Writing to Learn

 Writing to learn needs to be incorporated in all subjects.  With the focus being switched from a final polished product after many drafts to the thinking process, writing can become easier for many students.  The reason is that the students are focusing and collecting their thoughts on the given topic without worrying about being grammatically correct.  Their sole focus is to write what they are thinking.  I as the teacher can now know more clearly where they are in their understanding of the topic.  The book discussed how the vocabulary will begin to appear when students grasp the knowledge.  Having to write about the topic will force the students to process the information allowing the knowledge to become theirs to use, not regurgitating with no understanding.  I appreciate that this will let the teacher and the students see where there needs to be clarification for better understanding.

     In my classes, we have learned that it is very important to involve a variety of DOK questions.  When reading about the three different types of knowledge (Fisher/Frey 151), it reinforced that it is important to be sure to include questions that require deeper thinking.  The Knipper/Duggan article also discusses how writing to learn dives deeper than declarative knowledge.  (462)  I know in my studies when I actually made the knowledge my own, I became more confident and knew the information better and for a longer period of time.  I could not cram for a test; I needed to understand the topic to do well.  I have learned that writing greatly helps me collect my thoughts.  In my freshman college English class, I remember using a quick write while researching my research paper.  While writing, I felt that I was writing with no connection.  Afterwards, I was amazed at how there were pieces towards the end of my quick write that I could transfer to my paper.  This was because the writing made me think more deeply about my topic.  I plan to take this knowledge to my classroom where I can help my students see writing as a tool that can help them learn.  Helping the students think through their thinking process by having them write is one of the best ways for them to relay what they know.  Writing is more detailed than listening to a verbal response.  Also it allows everyone to participate and allows the ELL's to focus their thought before group discussion.  Another part that I enjoyed in the article was writing the microthemes on notecards.  This allowed the students to also realize how to make notes to study from later at the same time.  It helped the students break down the large topic into small manageable parts.

     My first question is how would I have writing to learn in a classroom that I am told what and how to teach the children?  I have heard of teachers getting into trouble if they are "caught" teaching more than the standard curriculum.  I would think that the best method is to persuade the authorities that it is important for writing to learn to be in every classroom's curriculum.  My second question is how to use writing to learn with students who are not yet well developed in their writing?  I see how writing to learn lets them write in a non-pressured way, but there will be a gap.  How do bridge this gap?