Collins Writing Program

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Our Challenge

Given what we know about our students' writing ability, we wanted to improve their skills. We asked… “How can we effectively improve our writing instruction and positively impact student learning?”

We Believe...

• Everyone has things to say and deserves to be heard.
• Writing is a critical life skill and used in a variety of contexts.
• Writing is a social form of communication.

We also believe...

• Everyone is capable of writing.
• Everyone can improve their writing.
• High engagement and motivation positively impact writing.

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Dr. Collins received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College, Master of Education from Boston University, and Doctor of Education from the University of Massachusetts. He has taught from the elementary to the graduate level.

What do you know
about the
Collins Writing Program?

Write 3 things you already know.
If you don't know anything,
3 things you'd like to know. Spelling doesn't count.
You have 3 minutes. GO!

Frequency –
of writing experiences
Focus –
for instruction
Feedback—
on strategic goals

WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU ENJOY ABOUT TEACHING WRITING AND WHAT FRUSTRATES YOU.
List at least 3 of each.
You have 3 minutes.

share with a partner

5 Types of writing

Type 1

Limited by time/ quantity; brainstorming, listing;
writing as thinking.

Graded for completion. Happens daily!

Capture ideas

Get paper.
Label it.
Listen to the prompt.
Write!

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In 4 lines

Write at least 5 lines telling what you know about GMCSs.

Write at least 15 lines describing what a productive classroom looks AND sounds like.

Assess prior knowledge before instruction in order to set the stage for new information.

Give students time to write briefly on the day's topic before contributing to class discussions.

Pause in the middle of instruction to check for
understanding, or to make connections and predictions.

Students who are reluctant to add to discussion get a voice!

Type 1

• Fluency and getting ideas on paper
• Quick & Flexible
• Stream of Consciousness
• Consistent Format
• Easily Assessed

Scored with a √ or −, 100 or 0

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For Activating Prior Knowledge:
In 8 lines or more, write the things you know or questions you have about ____________.

For Reflecting About Learning:
Think about and write down 2 “hard questions” about ____________.

For Predicting:
Before we (conduct this experiment, study this unit), write 5 lines about some of the things you hope to find out.
For Making Connections:
How is ____________ (this type of problem, concept) similar to ________ (another type of problem, concept)? Fill 5 lines or more.

How does Type 1 writing fit into your schedule?

Assignment:  Read pages 1-9

What have you learned about Type 1?

type 2

Explain one benefit of using a Type 1 writing assignment in the classroom.

Type 2 writing shows that the writer
knows something about a topic or
has thought about the topic. It is
a correct answer to a specific question.

respond correctly

graded as a quiz

Scored as a number or letter grade based only on the content of the answer.

The Draw-the-Line Strategy

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Remember & Recall
information:
List 5 facts about __________.
Understand & Explain ideas
or concepts:
Summarize the 3 most
important points from our class
yesterday (or today's class or last night's reading)

Apply & Use information in another
familiar situation:
What 2 strategies that we have
talked about might you use to (solve,
connect, repair, etc.) the following?
Analyze & Break information into
parts to explore relationships:
Describe 2 ways ______ and ______
are similar and 2 ways they are
different.

Evaluate & Justify a decision,
check, critique, judge:
Give 2 reasons why this cannot be
a correct answer for this question.
Explain.
Create & Generate new ideas,
products, or ways of viewing things:
If the answer is ________, write 2
questions that would go with that
answer.

BENEFITS

• USED AS AN EXIT SLIP
• STOPS "EARLY PACKERS"
• REINFORCED SUBJECT MATTER FROM THAT DAY

Describe at least 4 behavioral expectations at GMCS. Circle the four key behavioral words in your writing.

Assignment:  Read pages 10-16

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If you don’t spend time writing, kids won’t write.
Teach students the writing process. (teach strategies, use GRRM) and teach students how to write for a wide variety of purposes across genre.
Teach transcription skills - positioning paper, how to spell, how to hold a pencil, etc.) Create an engaged community of writers.

