How Writing Shapes Thinking: A Study of Teaching and Learning, Volumes 21-23In the belief that effective writing instruction can be a critical component in successful learning, and to better understand the role that writing plays in content area learning, this book presents an extensive study of writing assignments in the secondary school curriculum. Following an introduction, the book provides an overview of the project, chapters 1 and 2 highlighting the data gathered and analytical methods used. The third chapter of the book provides a detailed introduction to the observations of teachers and their students, with some general findings about ways in which they used writing in the teaching of academic subjects. The fourth chapter describes the types of writing activities that worked in aa variety of content-area classrooms. Chapter 5 shifts focus away from the activities provided and toward the redefinition of teaching and learning that occurred in the classrooms where writing worked best to foster learning. Chapters 6 through 8 examine the kinds of thinking promoted by different types of writing in the classroom. The final chapter brings together concerns about the roles of teacher and learner in the instructional interaction, providing a theoretical framework, practical suggestions for an alternative model of instruction, and a discussion of the constraints that must be addressed if wide-scale use of writing to support learning is to become a reality. A five-page reference list and two appendices are included. (HTH) |
Contents
The Project | 11 |
The Participating Teachers | 19 |
Types of Data Related to Students Assignments | 27 |
Copyright | |
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analysis Analysis of Variance analytic writing analytic-writing Applebee approaches asked Bardolini began biology case-study students central concerns changes chemistry classroom collaborative completed comprehension questions comprehension-question concepts content units crayfish curriculum Day six developed discussion Educational Psychology Educational Testing Service effects evaluation examine focus focused formal freewriting goals grade Graves help students Hemo the Magnificent ideas initial instructional scaffolding interview Jane Martin knowledge measure Langer learning logs manipulation material normal studying note-taking papers particular passage knowledge passage-specific knowledge percent post-test read and study recall reflected reformulate and extend relationships responses review writing role Romeo and Juliet Royer scores skills social studies specific structure student learning study conditions study questions study task subject areas summary writing T-unit Task linear Task x passage teachers teaching and learning thinking topic types of writing writing activities writing assignments writing tasks written