Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

HGIOS

• 5.2 – Teaching for Effective learning• 5.4 – Assessment for Learning

Literacy Toolkit

Literacy Toolkit

Agenda

• Activity 1 – Introduction / Starter Activity (5 mins)

• Activity 2 – How’s it going / feedback (10-20 mins)

• Activity 3 – New Learning (25-40 mins)

• Activity 4 – Personal Action Planning (10 mins)

• Activity 5 – Summary of Learning (5 mins)

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

Activity 1: Voice on the table

In a maximum of 45 seconds, share your response to the following:

• Name a writer whose work you enjoy• What impact does the writer have on you when you read their

work?

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Writing across Learning in St Hilary’s Primary School

This clip looks at writing across learning in action. This includes:

• widening technical vocabulary through active spelling strategies• chunking writing sessions to review and share as learners write• supporting all learners through the use of writing prompts, word

banks, sentence starters and teacher/pupil, pupil/pupil intervention.

'Writing across Learning'

Literacy Toolkit

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

Activity 2: How’s it going?

With a partner, using a piece of text created by a learner which you consider to be ‘good writing’, highlight where the learner has demonstrated technical accuracy.

Using a different colour, now highlight the striking moment in which where learner’s content demonstrates their flair for writing.

What makes a good piece of writing?

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

Effective Feedback

Given the responses to the last question, when providing feedback during writing, which is more important:

Feedback on content?Feedback on technical accuracy?

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

Activity 3: New Learning

“You know it when you see it. It isn’t that hard to tell whether a piece of writing is good or bad. You just have to read it. But things get more challenging if you have to explain why . . . Good writing has:

• Ideas that are interesting and important.• Organization that is logical and effective.• Voice that is individual and appropriate.• Word Choice that is specific and memorable. • Sentence Fluency that is smooth and expressive. • Conventions that are correct and communicative.”

Teaching That Makes Sense: What is Good Writing?

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

“Children and young people will demonstrate their progress in writing though the degree of independence they show, the organisation and quality of their ideas, their skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar, the match of their writing to audience and the effectiveness of their use of language . . . Learners’ enthusiasm and motivation for using language will show in their growing use of different media and texts, their preferences in reading, their confidence in sharing experiences through talk and writing and in the ways they apply their skills in their learning and communicating.”

CfE: literacy across learning – principles and practice

What similarities are there between the ideas voiced by Teaching That Makes Sense, and those above, within the CfE documentation?

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

To make progress pupils require effective feedback – How can we ensure that learners are given effective feedback, using a balanced approach, which develop both their technical accuracy and content within their writing?

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Literacy Toolkit

Activity 4: Personal Action Planning

Over the coming weeks, when planning, teaching and assessing writing, ensure that your understanding of ‘How do I provide effective feedback in writing?’ is your primary focus.

Choose one or two elements that you are going to explore and evaluate.

Bring back your findings to the next session

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Activity 5: Summary of Learning

Write your name on the card or post-it and something you have learned today, or reflected upon, which will have a positive impact on your practice.

Leave your card or post-it on your way out.

Literacy Toolkit

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

Follow up links:

'Big Writing' - Ros Wilson

Literacy Toolkit

Writing Feedback – Technical Skill vs. Content

'What is Good Writing?' - Steve Peha

SSLN - Writing