Katherine Chandler Callicutt
Al-Shaer, Ibrahim M. R.1. "Employing Concept Mapping As A Pre-Writing Strategy To Help EFL Learners Better Generate Argumentative Compositions." International Journal For The Scholarship Of Teaching & Learning 8.2 (2014): 1-29. Education Source. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
This article was based on a study that was conducted in order to find what methods are most valuable in helping EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students develop argumentative writing. The study explored the use of concept maps in developing an argument. Concept maps are a visual way to connect both existing knowledge and new knowledge in an organized way. Studies showed that concept maps were incredibly beneficial for a few reasons. First, students showed a great deal of satisfaction with the concept maps. That is, they enjoyed using them and found them helpful in their own writing process. In addition, concept maps proved to be beneficial organization and planning tools in the realm of argumentative writing. Another useful point about concept mapping is that it has evolved over the years. It began as a written process, but through technology it has evolved into a technological process as well. Many programs have been developed that help students present concept maps in a clear, concise, and organized way. I definitely think that I would use concept mapping in my classroom. I have thought about working with EFL students at some point, and I definitely understand how this could be useful to these students. By having an organized and easy to understand map, students are able to enhance their writing.
Dornbrack, Jacqui1, jacqui.dornbrack@uct.ac.za, and Kerryn2 Dixon. "Towards A More Explicit Writing Pedagogy: The Complexity Of Teaching Argumentative Writing." Reading & Writing (20798245) 5.1 (2014): 1-8. Education Source. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
This article analyzes the importance of planning, research, and organization in the field of writing as a whole. The article delves more deeply into the realm of argumentative writing, though. It looks at how important these strategies are in the process of developing an argumentative essay. In particular, it looks at how research is an important part of argumentative writing. The author asserts that in order for students to develop a well-rounded and effective essay, they must be able to back up their claim with sufficient evidence and also disprove or argue against the counterclaim that could be presented to their argument. This is an obvious point, it seems, but often times research is highly underestimated in regards to its necessity in argumentative writing. I will definitely take this information to heart when teaching argumentative writing to my students. The importance of research and planning cannot be highlighted enough.
"Graphic Organizers for Personal Narratives | Scholastic.com." Scholastic Teachers. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
This website outlines the use of graphic organizers in both creating a topic for and outlining a personal narrative in the classroom. The article is aimed more at younger students, but it provides a framework that can be developed upon for older students as well. Along with graphic organizers, the article suggests using illustrations to help students develop an understanding of things that they could write about. The article provides graphic organizer examples for all steps of the personal narrative writing process. For instance, there are graphic organizers that help students develop a topic, expand upon their ideas for writing, and develop characters. In addition to suggesting and providing graphic organizers as an aid for student writing, the author cites another teacher in reference to her work on using mentor texts. The author asserts that mentor texts not only help her as a teacher, but also assist her students in their own writing. Finally, the article outlines a number of Common Core Standards that could be met through the writing process. This is useful as it helps teachers see a written goal that they should be trying to accomplish through their work with their students.
This article has many applications in the classroom itself. First and foremost, the article provides solid examples of graphic organizers that could be used in the classroom. The one that I find most useful is the “heart of my writing” organizer. I think that this is a useful tool in helping students find topics that they could write about. It offers the opportunity to find basic examples of writing topics and then further develop them into an actual writing topic later in the writing process. Teaching middle school students, I would have to develop these strategies into more complex organizers for my students. However, I definitely think these provide a good basis for strategies that could be used in any classroom.
Hilllocks, George. "Teaching Critical Thinking." English Journal (2009): n. pag. Web.
This article begins by discussing one of the more unappealing facts about our education system. It looks at different documents that teachers often use, and it points out that many of these articles barely devote any time to talking about arguments. In an effort to combat this unfortunate reality, the article goes on to discuss the importance of argumentative writing. After this, the article discusses ways that teacher can introduce and discuss argumentative writing in their classroom. This is the part that I will found most interesting, and it is the part that I focused on when creating this annotated bibliography. The article calls for classroom discussion that is “both simple and challenging for which feedback is immediate and clear” (Hillocks). The article points out that in order for students to understand argumentative writing, we must engage them in activities that will not only spark their interest, but will also offer an avenue for teachers to provide feedback in a way that will help students improve upon this writing. The author goes on to present an example from his own classroom in which he has students analyze a “crime scene” and then form an argument about who they think is guilty based on the evidence found in that crime scene. I really enjoyed that example, and I would definitely use that in my own classroom. Overall, the article did an excellent job of addressing both the importance of argument and the ways in which argument could be taught in the classroom.
