Report writing and continuing our paragraph focus.
This week I introduced students to report writing as procedural writing is our focus this term. I started by reading a report on an animal to the students and asking them to take notes as I read. ( The objective of this was to teach them to take notes in their own words for when they are researching.)
After this exercise we discussed the report and the notes we had taken. If I was to do this lesson again, I would now print out a copy of the report so they could highlight parts and take notes on the document, labels etc.
In the next lesson I told the students that they would be writing their own report on an African Animal. They were really excited by this. I introduced a rubric to them. (planning web) and asked them to research their animal and fill in the blanks with as much information as possible for an introduction, 3 paragraphs (looks like, habitat, food) and then a conclusion and some interesting facts.
The students loved this part, some actually spent too much time researching I think. The important thing for the students was to remember to write all their information in their own words. (some found this difficult - cutting and pasting was very tempting).
Each day we worked on a different paragraph. I was away for a few days with stage challenge so missed out on the process a bit as relievers had to take some lessons. Therefore the process wasn't scaffolded as much as I would have liked unfortunately and I lost where some students were up to so by the end of the week my students were at very different stages with their reports.
I am also trying a few new ideas at the beginning of writing sessions to keep on top of some of the things students mentioned in their student voice. I have started up a short sharp handwriting session once or twice a week where the focus is on quality not quantity. I give feed back regularly to students on this. I also have started up a phonics based spelling program once or twice a week as well. I will build on this as time goes on. I am also trying to add once a week a typing practise day where students use typing web to practise their typing skills as I have read recently that if NCEA exams are going to be made digital soon, students without good typing skills may be disadvantaged when writing their essays etc.
So many things - So little time!
Thursday 11 June 2015
ALL week 3 and 4
Dream Giver Continued....
Week 3.
Students continued to write their own Dream Giver story. I was surprised how many students enjoyed this task. No one disliked it. I am not sure whether it was the way it was introduced with a video clip and so it make it easy for them to visualise, or if they liked the way the writing process was scaffolded as a class each lesson. Whatever it was, it worked and I will have to do it more! Might have to do a reflection on this unit so students can tell me what it was they enjoyed.
As they had already made a plan and worked through the first few paragraphs together, students this week are just finishing off their stories and checking their paragraphs.
Week 4.
Students were expected to be at editing stage now and if they are not they just have to stop where they are and start the editing process as I would like to do this as a class also. I introduced my self and pair editing rubric to the class. We went through it together and I explained how I would like them to use it. Then each student independently edited their story using the rubric and then once finished they asked a friend to edit for them also.
Only once every box was ticked were they allowed to send me their published copy.
I found this process good, i love the editing rubric, but asking students to stop writing stories they were really passionate about back fired I think. I needed to give them more time to finish these. I am just aware of the ACCELERATED part of the course.
Week 3.
Students continued to write their own Dream Giver story. I was surprised how many students enjoyed this task. No one disliked it. I am not sure whether it was the way it was introduced with a video clip and so it make it easy for them to visualise, or if they liked the way the writing process was scaffolded as a class each lesson. Whatever it was, it worked and I will have to do it more! Might have to do a reflection on this unit so students can tell me what it was they enjoyed.
As they had already made a plan and worked through the first few paragraphs together, students this week are just finishing off their stories and checking their paragraphs.
Week 4.
Students were expected to be at editing stage now and if they are not they just have to stop where they are and start the editing process as I would like to do this as a class also. I introduced my self and pair editing rubric to the class. We went through it together and I explained how I would like them to use it. Then each student independently edited their story using the rubric and then once finished they asked a friend to edit for them also.
Only once every box was ticked were they allowed to send me their published copy.
I found this process good, i love the editing rubric, but asking students to stop writing stories they were really passionate about back fired I think. I needed to give them more time to finish these. I am just aware of the ACCELERATED part of the course.
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