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Category Archives: Teaching writing skills
Write about writing
When students face the task of writing for state mandated tests, there are always a few that want to vent their spleen by describing how much they hate to do this kind of writing. The hapless scorer must read through … Continue reading
The reason for writing
Because of the glaring short comings of multiple choice question as an indicator of persons ability to evaluate or synthesize idea, the written essay has become a staple of state-mandated educational tests. Writing does take a lot more planning of … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Alan Paton, Essay, state assessments, Writers Resources, Writing
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Promptless writing
Writing prompts are extremely easy to come by – people are giving them away for free on thousands of different web sites – which should give you a clue to exactly how worthless most of them are. The student who … Continue reading
Keep it moving
One of the solutions touted to teach writing to the literary challenged adolescent has been the use of a device called the “freeze frame.” Named after the cinematographic technique that stops the action for added intensity. It was intended to … Continue reading
Looking for an antihero
Most of the students are already dreading their “special” assignment. As they walk dawdling into the room and see the prompt “Write about someone who was a good influence on you” the moans begin to crescendo. Many students quickly run … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction in education, Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Antihero, Essay, Student, Writers Resources, writing prompts
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Keep it brief
We were sitting in the conference room listen to the project director for a new educational e-learning venture aimed at the failing intercity public schools. “Now when you are putting together proposals write a short introduction – one hundred words … Continue reading
Talk to me
They stare at the blank paper, for the entire hour, as if somehow by staring they could force whatever vague ideas are floating around in their gray matter on to the paper. I walk by and ask “What is the … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Essay, Graphic organizer, Information, Question, Student
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The real deal
“I rented a canoe on Saturday – it was quite an oar deal!” The students’ task was to describe the source of humor in a series of five puns. Then they developed their own set of puns. Despite the cheesiness … Continue reading
The unexpected discovery
Often when students are asked to write a personal narrative about their experiences we don’t expect a story, just a description of a lesson learned. I feel like throwing up my hands in frustration when a student says “I never … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged Arts, discoveries, journal, Narrative, Paris, Student
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A tale of two writers
Recently, I observed eighth graders working on a writing assignment. The prompt, “Write about a decision you made” was an uninspired one that usually failed to provoke much of a worthwhile response from struggling students. (Honestly, how many major decisions … Continue reading
Posted in Teaching writing skills, Writer's resource
Tagged learning disabilities, Writing, writing prompts
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Write about what? 