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 * __Tracking Our Class Discussions about Teaching Writing__**

The purpose of this Wiki Page is to summarize our weekly conversations regarding important topics concerning the teaching of writing. Each week, I will post a summary of our class discussions as well as questions raised during these discussions. I also will post links to additional resources pertinent to these discussions. This page is organized by weeks and links to each week are listed under the "Navigation" section to the left of this page.
 * __Purpose and Use__**

The Home page of this site can also be used for posting questions you have about teaching writing, specific to your own classroom. Students should feel free to post solutions in response to these questions as well.

Feel free to visit this site frequently to read these summaries and to make connections between the topics discussed each week. Also, feel free to post comments, answers to questions, relevant resources, etc. that will increase the value of this Wiki Space and inform our thinking.

Feel free to post questions you have about teaching writing and to respond to students' posted questions. You can also bring your questions and ideas to class, and we can discuss these ideas during the first five minutes of class.
 * __Student-Generated Questions about Teaching Writing__:**


 * ||  || __**Student-Generated Question -- How Can I Increase the Effectiveness of a Group Essay**__?

[|rlh252] In my classroom we are working on a group essay. The class is composing a 5 paragraph essay - PSSA style - so that we (the teachers) can model the writing process. We brainstormed, organized, decided on a controlling idea, and are now writing as a class. With a significant amount of prompting, the class verbally tells my mentor teacher what to write on the projection screen. This is usually a very tedious and painful process - like pulling teeth. I wish that my mentor teacher would have the students individually write down what they think should come next in the essay and then share those ideas with the class. This would allow them to do their own work as well. However, this is not the case. It seems as if a core group of students does most of the talking while the others zone out. All in all, the class seems to be doing a nice job. But, I don't think that it is an authentic activity nor does it help the students who need it the most. Moreover, the class is reluctant to participate and resists the activity because they claim that it really isn't their own paper. One student said, "Yea, it is ours, but it isn't mine." The lack of a sense of ownership is exactly the opposite response I expected.

This seems to fall under into the realm of teaching writing, and I am going to use this situation in my Ed Psych paper. So, I figured that I'd throw it out here on the Wiki and see what happens.

__**Suggestions in Response to This Question**__:
 * When working with a mentor teaching, it might be possible to do some team teaching. In this particular classroom situation, students could be divided into two groups (approximately 10 students per group) and the intern teacher and the mentor teacher could each help one of the groups create a group essay. In smaller groups, more students might feel comfortable sharing their ideas and contributing to the group essay.
 * In order to prepare students to have ideas to contribute to the group essay, perhaps students could work in pairs or trios after determining the controlling idea as a class. In these pairs and trios, students could do some writing and brainstorming so that when the teacher looks for ideas from the entire class, students have had time to prepare and think about how they want to contribute.
 * In order to increase participation, the teacher could make students accountable for contributing at least one thing to the group essay. Students should be told ahead of time how they will be held accountable so that they have clear instructions and directions. ||