Writing To Learn

1. Writing To Learn By: Jason Fischer

2. What Is Writing To Learn? • Normally writing to learn activities are shortand unplanned • Basically informal writing tasks that help students think through key concepts or ideas presented in a class • Usually these writing activities are limited to less than five minutes of class time or are assigned as brief out-of-class assignments

3. When Should It Be Used? • Writing to learn activities can be used at many points during a class period: • The Beginning: • Writing to learn activities are good openers, this brings students back into the context of the class • A writing to learn activity sets an expectation that students need to pay attention and arrive to class prepared • Also lets teachers know how much students remember from the last class • Class openers can also prepare students for the lesson : • Givingthem time to find definitions of key terms that do not know • At the end of class students can go over their definitions and can see what they have learned

4. When Should It Be Used? • The Middle: • An activity in the middle of a class can keep students attention by changing the pace of the class • Can also promote student participation by allowing them to brainstorm and write about particular questions or issues in the lesson • can then share with their peers during the remainder of the period. • The End: • Helps students see what they have learned • Also what they are confused about so they can look over the content before the next assignment or exam • A short writing activity at the end of class will help students comprehend and retain the material talked about in class that day

5. Writing To Learn Strategies • One Minute Paper: • Text and note books must be closed • Students write the most important or most useful points they learned from the lesson, reading assignment, or discussion • Students can also write down any questions they have • Called a one minute paper,but the activity usually takes two or three minutes • A one-minute paper can work as a work up or cool down activity • As a cool down it helps students: • Take in, digest, and internalize new material • Letters Home: • Paraphrase in informal language what is being learn • Students can write to their parents, a sibling, or a friend • Helps students see the relationship between their classes and their everyday lives • Also gives them the opportunity to describe the material in their own words

6. Writing To Learn Strategies and ELLs • The shorter the activity the easier it will be perceived by the student. • One minute paper: • Short • Knowledge based • Room for questions • Letters Home: • Short • Draws on students idea of key points • Allows student to think in a informal manner • Does not involve normal writing rules

7. Works Cited • Kiefer, Kate. "An Introduction to Writing Across the Curriculum." The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University, 2010. Web. Feb. 2010. • Kalman, Judith. "Writing to Learn." Oregon State University. The Professional & Organizational Development Network in Higher Education. Web. Feb. 2010. <http://oregonstate.edu/ctl/articles/packet1/Writing%20to%20Learn.html>. • The Center for Teaching Excellence. "Using Writing-to-Learn Assignments to Actively Engage Students in the Learning Process." National Teaching and Learning Forum: 1-2. National Teaching and Learning Forum. James Rhem & Associates, LLC. Web. Feb. 2010. <http://www.ntlf.com/pod/Duquesene%20writing-to-learn.pdf>.