LParisi shares Oct 30, 2008 08:26AM child in class who hates to write..started the year writing one sentence in 45 minutes and fighting the whole way. Two months later...
LParisi loves Oct 30, 2008 12:27PM blogging and is now working on an extra credit report for her blog...wants to do an animal report...sat down at snack time...
LParisi Oct 30, 2008 12:27PM and typed two paragraphs in 10 minutes! From one sentence in 45 to 2 paragraphs in 10! In two months! Blogging does work!
GingerLewman says Oct 30, 2008 12:29PM Blogging has that power for some people! I'm so glad she was able to experience that in your class!
knightlight says Oct 30, 2008 12:29PM Yahoo! Times like this make us realize why we do what we do as educators! A whole new world has been opened up!
macmom says Oct 30, 2008 01:01PM that is so fabulous. Who else have you shared her success with? What did the parents say?
Loonyhiker says Oct 30, 2008 01:01PM that is so cool! and the reason is bcuz u gave her opportunities to feel success
dmantz7 says Oct 30, 2008 01:47PM that is truly the power of reaching students and finding ways to inspire them. Congrats LParisi
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 01:55PM that's outstanding, Lisa. What do you suppose made the difference in the writing experience itself? Will you be able to translate that
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 01:56PM engagement to non-blogging writing? I mean, at some point she's going to have to write something other than a blog and it would be terrible
EdVentures says Oct 30, 2008 02:37PM this is very exciting! Given ejr's thoughts, how might others approach bridging blog writing to other forms?
LParisi Oct 30, 2008 02:47PM Good questions. Let's see...this info is all very new so only you know. Haven't shared info with parents or admin yet.
LParisi Oct 30, 2008 02:48PM Her enthusiasm started with a writing assignment that she was enjoyingIt was talking about a time she was scared or nervous. She just ...
LParisi Oct 30, 2008 02:48PM loved the story she was telling...likes to talk about herself. So when she realized she could tell her story her way
LParisi Oct 30, 2008 02:49PM she realized that writing can be fun. Blogging was just the added incentive but not the original motivation.
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 02:54PM that's very cool. And your student's experience sooo makes my point about student writing. Stand back, I'm climbing up on my soapbox tho
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 02:54PM may be better to blog this. BUT, I'd like to propose we abolish the 5-paragraph essay and focus differently on the writing process so
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 02:55PM students learn to write appropriately for the situation AND learn to find their voices and styles.
Elaine Plybon says Oct 30, 2008 03:16PM everyone has something that makes it click - congrats on finding what it was for that student!
Loonyhiker says Oct 30, 2008 03:41PM i love seeing the lightbulb come on with kids - that's what makes me excited about tching
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:00PM Lisa's student experienced writing as storytelling. Kids find history and social studies much more engaging when it is taught as
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:00PM storytelling. One of our Plurk colleagues is having her students write about a chariot race as though they were on-site reporters. Story.
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:01PM literature is story and even writing about literature can be story. If kids learn to write in a way that is meaningful to them, we can
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:02PM teach them the process of writing--outline, revision, etc.--regardless of their approach to writing. Then we eliminate the formulaic (and
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:02PM archaic) 5-paragraph essay bc they write the story they want to write: 2 paragraphs, 2 pages, whatever. They are not constrained by length.
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:03PM once they learn the writing process and are more comfortable with writing and the power of communication, we can teach them how to write
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:03PM more formal essays, research papers, etc. And if they are more comfortable with writing they will, like historical fiction writers or
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:04PM reporters, learn how to incorporate research into their writing on an informal basis. So they will have learned how to do research, how not
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:05PM to plagiarize, how to paraphrase, how to craft arguments in a non-threatening situation, how to avoid generalizations, how to include
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:05PM evidence for their arguments, how to provide details, how to think about their audience, and so much more as they have learned about writing
elainej says Oct 30, 2008 05:06PM as storytelling, sharing thoughts and ideas, not as painful drudge work that has to be a certain # of paragraphs or pages.
DianeA says Oct 30, 2008 11:48PM any advice for learning disabled writers? They get so hung up on "how it's going to sound". I tell them to just get their thoughts down ...