Technology tools to use

1. Using Technology

2. Learning intentions
1. Provide some clarity about writing to learn
2. Use a variety of tools to discover and experience
some writing to learn strategies
3. Introduce some online and iOS options to use for
writing strategies
4. Informally introduce the concept of BYOD as a
way of enabling ubiquitous access to technology

3. http://todaysmeet.com/writingtolearn
Guiding Question: How is
Writing to Learn different from
other kinds of writing we ask
students to do?

4. Guidelines
1. State your idea, opinion, question, or case
2. Respond the ideas, opinions and questions of others
3. Be kind, be respectful

5. Writing to Learn
There are two broad terms used to describe cross-
curricula writing: writing-to-learn and learning to
write.
Writing to learn activities are designed more for meta-cognitive effect ie
for students to record their ideas, reflect upon their learning and grapple
with unfamiliar content. The goal is for them to learn more deeply.
Learning to write activities result in more polished products. These must
show content area learning plus competency in a particular writing form.
While all subject area teachers are required to teach students how to write
specific forms of writing and use subject specific vocabulary, it is the
responsibility of the teachers of English to instruct students in the
mechanics of the English language.
Slide courtesy, Lisa Gilby

6. Writing to Learn
» Writing-to-learn activities, which are generally
short stints of writing, can switch students’
brains from off to on.
» It is necessary to have students write in order
for them to deepen their own learning. It
assists them to reflect on their learning, which
is linked to increased understanding, and
supports their increasingly sophisticated use of
specific vocabulary.
Slide courtesy, Lisa Gilby

7. Writing to Learn
» In order to make the writing process an
important component of learning in any class,
we must first make sure that our students are
comfortable with it.
» Low risk, engaging writing must precede higher
risk, intellectually rigorous writing.
Slide courtesy, Lisa Gilby

8. Types of Writing
Writing to learn (low stakes) Published writing (high stakes)
Short Substantial
Spontaneous Planned
Informal Conventional
Exploratory Authoritative
Personal Audience centred
One draft Drafted
Unedited Edited
Ungraded Assessable

9. When to Use Write to Learn Activities
At the beginning of a lesson:
˃ Activates prior knowledge
˃ Activates further thinking
˃ Supports setting class and individual goals 20%
Along the way:
Learning Framework
˃ Stop and collect thoughts
˃ Sort out ideas 60%
˃ Notice and record thinking
˃ To ensure everyone is on task and thinking
˃ Review and re-adjust goals
˃ Get ready to move ahead
Later
˃ Synthesise learning
˃ Connect with others 20%
˃ Compare notes
˃ Reflect on learning

10. Writing to Learn Activities
Writing-to-
learn
Graphic Reflective Creative
Listing Note-taking
Organisers Writing writing
Entrance and
Cornell notes exit slips RAFT
ABC Venn diagrams
Combination Think, Write, ‘I am poems’
Top 10 Tree charts
notes Pair/share
Top 3 Flow charts Bio poems
Outlines 4 square
Cycle diagrams Recasting the
reflection text
Most important
word and
symbol
Processing your
process
Source – Peery, Writing Matters in Every Classroom, 2009

11. Content
Area
Writing
Public Writing Short Writing
Quick Writes Going Deeper Writing Process
Projects
Writing Break Written People Research
Conversation
Exit Slip Faction
Write-around
Admit Slip RAFT
Carousel
Brainstorming Brainstorming Brochure
Drawing Double-entry Newspaper
Clustering Journal Web Page
Mapping Nonstop Writing
KWL
Teacher-student
Correspondence
Source - Daniels, Zemelman and Steineke, Content-Area Writing, 2007

12. Daniels and Zemelman

13. Finish your own written responses
and quickly review your colleagues
comments and choose one or two to
respond to – if you have not already
done so.

14. Strategies
Quick Writes & Going Deeper

15. Using Word
Things to review with students prior to using
technology… for writing or other purposes.
1. Create a file folder or directory (Windows,
GoogleDocs, iPad) – create a ‘learning log’ of their
work.
2. Naming protocols (how do you want your students
to save their work
3. How to find their work once it has been saved.

16. Fake text - http://www.lipsum.com/
Task: Recreate this Word document

17. Listing
Listing activities are excellent to use during prewriting, and
are also effective to use as stand-alone, writing-to-learn
tasks. (Peery, p59)
Create a numbered list of the top 10 ways that you use
writing to think.
When you are finished verbally share your list with your
table mates.

