Welcome! Excited to start tweeting abt speaking & writing connections. Pls share your bio! I'm Leslie Laud from Mass. I teach teens. I studied wrtr's workshop at Teacher College @TCRWP#teachwriting
A1 Many times we start framing our thinking by "writing on a sea of talk." Just talking the lines floating in our heads opens up possibilities, generates our ideas, reduces anxiety about starting. #TeachWriting
A1: Not nearly enough connections! We need to help kiddos see the connections. More time spent talking leads to stronger writing opportunities. #TeachWriting
A1Teaching students writing is essentially teaching them to think critically, organize, support arguments and more. Talking through big ideas and supporting evidence in a debate format can serve as a great lead-up to a writing assignment. #TeachWriting
A1 #TeachWriting I envision speaking at both ends of student writing. It is the first movement of inquiry and research and then the delivery of the edited composition.
A1 - This is a hard question. It's different for different kids. The strength of the link has a lot of impact on how they feel about writing. If they see a strong link, they often enjoy or like writing, I think. It's as comfortable as talking. Not simple, though. #TeachWriting
A1 verbal read-alouds of drafts also allow students to hear and imagine how their prose sound, how their characters are developing, and how to fill in gaps between what they think they wrote and what they actually wrote #teachwriting
A1 - I think it comes down to how they think of the craft of writing vs. the art of speaking. If they see writing as a chance to "say it right" or "make it great," or value the experience and difference of print, it's a different link. #TeachWriting
A1 verbal read-alouds of drafts also allow students to hear and imagine how their prose sound, how their characters are developing, and how to fill in gaps between what they think they wrote and what they actually wrote #teachwriting
A1 Reading aloud to self is a frequent part of our revision process. The ears are pretty tough editors. We have had a few giant ears made of construction paper placed around the room to invite reading aloud. #TeachWriting
A1 - It's not a simple link. I think in middle school (where I teach), I work toward the kind of fluency in writing that kids have with speaking. I want a strong link, because I want them to have text to revise. Then we can craft something. #TeachWriting
As always - varies. Maybe some want convo when stuck. Some want quiet when they need to think deeply. Highlights need for differentiation and self-regulation - helping them learn how to understand what they need & how to advocate for that.... #teachwriting
I think a lot depends on what you're writing, how important it is, and how comfortable you are with your process and your progress on the task. Maybe we seek conversation when we're stuck? Maybe some of us prefer to talk about writing more than others? #TeachWriting
very true! we talk about writing as building a bridge-- the writer thinks they've built a good one, but the reader sees a messy pile of stones. a read-aloud shows this to the writer. #teachwriting
Model, scaffold, celebrate and use student models? Encourage them to look to the mentor texts or models instead of the scaffolds after that? #TeachWriting
We "use the force" wherein one student reads a punctuacted passage and the partner adds puncutation. They learn to sense the rhythm and the punctuation that creates it #teachwriting
A1 verbal read-alouds of drafts also allow students to hear and imagine how their prose sound, how their characters are developing, and how to fill in gaps between what they think they wrote and what they actually wrote #teachwriting
A2: talking can ease the tension when fully engrossed in the process. Ss often stress a/b the grade. Talking/conferencing/revisiting can make the work seem less intimidating #teachwriting
A2: The more we connect reading, writing, listening, and speaking the more literate student we are growing. Ss need to see the skills together. #TeachWriting
Agree - but at some point they need to notice the differences and work to perfect their writing. But yes, speaking and writing feed each other. #TeachWriting
A2 I encourage storytelling of student processes, and sampling of student work as read aloud so in small groups or pairs: especially coupled with walking or movement if possible. #TeachWriting
A2: How many times do we ask students just to TALK about what they’ve read? We default to writing as an easy assignment instead of letting them talk and process first. #TeachWriting
A2: The more we connect reading, writing, listening, and speaking the more literate student we are growing. Ss need to see the skills together. #TeachWriting
A2 #teachwriting Try to talk to each S as often as possible about something other than your class. Demonstrate that their opinions on many things matter to you
A1. I think of free-writing as a conversation, even if at first the writer is the only audience. This allows the writer time to think and process without having to make the work meaningful before they even know what they want to say. #TeachWriting
We write what's called a 6-room poem, borrowed from Rainer Maria Rilke. Writers travel through six rooms to notice one specific element (mood, lighting, etc.) #teachwriting It gives them a framework for developing context and backstory.
A2 - I think our students need to see us talking about our writing in productive or useful ways. I think they need to hear the kinds of things that writers say about their writing - moves, purpose, audience, word choice or sentence structure - think aloud stuff. #TeachWriting
Modeling our writing is essential to so many aspects of #TeachWriting. I post organizers and drafts on the wall and use them to make my thinking transparent during mini workshops.
