Working collaboratively online is an essential skill for students
heading to college after high school. Digital
Research Tools (Dirt) is a place for them to learn about tools
available to help them do those collaborative projects
efficiently and with minimal expense.
Dirt is a wiki with annotated list of software tools for
research, writing, reading, collaborating, with special emphasis
on open source (free) software.
Dirt is geared toward those in the humanities and social sciences.
All college-bound students should be acquainted with at least
a couple tools in each category. Students heading toward office
careers or entrepreneurial pursuits also need to explore these
tools.
Although it is more efficient for writers to learn not to
put irrelevant information in their papers, they must know how to
eradicate any that does slip in.
Use a sample essay containing some irrelevant information to demonstrate
this simple search and destroy strategy for irrelevant information.
First ask students to find the keywords. They usually appear
in important spots like the end of the introduction, the first and
last sentences of body paragraphs, and the first sentence of the
ending paragraph.
Then have students read the essay one sentence at a time,
stopping to consider whether the sentence has something to do with
one of the keywords.
Let's say, for example, students decide computers and
writing are the keywords. Students would then read the essay
stopping after every sentence to ask
If the answer to both questions is no, there's a
very good chance the sentence doesn't belong in the essay.
If the answer to both questions is yes, the sentence
almost certainly belongs.
If the answer to one question is yes and the other no,
students need to consider the sentence in the context of the whole
paragraph.
Demonstrate (i.e., model) this strategy for the class. Then have
struggling students use it for subsequent assignments as group
or paired activities until they are skilled enough to do it
solo.
In an article titled "Nonfiction
Idea Generators," Allison (no last name given) suggests
that when writers stumble across an idea for an article,
they write it down in a single sentence and put it away
for a few days.
Writing aids memory, and a full sentence gives you something
that's worth remembering. Putting an idea aside a few days gives
time to notice related ideas. Those observations
allow writers to make informed decisions about whether their idea
can be turned into a full essay/article/blog post/best-selling novel.
A student might write something like "I wonder why some kids
think spelling bees are fun." That sentence is enough to start
Josh on the way to a working thesis. Students could
Both struggling writers and star writers can use this strategy
in all their high school and college courses to help them identify
potential writing topics for research papers and term projects.
To give an additional boost to struggling writers, do this exercise
along with them, especially if you are all posting your ideas
in a public venue.
Writing Points presents: new
pages
Supporting struggling (and other) writers
Reluctant and struggling writers are popularly believed to be dumb,
talentless, or learning disabled. I don't believe it.
A new thread of pages will discuss various supports reluctant
and struggling writers may require — and many other students
can use — that are not strictly speaking part of the writing
curriculum. The lead page for this new thread discusses 10
blocks to becoming a writer that may trip up even your brightest
writers — and cause them grief in other places than just
English class.
Struggling writers often have had bad experiences with writing
that convince them they cannot possibly write. Give them positive
thinking phrases to use in talking themselves into writing.
Many of these students need learn to manage their time and manage
the stress of writing. For them the two problems become one: time-stress
management.
Promote a can-do attitude by modeling
positive self-talk that combines writing strategies
with behavioral strategies for handling frustration and
anger.
Some folks who struggle with writing have true learning disorders.
I've posted an introduction to types
of learning disabilities that may appear as writing problems.
In the weeks ahead, I'll also give you an opportunity to share
your stories of students who struggled with writing and what you
found was and was not helpful.
Cecelia Munzenmaier alerted me to a reference to you-can-teach-writing.com
in Teaching
Writing without (BUYING) a Writing Curriculum. The piece says,
in part, "I highly recommend this article about grammar from You
Can Teach Writing. Her philosophy is spot on!" The article links
to my page on teaching
grammar for writing and the 24
rules of good grammar.
Cecelia is a writing instructor and partner in a writing
consulting business in Iowa. I suggest you check her website
links under Productivity for some good, free resources.
Susan Leiberman, who teaches at the Humber Institute of Technology
and Advanced Learning in Toronto, put a link to my page about writing
rubrics in her Squdoo
article on rubrics for college. Susan's piece is valuable for
its stress on the assignment-rubric relationship. She says, as I
do, that you can't have a good rubric without a good assignment.
The next issue of Writing Points should be released
November 15, no providence preventing.
Until then, keep your pencil sharp.
Linda Aragoni