Capture ideas

respond correctly

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Focus

Oral Reading/Edit

Type 3

• Writing has content
• Meets up to 3 specific standards
• Read aloud by the writer
• Reviewed by the writer

3 BIG Questions

• Have I completed the assignment?
• Did I produce a readable work?
• Have I met the FCAs?

"Most writers agree that the mouth and the ears are the main organs through which students learn to write better. "

Type 3 Step by Step

• Writer creates a draft
• Writer reads aloud in a 1 ft voice
• Writer adds X at questionable areas
• Writer zeros in on a few key aspects of their writing with each assignment.

1 Foot Voice

SPOTLIGHT

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http://www.livebinders.com/media/get/MTE4ODI4MTg=

1. Capitalization of proper nouns
2. Capitalizing "I"
3. Correct use of homophones
4. Spell studied words correctly
5. Use phrases to add detail
6. General spelling
7. Direct quotations
8. Embedding quotations smoothly into writing
9. Correct Titles/Articles/Names
appropriate for audience/ purpose of writing

10. Write a focused introduction
11. Write a clear conclusion/transitions
12. Quality commentary that explains your examples/facts
13. Strong word choice (for being persuasive)
14. Descriptive language

15. Compare/contrast
16. Support an opinion with clear/relevant facts
17. Use adverbs or conjunctions to be more descriptive and add details.

18. 4 to 5 specific content sentences
19. Complete sentences
20. Legible handwriting
21. Transitions for clarity
22. Use of ___ # technical vocabulary

23. Step by Step process
24. ___# key details about the topic
25. State a claim and support it with evidence

MIX OF CONTENT, ORGANIZATION, STYLE AND MECHANICS

Why it works

Students concentrate on improving only a handful of skills at any one time and never feel overwhelmed by having to think about too many
things.

Over the course of the school year, students master numerous FCAs, resulting in significant improvement in their writing abilities.

Writer zeros in on a few key aspects of their writing with each assignment.

Possible uses

Essay assignment
Take-home Test
In Class Test

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Scoring

Hit the Target

• Completed the assignment given
• Produced a readable work
• Met the assigned FCA

Break Time?

10% SUMMARY

SUMMARIZING IS A LIFE SKILL

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• RECAP YOUR DAY
• TELL ABOUT A SPORTING EVENT
• HIGHLIGHT KEY POINTS OF A MEETING
• ETC.

One of the best motivators to writing is SUCCESS.

Start with Talking

Speaking and writing are productive skills.

Listening and Reading are receptive skills.

Before you read your entire answer, just read to me the five words
you underlined. I‘ll see if I get the gist of your answer.

Before we talk about your answers, take one more minute, reread your
answer, and circle the five most important words. Circle words that, if I
only looked at those words, I'd get the gist of your idea.

Micro Skills vs
Macro Skills

SUMMARIZING IS NOT A DISCRETE SKILL

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• FIND KEY WORDS
• PARAPHRASE
• CATEGORIZE
• FIND MAIN IDEA
• http://collinsed.com/PDFs/10_summary_focus_sheet_START.pdf
• http://collinsed.com/PDFs/10_summary_focus_sheet_spanish.pdf

http://collinsed.com/PDFs/Resources/10_summary_focus_sheet_elem_12.30.14.pd...

INFORMATION AGE

10% Summary

• 75-100 word selection is read
• Write 8-10 words about the selection

Let's Try it

NEWSELA

https://newsela.com/articles/oreo-thins/id/11093/print/

STRUCTURE STEPS TO HELP STUDENTS LEARN TO SUMMARIZE

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Differentiating the Assignment: One way that you can differentiate this assignment based on your diagnosis of your students’ needs is by your choice of passage to be
summarized. Since you will undoubtedly use this assignment multiple times, you may choose increasingly longer articles as your students’ confidence and ability grows.