Laidlaw, Linda, and Suzanna So-Har Wong. "The Trouble With "Getting Personal": New Narratives For New Times In Classroom Writing Assignments." English Teaching: Practice And Critique 12.3 (2013): 102-115. ERIC. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
This article talked about the predicaments that teachers, students, and parents face whenever the standard personal narrative is assigned in a classroom and strategies that should be put in place to correct these problems. A study was done to determine the effects that getting “too personal” has on students who come from a background that does not lead to easy access of information. For example, students who are adopted struggle with finding information out about their birth stories. Students who come from unique cultural backgrounds often struggle when asked to talk about certain holidays such as Christmas. The study found that students who face these struggles often do not speak up in hopes that they can fit in with their peers. Many students pointed out that they would make stories up in an effort to seem “normal” and fit in with their classmates.
The article not only outlines the struggles that are presented within the walls of the classroom, but it also offers suggestions for teachers who want to alleviate the stresses that these assignments may cause. The main strategy outlined in the article is to present students with options for the personal narrative assignment. If a student has a variety of options to choose from, they are able to make a decision that will best suit their lifestyle and background. This strategy can be applied no matter what grade level is being taught. As a teacher, I will use this in my classroom. Rather than asking my students to describe their “Christmas Break”, I could ask students to describe one “cold weather” activity they did over their break. This allows students who do not celebrate Christmas to participate in the activity without feeling alienated.
Maloch, Beth, and Randy Bomer. "Teaching about and with Informational Texts: What Does Research Teach Us?" Language Arts (n.d.): n. pag. Literacy in Learning Exchange. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
This article summarizes research regarding informational text and how it can be taught in schools. First, and probably most obvious, informational texts should be present and available for reading and analyzing in the classroom. Without strong examples to base their own writing off of, students will struggle to write properly and efficiently. In addition, research shows that “authentic literacy activities” have a strong impact on the learning of students. These authentic activities include things like reading a newspaper article that interests a student and making fliers that could be spread throughout the community.
I really enjoy the idea of “authentic literacy activities”. I think these activities not only give students the opportunity and motivation to learn, but they also show students how to properly engage in community activities. This is incredibly important as students will one day need to be functioning parts of society, and this gives them the chance to build the foundation for that
Manning, Emily. "All About Our Town: Using Brochures to Teach Informational Writing." Read Write Think. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
This article suggest using brochures as a teaching tool for informational writing. The article outlines a lesson plan in which students are to create brochures geared towards a new student that tells that new student about their town. This helps students understand how to write about something and communicate information about that topic.
I definitely think this is a useful activity for students. It would be interesting to see how many different topics students could write these brochures about. In fact, this activity could be used for a variety of lessons. Students could vary their audience to learn about how audience affects writing.
Montelongo, José A., and Roberta J. Herter. "Using Technology To Support Expository Reading And Writing In Science Classes." Science Activities 47.3 (2010): 89-102. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
This piece talks about the use of technology in expository writing in science classes. The main activity discussed throughout this piece is a “sentence completion task” in which a teacher expects students to differentiate between valid and invalid sentences and to apply vocabulary in these sentences. This activity is made much more technology-based, though. First, the article suggests using a word document to enhance the exercise. Through a word document, students can access the dictionary, thesaurus, and other text-enhancing tools. This well not only help students learn to use technology in a helpful and scholarly way, but it will also help students learn new vocabulary that can be used to develop their writing. To further this development, students use the internet. The internet provides an outlet for immediate feedback, and it allows the teacher to be an active participant in student writing rather than a bystander.
Although the article was based on scientific writing, this exercise could be used in almost any subject. I would definitely use this activity in my classroom. One thing that I really want to emphasize to my future students is how to use technology to learn. It is inevitable that students will be constantly involved with technology. So, I want to show them how to use technology in a scholarly way and how to let it help them learn. In addition, the use of technology will keep students engaged and interested in the lesson.
"Why This Teaching Strategy Does Not Work." Why This Teaching Strategy Does Not Work. Kairos, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
This article outlines why the current strategies that are most often employed to teach personal narratives are not as effective as they could be. The article looks at the current approach from the perspective of students and teachers, and it analyzes why our current approaches should be changed in order to better suit our learners. The author asserts that students often feel uncomfortable and rushed when assigned a narrative writing assignment. Our current approach of just assigning the narrative with or without a topic often puts students in a very uncomfortable position. The writer goes on to state that because students feel this sense of uneasiness, teachers often falsely judge their writing ability and overall aptitude. Because students seem disengaged to the writing assignment, teachers often see this as inability or apathy.
When teaching my students narrative writing, I will try to find alternate assignments to help students feel more comfortable in the writing process. For instance, if a student seems disengaged when I ask them to write about a life event that makes them feel very proud, I could offer them an alternate assignment of writing about their favorite childhood memory. In addition, I must be sure not to judge my students after seeing their first draft of writing. If they seem to be struggling, I should take that as a sign that I need to improve my strategies as a teacher rather than assuming that this is a reflection of their writing ability.