Playing T.A.G. Creating Spaces for Authentic Peer Response

1. Playing T.A.G. Creating Spaces for Authentic Peer Response

2. Giuliana Hazelwood Photo by Nick Susi

3. ABOUT Children Methods Curriculum No PROBLEM Living the Life of a Writer including response… Navarro. There’s no Way I’m Doing That!

4. OK

5. As teachers of writing, we are coaches, encouragers, developers, creators of environments in which our students can experience the writing process for themselves. “We have to be quiet, to listen, to respond” We have to teach our students to do the same. Donald Graves

6. Response is a natural part of the writing process. David Sedaris

7. NCTE / Beliefs about the teaching of writing #8 “Writing has a complex relationship to talk.” Writers need opportunities to talk … to rehearse ideas and language for upcoming texts … run ideas by trusted colleagues… Writers need opportunities to listen… so that sparks of ideas can move around the room so everyone’s understanding of writing can grow

8. “…But you have to create a safe place…it has to be a safe place… otherwise you will shut people out … you will make them think what they already are thinking – that their ideas are terrible, that everyone else has better ideas, that they stink at writing.” Gus, 20 yrs old Gus at 6

9. I: How would you feel if you had to conference with them? J: I would feel like a jar of slime. Being sat on. I: So maybe they don’t treat you very well? J: Yes. No, like getting cut in half. When asked why she didn’t share with the large group, the researcher expected her to predict verbal attacks, but she said she was reluctant to share… J: Because, cause, for some people, it, nobody would, would um, answer, or ask them questions. I know that.

10. Talk within a shared intellectual community provides writers with a way to give supportive suggestions. “By offering a community where every member is engaged in similar struggles, we offer … writers the knowledge that they are not alone.”

11. Putting it together… We need a way to support students’ as they learn to respond Structure, like David Sedaris creates for himself, to “test the waters” and expect authentic response. Time to talk about our writing and ask questions (NCTE) (Elliott) Positive Comments, as Gus discovered, to hear what everyone else is hearing – to realize that you have something powerful to say. The right to share (even things that are not usually for school) without fear of being bullied through words or silence as Jessie reminds us. Community of support in which trusted colleagues give us suggestions we can use. (Cruz)

13. “Navarro! There is no way I’m doing that!” Before our Work Together Response is… Correcting Editing Right and a wrong way You use a red pen Grammatical editing It is having control over the writing (as a teacher) It’s necessary for good writing Unproductive It has no meaning – it’s just a routine Response isn’t important

14. About Response, Now we think…It’s Complex • Writing is improved by practice and response is a positive discussion about the paper. • There is no “correct” way to respond, because there is more than one way. • There is a lot more to writing than “how” (the grammar) it’s written. • Now we think creativity is more important than grammar. And, you can address the quality of the writing as a whole. • A lot of “control” must be given up to the kids. •   Having a procedure for feedback makes it more effective • Using a protocol helps students stay focused and use appropriate language. • Response is important - it helps students work together and gain confidence in their work. • It has a reason – to help you think of yourself as a writer (when you are the responder) and you can also use the feedback. • Writer’s notebooks allows for more freedom with learning to write – there is more to respond to.

16. http://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/VisibleThinking1.htmlhttp://pzweb.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/VisibleThinking1.html http://www.pz.harvard.edu/at/