Writing as a Tool of Learning
Writing allows students to think in complex ways. Writing contributes to self-knowledge. Writing helps clarify and order experience. Writing helps students to be better readers. Writing enables students to “do better” in school. Writing is basic to thinking, learning, and growth.
Thinking
Writing is a unique, graphic record of thought that can be reviewed, revised, and used tomake new cognitive jumps. Writing makes a unique contribution over and above conversation to the development of thought. Writing is a slow, static, graphic record of original thought. This record allows review and revision. Writing is visible and permanent. Writing assumes a much slower analysis and synthesis and transforms process into simultaneous review of thought. Writing leads to new inner speech and thought. Writing enriches and elaborates the thought process. Writing is essential for linear, analytical thinking.
Learning
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Writing is a critical adjunct to learning
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Writing helps us absorb new information and builds a structure of knowledge.
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Writing helps us find out if we really know the topic
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Writing is available for instant review
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Reportage would be impossible without writing.
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Writing is central to the process of understanding new facts and concepts or evaluating new experiences
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Writing allows for clarifying, analyzing, and synthesizing concepts.
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Writings is essential to determining what and how much ones knows.
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For a self-critical person, writing is essential for evaluation and analysis.
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Writing is essential to the scientific mind—until it is written, it cannot be examined.
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Writing is a means of development of conceptions and contemplation.
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Writing changes the writer: now there is a graphic record, a visual example of the writer’s knowledge.
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Writing as a process simultaneously employs symbolism and graphics. It employs sight and hand.
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Writing results in discovery of what we didn’t know we knew.
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The more we write, the more we know, and the better we are able to compete academically.
Writing to learn within AVID assumes three main forms:
Note-taking, Learning Logs, Writing process discourse mode lessons
Learning Logs
In a journal, students make regular entries in their learning logs. Before students begin working in their collaborative groups, they should complete questions such as the following about the subject they are studying:
1. What did I do in class today?
2. What did I learn?
3. What did I find interesting?
4. What questions do I have about what I learned?
5. What was the point of today's lesson?
6. What connections did I make to previous ideas or lessons?
Each student in the collaborative group should share his or her log responses. If students knowthey will be sharing with the group, they are more thoughtful in their responses. Learning logs are a good starting point for a collaborative session.
A Few Learning Log Topics
1. Writing About Mathematics
Have students write an explanation to another student of how to do a math problem. They should include the why of the solution as well as the how.
2. Writing About History
Have the students place himself or herself in an historical period or event and write about itfrom the point of view of someone who is there. Ask the students to focus in their responseson what, when, where, why, how and what if. Or ask students to write a dialogue between themselves and an historical personage, focusing on the same details.
3. Focused Writing
Focused writing is an excellent way to begin a collaborative session. Direct students to writenon-stop for five minutes on a specific topic they are studying. The purpose is for studentsto find out what they know about the topic, to explore new ideas, and to find out what theyneed to learn about the topic.
Writing Process, Discourse Mode Lessons
Essay writing allows students to think as subject area specialists. Asking students to write asscientists, philosophers, psychologists, or historians requires students to explore the criteria of that kind of writing. Teachers should always begin by modeling the kind of writing in which they wish to have the students participate.
1. Work with examples of and discuss criteria for the writing prompt.
2. Prewrite.
3. Write a draft.
4. Exchange drafts with peers for comments and revisions
5. Write further drafts.
6. Complete a reader-writer workshop with one or more peers.
7. Write a final draft.
8. Teachers evaluate final drafts.
9. Students evaluate their own writing and the process.
10. After final drafts are discussed, students have an opportunity to revise for publication.