18. List Options
» Word – Home Numbered lists OR
» Apps
˃Remember the Milk
» Online
˃Listigator - http://www.listigator.com/index

19. Double Entry Journal AKA
Cornell Notes
This note taking format allows students to to do two
kinds of thinking by recording ideas side-by-side in two
columns on their paper.
In the left-hand column go notes that outline
information as students read, take in a lecture or
otherwise take in information in some way.
The right-hand column is used to respond to or reflect
on the information in some way. (Daniels, Zemelman,
Steineke, P85)

20. Double Entry Journal Examples
» Computations » Explanation of thinking
» Problem » Solution
» Reasons for » Reasons against
» Opinion » Proof
» Quote from text » Personal connections
» Quote from text » Discussion questions
» Words » Images
» Facts » Feelings
» Notes » Interpretations
(Daniels, Zemelman, Steineke, P85)

21. Create a Double Entry Journal
Use the table (Insert – Table) feature in Word to
create a 2 column and 6 – 10 row table.
Use the reading provided and student examples from
bit.ly/wkiPW5 to complete the chart.

22. Drawing and Illustrating
» Students make quick drawings, sketches, or
diagrams to illustrate ideas, events, science
experiments, real world situations involving
math problems, and so on, in order to help
themselves and others understand something
they are trying to learn.
(Daniels, Zemelman, Steineke, P48)

23. Mapping
Mapping asks students to arrange groups of ideas
visually and to show relationships among them.
Maps allow students to represent thinking that
involves multiple, simultaneous associations rather
than just linear steps. Maps help us organize,
consolidate, and digest knowledge.
(Daniels, Zemelman, Steineke, P60)

24. Drawing, Illustrating and Mapping
Using the information presented at the beginning of
the presentation and the two readings provided do
one of the following
» Create a diagram or illustration OR
» Make a mind map
…to illustrate your understanding of Writing to Learn.

25. Tool and App Options
» Word Insert SmartArt
» iOS apps
˃Sketchbook Pro
˃Show Me
˃Popplet
» Online
˃Bubbl.us - https://bubbl.us/
˃Mindmeister - http://www.mindmeister.com/

26. Written Conversations
…sometimes called dialogue journals provide
students a chance to write notes to each other
about what they are learning.
Two kinds of written conversations
» Live (here and now) e.g. Today’s Meet
» Take-away (over time)
(Daniels, Zemelman, Steineke, p69)

27. Edmodo at a Glance

28. Writing Break – Quick Write
» If you have used writing activities with your
students describe one effective activity and why
it is beneficial to you and your students.
» If you have not used writing with your students
describe how you might use one of the
strategies mentioned today and how it might be
beneficial to you and your students.

29. Preparing for Publication

30. Editing
You, the teacher, serve as the final proof-reader
and mark each student’s paper. You then return all
of the papers a day or two before the final draft is
due, and students use your marks as guidance in
preparing their published copies.
Peery, p95

31. Editing using the Review tool bar in Word
Go to
http://lskywriting.wikispaces.com/Publishing
Download the student writing example. Open it in Word
and using the review tool, make comments and editing
suggestions.
Teacher and student editing - Common Proofreading
Symbols (referenced in Peery, p.95)
http://www.ccc.commnet.edu/writing/symbols.htm

32. Citing and Referencing using the
References Tool in Word
Using the References tool create a Works Cited list and
insert 2 – 3 parenthetical citations. Include a Works
Cited list at the end of the document.

33. Referencing Tool Options
» http://www.bibme.org/
» iOS App – Easybib

34. Exit Slip
To implement exit slips, all you have to do is remember
to stop whatever you doing toward the end of the
period. (Daniels, Zemelman, Steineke, P35)
Provide students with an email address or ask them to
respond in the LMS e.g. Edmodo and the offer a simple,
opened prompt.
Email donna.desroches@lskysd.ca your response to the
question, “What did you learn today?”

35. Sources
» Gilby, Lisa. Writing To Learn PD for Staff, March 17, 2012,
http://www.slideshare.net/LisaGilby/writing-to-learn-pd-for-staff
» Chapter 4: Writing to Learn Mathematics: Glencoe Mathematics
Professional Series
http://moodle.escco.org/file.php/1/MATH/Ch4_ReadingWritingMathClass
.pdf
» Peery, A. (2009), Writing Matters in Every Classroom: Englewood, Live and
Learn Press.
» Daniels, H., Zemelman, S., Steineke, N. (2007). Content Area Writing:
Portsmouth, Heinemann.
» Writing to Learn, Distilled,
http://www.greencastle.k12.pa.us/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=bz6XkE2oxuA
%3D
» Kuropatwa, D. (2006) Scribe Post Hall of Fame.
http://thescribepost.pbworks.com/w/page/22148105/HallOfFame