Literacy Now

Distance learning at the height of the pandemic took its toll on students academically and emotionally. Even though most students are back in class this year, things aren’t quite back to normal. Most are wearing masks and many are living with the impact of COVID-19 on their lives and in their communities. In our work with schools, we hear that students continue to crave connection and higher levels of engagement.

But how do we help students stay connected and engaged in deeper learning when being at school still means communicating through masks, dealing with student and teacher absences due to COVID-19 exposures, and catching up on lessons and learning experiences lost to distance learning? There is, of course, no one solution to the problem, but many educators are finding that project-based learning (PBL) provides a way forward by developing knowledge and skills through authentic learning experiences that generate student interest and enthusiasm.

Authenticity is a key feature of high-quality PBL. In our ongoing work codesigning and researching project-based learning with high school English language arts teachers in Colorado and Michigan, we created a set of literacy-related PBL projects that teachers can adapt to their own ELA curriculum and community. Students and teachers have given us great feedback on these resources and report that the most successful projects are those that feel real and important,  projects that call for students to do work that they and other people care about.

For example, a ninth-grade student we’re calling Sara (to protect her privacy) was in a project-based ELA class at a high school in northern Colorado. In one project, her teacher, Robert Laurie, supported his students to be “human interest storytellers” and consider the questions “What happened here?” and “How do authors use time, place, and perspective to tell a compelling story of what happened?” In project-based learning classrooms, students often have choice and voice in creating final products, and that was the case in Mr. Laurie’s classroom, where students could present their stories in a variety of formats. Sara ended up creating a short video, or “digital story.”

Her experience demonstrates the three main ways project-based learning activities can be authentic:

• to the learner
• to others
• through the tools and practices used

Sometimes, as was the case for Sara, a project is authentic in all three ways.

Authentic to the learner

Sara found the project to be personally relevant to her, as did many of her peers. First, the class read a series of short personal vignettes, such as one about the 2013 floods in Colorado in which days of historic rainfall led to massive flooding and dangerous mudslides. Then the students wrote vignettes based on the same themes but tied to their own lives and experiences. The themes included “a decision,” “your neighborhood,” “an event,” and “someone you know.”

After Sara wrote four personal vignettes, she chose the most compelling to build out into a video story. It told about the invasive back surgery she experienced a little over a year before because of her scoliosis. She felt the vignette was meaningful because it was so personally difficult and important to her and to her relationships with others. Composing a more elaborate story was an opportunity to dig= deeper.

Authentic tools and practices

When it came to how Sara went about making her video, she followed practices that professional filmmakers use—scripting and storyboarding—to plan the sequence of her video content, narration, and images. After doing some research, and with the guidance of her teacher, Sara used a software program called WeVideo that uses the same kinds of conventions that high-end video editing programs use. These tools and practices provided essential elements of scaffolding, as the storyboard provided a means for laying out the pieces and working on the flow, and the WeVideo program enabled Sara to try out the ideas in her refined storyboard.

What she was doing was authentic to film production as well as English language arts. Rather than asking students to complete separate, isolated assignments to fulfill ELA standards, Mr. Laurie integrated standards-based instruction into the long-term project. He supported Sara in developing skills such as effectively expressing herself and telling a compelling multimodal story. Part of the drive to craft and hone a compelling story came from the third element of authenticity: making sure it resonated with others.

Authentic to others

The ultimate goal of this project was to create a product that Sara would be proud to share in a public film festival. Mr. Laurie organized the festival with a flyer advertising the films that would be shown and scheduled it for a time when parents could come. After the screening, Sara admitted to feeling nervous because the project was so personal. But she said she was glad she decided to share it. She noted that it was “a way for me to connect to my parents about this, because one of the problems that I had after my surgery was that they tried to be there, but I didn’t really feel like they were taking care of me. They got angry at me, and I got angry at them.” After they watched the video, Sara and her parents talked about those tensions with the benefit of looking back.

