"A good writing prompt isn't just 'tell me about summer vacation,'" Gary points out. It requires knowing what the goals of the prompt are, framing that for the students, and having a plan for sharing and using the work resulting from the prompt. Getting these components right can lead to a tool that accomplishes things assigned papers for future submission cannot. Gary writes:
Giving students a “Do Later” writing assignment can create all sorts of barriers to success. In fact, “Do Later” assignments:Author Kate Messner adds another good way writing prompts help in the classroom - they're a quick way to engage teachers in practicing their own writing.
• Distance students from the teaching that comes before the assignment.
• Give students a chance to explore and reinforce their fears of failure.
• Waste any enthusiasm for writing that you have built in the classroom.
• Make students feel that they are alone with a disagreeable task.
• Allow cell phones, social media, and other “screen time” at home to distract
students from their work.
Immersive writing prompts offer a productive alternative to “Do Later” assignments. An
immersive prompt puts students on the spot, and force them to leap immediately into
writing. But they don’t leap into a long or complicated assignment, with big risks and
consequences.
Kate came to the store last year to lead a writing workshop for educators. Her virtual Teachers Write! summer camp builds from the premise that to teach writing, teachers should be writing themselves. Over 2,000 teachers from around the world signed up to participate in the most recent camp - and they teach all sorts of subjects. One of the most frequent contributors is a math teacher in Michigan. Some are school principals and other administrators. The participants read lessons, challenges, and prompts from guest authors who work with Kate. They can do the exercises on their own and follow quietly, or share their work and engage in an online conversation. Some go on to form their own writing groups.
Kate has collected writing prompts and short exercises from Teachers Write! into a new book from Stenhouse Publishers called 59 Reasons to Write. It offers writing prompts and mini-lessons to get teachers into the habit of writing every day. It's not a question of whether the writing is "good" - it's a daily habit of practicing writing.
Jo Knowles is one of the contributors to Kate's summer program. Jo posts writing prompts every Monday on her own blog. You can read how she walked participants through a very brief exercise at her Bear Pond workshop here.
If you're interested in learning more about how to use writing prompts effectively in the classroom, then join us on Saturday, at 11:00 am! It's free, with the aforepromised snacks, and we provide certificates of attendance for educators who can use it towards continuing education credits.
Related Posts:
- Writing Workshop with S.S. Taylor
- Writing Workshop with Kate Messner & Jo Knowles
- Essential Library - Books About Writing
mini-lessons,
writing prompts, and bursts of inspiration designed to get you writing
every day - See more at:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/59-reasons-to-write.htm#sthash.gCXMGSJ0.dpuf
mini-lessons,
writing prompts, and bursts of inspiration designed to get you writing
every day - See more at:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/59-reasons-to-write.htm#sthash.gCXMGSJ0.dpuf
mini-lessons,
writing prompts, and bursts of inspiration designed to get you writing
every day - See more at:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/59-reasons-to-write.htm#sthash.gCXMGSJ0.dpuf
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