More student writing without more grading leaves more

More student writing without more grading… …leaves more time for content. 1

Discipline-specific writing can help students think on paper like chemists, philosophers, historians, mathematicians, sociologists, etc…. n n n Slow down your own thinking to examine assumptions and make the patterns visible to yourself and your students. Give students frequent opportunities to practice writing in the discipline. Create short, ungraded writing tasks out of the patterns of thinking and writing in your discipline. 2

Why do ungraded writing? Patterns of Academic Discourse n vary among disciplines n are not transparent or intuitively evident to novice writers n need to be practiced n can be learned by doing short, low stakes writing tasks 3

Ungraded writing can n n focus students’ attention on important course content give students space to think before class discussions provide opportunities to summarize, analyze, synthesize readings, discussions, lectures let prof. give timely, formative, “inprocess, ” feedback to help students with next steps in learning 4

Ungraded Writing Tasks n n focused free writing Mc. Feely’s “Minute Around” mid-class “Break Writing” end-of-class session feedback in writing n n reflective writing about readings one paragraph intro/thesis/abstract n writing partners/ peer reviewers 5

Focused free writing: SHORT, SPONTANEOUS GRAMMAR ETC. UNIMPORTANT n n n Pose a question. What question/goals do students have for today’s class? Ask what students know about today’s topic. Use pictures, charts, data sets and ask students to explain or draw conclusions. Ask students to summarize important points from previous class. 6

Mc. Feely’s “Minute Around” after focused free-write n Students talk one-minute each on ideas in the free writing. Timekeeper w/ sweep-hand watch is student who just talked. n Prof. records ideas on board or paper. n GENERALLY, MOST IDEAS and ISSUES YOU WANT to EMPHASIZE will TURN UP in the MINUTE AROUND. 7

Mid-class “break writing” An opportunity for students to draw conclusions or put general principles in their own words n note questions they want to ask in class or during office hours and/or tutoring sessions n TWPS: think, write, pair-up, share ideas with classmates n 8

Class Closers: End-of-class feedback for prof. n n n How did today’s work fit in with your overall understanding of the subject? What questions do you still have about…. ? What do you want to know more about? Summarize/synthesize important ideas from today’s class How effectively were your goals met today? What goal(s) do you have for next assignment(s)? 9

Outside of class reflective writing on readings, discussions, projects posted to SOCS n shared with study/writing/project group n used as building blocks for drafting longer assignment n spot-checked by Prof. for “done” or formative feedback n 10

Intro/thesis/abstract paragraph Outside of class, students write draft of one significant paragraph for upcoming paper. n Prof. reads and suggests n narrowing/broadening focus l more appropriate direction, strategies, organization pattern l using Write Place conferences to develop/support ideas and attend to correctness problems l 11

Writing partners/peer reviewers sharing drafts for constructive feedback from classmate n conference with Write Place tutor n questions: n thesis/claim/position? l support/development? l appropriate citation form? l all assignment criteria met? l correctness (grammar, punctuation, format, diction, spelling, etc. ) l 12