"Lost in a Sea of Ink"

Roseanne Slater

Think piece 8

            As I started to read the article, Lost in a sea of ink: How I survived the storm, by Andrew D. Sheehan and Cynthia M.  Sheehan, I was immediately drawn to Andrew’s story and the journey he and his mother (Cynthia Sheehan) traveled. Andrew  was diagnosed with a writing disability, ADHD, hearing loss, and profound learning disabilities.   The section in which a teacher commented on Andrews work left me feeling angry and sorry for this young boy, who was completely misunderstood. The teacher wrote:

            Unacceptable work, Andrew! Andrew was sent to

            the office to do his work. Of course it was done

            poorly, but I wanted to make an "impression" on

            him about doing his work. I must say, I have become

            quite frustrated about his performance in school. N.E.

            (teachers initials) This paper represents  a full day’s work.

            He also managed to squeeze in  math paper.  (pg. 21)

            I believe this comment should leave every teacher cringing in their seats.

Sadly, Andrew was thrown into a system that did not understand his needs, and where Andrews attempts to be successful were deemed “unacceptable”. My heart broke as I read his story, as it related to some of my own experiences in education. The school psychologist even told Cynthia that “Andrew was not disabled and that if we would just leave him alone he would be OK” ( pg 21-22) Once again this story sounds familiar to my own. I do not understand, and maybe I will never understand why is it that people who have the ability to make a difference in a child’s life (or anyone’s life) choose not to? Why don’t they do their jobs, educate? Why don’t they stand up for those who need to be spoken for? What stops them? I know the feeling of overcoming a disability, and it is the most life changing feeling a student can have. It is a feeling that will leave them fighting and wanting more, it allows them to succeed!

            Andrew was also a very gifted student in that he could write a great paper, but had difficulty with a simple sentence; he has high vocabulary, was gifted in science but often couldn’t remember his homework, or seem disorganized. It appeared that Andrew was maybe just lazy? For those teachers who do not take the time to understand a student, or study a disability it would appear that Andrew is indeed lazy, and has no disability. It is extremely important; let me say that again, it is extremely important that teachers are educated in the field of special education, or at least have the desire to educate themselves on disabilities.

            Andrew’s mother spoke of two teachers who made the difference in Andrew’s experience in a public education. Sometimes it only takes a few teachers to make a difference in a student’s life. From my own experience I can recall the few the teachers who made the world of difference in my life. Those few teachers gave me the necessary tools to succeed in school and in finding what works for me. I was able to take my knowledge and experience into other classrooms that did not consider my needs. They gave me the tools to become a self advocate thus allowing me to walk into any classroom. Sometimes it takes just one.

cultural diversity

            Immigrant Students and Literacy: Reading, Writing and Remembering by, Gerald Campano, begins with the compelling story of Gerald’s grandfather, Faustino. Faustino came to America in search of a better life but soon found out that foreigners were seen as inferior. As a sailor in the U.S Navy he “always found people” and a community, he never gave up on his journey in becoming an individual and eventually achieved “solidarity with his fellow sailors” ( pg. xiii). With this story Gerald Campano mentions how it can be a challenge to view the lives of immigrants, and to fully understand their journey in the United States. As educators we need to surpass are own personal boundaries to expand are ability to teach those students who are culturally diverse.

            Campano writes this book to “invite teachers to imagine their own classrooms as collaborative sites of inquiry that may inform their practice and have general relevance to the larger educational community” (pg 5) After reading this book one can see the power of inquiry in a classroom and the power a story holds, as this is how Campano explores what it means to teach in a diverse community. In chapter six a section reads “This was a day that had swollen my heart” (pg 80). This section displays not only how boundaries are broken in classroom but how reestablishing boundaries can allow a classroom to explode with success and excitement. Campano allowed his students to have a voice which allowed the hopes and dreams of the community to flood the classroom. The students adapted the school curriculum to reflect their own worldly views. As a teacher Campano also adjusted the curriculum to better fit his students and their needs. He was also concerned with how a school can transform itself by looking at the knowledge and experiences of the students who walk within the walls of that school. Making students out to be individuals and allowing them to reach out and share their stories allows for empathy for one another.  All of the students wrote stories that centered on their families or friends in other towns. Campano and the class made a global bulletin board that displayed the student work allowing the students to even hang pictures of their friends and family. This created a community and allowed the students to even ask each other about their families. The activity transformed family history into collective inquiry.

