Annotated Bibliography

Strategies to Get Parents More Involved in the

Writing Process: An Annotated Bibliography

References

Department of Education, W. C., & WestEd, S. A. (2007). Engaging parents in education: Lessons from five parental information and resource centers. US Department of Education, Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

The U.S. Department of Education conducted a study on five federally funded Parental Information and Resource Centers across the nation and successful strategies implemented in school districts to increase parental involvement as set forth through NCLB requirements to close the achievement gap between students. Their strategies include provided training for parents and parent-school liaisons to understand their rights as set forth by NCLB and what they can do to be active in their child’s education, thinking outside of the box for ways to connect with hard to reach parents, providing training for both parents and educators on how they can collaborate more for student achievement, and create a larger community base by working with other organizations that have similar goals to prevent overlapping and wider supports. The strategies conducted in this 2007 report seem more geared towards administrators and superintendents rather than school teachers to implement programs for parental involvement. It also does not include information that gauges success of student achievement due to such efforts.

Epstein, J. L. & Salinas, K.C. (2004). Partnering with families and communities. Educational Leadership, 61 (8), 12-18.

Joyce L Epstein and Karen Clark Salinas, researchers at John Hopkins University, report that school, family, and community partnerships improve schools, strengthen families, and invigorate community support, and increase student achievement and success. Their studies looked at hundreds of schools in the Network of Partnership Schools at Johns Hopkins University. The article did not provide results of their study, however provided models or strategies different schools used to get schools, parents, and community members involved with the learning process, which is specific to my research. It would be interesting to find information on student success rates at these schools that implemented such programs. This article was written in May 2004, for teachers and administrators, encouraging partnerships with parents and the community.

Hill, N. E., & Taylor, L. C. (2004). Parental school involvement and children's academic achievement. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(4), 161-164. doi:10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.00298

Nancy Hill and Lorraine Taylor, researchers at Duke University and the University of North Carolina, outline how parental involvement impact student achievement via increasing parent social capital and social control; how ethnic, socioeconomic status, and self perception affect parental involvement; and how school commitment to reach out effect parental involvement. Hill and Taylor also raise questions on the current research that has been conducted, citing the lack of common definitions between schools; the many types of parental involvement; how some studies show only moderate correlation between parental involvement and student achievement; teacher biases; and lack of information for secondary levels. Hill and Taylor suggest each school must create programs for parental involvement based on the type of community that they work in and might want to mimic the types of supports that are ideal in home at the school level. Hill and Taylor’s article was written in 2004 and was intended for teachers, policy makers, and other researchers in order to look at why parental involvement is important and what factors affect the extent of how involved parents become in their children’s education.

Marschall, M. (2006). Parent involvement and educational outcomes for latino students. Review of Policy Research, 23(5), 1053-1076. doi:10.1111/j.1541-1338.2006.00249

Melissa Marschall, a researcher at Rice University, reports that schools that implemented successful strategies for parental involvement had a large impact on Latino students’ successful achievement in schools. Marschall study was conducted in Chicago schools. Marchall published her study in 2006 for school administrators, teachers, parents, and policy makers to encourage schools to decentralize their board of education and have more local entities, in particular Latinos, help govern schools. Her studies found that when there was more Latino representation in local school councils, there was an increase in parental involvement at school levels that created better partnerships between parents and educators. When Latino parents became involved in school, it resulted in increases in math and reading scores and when teachers became more aware of their community through parental involvement there were even greater gains in math and reading scores.

Rosenzweig, C. (2001). A Meta-Analysis of Parenting and School Success: The Role of Parents in Promoting Students' Academic Performance. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Dr. Charlotte Rosenzweig, a researcher at Hofstra University, through her meta-analysis of available studies and literature, report that a combination of twenty different parenting practices can account for one quarter of student achievement and a combination of eight different parenting practices can account for a third of student failure. Rosenzweig’s study narrowed student success to seven parenting practices that accounted for the greatest impact on student achievement, which included an authoritative parenting style, educational aspirations and expectations, and support. Interestingly, Rosenzweig only found two types of parental involvement that was closely linked to student achievement: “attending volunteer activities and participation in school governance.” Therefore parental involvement programs should be more geared to creating positive parenting practices at home in lieu of asking parents to be punitive with unmotivated or unruly students. Rosenzweig’s research was published in 2001 and was intended for parents, teachers, and school policy makers in order to pinpoint what parental practices yield student success or failure.

