newspaper or on the news. Oh, I know, it was a story on public radio. It was an interesting story, engaging and compelling (note to self: donate more money to NPR next year).
The narrator of the story mentioned several online sites that offer college level courses. Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ was the one that stuck with me. I like the name. It’s smooth and carries a feeling of striving and achieving. So, I checked out their website. WOW! My mouth hung open as I scrolled through the class options: art, history, math, science, music, they have it all. And they’re not from schools run out of the second story of strip malls, either. The classes come from places like Stanford and Harvard and the Berklee College of Music (not that they necessarily have better instructors than other schools, but at least they are known quantities). And, here’s the icing on the cake: no cost! That’s right, not a penny to take one of this classes. Okay, some of the classes had book suggestions, but I felt no obligation. Heck, I only bought about half the books required during my undergraduate days!
Choosing a class was not easy when you have such varied interests as I have. After much mind-wrestling I decided to take Songwriting offered by the Berklee School of Music. It started out good, too, learning about basic song structure, prosody, stability, line lengths, and rhyming patterns. Each week you listen to video lectures, take quizzes, and complete an assignment that gets evaluated by several of your 65,000 classmates. There’s lots of support available through discussion forums, it’s easy to interact with other students, although not the instructor (which makes sense given the student/teacher ratio). You can easily find whining threads and complaints as well as assistance and motivation. You choose.
Okay, so we got to the midway point and things started breaking down for me. Part of it was the increasing detail and complexity of the topic, which included more musical elements, with which I had little background. I was a little concerned about the formulaic nature of the songwriting process being promoted, feeling it to be a bit stifling to creativity.
The biggest issue I had, however, had more to do with process than content. Each week’s assignments were distributed to classmates, who applied scores to various aspects of the assignments. Comments were an option, but not required. Mostly, the feedback was in the form of numbers. Bad. And double bad that those numbers would actually become a large portion of the
Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against numbers per se. They’re quite important in life. Where would multiplication be without them? And our monetary system? How could you weight yourself, or communicate the temperature? Yes, numbers have their place, but NOT in meaningful feedback. That requires thoughtful consideration that is then communicated clearly with words. But that’s not what I got. What I got was numbers, some of which were gratifying (the high ones), some not so much (well, you know). And, I got those numbers from people like me, who were students because we didn’t have much songwriting knowledge or skills. How valid is that?
The trouble was, I wanted to improve my skills, not get a good grade. So, I continued with the class, with less interest and less motivated since I wasn’t getting the feedback I needed. Had I quit the class I would have succumbed to “great grade trap” that I believe is responsible for so many kids dropping out of school. When grades are used, students think less deeply, take fewer risks, and lose interest in learning (see Alfie Kohn’s work).
The class ended. I learned some, but could have learned a whole lot more if the class had been structured differently. Will I try another class? Yep. Would I recommend these types of classes to others? Absolutely, just focus on the learning and not the numbers.
