Indiana Teachers of Indiana Teachers of Writing (ITW) Writing (ITW) Writing ProjectWriting Project

a university-based site of the a university-based site of the

National Writing ProjectNational Writing Project

http://itwwp.org

Herb BuddenHerb BuddenCo-directorCo-director

hbudden@comcast.nethttp://budden.wikispaces.comhttp://budden.wikispaces.com

StampedeStampede You’re standing in the large field minding your own business when you hear rumbling sounds in the distance. The sounds begin to intensify, and at first you wonder if it is thunder you hear approaching. Because it’s a beautiful, cloudless day you dismiss the notion. As the rumbling sounds grow louder, you begin to see a dust cloud rising just over the ridge a few yards in front of you. Instantly, you become panicked . . .

. . . Because at that exact moment it dawns on you that the rumbling you’re hearing is the sound of hundreds of wild bulls stampeding over the ridge. There are hordes of them and they are bearing down right on top of you. They are clearly faster than you and there is not time to escape. What should you do?

Survival experts recommend only ONE of the following actions: (5)

A. Lying down and curling up, covering your head with your arms

B. Running directly at the bulls, screaming loudly and flailing your arms in an attempt to scare them in another direction

C. Turning and running like heck in the same direction the bulls are running (even though you know you can’t outrun them)

D. Standing completely still; they will see you and run around you

E. Screaming bad words at your parent(s) for insisting on a back-to-nature vacation in Wyoming

Did You Know . . .

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner

will have 10-14 jobs . . .

By the age of 38.

According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley . . .

The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn’t exist in 2004.

We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet

exist . . .

(15)

Using technologies that haven’t been invented . . .

In order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems

yet.

Did you know . . .

In 2002 alone Nintendo invested more than $140 million in

research and development.

The U.S. Federal Government spent less than half as much on

Research and Innovation in Education.

(20)

We are living in exponential times.

There are over 2.7 billion searches performed on Google

each month.

To whom were these questions addressed B.G.?(Before Google)

The number of text messages sent and received every day

exceeds the population of the planet.

There are about 540,000 words in the English language . . .

About 5 times as many as during Shakespeare’s time.

More than 3,000 new books are published . . .

Daily.

Did you know . . .

It’s estimated that a week’s worth of New York Times . . .

(30)

Contains more information than a person was likely to come

across in a lifetime in the 18th century.

It’s estimated that 40 exabytes (that’s 4.0 x 1019) of unique new information will be generated

worldwide this year.

That’s estimated to be more than in the previous 5,000 years.

The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2

years.

It’s predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010.

The Internet is the fastest The Internet is the fastest growing communications growing communications media in world history. It took media in world history. It took the Web four years to reach 50 the Web four years to reach 50 million users. Compare this to million users. Compare this to the number of years it took the number of years it took radio (38), personal computers radio (38), personal computers (16), and television (13) to (16), and television (13) to reach that many users reach that many users (Warschauer 1999)(Warschauer 1999)

The blogosphere is now The blogosphere is now doubling in size every six doubling in size every six months. months. It is sixty times larger than It is sixty times larger than it was three years ago it was three years ago (Sifrey, 2006)(Sifrey, 2006)

Today eighty percent or more Today eighty percent or more of the companies in the service of the companies in the service and finance, insurance and real and finance, insurance and real estate sectors, the corporations estate sectors, the corporations with the greatest employment with the greatest employment growth potential, assess growth potential, assess writing during hiring. Half of all writing during hiring. Half of all companies take writing into companies take writing into account when making account when making promotion decisions.promotion decisions. (National Commission on Writing 2004)(National Commission on Writing 2004)

What does it all mean?

Stampede IIStampede II

We are immersed in the dawn of the We are immersed in the dawn of the Information/Knowledge Age. More Information/Knowledge Age. More than ever before in history, the than ever before in history, the ability to read and write will ability to read and write will determine how far one will go in determine how far one will go in this world. this world.