            I have been in several city schools, and have viewed the cultural diversity within these schools. While I greatly enjoyed my time at the city schools I was able to witness some of the hatred that ran within the school walls. Students from different cultural backgrounds often had difficulty getting along with one another. I feel that as an educator it is my job to make a community within my classroom. It is my job to allow my students the chance to get to know one another. I feel that if these students were given the chance to share life stories that they would see the similarities that exist among them. Thus giving the students the chance to relate and empathize with each other. I also do not believe that this problem only affects our city schools, or more culturally diverse schools. Even while observing in more suburban settings the students often feared those who were different. Socio-economic status along with ethnicity seemed to be a large dividing factor, even among the younger students.  As a teacher we need to break these barriers that exist in our classrooms and schools. We need to allow our curriculum to cater to the differences that thrive in our schools.

spelling and sentence structure

For most of my educational career spelling, sentence combining and writing consisted of spelling tests, and writing that was never given feedback. Today I still struggle with writing, and it is something I am brutally embarrassed about. As a student I found spelling exams pointless and recall very little spelling that I actually learned through an exam. As a student with an IEP, I feel that many teachers did not have high expectations for me, and usually settled with my work. Not many pursued my writing as a tool in helping me become a more skilled writer. As I read chapters eight and nine in Best Practices in Writing Instruction, by Graham, MacArthur and Fitzgerald, I realize that teaching writing practices is a difficult task, but not one that is impossible.

            Chapter eight displays a lesson for a second grade class (pg.167), where the teacher demonstrates how to make more complex sentences by combing sentences. As the teacher demonstrated making simple sentences into more complex sentences and prompted the students to talk, the students began to take hold of the concept. Most all of the students added their input into the lesson creating helpful discussions of why something sounds better by adding or deleting a few words. As I read through this lesson I realized that my own education lacked teachers modeling proper sentence structure. Even in one of my second grade student teaching sites very little was taught about sentence structure and combining sentences. Many of the students papers had short and simple sentences that were often choppy to read. The teachers always seemed to be alright with the work simply saying,” it is better than nothing”. I feel that the statement speaks for itself and only shows how some educators can have such little determination for their students.

            On the opposite end of the spectrum was my second student teaching site, where I had to model writing and sentence structure for my students. The outcome was obvious, more confident students who wrote more fluently and had more complex sentences. Even the weekly spelling list was related to almost all the reading activities in the classroom. The students not only had to learn how to spell the words but they were forced to read the words in books and understand the meaning. The students were able to directly relate to the words through the classroom readings, and book discussions. Many of the students even used some of the new spelling words in their papers because they were proud of the knowledge they gained.

            Chapter nine discusses spelling and the development of spelling. Word sorts allow students to compare and contrasts spelling patterns (pg. 186). Teachers often use word sorts for vowels. I have seen this used in many classrooms, and very often the task is repeated several times to create repetition. I have found this technique to be very helpful for students because the student has to read the word, place it in to correct row, then read the row again. The student is reading, observing word structure, seeing a pattern, and it also allows students to see that the same letter can create different sounds.

            Chapter nine also touches on handwriting, and I think practicing letter structure is a great idea for any classroom. Practicing hand writing will almost certainly benefit all students and may even “prevent writing disabilities” (pg. 196). While student teaching I saw the many benefits to practicing hand writing. Not only did it give the students a chance to just simply focus on letter formation but it allowed the teacher to look at the students work to see where he/she may need help. The students knew what was expected of them, and usually produced quality hand writing. My only complaint about teaching handwriting is the fact that it can be monotonous for students. How ever chapter nine mentions that hand writing practice can be a fun activity. The book mentions using story and song based instruction which can be engaging for all students.

meaningful practice

             “Test –driven curriculum dominates instruction and leaves little space for authenticity, creativity, or individuality of teachers and students” (Creating Space for Teaching Writing and for Test Preparation, by Nancy Rankie Shelton and Dangling Fu, Pg 120) Within this article several interviews were given where it was shown that teaching to the test causes boredom and frustration for teachers and students alike. While reading Best Practices in Writing Instruction, by Graham, MacArthur, and Fitzgerald I noticed how important and how often authentic writing was mentioned for effective writing practices within a classroom.  Within chapter thirteen of Best Practices in Writing Instruction, it was noted that writing activities that are focused on significant matter, have the best academic outcome because it allows for meaningful practice. Chapter thirteen also mentions that, “learning is more effective when motivated by a clear purpose”           (pg. 268).

            While my experience within a classroom is limited I do realize students need clear and precise expectations along with a set purpose for any activity. I have also seen the outcome of authentic meaningful writing vs. writing for the sake of writing. The difference I saw was astounding.  When students were given a purpose and could intimately relate to the material, the only sound in the room was that of scratching pencils on neatly lined paper. For example after Thanksgiving  students were given the chance to write about their Thanksgiving meal, draw a picture then share with the class. The students were excited and some even glowed with confidence and smiles as they read what they wrote to the class. In another writing activity the students had to look at a picture of a circus, and write about what they saw within the picture. Most of my students had never been to a circus and many of them seemed less than interested. Needless to say the writings were short with little detail and imagination. Many of my students needed help staying on task, and often needed help forming ideas and sentences. I was surprised at the response of the class because overall the class had strong writers who needed little prompting to finish a writing task. 