Where I'm From

Where I’m From

By Marissa Rosenbloom

I am from unpaved roads, from Oscar Mayer and bologna sandwiches.

I am from the white two story house with many, many rooms and even more beds for anyone who needed to lay their head.

I am from the marungay tree, tall, strong, bearing fruits and leaves that fed us when we were hungry.

I am from Timotea, the Menors, and Tamontes, honest to a fault, officious sages, slow to anger, and sometimes frightening to bear.

I am from celebrating every birth, death, marriage, baptism, graduation, anniversary that life provides with family and friends close or far.

I am from “You better not get pregnant,” and, “You better graduate from college.”

I am from Voodoo Catholics, pictures of Mary and Baby Jesus, keeping a watchful eye on our prayers and sins.

I'm from Oahu and 5,000 miles east to the Philippines, pancit and sticky bibingka.

From a mother whose strength kept a dividing family together. From a father with too strong an addiction to what can destroy, but an even stronger addiction to the woman who helped him survive.

I am from ling hing mui memories of childhood, on the tip of your tongue, with only a moment to taste, but a lifetime to savor.

Example Rhetorical Precis

Rhetorical Précis for "End Homework Now"

In the article “End Homework Now” (2001), Etta Kralovec and John Buell claim

that the practice of assigning homework is not an effective teaching method because its

negative effects outweigh its benefits. Kralovec and Buell support their claims by

providing examples of how homework disrupts families, overburdens children and limits

learning and by dispelling myths about the benefits of homework and providing

alternative practices that would lead to improvement in student achievement. The

authors’ purpose is to make the reader question a practice that is a trademark of the U.S.

education system and decide whether it is conducive to creating a “smarter” student.

They seem to be speaking to the entire educational community: administrators, teachers,

students and parents.

Inside Out Strategies for Teaching Writing Ch. 7

Growing Toward a Sense of Audience

"When students write only to teachers, they often end up writing not as the act of communicating to people but as performing for a grade," Peter Elbow. I'm not really good at teaching audience to my students. I try to make them aware of audience and ask them who are they writing for. The general response is for you, the teacher. For the most part, I believe they essentially are writing for me and for a grade, which makes their writing one dimensional. I need to figure out a way to take their writing outside the classroom and make their writing not just for me or a grade, but a wider audience.

The main point of writing is to what is written by the writer to the audience. What some call the rhetorical triangle consists of the writer, text, and audience. The authors assert that "an acute sense of audience is one of the hallmarks of a mature writer."

Different audiences to write to:

• Peers
• teachers
• Parents, relatives, principals, local community
• Editors, authors, athletes, governmental bodies, corporations
• Imaginary characters: from books, TV, videos, or film

Exercises for growing a sense of audience.

• Have students speak directly to the audience; address them in the text.
• Anticipate audience response: have students write a persuasive piece that addresses someone they want something from. Using their knowledge about who they are addressing craft a message that anticipates any questions or concerns they may have.
• Personalizing an audience: have students imagine who their audience is as part of the pre-writing stage. Let them think about their beliefs, where they live, what is their education, or how old they are.
• Rewriting for different audience. Ask students about effective commercials and analyze one in class, discussing the types of appeals that were used and who their intended audience is. Then have students take the same product and rewrite another commercial for a different audience.
• Writing for younger children: connect with a lower grade level teacher and have your students visit that class and interview their audience for what kind of stories they like. Then ask your students to write a story for their audience. Ideally your students will go back to the same class and read their stories to the younger students or you can video tape and send tape to elementary level.
• Audience adaptation: Haves students write to three different people describing a car accident: one to a relative of the driver, one to a police officer, and one to the owner of the automobile company of the car that was driven.
• Real Audiences: Basically make your students work shine. Don't let the final product end with the you, the teacher and evaluator of work. Have students read their writing aloud to classmates or publish their work outside of class.

The main idea is to not let student writing end with you. It has to go beyond the grader and the writer and for others to hear. The authors of this book has made this point several times throughout the text and as far as I'm concerned I hear them loud and clear. At the very least I will ask my students to read their final products to a classmate and for pieces that are awesome ask to have them read aloud in class and perhaps in our school's morning bulletin to broadcast to the school. This makes the writing experience authentic and real, contrary to another class assignment.