Project-based learning can be a great way to engage students in deeper conversations not only with their peers but also with their families and the community around them, particularly through public presentations with authentic audiences. In the case of Sara, it led to a rich dialogue with friends and family about a topic on which she became an expert.

Bring PBL into your classroom

We know that project-based learning can feel daunting at first. However, it’s worth giving it a try. The teachers we have observed and worked with almost invariably attest to it being worthwhile, especially in these challenging times when young people are so in need of joyful learning experiences that feel meaningful to them. If you’re wondering where to start, just ask your students. They know what’s authentic to them!

Joe Polman and Alison Boardman are professors at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education. Polman is a professor of learning sciences and human development who specializes in project-based learning environments. Boardman is an associate professor of equity, bilingualism, and biliteracy who explores literacy instruction that is supportive of all learners in inclusive classrooms. They are coauthors, with Antero Garcia and Bridget Dalton, of the book Compose Our World: Project-Based Learning in Secondary English Language Arts, a finalist for the Literacy Research Association’s Edward B. Fry Book Award for best books in literacy research and practice in 2021. They also are codevelopers of the ninth-grade ELA curriculum highlighted in the book.

The tutor’s exasperated look was clear in my monitor. Her first-grade student had disappeared once again to seek out a toy to share and her literacy tutoring session had become another episode of show and tell. The tutor was looking to me, her coach, for help. It was up to me to lead and guide.

How could we engage this student in a meaningful learning activity in this new online world?

A pandemic challenge

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a rapid transition from face-to-face to online teaching for most educators. Our Literacy Research Center and Clinic at University of Wyoming had become accustomed to one-on-one tutoring in a physical space in triads: elementary student, undergraduate tutor, and literacy coach. When we had to move tutoring to an online environment, it brought many challenges.

The largest of these challenges was how to teach writing. Our traditional approaches to supporting young writers were no longer possible, at least not without creative adjustment. When a student wrote and showed their writing, the text would often appear backward on the camera. Keyboarding for some students was laborious, and students limited their production because typing was a slow process and they lost their train of thought or lost interest, frustrated by their inability to produce a text in a timely manner.

For the youngest of students, the challenges were numerous. They were now learning how to negotiate the online platforms while learning literacy skills. They also were not in physical proximity, so keeping them engaged and focused on the tasks became problematic. They learned to turn off their sound and their camera, and distractions were numerous as they worked in their homes. One of our first graders even began to ask her Alexa device for spellings, which brought a moment of brevity. This particular first grader is also the one featured in the opening who turned each tutoring time into a show and tell session about her toys. It became clear that we were going to need to work with her interests if we were going to engage her in reading and writing.

Let’s try an old approach

The tutor and I met to debrief after a particularly challenging tutoring session, and we discussed how to work with writing in an online environment. During our conversation, I found myself discussing a language experience approach (LEA) to writing for this student. This approach was one I’d used with young students earlier in my career, and I thought it might work in our new reality.

Could we take her stories about her toys and turn them into a dictate story, typing them live as she dictated, and then use them for a text to practice reading? We decided to give this a try during the next few sessions.

Success celebrated

A good reminder

LEA has been around since the 1960s. Some references even say it has been used since 1920. It has been used most recently to support adult learners and English learners. As a literacy teacher, I hadn’t thought about using this approach with young readers and writers for a very long time. This use during a tutoring session was a strong reminder of its benefits. The student saw her thoughts and story appear in written text in real time. She saw oral language become written language. She successfully authored a text that could then be used for reading practice. She was engaged and motivated and produced a text that served as a model for further writing.

Of course, the student also engaged in her own physical writing over time in the tutoring sessions and that aspect of writing development is important. Beginning with this approach, though, served to build confidence and modeled the writing process for her, keying off her oral language and interests.

Even though it was used out of necessity when transitioning to an online environment, the success experienced was a good reminder that this type of approach can work in any learning environment to create and support the authoring of text and to allow students to begin to form an identity as a writer and reader.

