Re: [LIT] lit Digest, Vol 53, Issue 4

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:46:03 -0700 

This is such an important question that you ask, Nancy:
What do you do when the paper is still poorly written (poor grammar and spelling) even after self-editing? 


I think the answer is very much tied to our own personal philosophies  
of what it means to teach english (reading and writing predominantly).  
For example, I grew up in a time when these elements of writing were  
the most important features.  Also, my parents are British.  I wrote  
to achieve technically perfect work. It galled me to make a spelling  
error and be caught on it. However, if I maintained this belief to  
current day, I would be asking the same question as you are.  I have  
come to realize, after working with poor readers and writers for ages,  
that they all hated to write because they knew they were dreadful at  
it.  As a teacher, I wanted them to love writing or at least not balk  
at it when they had to do it. It seemed the sticking piece was the  
spelling and grammar.  When I looked more closely and talked with  
students about their work, I found wealth of great ideas but an  
inability to communicate them. Therefore, I spend time with students  
like this, helping them to organize their ideas.



Self-editing. This is interesting. My question to you, Nancy, is what  
self-editing tools do you provide as a structure with which to self- 
edit?  Some checklists, I have noticed, are really frustrating.  I  
have checked all my spelling.  I have checked all my punctuation.   
Explicit work in editing is what is required, with a focus on one  
particular aspect at a time.  If a student is a poor speller, for  
example, he/she needs to first accept this and then be explicitly  
taught ways in which to help him/herself (not by looking up words in  
the dictionary either!).  I will say that there are a number of very  
famous authors out there whose spelling is dreadful but we will never  
know because they have an editor.  These folks do not self-edit.


Does this help?

Alison


On 13-Mar-10, at 10:00 PM, Nancy Carroll wrote:


What do you do when the paper is still poorly written (poor grammar  
and spelling) even after self-editing?

-----Original Message-----
Date: Saturday, March 13, 2010 10:58:41 am
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: lit Digest, Vol 53, Issue 4

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Today's Topics:



  1. Re: Grading writing assignments faster (ann clavin)

  2. Re: Grading writing assignments faster (Kim Wagner)

  3. Re: Grading writing assignments faster (Kim Wagner)

  4. Re: Grading writing assignments faster (Alice Cortigiano)





----------------------------------------------------------------------



Message: 1

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:23:05 -0800 (PST)

From: ann clavin <[email protected]>

To: [email protected]

Subject: Re: [LIT] Grading writing assignments faster

Message-ID: <[email protected]>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1




Thank you Alison for sharing but can you describe the six traits in  
writing!


?

?

/10, Alison <[email protected]> wrote:





From: Alison <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: [LIT] Grading writing assignments faster


To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <[email protected] 
>


Date: Friday, March 12, 2010, 7:47 AM






Since we have starting using the six Traits in writing I have found  
grading to be MUCH easier since there is a focus for the writing in  
the first place.? I find teachers that slave over grading essays  
have not narrowed the task and are therefore grading the paper for  
everything.? If you are focused on particular content, tell your  
students that, then ONLY look at the content of the paper and IGNORE  
other stuff.? Other writing tasks can focus on things like spelling,  
grammar and organization, word choice. bu
t don't overdo it.? A narrower focus for learning is much better for  
students.? You feedback can then be very specific to the task.




Good luck.

Alison



On 11-Mar-10, at 6:02 PM, Nancy Carroll wrote:




Hi Everyone,







I would like to know if anyone has any proven, fun ways of making  
grading essays faster and less painful! Any hints? Would love to  
hear your tips and tricks, from veterans and new teachers alike.







Happy Thursday!



Nancy Carroll



















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------------------------------



Message: 2

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:29:48 -0500

From: Kim Wagner <[email protected]>

To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades."

        <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: [LIT] Grading writing assignments faster

Message-ID:

        <[email protected]>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1




Well, one thing that makes it much less painful is that the students  
do peer



editing and self-editing before I grade the final product.  
Additionally,



rubrics help alot. Narrows the focus. I agree that Six Traits also  
helps



because you are grading for "everything" --usually I score based on  
one to


three of the traits we are working on.




Overall I would say that I quit "grading" a few years ago and now  
score


holistically using the rubric.  It's tough to "let go" though.



Kim








On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 5:23 PM, ann clavin <[email protected]>  
wrote:





Thank you Alison for sharing but can you describe the six traits in



writing!











/10, Alison <[email protected]> wrote:











From: Alison <[email protected]>



Subject: Re: [LIT] Grading writing assignments faster



To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <



[email protected]>



Date: Friday, March 12, 2010, 7:47 AM











Since we have starting using the six Traits in writing I have found  
grading



to be MUCH easier since there is a focus for the writing in the first



place.  I find teachers that slave over grading essays have not  
narrowed the



task and are therefore grading the paper for everything.  If you  
are focused



on particular content, tell your students that, then ONLY look at the



content of the paper and IGNORE other stuff.  Other writing tasks  
can focus



on things like spelling, grammar and organization, word choice. but  
don't



overdo it.  A narrower focus for learning is much better for  
students.  You



feedback can then be very specific to the task.







Good luck.



Alison







On 11-Mar-10, at 6:02 PM, Nancy Carroll wrote:







Hi Everyone,







I would like to know if anyone has any proven, fun ways of making  
grading



essays faster and less painful! Any hints? Would love to hear your  
tips and



tricks, from veterans and new teachers alike.







Happy Thursday!



Nancy Carroll



















_______________________________________________



The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org







To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to



http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org.







Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive











_______________________________________________



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To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to



http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org.







Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive



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------------------------------



Message: 3

Date: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:31:07 -0500

From: Kim Wagner <[email protected]>

To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades."

        <[email protected]>

Subject: Re: [LIT] Grading writing assignments faster

Message-ID:

        <[email protected]>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1




Argh...I mean a lot (not alot). And, I meant... Six Traits help  
because you


are NOT grading for everything.




On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 8:29 PM, Kim Wagner <[email protected]>  
wrote:





Well, one thing that makes it much less painful is that the  
students do



peer editing and self-editing before I grade the final product.



Additionally, rubrics help alot. Narrows the focus. I agree that  
Six Traits



also helps because you are grading for "everything" --usually I  
score based



on one to three of the traits we are working on.







Overall I would say that I quit "grading" a few years ago and now  
score



holistically using the rubric.  It's tough to "let go" though.







Kim















On Fri, Mar 12, 2010 at 5:23 PM, ann clavin <[email protected]>  
wrote:







Thank you Alison for sharing but can you describe the six traits in



writing!











/10, Alison <[email protected]> wrote:











From: Alison <[email protected]>



Subject: Re: [LIT] Grading writing assignments faster



To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <



[email protected]>



Date: Friday, March 12, 2010, 7:47 AM











Since we have starting using the six Traits in writing I have found



grading to be MUCH easier since there is a focus for the writing  
in the



first place.  I fin



_______________________________________________
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To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org 
.


Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive


_______________________________________________
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Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive






















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