Chapter 8

                Writing is an essential process for any age group and curricula. When a student can effectively transmit their thoughts through writing, it is apparent that they truly understand the material. Generally, teachers present students with on-demand writing to prepare for high-stake testing such as SOLs or SATs. These writers are not learning to write to be beneficial to their learning, but rather to be able to chunk out a summary of information in a short amount of time with a cookie-cutter structure. It is important for teachers to use styles of writing that are more natural to the student and engage their students. Writing is a process and presenting writing throughout the PAR framework can assist students into becoming writers that are more authentic.

                Many times, teachers do not know that they can use writing as part of the preparation phase in the PAR framework. One of my favorite methods presented in the book is cubing. In this method, a cube is made from a tissue box or out of paper. Each side of the cube has another area of focus: Describe, compare, associate, analyze, apply, argue, etc. The areas of focus can be different depending on the topic that the student is learning. I particularly like this method as a future science teacher because it is something that students can make at the beginning of the school year. In my class, I think I would use these six areas of focus: definition(s), theory/hypothesis, people, chronology of events, questions you have, and associations. Each week I would give my students a section/chapter in their textbook to read and they would have to write a journal entry using these six areas of focus.

                On the subject of journals, my favorite assistance phase for writing is the learning logs. Every class, my students will have the homework assignment of writing a learning log where they can answer one of several questions, relate the topic to their life, create a thinking process, or anything else along those lines. The journals will be checked during the warm-up of every class for completion, but will not be shared with the class unless the student wanted to. Letting the student participate in a journal lets them open up and really connect to the topic that is being discussed. I am under the impression that science is not a favorite topic to many and that this can be altered by making it more pertinent to the lives of the students. Once the student has successfully connected the topic to their lives, it will be easier for them to complete the assigned writing.

                Reflecting on the writing is best done through getting feedback from peers and the teacher. Students should always be provided with a writing checklist and/or a rubric so that they know how they will be graded. Peer editing is a great way to get feedback, especially if combined with the C3B4Me concept where students have to contact three of their peers before returning to the teacher. As the teacher, grading will also become easier and less frustrating if students have helped to edit other papers. Using writing in preparation, assistance, and reflection will help students who are at risk or poor readers. When writing becomes a part of every class, writing skills will improve. The key is to keep students interested in what they are writing.