Writing is Cultural

Assignment:  Read pages 17-33

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Peer Edit

Type 4 creates a community of learners because students must help other writers write.

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• Read Aloud by the Writer
• Read and critiqued by peer
• Requires 2 drafts
• This is the most effective and efficient of all of the types at improving writing skills.
• Designed primarily for English and Language Arts teachers

Type 4 requires the same heading as a Type 3 with stated FCAs.

Proofread

Edit

Collins page 43

Procedure: Type 1 Writing – In 8 minutes list and describe 6 common mistakes that students experience as incoming students at GMCS and 5 steps they could take to avoid these mistakes in the future.

Type 3 Writing – Write a 5 paragraph instruction manual that instructs incoming students in the basics needed for success. Include at least 5 steps or rules designed to lead to success. Make sure that you read aloud in a one foot voice and edit to see if you have completed the assignment, outlined your steps/rules clearly and have met the criteria of the FCAs. Edit.

Type 4 Writing – Trade papers with a peer and you will read your partner’s paper to him/her and make suggestions. Make sure your peer has completed the assignment, and met the criteria of the FCAs. Your peer will do the same for you. After editing is done, you will complete a second draft, revising as appropriate.

Sign your Work

Hit the Target

• Completed the assignment given
• Produced a readable work
• Met the assigned FCA

Vocabulary Cards

http://www.collinsed.com/PDFs/vocabulary_cards_template.pdf

http://www.collinsed.com/PDFs/newsletter/cea_vocabulary_cards_ISP.pdf 

When it comes to learning vocabulary, especially vocabulary associated with a particular field, one of the easiest and most efficient ways is with vocabulary cards. This assignment requires that students create their own set of vocabulary cards. In fact, just creating the cards will help students begin to remember the words.

Convention Wisdom

"One of the most crucial services that teachers can provide, particularly for students who do not come from academically advantaged backgrounds, is systematic
instruction in important academic terms."
Building Academic Vocabulary
Robert J. Marzano and
Debra J. Pickering

The One-Minute
Writing Clinic –
See if you can spot the problems in the following paragraph (hint: There are 11 fixes to be made;
9 are wrong words).

Its amazing! There quarterback through a completed pass to everyone accept the tight end. He past the ball like he was a pro. Whose going to beat that team. Most teams our going to have alot of trouble with him and I’m not sure your going to see his team lose a game this year.

The One-Minute Writing Clinic –
Answer Key
It’s amazing! Their quarterback threw a completed pass to everyone
except the tight end. He passed the ball like he was a pro. Who’s going to
beat that team? Most teams are going to have a lot of trouble with him, and
I’m not sure you’re going to see his team lose a game this year.

How will you define the stages of writing for your students? What steps will you teach in the writing process?

Write with POWER

POWER

• Plan
• Organize
• Write
• Edit
• Rewrite

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Publish

Type 5 writing can go outside of the classroom without explanation or qualification. Requires multiple drafts and is usually considered a major project.

Must meet at least 2

• The writing will be read by critical readers outside the classroom.
• The writing will be produced by students who are sufficiently motivated to produce multiple drafts.
• The writing will be produced by students who are sufficiently skills to produce multiple drafts.

It's the type of writing teachers hope for but rarely get -- great content with no technical errors.

REVISE

Microstructure vs Macrostructure

VOICE

POP

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• The writing will be created under conditions that make publishable writing possible; there is enough time for self and peer revision, with oral reading, teacher feedback, and multiple revisions.

Multimedia Presentation

http://collinsed.com/PDFs/newsletter/late_winter_ps_2016/multimedia_present...

The audience is the world.

SCORING
REQUIRES EVALUATION OF ALL ASPECTS OF THE TEXT FROM CONTENT, TO ORGANIZATION, TO VOICE, TO SENTENCE VARIETY, TO WORD CHOICE, TO SPELLING AND MECHANICS.