Instructional tips

• Find opportunities. When students seem disengaged or frustrated with writing, this can be one method for engaging them. It makes their thinking visible in print and uses their authentic language to produce a text for reading practice.
• Connect reading. You are creating an authentic text. Encourage students to read the text for a variety of purposes and audiences.
• Support all students. This approach can be adapted for a variety of student needs.

Amy Spiker is the newly appointed executive director of the Literacy Research Center and Clinic at the University of Wyoming. She teaches literacy courses to preservice and inservice elementary teachers.

Many parents and caregivers look at their children’s math homework and say it looks nothing like the math they learned as kids. Today, students use more strategies to solve problems and focus on conceptual understanding of math rather than just relying on memorization and tricks. But what appears to be less obvious to parents is that literacy instruction has evolved dramatically too—particularly when it comes to how we teach writing.

Integrating reading and writing

I remember, not too fondly, one writing assignment I gave my students in which I asked them to write about the most disgusting thing that happened to them. It led to giggles and students were paying attention that day. But were they learning much to support their success in school and beyond? Not really.

I also love a fourth-grade lesson in which teachers ask students to write about what makes a literal and figurative “great heart” after assigning them to read the scientific book all and other texts about Clara Barton, the nurse who founded the American Red Cross. Students learn about biology, anatomy, and an important figure in American history while developing their writing skills at the same time.

No more blank stares

This approach is very different from the writing prompts I used earlier in my career that were based only on the students’ personal experiences. Those might have included assignments like, “Write about what you did this weekend” or “Write about a memorable moment in your life.”

The truth is, when I asked those kinds of questions, I often got panicked stares. Many students would say they didn’t have anything to write about. This was especially true for students who felt their home lives weren’t as colorful or interesting as that of their peers. This raised concerns about equity and whether we were ensuring all voices were heard in the classroom.

I started to shift my instruction when Tennessee adopted new college and career standards about a decade ago. The standards showed me the value of connecting reading and writing assignments. Now, thankfully, classroom resources and practices are catching up with the standards, and we’re seeing much more robust literacy instruction across the grades in our schools.

Steps you can take

So, if you’re an educator, explore how curating rich texts around a meaningful knowledge-building topic will support all students in becoming stronger writers. Consider moving away from having students draw on their own experiences as writing topics and toward offering equitable access to shared knowledge. You will be amazed at the insightful writing your students will create.

Encourage parents to look at the assignments coming home and consider whether they look like the writing tasks of their school days. Hopefully, they’ll say they are different and better. The homework should encourage students to engage with great books and build their knowledge on important topics, all while developing strong writing skills.

Students have been through a lot this past year and a half, particularly when it comes to educational disruptions. But if we keep making progress in the English language arts classroom, I’m confident we can help young people develop the skills and knowledge to be great readers and writers. That’s something to feel thankful for as we settle into this school year—and beyond.

Educator Meg Kinlaw, a new ILA member, is a curriculum developer for Wit & Wisdom, an English language arts curriculum published by Great Minds. She previously taught middle and high school students and served as an English language arts consultant with the Tennessee Department of Education. You can follow her on Twitter at @meg0701. 

Do you struggle getting your students to enjoy writing? Lack of motivation at writing time was a dilemma I faced until I made a few small changes during my writing workshop to emphasize objective feedback and opportunities to engage students in writing that is relevant, authentic, and challenging.

Writing dilemma #1: Getting started

I tend to be a teacher of routine when it comes to how I teach writing. I teach my minilesson, which includes opportunities for scaffolded practice in the large group, with partners, and then individually. As students get back to their desks and sit down, all too often I hear “I don’t know what to write!” coming from the same student. This particular student, who I will call Max (pseudonym), is one of the most academically gifted students in my class, performing above grade level for all academic subjects. Each day, Max stresses over what to write about, which in turn leads to a brainstorming conference with me to get some writing ideas flowing. Once Max has an idea, he becomes a writing machine! I began to ask myself: How can I help this student to become more motivated to get started each day?