Inside Out Strategies for Teaching Writing Chapter 15

Publishing Student Writing with and Without Computers

"Walk into any business, any professional workplace, and there's a computer on every desk." This quote is not only true to businesses and workplaces, but basically every where you go. Almost everyone in the U.S. has computer that they keep in their pockets that allow them to search the net, take pictures or videos, record music, and even write poems or essays. It's unavoidable and it is our responsibility as teachers to help our students used this new technology efficiently and effectively.

Benefits of Using a Computers

• writing process is more visible
• revising, editing, and proofreading is much easier
• provides smooth transition from school to work.

Getting Started

• Get to know school's IT for troubleshooting.
• Schedule regular time for computer use.

Cautions About Computers and Writing

• Not all students like computers; encourage and praise them.
• Be specific about plagiarism.
• Remind students that just because its printed doesn't mean its "done."

Ways to Publish in the Classroom

• Have students read the work aloud with peer or class.
• When exhibiting good writing; use your students writing even if its just a line or two.
• Have them make books; can use Jeanne's many different techniques for making books.
• Build a class website.
• Room Displays.

Producing a Literary Magazine

• Should be student centered; if they show interest in producing a magazine, then have them produce it with your guidance.
• You can photocopy work, staple, and distribute.
• Try offset printing through local printer.

Alternative to Literary Magazine

• Ask local paper if they would be willing to feature student writing.
• Ask local television station if they would like to feature student writing in their program.
• Ask local library if they will display student work.
• Check for writing contests.

A lot of the information in this chapter is something most teachers are familiar with. The main idea I walk away with from this chapter is to do something, anything with students' writing after they have completed their final version of it. Whether its reading it to one classmate or displaying the work in the classwork. Student writing should be revered and celebrated. I'm often guilty with correcting work and returning it to students and moving on to the next unit. I must take the time to celebrate their work because quite a few of my students write well and their work should be read by more people besides me and them. Also it takes time, effort, and creativity to produce their work, so some time and effort must be made for celebrating it.

Story Time

As an English teacher I knew that it was important to facilitate a love for reading at an early age. Even when my son was still in my womb I read him stories. Naturally when he came out, I knew I would be reading to him. Ironically though whenever I read to my baby boy, he cried and cried. When Noah became more mobile every time I started reading a book to him, he would grab the book and hurl it as far as he can from him. I would retrieve the book and start again, and he would grab the book and hurl it as far away as he could again. He probably thought it was a game.

I gave a heavy sigh. How can my son, the son of an English teacher, not be interested in books? He was surrounded by them, but couldn’t be bothered with hearing any of the stories waiting to be told. Sometimes I would have play dates with my friends’ children and read stories to them. They would eat every word, while I watched my son playing with his trucks, with the opposite shoe on the wrong foot. I worried for my son’s future. If he didn’t care for books now, what was to become of him when he started school? Would he become one of the many misguided teens I teach because they were poor readers? I feared for his bleak future.

Upon a recent visit my sister gave Noah Tikki Tikki Tembo, a book about a boy with a really long name signifying that he was the first and most honored son. I remembered loving this book when I was a child and hoped that my son would love it too. I lifted Noah on to my lap and proceeded to read him the book, this time however I decided that I would make up a new story starring Noah, using the pictures as a guide. What once used to be a story about Tikki Tikki Tembo, his brother: Chang, his mom, and the old man were now about Noah, his cousin: Jossiah, grandma and pop-pop.

And for the first time, Noah listened and followed along with the whole story. He didn’t cry. He didn’t throw the book across the room. We read Where the Wild Things Are and many other books this way for a while. Slowly I started reading parts of the actual story to him. Before he knew it, I was reading many books word for word, and before I knew it, reading had become one of his favorite past times.

Lesson Plan: Rhetorical Precis

Length of Time: 90 minutes

Grade: 10th grade

Common Core Standards

• Reading: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
• Writing: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Content Concepts:

• What is a summary?
• What are the parts of a Rhetorical Precis? thesis, genre, evidence, author's purpose, tone and audience

GLO’S:

• Self-Directed Learner
• Community Contributor
• Complex Thinker
• Quality Producer
• Effective Communicator
• Effective and Ethical User of Technology

Objectives:

• SWBAT identify the parts of a rhetorical precis: thesis, evidence, author's purpose, tone and intended audience.
• SWBAT write a group rhetorical precis.