            Chapter seven in Best Practices in Writing, touches on evaluation and revising. While reading through instructional examples I noticed a fourth grades class peer revising strategy:

            1. Listen while the author read the paper

            2. Tell what the paper was about and what you liked best about it

            3. Read the story and ask the evaluation questions

            4. Discuss the evaluation and ways to make the paper better

            5. Author makes changes. ( Pg. 151)

Peer reviewing is a great way to get every student involved in the revision process. It allows the authors to look more constructively at their own writing, and allows the peer a chance to showcase their understanding on the writing process.  It gives its student writers an audience of readers who can identify strengths, and problems within the paper. Peer reviewing allows for recommendations so that both parties are effectively taking part in the revision process. While I have seen peer-reviewing work within a classroom I feel that it is important to have clear set directions on how to effectively implement it into a class. While observing a class I noticed a teacher did not give her students clear expectations and the students spent most of their time off task. I feel that chapter seven gives a great understanding of peer revising, while also giving good classroom directions to complete the task.

Just Write

            Teachers face many challenges, but one of the most daunting is that of “differentiating instruction so that teaching reaches the diverse range of students present in most classrooms” (pg. 51, Graham).  In chapter three of Best practices in Writing Instruction, by Steve Graham, Charles MacArthur, and Jill Fitzgerald, talk about instructional strategies to help bridge the gap in instructional approaches. Every age group clearly writes differently, and has different abilities. As children age they gradually gain experience and maturity in the writing field. As teachers it is vital to understand a student’s capacity to compose narratives. Once we understand a student’s capacity or developmental level it is vital to find teaching strategies that have been found to effectively support a child’s story composition. 

            Some great ideas given in chapter three involve a comic strip where the students can make a coherent story that is structured. They not only write out the story but they can also draw pictures of the story. When I student taught I saw this strategy in action. The best part was that some students began by writing first and others began by drawing pictures. I noticed the students who had more difficulty with writing usually started with drawing pictures. It allowed the students to be more interactive with the writing and even enjoy the writing process. Another strategy given by chapter three was that of a story plot planning sheet (pg.69).  The sheet allows students to better view the different parts of a story (such as the rising and falling action, the climax etc.). This allows the students to better plan their stories and allows them to visually view what their story is missing or where they may need more ideas.

            Although knowing teaching strategies is important it is also vital to know how to get students started in the writing process. Chapter six stressed PLANNING and pre-writing! Students need a form of support before they begin to write, and this can be done by engaging students in activities before they write their rough drafts. Chapter six mentions brainstorming, organizing using a web or other graphs, draw pictures and reading to get ideas. The next step mentioned in the book was inquiry, where students use a process of question formulation, observation and analysis. The third step is strategy instruction, which is where a teacher explicitly teaches students strategies for planning, or revising.   

            Another aspect of creating good writers is creating an atmosphere that supports students planning, and writing. Planning needs to be valued in a classroom and should be praised! Praising good planning behavior associates positive feelings within the students and their actions. The writing tasks should also be authentic and engaging for the students. If the students do not see the purpose of the writing they will not fully engage themselves. When I observed in a city school district the writing task had to deal with rural communities, and the students could not relate to the material or see its purpose, because it was not fully explained. Due to this most of class did not complete the assignment, and were even confused about a rural community. Without a supportive writing environment students will not succeed in writing, and they will not fully understand the joy that writing can bring. I have seen first hand the differences in a supportive classroom and a classroom that lacks support and expectations. It is heartbreaking to witness and watch students fail before they even begin. The difference in the writing is astounding, and to be honest it is shameful, and often offensive to watch.

Motivating our students

            Motivating students to read and write can be a difficult task. But constructive motivation within a classroom is vital when trying to engage students in a positive experience when reading or writing. Some of the most successful students at reading and writing are those students who are intrinsically motivated. Sadly, some students have lacked the proper encouragement to embrace writing and reading. Best Practices in Writing Instruction, by Steve Graham, Charles, MacArthur and Jill Fitzgerald, talks about three different factors that may affect a student’s motivation to write:

1. Writing can be taught in an inflexible manner, and is perceived by students as a discipline.  

2. Writing tasks can be disconnected from other exercises and classroom activities, thus not allowing students to fully understand the task.

3. Last and not least is a simple concept, writing tasks can be boring! Writing can turn into a routine practice, one in which the student doesn’t feel fully engaged.