I realized I was missing an important step in the writing process. Perhaps students should work together with a writing partner to brainstorm writing ideas before they get started on their writing. Fien De Smedt, Steve Graham, and Hilde Van Keer stress the importance of allowing students to work in a peer writing relationship because of the positive impact it will have on writing motivation. When students are able to pair up with a writing partner and discuss topics to write about on a daily basis, they can aid each other and ignite ideas, leading to more independence from the teacher.

Writing dilemma #2: Assigning topics

Another writing dilemma that students commonly face is the fact that they are disinterested in the writing topic that is assigned by the teacher. Oftentimes students are not able to relate to a specific topic that the teacher assigns. If students cannot make a connection to the topic, then writing motivation plummets. By allowing flexibility in writing topics, students can pick a subject area that is of interest to them. Teachers can still provide a general guideline of how a writing assignment should be completed and even give a list of idea topics that could be chosen. What if a student still does not find a topic from the list the teacher provides? Allow students to move outside the writing topics if they can continue to follow the writing guidelines.

Writing dilemma #3: Choosing activities that challenge

As teachers, we are constantly differentiating in our classroom to meet the needs of our students for reading and math. Why not do the same for our writers? When students find writing activities to be challenging enough to be successful and achieve the writing goal, then they will be more motivated to write. Researchers Shui-fong Lam and Yin-kum Law state, “a task that is challenging yet achievable is motivating because it enhances students’ perceived value and expectancy of success.” When writing tasks are too easy or too difficult and not in the correct zone of learning, students will not be motivated to complete the assignment. It is our job as teachers to make sure these activities are achievable so students can feel successful. One way to do this is by adjusting the length of a writing assignment to meet the needs of individual writers. If a student struggles to write, keeping a shorter goal may be more motivating for the student.

Writing dilemma #4: Providing feedback

In my early years of teaching, I often found myself with my colored pen fixing spelling errors, punctuation, and grammar on my students’ writing assignments. I was never taught how to properly teach writing when I got my undergraduate degree. Proper training in how to teach writing is a key element to motivating writers. I soon learned that letting my students write phonetically and leaving their writing with spelling errors was part of the writing process for elementary students. Teachers must work toward a growth mind-set with their students, which will in turn lead towards motivation in writing. When giving feedback to students, it is important to find the positives in their work. Providing objective feedback on a student’s writing instead of criticizing errors will help keep students feeling positive about their progress. 

Motivating writers

By making small adjustments to your writing routine, your students will feel more motivated to write. Allowing students to choose topics of interest is one way to motivate your students. Another way is by providing tasks that are challenging yet allow them to feel successful as writers. Last, offering feedback that is objective and positive will help students develop a growth mind-set. By integrating these objectives into your writing instruction, you will motivate your students to become enthusiastic and motivated about writing.

Juliana Ekren is a graduate student at Concordia University St. Paul in Minnesota.

Organization, neatness, and structure have never come naturally to me. I will be the first to admit that I am one of the least organized people you will ever meet. My to-do list rarely gets finished; I have a desktop that is a mosaic of mismatched files and downloads; my office is cluttered with books, sticky notes, and note cards; and don’t even get me started on my closet. Perhaps my penchant for clutter, chaos, and disarray is why I have such a love for writing and teaching it.

Writing is messy

You see, real, honest, authentic writing is messy. Real writing is that early morning, just-out-of-bed look—not the “I’m ready for my close up,” pretend this is how I look at 5:00 a.m., Instagram post–worthy version. Nah. Real, authentic writing does not just emerge polished and ready to publish. Instead, it often requires practice and work. To quote Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias, “It takes some effort to look like this!” and writing is no different. It is a unique process, complicated and non-linear. Recursive and dynamic. The writing process is organized chaos. Fragments falling. Sentence puzzles taken apart and put back together. Words omitted. Words added. There is no one right way to write. And this is why I love it.

And this is why students need to write often and for a variety of purposes: They need practice. Authentic writing is rarely formulaic, neatly contained, and boxed in. It can’t be reduced to a clever acronym where students fill in the blanks and respond, and it certainly isn’t something that we can race to complete. Because real writing looks messy, it requires deliberate planning and purpose, strategic thinking and decision making, and careful consideration and awareness of audience and purpose. Plus, writing often and for a variety of purposes not only helps students become better writers but also aids in their development as readers.

