Writing Disciplinary Texts

Ferretti & Lewis
Argumentative text are used to negotiate, argue, debate, and resolve difference.  According to this chapter, the authors believe people aren't as skillful at arguing.  Often times their topic aren't thorough.  The authors highlight  important aspects to making argumentative text better.  The first is that it is social in context.  It is essentially a conversation between people who have opposing views.  The success of each side depends on the person's ability to deliver their view.  To improve students argumentative writing, teachers can teach how to plan, compose, and revise their perspective.  Writing arguments is very much like problem solving.  Students must think about the other person's views when writing their own.  One way to accomplish seeing others view is by supporting dialogue arguments in class.   Allow students to collaborate and hear other perspectives.  One way to teach argumentative writing is through the Self-Regulated- Strategy Development (SRSD).  The main idea of this approach is to teach explicit skills that support argumentative writing.   There are 6 phases of strategies.   By helping students develop dialogue with others along with specific strategies, it will improve their reading and writing ability.  They will develop their views in a more sophisticated manor.

McKeough
The article talks about narrate writing and how to use the CCSS model to assess and improve student writing.  The author illustrates how to use the CCSS model with a 4th grade writer.  Then the author use the example of the 4 year old.  Her writing seems above average for her age.  But with the appropriate modeling and teaching, children can write better.  Then the author analyzes a 1st graders writing.  She explains how it fits into the CCSS analysis model.  The author goes on to explain in further detail several other age specific writers.  Reading with a writer's eye (RwWE) is an approach that teaches students how to pay attention to literary elements while they read.  Readers approach text differently than writers.  Readers read to gain knowledge.  Writers are more analytical and pull the text apart.  RwWE supports students to take a metacognative stance toward a story.   Rubrics have been developed to help support teacher teaching of RwWE in the class.  The article explains how it can be used with different grade levels.  I think with CCSS writing strategies can help students develop over the course of their schooling.  I like how each year students are challenged and build upon their prior knowledge.  It's helpful for teachers to begin looking across grade levels when teaching.  This helps align standards and teach with a purpose.

Text to Text-
The chapters we have been reading have been broad concepts about reading and writing within content areas.  I enjoyed this weeks writing because it gave specific ideas and strategies that can be used.  So often, as teachers, we have the knowledge, but we are unsure how to get the end product.

Text to Self
I really like this idea of using a rubric.  I enjoyed in the narrative article how the author included younger and older students.  Basically, the same rubric was used across the grade levels, with minor changes.  As an early childhood teachers, sometimes it's helpful to be included in the debates on reading and writing.  Hearing that writing occurs in the young ages, which I knew, is encouraging.  Sometimes I think researchers and policy makers dismiss early childhood teachers as babysitters.  This article gives great evidence of how capable students are even at 4.

Text to World
I do not remember when I was in school being taught explicit instruction on writing argumentative and narrative.  I'm sure I did have someone cover something about it at some point.  But overall I feel I learned a lot of it on my own.  I wish I'd been taught to have dialogue with others and get their views before writing.  I agree with the author saying people are not skillful in arguing.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard people argue a point and they keep repeating, "well it's just what I believe."  They say that because they can't back it up.  In the ever changing world we live in, it's important to teach students to write and speak their arguments.

Questions:
1. Since Oklahoma hasn't passed CCSS, do you think schools will adopt some of these models of writing?  Do you think they will improve writing?  Have you seen evidence in your school or college teaching of CCSS ideas being implemented?