Assessment(s) and or Evaluation:

Rhetorical Precis Rubric

5= Exceeds the standards.	4= Meets the standards.	3.5= Approaches the standards.	3=Below the standards.
Follows format perfectly. (no errors in formatting)	Mostly follows format. (1 error in formatting)	Some parts missing. (2 errors in formatting)	Most parts missing. (3 or more errors in formatting)
Identifies accurate thesis, evidence, tone and audience as presented by the author.	One error in identifying thesis, evidence, tone and audience as presented by the author.	Two errors in identifying thesis, evidence, tone and audience as presented by the author.	Three or more errors in identifying thesis, evidence, tone and audience as presented by the author.
No or a few errors in language and conventions.	Some errors in language and conventions.	Some errors in language and conventions that interfere with meaning.	Many errors in language and conventions that interfere with meaning.

Resources:
15 each Copies of "The Case for The Graduated License" and "I Want a Wife"

Beginning Procedures (Lesson Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Connection to Prior Knowledge)

1. Ask class to raise their hands if they know what a summary is.
2. Ask class to raise hand if they had to write a summary before.
3. Ask student to tell me in their own words what a summary is.
4. Write answers on chart paper.
5. Advise students that they will learn a new way of writing a summary called a Rhetorical Precis.

Middle Procedures (Learning Activities)

1. Ask students to read example precis on blog.
2. Read example precis.
3. Ask students to identify what they think are the parts of a rhetorical precis in their groups then as a whole class.
4. Give students format of what is in a rhetorical precis.
5. Read "The Case for Graduated License" silently; annotate for thesis and gist.
6. Read Rubric for Rhetorical Precis.
7. Model how to write a precis for "The Case for Graduated License.
8. Read Rubric for Rhetorical Precis.
9. Distribute copies of "I Want a Wife."
10. Ask students to read "I Want a Wife," and annotate for gist and to think about the following: What is Brady writing about? Who is she writing for? What is the purpose of writing this piece?
11. In pairs students will write precis for "I Want a Wife."
12. Give students 25 minutes to read and write precis. Walk around the class to check for understanding.
13. Have a couple students share precis.

Closing Procedures

1. On a post it ask students to write two things they learned and one thing that confused them.

Modifications for Diverse Learners:



Teacher’s Reflection on Lesson:

Wahi Pana Poem

Pupukea: Shark’s Cove

As we trek towards Shark’s Cove

the chaos of the city starts to melt away,

and I start to feel free from the

manacles of my mind.

The green trees of Mililani Town,

and the curves of Haleiwa Bridge

let me know we’re almost there.

I feel my heart grow.

Atop Shark’s Cove I hear her

call me to come in and visit.

We make our way down the rusty jagged a’a,

protecting the cove from the weak of heart.

It’s cold, and I have chicken skin,

but I feel warm inside because she envelopes me with

a warm hug, caressing my skin as

I glide through the water.

Her children, the yellow tang and striped kihikihi, greet me

as I slowly make my way into her heart.

The yellow, blues, and purples of the reef mesmerize me,

while the dark ominous caves, hiding the sleeping beast, are left to the brave.

The blue uhu and his many cousins

crunch and munch on the Pupukea’s dining reef.

Then, I hear my own stomach grumble and

the musubi in the cooler pull me out of the water and back on shore.

Animoto of Kaloko Park

To see Animoto please click on this link. Kaloko Park

Inside Out:Strategies for Teaching Writing Chapter 9

What is Good Writing?

"Quality you know what it is, yet you don't know what it is." Many people often feel this way when it comes to any art because art is so subjective. What moves one person doesn't always move another and so the art of grading writing is not a simple task that we as writing teachers must do.

According to this chapter the first job of the writing teacher is to find good writing in students' worst writing. They suggest that we skip the criticism and encourage or focus on areas that will do the most good.

Two attributes to good writing:

1. Interesting to read

• has voice of author
• has movement
• has sense of humor
• informative
• inventive: says something new or something old in a new way

2. Technically skillful

• aware of audience
• uses detail, but not too much
• uses words that sing: rich in imagery, rhythm and repetition, filled with word play
• has form
• makes sense
• observes convention of mechanics and usage (small portion of what good writing is)
• Its what you and others like.

