Jigsaw: Deidra M. Gammill; "Learning the Write Way"

In “Learning the write way” we hear, well read multiple ways to incorporate writing into other subjects other than just language arts. It suggests the usage of KWL charts so that students may record things they already know about a subject, what they want to know, and then toward the end of the unit what they learned. It is also suggested that instead of allowing the students to write in bullet points that you have them write out their KWL in complete sentences. It also suggests the usage of Venn diagrams in a similar manner. It also suggest the usage of reading journals (or learning logs) giving the students a place to write about what they are reading as they are reading it. It creates a risk free environment where the students do not have to worry about spelling and punctuation but still write out what they know. These are assessed only for content by the teacher not for spelling and grammar. Lastly it comments on how you must be patient so that students will ease into it and eventually will begin to write in their log without you forcing the issue.

I could and would definitely use these ideas in my classroom. For fourth graders, many of whom still struggle with spelling, it gives them a place to write without constantly having to ask how to spell something or look it up. Also the learning log if used for things like social studies and science reading would make it so that a student did not have to look back through the whole reading to find a point he/she wanted they would be able to look at what they wrote down. This also has an advantage over highlighting because students are, in the learning log, writing down the information increasing the likely hood that it will be remembered at a later date.

When using this in the classroom I would personally like to be better experienced at explaining the appropriate way of using these resources to the students and be able give examples better than I could now. I think the learning log especially will be a great help to me as I do my unit. The students already do something similar to this in my room and I don’t think it will be challenging to get them to be more relaxed about writing things and taking notes related to my unit, making it so when they go to write a bigger piece they have notes to refer back to.