Writing Across the Curriculumcoloma.weebly.com/uploads/4/5/2/7/4527955/pd.john... · Writing Across the Curriculum The John Collins Model . Learning Target Demonstrate an understanding

Writing Across the Curriculum

The John Collins Model

Learning Target

Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of the John

Collins Writing Program.

My hope is that you will find a way to seamlessly implement the use of Type 1, 2, & 3 writings in

your classes!

Activity

• Take the next 5 minutes to list on the paper provided 5 pros or cons you see as a teacher with implementing a Writing Across the Curriculum program in your classroom.

• Only write on lines with the X

• Name & Date in upper right hand corner

• Numeral “1” next to the word Type

• If you area an English teacher by trade, play along

Mike Schmoker from Results Now

“The value of writing becomes clear only when we understand how it enables students to connect the dots in their knowledge. A deeper look at writing reveals its impact on our ability to learn and think at the highest levels, across the disciplines, We don’t hear nearly enough about these benefits in education courses… The very act of writing – and revising – teaches us to identify and correct contradictions, to refine and improve and clarify our thoughts – to think (Hillocks, 1987). Writing may very well exercise the critical faculties in a way that can’t be matched (pp. 63-63).

The John Collins Model

• 5 Types of Writing • Simple format • Successful because…

– Helps students grow as thinkers and writers because it states EXPLICITY what students must do to be successful.

– Takes away one of the primary obstacles of writing: fear – fear of evaluation by unknown or hidden criteria and fear of failure.

– Writing assignments cease to be a punishment for teachers (grading and evaluating)

Type One Writing

• Definition

– Is writing to get ideas on paper

– It is idea generating, recollecting, data gathering, or questioning phase of the writing and thinking process.

– It is timed and requires a minimum number of items, a quota.

– Questions and/or guesses are permitted.

– Evaluated with a check (√) or minus (-)

Type One Writing

• Is the perfect response to the question, how do we get students to write more without overwhelming the teacher?

• It is a way to make writing a natural occurrence.

• Most are completed in class in less than 10 minutes.

• A great way to overcome writer’s block.

Type One Writing

• Format – Requires just one draft.

– Students place name on the first line (right side) and “Type One” on the first line (left side).

– Must skip lines.

• Form – Can take almost any form

– Often a list, rambling essay, or personal reflection

– It can mix facts and questions

Type One Writing

• Audience: – The only audience for the Type One writing

assignment is the student writer.

• Evaluation – Criterion for Type One writing is that each student

must write something in the atmosphere of either no risk or relatively low risk.

– The sole criterion is the number of written lines, written within a time limit.

– It is NOT about correct sentence structure.

Type One Writing: Sample Writing Prompts

• For activating prior knowledge: – In eight lines or more, write the things you want to know

or questions you have about _____. – Even though we have not discussed it yet, what does the

term (or concept or phrase) ______ mean to you? Fill at least 4 lines.

• For reflecting about learning: – What are the most important (interesting) points to you

from yesterday’s discussion about ____? Fill 6 lines or more.

– On last night’s homework, explain what was the hardest part for you to solve (understand, complete, read, collect,…)? Fill 5 lines or more.

Type One Writing: Sample Writing Prompts

• For predicting: – In 5 lines, describe what might have caused the scene

you see in this picture. – In 5 lines, predict what might happen if ______.

Explain why you think so.

• For making connections: – How do you think _______ and _______ are related.

Fill in 5 lines or more. – How is _______ (this type of problem, concept)

similar to _______ (another type of problem, concept). Fill in 7 lines or more.

Type One Writing: Sample Writing Prompts

• For creative thinking:

– Describe a way of doing this routine task (such as reviewing homework, passing out lab materials, distributing calculators, ….) so that it will be more interesting or efficient to do. Tell me in 6 lines or more.

Type Two Writing

• Definition – Shows that the writer knows something about a topic or

has thought about the topic. – It is best used as a quiz. It is the correct answer to a

specific question. – It usually has a number in the question.

• Asks for definitions, facts, explanations, opinions supported with details, evaluative comments, or new applications.

• Must be clear and correct. • Is an ideal mode for students who have weak

mechanical skills.

Type Two Writing

• No points are deducted for spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.

• It is an evaluation of the content not the way it is expressed.

• Format – Same as Type One

• Form: – Most frequently takes the form of an open

response question, list, or definition.

Type Two Writing

• Form(continued)

– Should encourage students to write what they know or how they feel in response to the prompt.

– Discourage students from adding lines or pages to pad their answers.

• Audience:

– The teacher, who has high expectations about the content of the writing but not how flawlessly the content is expressed.