When grading or evaluating writing there are three questions to consider:

• What do you think? Is it honest?
• Does it say enough?
• Does it say more than it needs?

As a high school English teacher overburdened with stacks of essays to grade everyday, I have difficulty focusing on the positive in my students' writing. I usually focus on the parts that they need to improve upon: generally focusing on their ideas and organization. Ideally I would remark on what they did well, but when crunched for time and so many essays to grade, I typically just take the time to write what they need to fix. I do note that this is not a good habit and hope to be more mindful of looking at what they do well.

On the other hand I am not sure if I can "skip the criticism" because I feel without it how else can the meet the standards or make their writing better? How else will the become interesting or skillful writers. I also don't like to think of my comments as criticisms, but suggestions on what they can do to make their writing better, keeping the three questions at the end of the chapter in mind.

Inside Out: Strategies for Teaching Writing Ch. 5

The J

Why the Journal Works?

1. It's an invitation to let anything in your mind out.

2. Less structure, more subjective= more inviting.

3. Topics are student centered.

4. Intended for audience of one: the writer.

5. Opportunity to connect with teacher/student.

What's in it for teacher?

1. Tells teachers how students are doing.

2. Keeps you connected w/students lives.

4 different types of journals

1. Writer's notebook: depository of ideas

2. Class Journal: for classwork

3. Dialogue Journal: for classmates to respond to each other's thinking and work.

4. Project Journal: To keep track of project process that extend for several weeks.

• group work
• novels and plays
• research papers
• reflection for end of big projects

Suggestions for Using the Journal

• Keep journal for yourself and write alongside with students.
• Stagger due dates.
• Establish time to write in journals.
• Insert personal touches such as cartoons or news articles that go with student content.

Response and Evaluation

Responses are more important than grading because it provides students with real feedback that they can use to improve writing. Responses should:

• Encourage student to share with class.
• Suggest topics.
• Be honest.
• Avoid empty comments: interesting, nice, or good idea.

Evaluation should be based more on completion and the following three ideas:

• Is it truthful?
• Is it thoughtful?
• Is it thorough?

Ways to grade:

• plus, check, or minus
• 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 Scale

Perhaps do not grade or respond at all and hold students accountable by having partner's check and respond.

Other things to consider when implementing Journal

• Do not publish or share any student work without permission.
• Don't allow for R rated content that is morally compromising in journals.
• Allow for confidential pages by having students fold pages they do not want to be read.
• Look for something good in journals that rub you the wrong way or you do not like at all.
• Avoid sarcasm.
• Take a break from the journal if it gets stale or burdensome.

Reflection:

I have always used journals off and on in the past and always felt ambivalent or unsure about how to use them. Last SY I used a journal for my expository writing class for formative assignments we did inside and outside of class. Many students commented on how that they liked how it kept them organized and how easier it was to carry them than a binder. By the end of the quarter or semester, my students were impressed that we had covered so much in just the quarter or semester because many of them have never wrote through a whole composition book before, let alone half a composition book. It gave many of my students a sense of pride and place to look back on and say, "Wow I wrote that." I also liked how it created a sense of routine in the classroom. The students I had in English 10 had a binder instead of a journal and for the students I had in my expository writing class and English 10 thought it was better to have the journal rather than the binder. Therefore, I do plan on continuing the use of the journal this upcoming SY in all my classes.

I was happy to see that many of the suggestions the authors give on how to use the journal in the classroom were ideas that I had already implemented in my own classroom. It's nice to see the routines and rituals you set up in your classroom reinforced in professional development you take or reading that you read.

Narrative Poem

English 100

I was an average and sometimes failing student

—uninspired.

I looked at my report card.

Japanese I D

History 101 D

Math 101 D

English 100 A

I felt stupid—a knot of regret grew inside of me

because I knew I was smart and that I could do better.

I harvested an A for English 100 from Mrs. Kapur.

Her seasoned eyes were piercing,

weighing every word that came out of our mouths

English 100 with Mrs. Kapur was English boot camp.

Is banning text or speeches ever justified?

What constitutes sexual harassment?

Does affirmative action provide equal opportunities?

We pondered oceans of questions every day.

Anyone can have an opinion,

but are you able to have the

finesse and craft to convince

people that your argument

is what matters?

Mrs. Kapur pushed, prodded and planted

All the tools I needed

to navigate through the deepest ditch of my mind,

so that I might find the light.