Just sentence starters or sentence frames. Not much more than that - haven't used student models for talk - like a recording? I've recorded a few conversations and played them, so I guess so. #TeachWriting
A2 The Arcade Fire partnered with Google to create an interactive vidoe that adapts to the viewer's zipcode. Students watch and create written narration as it explores their own neighborhoods https://t.co/BxPKaKZ5Eg#teachwriting
A3 invaluable. students learn to love--and to critique--good writing by engaging with texts, moving beyond plot or main idea and learning how good writers engage their audiences #teachwriting
A3 Text-based discussion forces Ss to commit to their opinions. IMHO, the key learning element for Ts is supporting disagreement and/or changing their minds. #teachwriting
A3: Text-based discussion is one component of a classroom. Do you know how much you learn about kids on Monday if you ask, how was the weekend and engage in genuine convo? #TeachWriting
A3 I teach 1st year college students and speaking for them is often full of terror. A google doc or a discussion board or even some post its can free thoughts to live in the community of writers that would remain hidden if speech were the only outlet. #TeachWriting
A3 Discussing mentor texts allows S writers to explore author craft and build their writer's toolbox. Sharing their thoughts & opinions of text invites them to find support within the text. #TeachWriting
The same thought has cross my mind. Am I boxing my students in by sharing my draft? I have been delaying the reading of my lines by a few days to allow my S writers to "breath." #TeachWriting
A3 - It's a useful way to introduce new writing styles, new voices, new ideas, new genres, and to reinforce the reading/writing/speaking/listening connection that @KellyTumy just brought up. It's also a way to encourage them to explore writing. #TeachWriting
Can you say more? This post strikes me. I'd always seen wrtr's workshop as primarily personal narrative/personal response. Text-based was new for me. Love this thinking. #teachwriting
Maybe I misunderstood the Q : ) But having a place for disc of mentor-text to live allows for Ss to be fully present during the conversation, and allows the T to know in advance what parts of a text interested Ss (before they go off to write on their own) #teachwriting
A3 - I have a book of side-by-side English/Spanish versions of some of Neruda's odes. It's a really cool way to show my (often Spanish-speaking) students the way that poetry is translated (and awesome in both languages). It's a great lesson. #TeachWriting
I like to add notes to the margins of my draft inspired by what I hear from my students. Writers inspiring writers! Perhaps that exchange of ideas keeps my T draft from being the target for Ss. #TeachWriting
Agree but I’m starting to see rubrics/models as limiting the Ss, almost confining them as many still try to please the T or follow a prescribed formula #TeachWriting
Most certainly. Spelling errors, arrows to reorganize content, and poorly executed skill are all highlighted. Draft writing is messy. Ss enjoy having me point out my mistakes but I think they like finding them more. #TeachWriting
A4 writing prompts are frames and supports. I also think of peer review (after some coaching) as text based talk. Twitter and othe chatroom software and apps, are another prime tool for such scaffolding of learning. #TeachWriting
A2. We can guide talk to support learning and writing development by instructing students in giving meaningful feedback to each other. Also by asking students questions about their work and their process, encouraging them and helping them to clarify their message. #TeachWriting
A4 - It's hard for me, but it's important to share manageable pieces of text. I think we often want to share longer texts, but it's harder for kids to work with larger pieces of texts when we want them to do something new and challenging with it. It depends. #TeachWriting
Uh, yes to all : ) The guidance is usually S-directed: Tell me two things that inspired you and that you hope to incorporate--a tone, a rhet device, a phrase, etc. I'll be transparent about what I'm choosing to model and how well I thought it went #TeachWriting
A4 - I think I should clarify. I don't mean we should cut up everything we share. But if we want to do leads, for example, maybe we only share the first three sentences. Or even just the first sentence. (No matter how great it is or how much we love it.) #TeachWriting
A4 - As a middle school teacher, I also sometimes share models of complex sentences (a la Jeff Anderson) and encourage kids to use them. They can often explain complex causal relationships in speaking, but much less often in writing. #grammarmakesusthink#TeachWriting
Q5. How do you collect formative data on talk, that can inform your next teaching moves? #teachwriting (How do you know if your focus on developing talk is impacting Ss wrtg?)
Give 'em a series of 3-5 very short sentences and ask them to combine into one long one using commas and semicolons, adding or changing words, etc. You can then discuss how their versions differ in meaning and emphasis #grammarmakesusthinkg#teachwriting
Sure. An example might be the opening of BLIND SIDE, where Michael Lewis narrates the famous tackle and injury of Joe Theismann by Lawrence Taylor. I've tried to share pages of the story, and kids got lost. It was just too much. #TeachWriting
It's a great model, but I tried to use it with 7th graders, and it was too hard. As a read-aloud, maybe. The goal would be to show them a narrative lead or introduction in a nonfiction essay. It would be a mini-lesson on ways to start an essay or something. #TeachWriting
Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was trying to say that kids can talk their way through cause/effect, but they sometimes struggle to explain it clearly in writing. Jeff does say it should be written - I'm trying to connect their speaking w/their writing. #TeachWriting
Bring down #grammarpolice Agreed! I tell me Ss to break the rules if they want to for impact. Just tell me they know they broke the rule, and explain to me why - what impact were you trying for. #norules#teachwriting
I say in almost every training I do, “Just because you can answer a prompt doesn’t mean you are a writer. Answering a prompt is a learned habit...real writing is craft...art” #TeachWriting
yes - read this earlier. I worry the 5 para essay is a straw man in these types of articles. Who cares how many para's? I just want to look at the meaning inside the para's #teachwriting
I think many great wrtg Ts are fine with 5 para's as long as the content is deep & meaningful. I worry about debates abt # of para's. We need to debate the content of the wrtg. My Ss use 5 para's sometimes. That doesn't matter - matters what mng they make on the pg #teachwriting
I do think prompt answering can be learned, for a nonpracticed writer (State 😶 Testing) And that real Writing, given the opportunity, can be a nicely honed skill, real art. I also think some writers are just born with the talent. #teachwriting
TY everyone! Always leave these feeling so uplifted and connected. Really appreciate the community! See you at next chat & in between on twitter :-) #teachwriting