Another aspect to a lack of motivation has to do with how a student views themselves, other wise known as self-perception.  A student’s belief about themselves as writers and their ability to manage writing tasks greatly affects their self-perception. If the student does not feel confident in their writing performance this will influence their writing in a negative manner. Thus giving a student loss of motivation to write and complete writing tasks. The book then defines a motivated student by those students “who value and are willing to use writing as a worthwhile activity or means of expression, communication, and elaboration” pg. 205. They are also students who are self-confident and have an overall positive self-perception.

            The book explains how to develop motivated writers,

1. Allowing students to experience writing as a useful activity. What the student has written should have value or relevance to that student.

2. A teacher needs to foster the communicative function of writing, meaning that there needs to be relationships within the classroom and among individuals. Writing should be become a tool for self-expression and communication.

3. Give students novel and challenging tasks. Teachers need not to make it complex but they need to stimulate a student’s will to engage.

            In an article, What Motivates Students to Read? Four Literacy Personalities, by Jill Cole, touches on four different students and their experiences in reading. Through out the case studies she is  able to conclude some important aspects of motivation for reading,

1. Offer rich literate environment and an array of books

2. Have a wide variety of reading experience, such as buddy reading, choral reading, story time, etc.

3. Student voices are important, it is important to create more opportunities for students to express themselves. For example, allowing for response sheets after reading, or having class opinion graphs.

4. Allowing for social interaction

Cole also talks about how we as teachers need to find out the interests of our students. We also need to be aware that every student walks in our classroom with their own beliefs of reading or writing, and these beliefs can either positively or negatively affect a student’s motivation.

key concepts for successful writing

            Where does writing begin in a classroom? Well, it begins with the teachers, and their attitudes towards reading and writing. According to Best practices in Writing Instruction by, Steve Graham, Charles A. Macarthur and Jill Fitzgerald, good classrooms have a lot of writing and instruction, paired with passionate teachers. Some key elements that teachers must keep in mind when  teaching writing are: A teacher must provide scaffolding as students begin a new skill, A teacher should always encourage their students and have high expectations for all students, teachers need to make time for reflections and connections of material, the classroom environment should display student work and allow students to move around, and students should work together when trying to accomplish writing tasks. It was also noted that successful writing classrooms were engaged 90% of the time, with little to no discipline, due to the amount of activity within the classroom. Having high demands on students produces self regulated writers, who are constantly improving on reading and writing skills. An important conclusion drawn from chapter one was simple, the more writing on the wall in a classroom produced more competent writers, which relates to high test scores on exams. The classrooms that were filled with the most amount of writing hanging on their walls demanded more from their students, and demanded more writing from their students.

            I found this conclusion surprising, but amazingly obvious. Now that I look back on student teaching and I compare my city school district site to my suburban site I realize there was a distinct difference between the two. My city school district site lacked writing on the wall, writing standards, and even writing instruction. In fact very little was expected of these students, and most teachers had low expectations for the students. In my suburban site, writing was modeled, displayed in the classroom and words and instruction were everywhere you looked. The students were also expected to write pages at time, rather than just a paragraph or two. The students in the suburban site were not only confident writers, but they loved to share their work, and work with others. 

             In a research article, Put an Idea Together, Collaboration and Composition in Third-Grade Writing Workshop, conducted by, Ruth Davenport, and Julie Ekberg, they concluded that children should read and write together. Their research only strengthens the idea that Steve Graham, Charles A Macarthur, and Jill Fitzgerald concluded, that teachers need to be the facilitators, and allow students to work together, with proper scaffolding. In the research done by Davenport and Ekberg, they found three different types of student collaboration, in which they saw that student collaboration provided great demonstrations for one another. The first collaboration observed was parallel writing, then y-writing, and lastly collective writing. Parallel writing consists of students writing together and each is writing their own copy, and example would be a play. Collective writing assigns each person a different role that they must fulfill.  But the key is to allow the students to assign the roles. For example one student may be the publisher, while another is the writer or editor. Y-writing  has one student write a portion of the story , then another student will write there own portion to the story from the one that was previously written. Once this is done the students will then write the rest of story working together.

            The research also pointed out some key factors for writing: 1.The teacher needs to establish community writers 2. Physical space is important to plan out, the classroom needs to be set up for movements, and have bean bags and carpets for writing. 3. Materials need to be available, and the students need a sufficient amount of tools through out the classroom. 4. A teacher needs to allow choice! This promotes ownership of the writing and allows students to explore. 5. A sharing circle allows a teacher to not only bring a writing workshop to a close but it allows students to share with their peers. 6. Publication possibilities need to be considered. When students are done with their work, their work should be celebrated! I know from my own experience in a classroom that students love to share their hard work, and often gain confidence and can not wait for the next assignment.