(40)(40)

For the most part, people who For the most part, people who read and write well will read and write well will compete and prosper; people compete and prosper; people who read and write poorly will who read and write poorly will be left behind. be left behind.

Simply put, there is a literacy Simply put, there is a literacy stampede approaching and it is stampede approaching and it is bearing down right on top of bearing down right on top of us.us.

What should we do?What should we do?

A. Go home, curl up on the sofa, watch a lot of A. Go home, curl up on the sofa, watch a lot of TV, and hope the demands of the literacy TV, and hope the demands of the literacy stampede will go awaystampede will go away

B.B. Stare the Information/Knowledge Age in the Stare the Information/Knowledge Age in the face, screaming wildly and flail our arms, in face, screaming wildly and flail our arms, in an attempt to make it go awayan attempt to make it go away

C.C. Elevate our reading and writing abilities to Elevate our reading and writing abilities to the point we can run with the literacy the point we can run with the literacy stampedestampede

D.D. Stand completely still. Pray that the Stand completely still. Pray that the literacy stampede will avoid us.literacy stampede will avoid us.

E.E. Scream bad words at our parent(s) for Scream bad words at our parent(s) for conceiving us in the shadow of a literacy conceiving us in the shadow of a literacy stampedestampede

Our Choice as EducatorsOur Choice as Educators

C. Elevate our reading and C. Elevate our reading and writing abilities to the point we writing abilities to the point we can run with the literacy can run with the literacy stampedestampede

www.all4ed.orgwww.all4ed.org

Importance of Importance of WACWAC

Value of an Value of an analytic writing analytic writing

model, such as 6 model, such as 6 TraitsTraits

Things to remember:Things to remember:You are probably already doing You are probably already doing

WAC!WAC!If it makes teaching harder, you’re If it makes teaching harder, you’re

doing it wrongdoing it wrongStudent achievement will improve Student achievement will improve

using writing across the using writing across the curriculumcurriculum

An Analytic Model such as 6 Traits An Analytic Model such as 6 Traits can help…can help…

……BUT, there are myths to be dispelled:BUT, there are myths to be dispelled:the 6 Trait model is NOT a curriculumthe 6 Trait model is NOT a curriculumthe 6 Trait model is NOT a programthe 6 Trait model is NOT a programthe 6 Trait model IS a way to empower the 6 Trait model IS a way to empower

students and teachers to communicate students and teachers to communicate about the qualities of writing in a about the qualities of writing in a consistent, transparent mannerconsistent, transparent manner

MORE ON THIS LATER!MORE ON THIS LATER!

Why Writing Across the Why Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)?Curriculum (WAC)?

Faculty in all disciplines find that Faculty in all disciplines find that when students write in their classes, when students write in their classes, they learn material and improve their they learn material and improve their thinking about ideas in the courses. thinking about ideas in the courses.

Writing assigned across the Writing assigned across the curriculum helps students prepare for curriculum helps students prepare for the typical communicative tasks the typical communicative tasks they'll face on the job, no matter what they'll face on the job, no matter what the job is. the job is.

The Writing Brain

This is the part of the brain that every educator wants to activate. It is responsible for focus, reflection, decision- making, problem- solving, and most importantly the ability to be conscious of all of that activity. If a student really thinks and is aware of himself as a thinker, this section has been activated.

Thinking

What types of writing are What types of writing are best used across the best used across the

curriculum?curriculum?

Writing across the curriculum has Writing across the curriculum has been implemented at a range of been implemented at a range of schools and universities. In schools and universities. In those schools, writing those schools, writing assignments generally fall into assignments generally fall into two categories:two categories:

Writing to Learn Writing to Learn

Writing in the DisciplinesWriting in the Disciplines

Do teachers have to be expert Do teachers have to be expert in grammar to assign writing?in grammar to assign writing? Not at all! In writing-to-learn Not at all! In writing-to-learn

tasks, the emphasis is upon tasks, the emphasis is upon the content, not the mechanics the content, not the mechanics of the writing.of the writing.

