Developing Writing Skills

1. Developing Writing Skills Debra Kraft Family & Consumer Science Mobridge Pollock High School

2. Why? Students are not a single dimension. Are we really developing the whole student-social, emotional, physical and intellectual?

3. Why? • Writing, speaking and reading skills are multi-disciplinary skills. Improvement in these areas will impact almost all subject matters. • Test scores, test scores, test scores

4. Process Writing Activity Write down one step in changing a tire, creating a basic white sauce. Write steps on sentence strips. Ask students to put the strips in order they would perform the process. Sentence strips are just long strips of .paper Are there steps that are missing or multiples of same step? Put multiples together, and create strips for missing steps. Put steps in order. Can the class agree on the steps in the process? Once steps are in order and agreed on by the class, paste or post on board. Ask students to write the directions for the process. Have you used writing skills? Have you used group discussion skills? Could you have students demonstrate this process? Have your students used the technical terms/process that you teach?

5. Steps for Process Writing Act. • Put on spare tire • Put lug nuts back on wheel. Begin to tighten. • Partially lower jack so wheel touches ground. • Turn on flashers • Locate spare tire, lug wrench, jack and blocks. • Remove hub cap • Block diagonal wheel on opposite side • Jack up car until tire is completely off ground. • Reinstall hub cap, remove jack • Shut off flashers • Loosen lug nuts • Place jack securely under vehicle • Remove spare tire/donut from trunk or storage • Finish removing lug nuts. • Pull off flat tire.

6. Competencies from Process Reading - Craft and Structure • 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. • 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

7. Competencies from Process Production and Distribution of Writing • 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. • 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. • 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

8. Why? • We need to prepare students to transfer the skills they use in English class to a working environment. English teachers are not aware of how your students will use writing/speaking in their professions.

9. Times are changing . . . • Some of you have been told to incorporate X number of writing or reading assignments into your curriculum. • Many districts are asking ALL staff to record when they are teaching or supporting Common Core Language and Math standards.

10. Change ?Not Just for Us Common Core – Need I say more? New emphasis on pre-AP courses such as Laying the Foundation encourage English teachers to combine the use of writing, reading, and speaking. Discussion about changing from individual semester Literature, Speech and Grammar/Composition courses back to integrated classes which incorporate the standards. Talk with your English staff. Find out how they are teaching students the skills you need. Talk to them about how you can reinforce what they are teaching.

11. Do I Have to Change? • It is not your job to teach English, but part of preparing students for occupations includes developing the writing/speaking/listening skills they need as part of their job.

12. How? • Ah, there is the rub as Shakespeare would say. • Incorporate authentic writing as part of what you teach. • Require your students to use basic English skills such as capital letters, periods, and correct spelling. This includes essay questions on tests.

13. How? • Think about what would you expect of employees if you were an employer. • Rubrics are helpful. You can develop a universal rubric used for all writing experiences. Visit with your English teacher. The easiest way is to simply add points for grammar, and spelling to your existing rubrics.

14. How? • Ask yourself, if I were a professional in the cluster I teach, what type of writing, speaking, and reading would be required? Writing - Range of Writing • 10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences

15. Authentic writing • Most of our students will never love writing. • Use writing assignments that are a part of the occupation they are interested in. • How do we find out what kinds of writing students will use? Ask our industry partners. • Our students don’t care if it is descriptive writing, informative, explanatory, or researched writing . However these are helpful terms for you to use with the English staff.

16. Levels of Reading • Excerpt from On Sunday, There Might be Americans. • Complete Diagram - Use the level of reading as pre-writing aid. Then a Tchart for the comparison/contrast • Compare & Contrast student’s life on a Sunday versus the main character’s life on Sunday.

17. Informative & Explanatory Writing Visual literacy – use student’s technical skill to help students write about what they observe – Description may be factual not fictional Documented- Non-fiction writing - observation of students in classrooms for IEP, show video clip or visit classroom, may need to use a checklist, then ask students to write their observation, compare observations, talk about the need to remove emotion- • crop scouting report, • observation of students in classroom – IEP, • skills assessments of preschool children, • accident report – classroom, in a kitchen, workman’s comp claim, work site • adoption report – by adoption counselor

18. Persuasive Writing • Sales pitch for product or invention, • Advertising spread – newspaper or web page • Letter to judge on behalf of a client – • Labels for products – How do you make items required by law attractive?

19. Informative & Explanatory Writing • May also include accident reports – • Treatment plans for juveniles – court services, education components, • Group IEP notes - Case management report within human services • Letters – request for information from another court services worker, school, etc • Write meeting reports • Article summary regarding inequity and prejudice

20. Researched Writing • Often use require same components but perhaps easier skill level. • Use projects with oral interviews as a source • Use citation software such as easybib.com, bibme.org , and/or citationmachine.net. It may not be exactly what your English staff loves, but it does start the process of requiring documentation

21. Researched Writing • Nutrients • Nutritional problems/issues • Personal fitness plans • Food handling procedures • Food-borne illnesses • Human development theories • Genetic birth defects/health issues pregnancy • Compare/contrast jobs within a cluster • Developmental issues for human services

22. Researched Writing • Explain what code of ethics for various occupations demands of workers • Compare/contrast codes of ethics • Biography of leaders - May be changed to persuasive if you include a defense of why you believe this person is a good leader. Expand this to a comparison by grouping students and producing a radio interview show • Compare & Contrast employee manuals from different organizations • Produce travel documents and itineraries needed for tour guides • Script for a bus tour – monologue • Professional Chefs

23. Writing by Cluster Human Services • Class attendance records and progress reports for GED students , • Home visits with students – Headstart • Child welfare checks, • Summarization – may need to summarize group meetings, summarize research pertinent to case, multidisciplinary reports - There are paid positions for people who do this. • Lesson/unit summary • Rationale for spending – supplies, training etc

24. Human Services • Clergy - sermon, church newsletter column, web pages, recommendations for parishioners • Funeral Home directors- obituaries, may also include pictoral displays for funerals, advertising- whether newspaper, magazines, web pages • Cosmetologist- advertising on web pages or newspaper, color & style notes

25. Human Services/Education • Child Care - Observations of children Skills assessments of children Accident reports Daily reports Lesson/unit summary Newsletters to parents Advertising – web page or print Rationale – spending supplies or training

26. Human Services/Education • Observations of teaching staff

27. Education and Training • Newspaper columns • Radio spots – Parent Teacher conferences, special events • Documentation of services & treatment

28. Hospitality & Tourism • Tour brochures for attractions in your community, or lesser known attractions in an area • Monologue for a tour bus – tour Samos - written and oral • Advertising for guest services in a hotel, cruise liner, restaurant • Event planning services – Brochure – wedding planners reception halls for anniversary, special events • Floor plan layouts for specific events - ice fishing tournament rules meeting- space for meeting & advertising booths, rationale for layout • Rules for events

29. Hospitality & Tourism Hotels/Motels • Advertising guest services • Cost plan and rationale for improvements for lender, board of directors etc • Accident report for insurance • Flyer for catering/event services • Observation of employees – management – housekeeping services manager, or general manager

30. Hospitality & Tourism Rationale & floor plans for remodeling a restaurant Employee accident report Observation of employees- shift manager, general manager Menus Flyers for catering and event services

31. Writing • These are just a few of the ways that writing can be introduced in Family & Consumer Science curriculum. • Visit with professionals in your cluster. Find out how you can help your students gain the skills that will help them standout in their given career.