After my first semester,

I never got a grade lower than a B

and even made the Dean’s List twice

thanks to English 100.

Research Question

Why do parents become less involved with students as they move up to the secondary level? What are some strategies that teachers can use to facilitate more parental involvement with their teens' writing/education?

Critical Teaching Narrative

English 100

For most of my school career I was an average and sometimes a failing student. I was uninspired by most academic content and I did assignments and took classes just to pass and move along in a direction: what direction I wasn’t too sure. I knew I was supposed to go to college, so I could get a good job, and perhaps a better life than what my parents had, who had no college degree and worked as blue collar workers at hotels and construction sites. My parents’ American Dream of moving to the United States from the Philippines lay heavily on my shoulders and the weight of it stifled me.

It was the end of my first semester at Kapiolani Community College and I looked at my report card.

Japanese I D

History 101 D

Math 101 D

English 100 A

Not only were most of my grades bad, but I received a letter stating I was to be put on academic probation and if my grades continued as such for the following semester, KCC would no longer allow me to attend their school. I felt stupid—a knot of regret grew inside of me because I was smarter than what my grades indicated. How else would I have received an A for English 100 from Mrs. Kapur—notoriously known for being one of the hardest English teachers on campus? Whenever a classmate asked who I had for English and told them I had Mrs. Kapur, the response would always be, “She’s hard.”

Mrs. Kapur was a tall, thin, dark-skinned Indian woman sporting a cropped haircut. I rarely saw her smile in class and she always seemed to have a serious demeanor. We read, wrote, and discussed often in her class. Up until then I felt I had never been in an English class before despite the fact that I had an English class every year since I was in kindergarten. English 100 with Mrs. Kapur felt like English boot camp, and she was making up for all the other years of fake English classes I had taken.

Most of what we read with Mrs. Kapur were argumentative texts—far from my memories of Beowulf, The Crucible, or The Great Gatsby. These texts dealt with real issues of the day: Is banning text or speech ever justified, what constitutes sexual harassment, does affirmative action provide equal opportunity? Issues that I was never asked to ponder, but often talked about with my friends.

I can still remember her asking, “Are these writers’ arguments valid? What evidence do they provide? Do you agree with her? Why? Why? Why?” Her eyes were piercing as she watched us respond to her questions, weighing every word that came out of our mouths, looking for holes in our argument, and asking us to dig deeper. At first many of us were intimidated by her no nonsense attitude and many of us were afraid to speak our minds. She would often find a wall of silence for a few moments before some brave soul broke the ice. Due to the nature of the topics we read, one couldn’t help but express his or her thoughts on such seductive subjects.

I never had a teacher ask me to think about my reading and writing so much; and though it was not easy, I loved the challenges she provided. She pushed me and my peers to not just have opinions about what went on in the world, but to be more grounded and confident with our opinions by providing adequate support for them. I learned in her class that anyone can have an opinion, but are you able to have the finesse and craft to convince people that your argument is what matters?

While I was taking Mrs. Kapur’s English class, my friend Lenny Brimer introduced me to KRS-1’s album, Ghetto Music: The Blue Print of Hip-Hop. I was a big fan of hip-hop or what some people called rap or gang-banging music, but what KRS-1 provided lyrically was different because he questioned authority, he questioned society, and he questioned education. I found that hip hop was not just ghetto music, but music that could create arguments as well as change. It was uncanny how my academic and personal worlds were colliding for the first time. KRS-1 brought up the same types of questions the authors that Mrs. Kapur had us read.

The connection between academia and the world were becoming clearer and more evident the more I learned. Reading and writing were not just assignments my English teacher asked me to do, but were tools that helped me navigate and create change in the world. After this discovery I was able to find how everything I learned in class related to the world that I lived in. If only I had learned this earlier. My earlier years of education might have been more productive, more inspiring. I suppose it is better to learn late than never.

I felt empowered and smart in Mrs. Kapur’s class. After my first semester, I never got a grade lower than a B and even made the Dean’s List twice at KCC. Mrs. Kapur provided me with the tools I needed to decipher arguments, to make my writing clear and concise. I now have the power to convince and persuade anyone with the right argument, and most importantly the confidence of knowing that I can do well in anything I set my mind to. I only hope that I am able to empower my students the same way Mrs. Kapur has done for me.

