Writers Workshop:

Joyful Writing

Building Community

Trust is key! “A window into the soul.” – Oscar Wilde All of Us: Played an instrument as a child Some of Us: Enjoy going to live concerts in small venues Unique to Me: Used to hang around with a punk rock band

Learning Intentions

I more fully understand how Gradual Release of

Responsibility and Assessment for Learning

support students to become more effective & joyful

writers

I have a couple of practical ideas I can use in my

classroom to help my students experience the joy of

writing

Developing Writers

Model

Feedback, feedback, feedback

Gradual Release of Responsibility

English Language Arts is more about the “how” than the “what”

“I do, you watch.”

“I do, you help.”

“You do, I help.”

“You do, I watch”

Foundation of Writers’ Workshop Lessons

Possible Writers’ Workshop Structure

Targeted Instruction (mini-lesson, read-aloud, modelling, shared writing)

-short

Time to write (long)

Time to share

Feedback … throughout

From Faye Brownlie, “New Trends in Assessment: 2nd Manitoba Adolescent Literacy

Summit Taking Action”, 2013.

From Faye Brownlie, “New Trends in Assessment: 2nd Manitoba Adolescent Literacy

Summit Taking Action”, 2013.

Joy & Hope

Key aspects of the new ELA curriculum are:

• focuses on the Big Ideas of the discipline:

o communicating ideas and information

o enjoyment of language, literature, reading, story

o exploration of self and community

• reflects the importance of BC’s Aboriginal worldviews and the importance of story in Aboriginal culture

• provides opportunities for students to:

o be engaged in playful language activities

o connect to literature in ways that are personally meaningful

o think creatively, reflectively and critically

How to Start?

Not everything makes for a great story

Task: What do real writers do? And, what are the

strengths in my writing?

Model

Things that happened this morning …

Read the newspaper; found out about the latest Rob Ford shenanigans

Went for a run … a coyote crossed my path

Nathaniel didn’t want to wear his Hallowe’en costume to pre-school

Dropped off goodies at my daughter’s school

Met with Dave Rawnsley regarding Spirals of Inquiry

Pick a story, think of a first line, write!

Our eyes met. His beady and empty eyes were frozen on me. He was no more than 20 feet away.

The bright full moon was the only light on this dark street next to the forested vacant golf course. I carefully brushed away the bead of sweat trickling down my cheek.

“Scram,” I yelled, surprising my self.

“Get out of here!” I continued, now waving my arms, making myself bigger.

What features of good writing

do you see?

Feature

Example

Co-Create Criteria

Your Turn

Class Brainstorm (3 things)

Individual Brainstorm

Pair Talk: Pick most interesting story

Getting Ready to Write

Goal for Writing

Walk & Talk – first line

Write for ….

AFL

Teacher feedback

Self-Assessment

Peer Talk: One thing I want you to notice about my story is ….

Partner Response

Goal for next time

Other Possibilities …

Placemat: What makes a great story?

Using Pictures

Goal: Use Juicy Words

Cover of a book (pictures from a book)

What do you notice?

What do you think will happen next?

Let’s Write!

Walk and talk

Write

Self Assess

Peer Talk

Other Possibilities

GuardianEye (app)

Fact to Fiction – Bryan Gidinski

Write it UP!

Pick your favourite story

Write IT up!

T-Square: minimum number of stories

T Square

Juicy Words

Engaging first line

Varied sentences

Personal Goal

e.g

e.g.

e.g

e.g.

Criteria Evidence

Reflection: One thing I would like you to notice about my writing is ….

One goal I have for next time is ….

Poetry

Field Trip

Free Write – underline imagery

Deconstruct what makes a great poem

Establish criteria

Use Free-Write to create poem

One thing I can do …

What is ONE idea you can take back to your

classroom?

Write for ….

Share with two people