I’d like to see every one of my colleagues assign writing: at least one larger assignment per semester. And I mean EVERY one. Gym teacher? Yes. And art and world language and music. There are two reasons I feel this way. I think writing about a subject in the correct context has the ability to deepen understanding. It could involve analyzing two artists. It could evaluate several activities on cardiovascular impact. It could compare and contrast two languages. In music class, students could critique themselves or the work of famous musicians. These all involve higher order thinking, and they would be expressed using writing.
My district recently picked up science materials from the Battle Creek Math and Science Center. The kits include many of the things I already have in my classroom cupboards. I would say 75% of the activities and investigations were already being done in my room. The students would take notes about observations and write things like a hypothesis. Not bad for a science class. What I like most about the science kits is the journal. It has writing for before, during, and after the investigations. Students need to write down words on one page to organize ideas. On another page, there might be drawing, coloring, and writing a caption. But there always is a place to explain ideas! Each student has a chance to write down ideas. Not just some scribbles in their notebook, but a composed, well-thought-out answer. The sad part is, I think I’m the only one using the journals. Sure I skip a page or two. But it is an incredible resource. Plus, it is much easier to go through than student notebooks. I know what page to go to when I’m looking for an assignment.
Shouldn’t the math department be writing also. You bet! My teaching partner printed off the written portion of the Discovery Education math test (the ones we skip when we take the test). She assigns them. Students have to explain how they are solving problems. They need to be metacognitive, organized, and communicate effectively. Well done!
These are just some of the simple ideas I jotted down without much thought. Imagine if these teachers worked with others to develop a writing assignment. It could be awesome! But we won’t sit down together. LA meets in one room, music teachers in another. Sometimes the encore teachers are excused from our PD because it “doesn’t fit” with what they do. (Don’t we both teach children? How is that not connected?) The culture of our building needs to change. Our district needs to set goals for writing across the curriculum. The Common Core (love them, or hate them) has set the standards for writing and technology in all subjects.
It just makes sense to give our students all the necessary tools to be successful in our information age.
Bailey Lake Michigan Writing Project 2013 