Description of Workshops

Author: NYCWP

LEHMAN COLLEGEI

NSTITUTE FOR LITERACY STUDIES

Tel: (718) 960-8758

THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

250 Bedford Park Blvd. West

Fax: (718) 960-8054

Bronx, NY 10468-1589

NEW YORK CITY WRITING PROJECT

Description of Workshops

Writing As Process (Thursday, 3:30 – 5:00)

Research into the composing process is beginning to provide rich new perspectives for the teaching and learning of writing. One of the main implications of these studies is that teachers must attend to the ways students write – to their composing processes as well as to the correctness of their written products.

In this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to become observers of the composing process and to examine what happens to them when they write. Through sharing and discussing the writing produced at this workshop, various aspects of the composing process and their implications for teaching will be considered. A handout summarizing some of the major findings of composing research will be distributed.

Point of View in Writing (Friday, 9:15 – 11:00)

“Point of view” means that an idea, an event, or an opinion can change depending on whose eyes we’re looking through. In writing from different points of view, students are invited to take an in-depth look from a new perspective at concepts they are studying. In other words, students can examine an event, a topic, a character, even an organism from the inside out (i.e., writing as Hester Prynne, as a participant in the Crusades, as a one-celled animal, as an angry parent, as a famous artist, etc.) .

In this workshop, participants will engage in point of view writing based on a short story. They will briefly share and discuss their writing in small groups. A detailed hand-out will be distributed that offers suggestions for using point of view in different subject areas for a variety of purposes ranging from motivations for lessons to research papers. Student writing samples will also be distributed. The value of point of view writing and of small group work as learning tools for students will be discussed.

Writing and Learning Across the Curriculum (Friday, 11:15 – 12:30)

When teachers assign writing in subject area classes, they are usually checking how much of the material has been learned. Homeworks, tests, essays, and reports all serve the same function – evaluation of students’ understanding of the subject after some or all of it has been taught. While this use of writing is certainly worthwhile, it limits writing to an end product in the classroom.

This presentation will demonstrate how writing can be used effectively while students are learning, to make links between what they already know and the new information. Participants will use writing to explore and interpret unfamiliar material. Writing will be used in three instances: before, during and after the reading of a brief article. A detailed hand-out which includes suggestions for using writing to introduce a topic, to learn new information and to reinforce learning will be distributed.

Journals Across the Curriculum (Friday, 1:30 – 2:45)

Many teachers believe that journals should be a part of their classes but remain unsure of how to motivate and use them effectively. As a result, when students keep journals, the quality of writing and the degree of commitment often do not meet the teacher’s expectations.

In this workshop, participants will engage in three different types of journal activities, representing different uses for a journal. Ways to motivate, respond to, manage, and evaluate journals will be described. A detailed hand-out, almost a manual on how to use journals, will be distributed and discussed. Samples of student writing from journals in different subjects will also be distributed.

Listening to Writing: A Model for Teacher-Student Conferencing (Friday, 1:30 – 2:45)

As teachers we often assume that we understand a student’s intention and purpose in writing, and so, expect students will agree to the corrections or additions we suggest. However, if we are to enable our students to become better writers, they need to retain ownership of their texts. One way to ensure that responders give feedback without appropriating a writer’s text is to teach them to use active listening.

In this workshop, participants will be provided with opportunities to write and then to use active listening to help each other clarify their intended meaning and purpose and extend their discourse. A detailed hand-out explaining various aspects and uses of active listening will be distributed.

DMU Timestamp: April 30, 2019 18:47

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