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WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES: Participants will* Identify the kinds of writing (genres) that teachers can teach to meet the kinds of writing purposes (rhetorical goals) that their students may face as they transition to postsecondary coursework;* Explore the EFF Standard Convey Ideas in Writing and how its research-based description of the process of competent writing performance can guide instruction at the postsecondary transition level; * Engage in activities that they can use to encourage students to Convey Ideas in Writing for meaningful transition-related purposes; * Try out tools and successful strategies for planning and conducting writing activities with students preparing for transition to postsecondary education.
During a 2009 “Adult Readiness Roundtable” co-sponsored by the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy and the National Center on Education and the Economy, roundtable participants (representatives of 20 “exemplary” adult-education-for-work programs from all over the country) agreed that in their experience the greatest barrier adult education students face in making successful transitions is mastering college-level writing.
PROPOSITION: We Can Teach-- strategies for identifying writing purposes and tasks/contexts relevant to postsecondary education (“rhetorical goals”)-- strategies for identifying writing genres appropriate to the rhetorical goals to be addressed-- strategies for generating contentfor writing. -- application of the full writing process (organize, draft, revise) at the transition level to reach rhetorical goals.
Writing Purposes, Audiences, Tasks, Contexts –and the Writing Genres that “Fit” ThemTHE WHY AND WHAT
Writing in Postsecondary EducationWhat do we know* about writing purposes?* about writing tasks?* about writing contexts?
For the purposes of this session::“Writing in Postsecondary Education” =writing required in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and workforce training
ATLAS Instructional Practices Alignment:College Faculty Responses with Relevance to Writing Marchwick, K., Johnson, K. A., & Parrish, B. (2008). ATLAS Instructional Practices Alignment Survey. Retrieved October 21, 2010, from http://www.hamline.edu/education/adult/atlas/resources/surveys/FY08_Alignment_Proje.pdf
ON WRITING ASSIGNMENTS33% report assigning academic research papers A significant number use short-answer assessment Nearly 2/3 of assignments are 2-3 pages
ON CRITICAL THINKING: 52.6% report that Synthesizing information from multiple texts when reading is Very or Extremely Important55.2% report Ability to synthesize information from lecture with other sources of information such as textbooks is Very or Extremely Important56.7% report that Summarizing, paraphrasing, and synthesizing information from outside sources for writing is Very or Extremely Important
ON NOTE-TAKING48.6% report Taking notes on information read is Very or Extremely Important57.8% report that Taking notes effectively during teacher-centered lectures is Very or Extremely Important
In Summary, postsecondary instructors expect students to*Write up results of research*Write to answer test questions*Write to state and defend a position*Write to evidence ability to think critically about, analyze, synthesize and draw conclusions from information*Write to take notes from text and lecture
Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association (2010 ). The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
THE COMMON CORE: College- and career-ready students can1) write academic and research essays as well as shorter-form responses to prompts, 2) demonstrate understanding of ideas and the ability to think critically about them,
THE COMMON CORE: College- and career-ready students can3) construct and defend arguments, and 4) produce various work-related texts on demand.
THE 2014 GED EXAM:High School Equivalency+Career and College Readiness
THE “CORE OF THE CORE” AND THE 2014 GED: The new GED is being designed to measure – provide evidence of -- the knowledge and skills most strongly correlated with success in career and college as defined by the Common Core and other state standard systems (TX, VA)
“Postsecondary Writing” and The 2014 GED Test Writing in the new GED will better reflect the kind of writing that students are likely to be called upon to accomplish in college
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED Test * Writing will be required in the Language Arts, Social Studies and Science Tests * “The essay” will be replaced by short (@ 10 minutes) and extended (@ 25 minutes) responses to “stimulus material” * “Fill in blanks” will be followed by a prompt asking for a few sentences to explain reasoning
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED Test * Integrating writing with reading and understanding * Writing in real-world contexts (text 75% nonfiction, 400-900 words passage length)
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED Test2014 GED test items will ask examinees to read one or more texts (“stimulus”), and then to use writing to* ANALYZE* ARGUE* SUPPORT
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED TestWriting about content (“themes”) in primary/secondary text sources and graphics – 20th century and post-9-11 US History, Civics/Government, Economics, Geography and the world, environmental science, etc.
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED Test*Writing to analyze/summarize ideas, positions and structures * Writing to interpret an author’s purpose* And
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED TestWriting to identify and evaluate arguments/claims of others, or to develop own argument, using text-based evidence as support – often from more than one text
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED TestSimulating real-life editing (applying knowledge of the conventions of standard written English to revise text)
Writing Requirements in The 2014 GED TestIn other words, candidates will be asked to1) draw ideas from information they read, and then2) demonstrate ability to analyze, explain, sequence, evaluate, compare, contrast and synthesize those ideas3) by writing primarily informational and/or persuasive text.
GENRE THEORYDean, D. (2008). Genre Theory: Teaching, Writing and Being.Washington, DC: National Council of Teachers of English.Effective writers1) are aware that not all writing is the same; 2) choose and use different kinds (genres) of writing to meet different goals and suit different tasks, audiences, and contexts;
GENRE THEORYEffective writers3) know that each writing genre, whether to meet the purposes of a postsecondary course or a need in another part of life, will have its own language and conventions (Dean, 2008).
IMPLICATIONS: Our students need to know, and we canteach them, -- how to clarify the purposes, audiences and contexts(“rhetorical goals”) for any writing assignment. -- how to construct different genres of writing, especially those in the categories of informational and persuasive.-- how to choose and use the “right” writing genres to fit the rhetorical goals of the writing-- how to apply their knowledge of writing conventions in the act of revision.
The Writing Process and Teaching/ Learning Strategies: THE HOW
The COMMON CORE developers also say1) high-quality writing results from careful planning, drafting, and meaningful revising.2) the discipline used to create, reshape, and polish pieces of writing prepares students for occasions when they must write quickly and clearly on demand, whether in the workplace or in college.
And the 2014 GED will reflect this:written responses will be scored for* awareness of audience and purpose + organization, development and progression of ideas (ER Scoring Rubric Pt. 2 – 2 points)* ability to apply conventions of standard written English (ER Scoring Rubric Pt. 3 – 2 points)
As well as* writing as a response to reading -- understanding of/thinking about content + ability to cite specific and relevant evidence from text to support arguments (ER Scoring Rubric Pt. 1 – 3 points)
Key Components of the Writing Process1.PlanningAttention to writing purposeAttention to audienceWriting to think (generating ideas)Thinking to write (organizing ideas)
2. Generating Text3. Attending to Writing ConventionsGrammarSentence StructureSpellingPunctuationEtc.
4. Revising TextApplying knowledge of contentApplying knowledge of conventions
PROPOSITION: We Can Teach-- strategies for identifying writing purposes and tasks/contexts relevant to postsecondary education (“rhetorical goals”)-- strategies for identifying writing genres appropriate to the rhetorical goals to be addressed-- strategies for generating contentfor writing. -- application of the full writing process (organize, draft, revise) at the transition level to reach rhetorical goals.
Planning an Instructional Activity: How to Write a Text-Based Argument
Contact info Peggy McGuire mcguirep555@aol.com 717-964-1341
Please don’t forget to complete a Workshop Evaluation andMany thanks for attending “Preparing Transitioning Adult Education Students for Success with Postsecondary Writing”