Type Two Writing

• Evaluation:

– Is best for a question that requires a limited, specific, predictable response.

– Should be kept as simple as possible.

– Recommend using points system because they are quick and simple to use.

– Good for quizzes but not tests.

– Very helpful in determining the effort grade.

Type Two Writing: Sample Writing Prompts

• Remembering – recalling information:

– Define 5 _______ key words.

– Describe 3 characteristics of ______.

• Understanding – explaining ideas or concepts:

– Summarize the 3 most important points from our class discussion (homework, reading,…).

– Explain the 3 steps that must be taken to get the answer to this problem (or question or situation).

Type Two Writing: Sample Writing Prompts

• Applying – sing information in another familiar situation: – What 2 strategies that we talked about might you

use to (solve, connect, figure out, repair, et, …) the following?

• Analyzing –breaking down into parts to explore relationships: – Explain 2 ways that _____ and _____ are similar.

– Describe a pitfall to avoid in doing this experiment (or problem, design, performance, lab report, etc).

Type Two Writing: Sample Writing Prompts

• Evaluating – justifying a decision, checking, critiquing, judging: – Explain 2 reasons why I would not give this answer full

credit on a test. – Give 2 reasons why this cannot be the correct answer

for this problem (or question). Explain.

• Creating – generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things: – If the answer is ________, write 2 questions that

would go with that answer. – What are 3 possible results if Hitler has won the war?

Challenge

Experiment in your classes with the use of Type 1 and Type 2 writing

during the remainder of the school year.

Type Three Writing

• Definition – Is writing that has substantive content and meets

up to 3 specific standards called focus correction areas.

– Students must create a draft, read it aloud, and review it to see meets the criteria listed: • Completes the assignment

• Is easy to read

• Avoids problems in the focus correction areas

– Revising and editing are done on the draft

Type Three Writing

• Is the most versatile of all types because it is – Efficient to assign

– Defines the standards students need to meet to be successful

– Is easy to grade and evaluate

• Provides a structured editing process.

• Oral Reading/Editing – Reading their own out loud is the single most

effective way to help students revise and edit

Type Three Writing

• Oral Reading/Editing – Listens for 3 things

• Did I complete the assignment?

• Does the composition sound right? Is it easy to read?

• Do I have problems with the focus correction area?

• Focus Correcting – Is a selective approach to correcting student

writing.

– The teacher selects 1, 2, or 3 critical problem areas to focus on.

Type Three Writing

• Focus Correcting – Focus areas will change over time as students add to

and refine their skills. – Almost any aspect of writing/thinking can be selected

as a focus correction area.

• Format – Left hand side, top 2 or 3 lines are listed focus

correction areas – Right hand side has the name and date on top 2 lines – 5th line down, centered is the topic or title – Students skip lines when writing

Type Three Writing

• Form – Any from letter to essay to short story

• Audience – Student/writer and teacher

• Evaluation – Same 3 questions the student uses to revise work. – Teacher uses yes or no for first two questions. Once a

yes can be given to them, paper is graded based solely on focus correction areas.

– Could be used for tests or quizzes

• The 10% Summary

Type Four Writing

• Definition

– Is Type 3 writing that has been read out loud and critiqued by another.

– Requires 2 drafts.

– Is the most effective and efficient of all types at improving writing skills.

• Format

– Same heading as Type 3 with a second , edited draft with the same heading

Type Four Writing

• Form

– Like Type 3, can be in any form.

• Audience

– Author, teacher, and peer evaluator

• Evaluation

– Evaluated based on the focus correction areas outlined

Type Five Writing

• Definition – Is of publishable quality. – Can go outside the classroom without explanation or

qualification. – Requires multiple drafts. – Usually considered a major project.

• It is the type of writing teachers hope for but rarely get (great content no technical errors)

• Should be generated from or pass through several of the other writing types.

• Big time commitment from student and teacher.

Type Five Writing

• Format – Double spaced and like it will be published.

• Form – Can be any in any form

• Audience – The critical world outside the classroom and school.

• Evaluation – Requires evaluation of all aspects of the text from

content, to organization, to voice, the sentence variety, to work choice, to spelling and mechanics.

The John Collins Model Summary

• Type 1 – Capture Ideas, minimum number of items, + or –

• Type 2 – Respond Correctly, corrected answer, graded like quiz

• Type 3 – Edit for FCAs, Read it aloud, meets criteria, editing done on original

• Type 4 – Peer Edit for FCAs – read aloud and critiqued by others, two drafts

• Type 5 – Publish, error free, multiple drafts

Learning Target

Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics of the John

Collins Writing Program.

The John Collins Model