The only way that students will get better at writing is by writing. Writing engagements can be used in any content classroom, at any time, and with any audience. Regardless of a student’s reading or writing skills or level, there is some type of writing that they can do daily.

Parachute Writings

I use the term Parachute Writings (PWs) to describe quick writing opportunities that can be easily deployed in the classroom. PWs can be dropped into just about any lesson and require limited up front preparation.

Just like parachutes prevent skydivers from crashing into the ground, PWs offer an element of safety for students. They are quick, low stakes, and flexible, which provides students the opportunity to practice multiple writing skills for a variety of purposes and audiences in short bursts.

PWs can be conducted with a partner or in a group setting, which offers another level of safety. Think about real skydivers: Before they attempt a solo jump, they take part in tandem jumps as part of their learning and training. Writing is no different. Building confidence in writing often is achieved through collaborative exercises and peer engagements.

PWs can be dropped into lessons at multiple points in your teaching on a frequent, daily basis; however, you need to be mindful about when the writing should be deployed and where. Although versatile and flexible, there is a specific element of purposeful implementation when using PWs. When planning PWs and adding them into lessons, it is helpful to consider the overall objectives and goals of the lesson.

Here are some easy PWs that you might try in your own teaching.

• Drop Drafts are great PWs that can be used at any point in a lesson. Have students stop what they are doing and write for a minute or so (this can be in the form of a prompt or question posed by the teacher or other writing task). Remind students that this writing is only going to be seen by them so they will be more likely to write truthfully and freely. After the students finish their Drop Draft, have them crumble up their papers and “drop” them in the trash on the way out the door. Because this PW is not graded or read by peers, it can be used not only for clarification or understanding of content but also for sensitive, non-academic issues.
• Quick writes (QWs) are some of the easiest PWs because they can take on multiple forms with the click of a pen. In a flash, QWs can transform into a whole different writing engagement based on the context and purpose of the lesson. These quick bursts of writing are often shared with peers or extended later into more developed pieces of writing. Plus, quick writes offer students the ability to read and respond to a variety of texts using any number of activator questions or thinking prompts.
  
  Easy QWs might involve a small excerpt of text such as song lyrics, a short passage from a novel, or a poem. You might ask students to write about what the piece reminds them of, have them borrow a line from the writing, or pick out words they like. You can also use images, movie clips, and objects for QWs. For example, one summer I used slices of watermelon as a descriptive writing QW for my students. QWs are great not only for daily writing but also for extension opportunities. If students connect with a particular QW, they can choose to extend it to a more developed piece later.
• Hear This is a strategy that works extremely well with listening and speaking lessons, highly descriptive texts, or concepts that require students to visualize material. An easy way to incorporate this type of writing is in tandem with highly descriptive material. As the text is read aloud to the students, they draw what they hear, thus creating a physical visual of the material. After students have created this visual accompaniment to the read-aloud text, have them add words from the text on sticky address labels or sticky notes and affix them to the drawing. This is a great way to teach not only listening comprehension and visualization but also textual evidence.

Regardless of the subject area or grade level, offering students multiple opportunities to write helps them grow into strong, confident writers. Try deploying one of these Parachute Writing activities into your lessons and watch your students soar.

Interested in reading about more high-interest, engaging ways to get students to write? Pick up a copy of Write Now and Write On: 37 Strategies for Authentic Daily Writing in Every Content Area to learn more about easy-to-implement writing ideas for students.

ILA member Rebecca G. Harper is an associate professor of literacy at Augusta University, Georgia. She serves as an invited speaker and keynote presenter for a variety of literacy conferences and delivers literacy professional development sessions across the United States. Her research interests include sociocultural theory, critical literacy, and content and disciplinary literacy. She resides in Aiken, SC, with her husband, Will, and children, Amelia, Macy Belle, and Vin. You can follow her on Twitter and on Instagram.