Inside Out Strategies for Teaching Writing Chapter 3

The Classroom Environment

This chapter in the book as the title indicates is how to design your classroom environment. It doesn’t provide a map on how your furniture should be arranged, but it does provide a general guideline on things that you should find in a writing classroom.

According to the author’s the most important piece to any good writing class is student work because it builds pride, enthusiasm, and enhances motivation. Here are several types of work you can display:

· Finished work

· Drafts of unfinished pieces

· Quotable quotes from student journals

· Pictures of your students writing

· Pictures and author bios next to their writing

The authors’ mention that music is essential in a writing class because music makes us feel better—it is used as background for workdays.

Apart from looks and sounds the rest of the chapter focuses on creating a feel for your classroom. The main part of any writing class is it must feel safe if you want to students to experiment or take responsible risks in their writing. The following are some activities that you might want to use to help facilitate a safe and open writing environment.

· Beginning activities include:

o A 10 minute free write about how students feel about writing; teachers can use this to help alleviate some of the frustrations and fears students have about writing.

o Name activity: where students must repeat each name that was said before their own in order to help build community.

· Invitations for peer dialogue

o Interview a partner and write a poem or introduce them to the class.

o Lying game—where students make up a like or truth statement. Classmates must decipher if it is true or false.

· Visual portraits

o Coat of arms: create symbols that represent them

o Secret box: create collage on a box that represents them; place three artifacts/secrets about them; they share as much as they want with a partner.

· Beyond the class:

o Walking compositions: encourage students to get out of the class and take notes on a particular place on campus, noting sights, sounds, smells, etc. and create a descriptive piece about that place.

I thought this chapter was an eye opening read. For many of the activities the authors’ discussed to help facilitate a safe community of writers, I often felt were a waste of time because there were more important curricular content that needed to be addressed and taken the time for in the period. For instance the name game--in hind sight the idea of the name game that once seemed so absurd, now makes sense. I was so frustrated with my students when they couldn’t identify the name of some of their classmates half way or even at the end of the year. The name or even the lying game now seems like a simple fun way for students to get to know one another, instead of being strangers in the same class. I have to get through my head that fun activities make learning more enjoyable and I need to incorporate these types of activities more.

Another topic that sticks out for me is the idea of putting up student work. I can see how it builds a sense of pride and motivation and those feelings are important in facilitating a good writing environment. I always start to put up student work, but once second quarter comes along I stop because I have too many other things to do. I have to figure out a way where I have students in charge of putting up the student work. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Response to Chapter 5 for The Art of Classroom Inquiry

"Janelle, Melissa, and Bridget all relied on the larger community--a wider base of knowledge that already exists. It can be a relief to realize that we don't need to rediscover everything." (pg. 137). This quote stands out to me because I sometimes feel alone when teaching and that the problems that I face in my class are just my problems that occur in my class or some of my colleagues' classes. This quote is a good reminder that the answers are always out there: you just have to look for them.

"All of my families that I have worked with...were very eager to participate in programs such as family night." (pg.137) Although this is true for Bridget Harkins, a teacher in the middle school, I wonder how true is the statement at the high school level. I know from my open house attendance my attendance was slim, even though I called parents to invite them to my school's open house. I guess I'm wondering why parents are more involved when their children are younger and what can secondary teachers due to keep parents involved in their children's education.

"It is time to open the curtains and let some light into the old dark, underground images of reviews of literature." (pg. 142) Though I bregrudginly move to doing research for my questions, I do believe that it will bring some light to my dark and musty brain.

My question is about extension activity 6, though it sounds fun, I wonder how it contributes to your research?

What did I learn today and how did it make me feel?

I learned a different strategy for peer responses that I really enjoyed, which was from Peter Elbow's book and shared by Tamar, where we had to write three quotes we liked and one question we had about our partner's writing. In the past I have had students write one quote that they like and why, but I liked the idea of expanding to three quotes they liked and to include one clarifying question. I always wondered how I can get students to give feedback that asked the writer to probe more and improve upon their writing without sounding judgmental or too critical of their partner's writing. I could not think of a prompt to get them there until now. Asking students to write a clarifying question seems like a non-threatening way to ask for some sort of improvement.

This new strategy will give me more confidence in guiding my students on how to share and respond to one another's writing. Something I feel that is really important to the writing process, but did not know how to foster well. I hope to learn more strategies like this for peer response.

Thank you.