In his outstanding book, Writing Well, Mark Tredinnick (2008) offers the following insight: “In these times, more than ever, we need a little depth and care, generosity and poise. We need a little perspective and honesty and restraint. And politically, a little low-voltage rage. We need, in other words, to rediscover the syntax of . . . → Read More: Writing Well Matters
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Consider the following: 70% of 4th-12th grade students are considered low-achieving writers college professors estimate that 50% of college freshmen are unprepared for college-level writing nearly 40% of college students and high school graduates in the workforce view their own writing as not meeting expectations of quality The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and . . . → Read More: Teaching Writing with an “Optimal Mix” Writer’s Stylus equips teachers to develop writers, not just students with adequate writing skills. Students use their knowledge to not only correct errors in punctuation and grammar, but to improve the clarity and strength of their communication. As editors of their own writing, students use knowledge and skills gained from effective instruction to develop . . . → Read More: Writer’s Stylus Program & Training: New Info Available! Teachers as “Critics” The BBC used to produce a show in which an individual was taken from his normal surroundings and professional practices and placed in a month-long, immersion experience in a profession he dreamed of practicing. At the conclusion of the month, the individual faced a test. He or she had to interact . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 10: Teacher Expertise—”Critics” & Teachers Sufficient research exists to make the following claim: the most significant school-based factor influencing student achievement is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. An effective teacher increases a child’s achievement. An ineffective teacher decreases a child’s achievement. This seems like common sense, but perhaps we remain unaware of the magnitude of difference . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 9: Teacher Expertise—Writers & Coaches Revising, says writer and editor Susan Bell (2007), is “a conversation”—an interaction between the writer and text that generates waves of improvement in the text (p. 6). The writer approaches the draft as a critical reader and “converses” with what was previously written. The “conversation” initiates improvements in significant issues, such as the writing . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 8: Integration—Connecting Revision Elements Researchers describe our current writing instruction as being stuck in the eighteenth century with little real relationship to actual writing. A recent study found that students spent only about 15% of their time in school writing, and of that 15%, two-thirds was merely copying, word-for-word, in worktexts(NWP, p. 6). In many classrooms, students fill . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 7: Integration—Connecting Mechanics to Writing Consider the following findings from research: Author and teacher Gloria Houston found that students who wrote at the conclusion of every class regardless of the discipline (i.e., they wrote at the end of math class, science class, social studies class…) made greater achievement than their non-writing peers. Houston (2004) reports: “At the end of . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 6: Authenticity—Writing to Learn Many educators answer “The Writing Process!” when asked about how to teach writing. For many years, educators believed that if they just pushed students through five (or six, or seven…) prescribed steps, writing abilities would naturally develop: If we could just get students to brainstorm, and then draft, and then…Unfortunately, the writing process, as . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 5: Authenticity—Writing Process Knowing how to write in a variety of genres is like having a fully-loaded toolbox. It provides effective means for addressing diverse circumstances. An authentic instructional writing program educates and engages students in writing from several genres and their related subgenres. Genre variety exposes students to effective writing techniques. For example, analyzing an . . . → Read More: Transforming Substance into Significance, Part 4: Authenticity—Genre Variety |
 
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