How can teachers use authentic writing instruction to cultivate global thinkers ?
Rationale
My Journey
Please take a look at my process in how I helped shape global thinkers in my classroom through our authentic writing experiences.
Promoting Motivation and Building Confident WritersJuly 2017
Have you ever had a kid in your class that just gave up on his/herself? Well, I have and it can be a terrible feeling for both you and the student. When you look at the bigger picture there can be lots of reasons the student feels this way but as far as my students go it seems their attitude toward writing was a big problem. Luckily for me, I was able through videos of classroom writer’s workshops and mini-conferences on how teachers can get through to these students and help them forget about those feelings they once had. One video in particular was an example of a male teacher, who helped a reluctant student narrow down topics he could write about. The student said he had nothing interesting to write about and so the teacher took the time to help make a list and ask just the right questions. He pumped the student full of excitement and energized him just enough to start writing. In the book Best Practices, it talked about three factors in which a students attitude could be influenced by; value the student places on the activity, his/her concern about their competence, and the social environment the learning takes place in. The lack of motivation to write can be due to repeated experiences in these factors over the course of various school years and it depletes who they are as writers. Something it suggests to help in this matter is to have writing assignments that are intellectually interesting, authentic, and globally relevant. These all come with varying definitions but what it boils down to is that the teacher makes writing authentic. It is more than just finding an a topic that seems “cool” but finding ways to engage writers at all different levels where they will still feel confident, continue to be challenged, and come with a positive attitude. “A motivated to write student is not necessarily eager to write, but, with differing degrees of awareness, wants to write because he or she thinks that writing is a worthwhile activity” (p.288). I feel that after reading about why students have this lack of motivation or nervousness really helped me to see that I can get past it. I think that by understanding this I will be able to employ strategies to help these writers feel vibrant again, and remember that we aren’t just writing for a grade. In order to do this I want to implement more writing activities that make the writer acknowledge they are capable and their words matter. An instructional activity mentioned in the book as a recommendation was to include writing activities in all learning aspects from the start of the year. I want my students to see that writing happens beyond writing workshop and that it can be to collaborate, or to write down an experiment, or to explain their thinking in Math. Helping students to get past the problems they have and evaluate their own work and produce a text in which they feel successful at is my ultimate goal to help motivate my writers! -Brittney Lara Source: Graham, S., MacArthur, C. A., & Fitzgerald, J. (2013). Best Practices in Writing Instruction. New York: The Guilford Press. |
ABOUT METo tell you a little bit about myself, I received my Bachelors in Elementary Education K-6 with a minor in Children’s Literature at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I am continuing to pursue effective literacy strategies, while gaining an advanced degree in Curriculum and Instruction at North Carolina State University. I am apart of the New Literacies and Global Learning cohort and will graduate in May 2017.
I am a huge believer in every child can succeed no matter the obstacle and will work hard to make this possible for my students. I think that education is a tool that changes the world, one person at a time. |