Professional Literature Groups Posting #5

Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide

By Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi

Chapter 9 Assessment and Evaluation

The authors caution teachers about the power grades have over students. However, teachers do need to know how students are doing in writing, both to inform teaching and to assign letter grades. Certain advise was given for both categories.

Using Writing to Inform Teaching:

*You can take the “status of the class” at the beginning of the writing period. This is having students state what they will be doing during writing time (i.e. drafting, editing, etc.)

*Teachers can take notes about student needs and progress during writing conferences.

Grading Writing:

*Not every piece of writing needs a grade assigned to it! Students need to feel free to explore new genres and styles of writing without fear of a grade attached.

*Students can learn to make evaluative comments on their own writing. I think this is important because self-reflection has a much deeper meaning to many.

*Arrive at report card grades by reviewing notes and writing folders.

The authors also talked about statewide writing tests and how to prepare students. We no longer do state writing tests, although we do have high stakes testing where the students need to know how to respond to reading. I think that by having a balanced writing workshop, students will be better prepared for testing.

Things I will take to heart as a teacher:

*Yay, I don’t have to put a grade on everything! I currently don’t, but I didn’t have the verbal reasoning why before.

*Student-self evaluation is a powerful tool!