30 ideas for teaching writing

These ideas originated as full-length articles in NWP publications (a link to the full article accompanies each idea below).

30 Ideas for Teaching Writing

http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/922

When I walked into our PLC meeting today, I commented to Ms. McGinty that I would like some more ideas on how to help ESL students become better writers.  She must have mental telepathy as she had already run off copies of "The Writing Teacher's Strategy Guide."  It is a simplified guide to teaching writing with many examples and prompts.  I think it will be very useful for me and for my students.  I particularly like the parts on "I don't know what to write about," "Great Beginnings," and "Happy Endings."

Random creative writing  prompt generator:   I use the link for Serendipity prompts with Write Hard.....

http://writingfix.com/right_brain.htm

1. Examine Writing Across the Curriculum taking note of different strategies we could use in our classrooms.
2. Working on students' ability to create a strong beginning or lead-in for a personal essay.
3. Check in with students around their personal essay introductions.

Teaching That Makes Sense
http://ttms.org/

A site with free pdfs on writing strategies and WAC (where I got the handout "You want me to teach writing now, too?")

A good starting point for reflecting on how you have students write now, and potential ways to increase those opportunities in ways that suit your content.

I like the simplified approach to getting started.....all the venn diagrams and web outlines and so many of the handouts I've seen kids with I find intimidating...and I don't have any trouble getting started.  I think it's overload/overkill/buzzkill to fill out endless charts before you can even get started.

If we want to find ways to remove barriers to writing, then I think it's worth looking for methods that are actually SIMPLE....for the kids and the teacher.

Sept. 5th, PLC

Mary downloaded an article on Writing Across the Curriculum by Steve Peha that was interesting and informative.  It gives me some ideas to try with my students that are a little different and easier for ESL students.  I will have to observe if the new techniques help the students to remember what they have learned so they can preform better on tests.  That is how I will measure the impact of the new writing techniques.