What do WTL & WID What do WTL & WID look like?look like?

Activity: Text Rendering theActivity: Text Rendering the

Maxwell articleMaxwell articleSentenceSentencePhrasePhraseWordWord

How are the levels of How are the levels of writing and WAC writing and WAC

connected?connected?

WTL = Level 1WTL = Level 1WID = Levels 2 and 3, WID = Levels 2 and 3,

depending upon the depending upon the assignmentassignment

What is Writing in the What is Writing in the Disciplines?Disciplines?

WID (LEVEL 3) WID (LEVEL 3) assignments are typically, assignments are typically, but not exclusively, formal but not exclusively, formal papers prepared over a few papers prepared over a few days, weeks or even days, weeks or even months. months.

What about writing What about writing conventions in my conventions in my

subject?subject?

The final papers adhere to The final papers adhere to format and style guidelines format and style guidelines typical of the subjects they typical of the subjects they are helping students learn are helping students learn about.about.

Writing & GradingWriting & GradingRemember the LEVELS of writing–Remember the LEVELS of writing–LEVEL 1- LEVEL 1- no scoringno scoring of content of contentLEVEL 2- scored for content LEVEL 2- scored for content onlyonlyLEVEL 3- scored LEVEL 3- scored consistently and consistently and

analyticallyanalytically by trait across faculty by trait across faculty (60)(60)

Assessing Writing to Learn Assessing Writing to Learn (WTL)(WTL)

WTL activities are Level 1 WTL activities are Level 1 oror Level 2 type writing, depending Level 2 type writing, depending on your purpose. on your purpose.

Level 1 assessment is based on Level 1 assessment is based on satisfactory completion.satisfactory completion.

Level 2 will typically be scored Level 2 will typically be scored

for for content correctness content correctness onlyonly

Giving Feedback to WTL Level 1Giving Feedback to WTL Level 1

Use the work in class...e.g., begin Use the work in class...e.g., begin class by having students read aloud class by having students read aloud from their response journals, etcfrom their response journals, etc

Respond in writing Respond in writing OCCASIONALLY, answering OCCASIONALLY, answering content with contentcontent with content

Use binary gradingUse binary grading

Remember: use the Remember: use the LEVELS to determine how LEVELS to determine how

to assess!to assess!Writing that is polished, requires Writing that is polished, requires

revisions, and is not done ‘on revisions, and is not done ‘on demand’ is Level 3 writing and demand’ is Level 3 writing and should be assessed using should be assessed using allall or or some some of the 6 Traitsof the 6 Traits——

Polished writing (Level 3) Polished writing (Level 3)

needs Six Traitneeds Six Trait assessment!assessment!If you assign more polished pieces, If you assign more polished pieces,

especially those that adhere to especially those that adhere to conventions of your subject, then we conventions of your subject, then we suggest putting the burden of suggest putting the burden of proofreading squarely where it belongs--proofreading squarely where it belongs--on the on the writerwriter, then use the 6 TRAITS , then use the 6 TRAITS assessment!assessment!

WTL vs Customary School Writing WTL vs Customary School Writing Tasks:Tasks:

WTLWTL Traditional Writing TasksTraditional Writing Tasks

SPONTANEOUS vs SPONTANEOUS vs plannedplanned

SHORTSHORT vs vs lengthylengthy

EXPLORATORY vsEXPLORATORY vs authoritativeauthoritative

EXPRESSIVEEXPRESSIVE vs vs transactionaltransactional

INFORMALINFORMAL vs vs formalformal

PERSONALPERSONAL vs vs audience-centeredaudience-centered

UNEDITED vs UNEDITED vs polishedpolished

UNGRADED vs gradedUNGRADED vs graded