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| Instructor: | Renee Williams |
| Telephone: | 971-4504572474 |
| E-mail: | williamsr@uwstout.edu |
| Office appointment calls available via Skype: renwill11 in Dubai, U.A.E. |
Course Description
Concepts, instructional methods and
assessment strategies for improving writing instruction, middle school
through post-secondary. Self-assessment strategies, application of
6-traits, technology and software applications, and writing across the
curriculum.
This class will focus on how to apply the
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's 6+1 Traits™ model to the
process of teaching and evaluating writing.
The course
activities will investigate the vocabulary, concepts, and application of
writing traits to classroom instruction and student assessment. Take a
few moments to review the class objectives.
Each module is structured around an Introduction, Readings, Lecture, Activities, an Activity Checklist, and Discussion Forum.
You
will work individually and as part of a community to practice and
refine your assessment skills. You will score a variety of demonstration
papers, discuss your rationale with online colleagues, discover a
variety of classroom strategies for teaching the traits, and share your
own teaching methods.
While online education is highly
flexible and designed to meet your schedule, you will need to set and
meet deadlines as part of your weekly assignments and collaborative
work. Additionally, your colleagues will depend on you for timely
feedback as you work together to deepen and clarify essential concepts.
E-Textbook Included
Spandel, Vicki. (2012). Creating Writers: 6 Traits, Process, Workshop, and Literature (6th Edition). Pearson. ISBN: 978-0132944106
Additional reading materials will be included as e-mail mini lectures or references on the WWW.
When
you log in to the course, you will access the e-textbook to read online
from your tablet, laptop or desktop. The e-textbook software is
compatible with an iPad, Kindle Fire or fully Internet-capable device.
It is not compatible with a Kindle Reader.
You can
highlight info and organize info in the e-book (i.e. adding a note
stating something like "reference in my discussion posting") and print
only what you want for use as a study guide. You may share notes and
highlighting with peers in the class. Printing of the entire textbook is
allowed for your personal professional use.
University Email
Checking your university email daily is recommended.
You may configure your mobile device to receive your university email automatically. Directions are provided at: http://helpdesk.uwstout.edu/kb/resolution.asp?q_id=262
Click on the appropriate link for directions that match your device.
If you need assistance, please call 715-232-5000.
Objectives
- Articulate the 6-Traits theory of writing and its
relevance with the components of writing workshop, writing process, and
authentic literature in the PK-4 classroom.
- Analyze the relationship between reading and writing and how each can be enhanced using the 6 traits.
- Apply a variety of prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing techniques used in the writing process.
- Apply the 6-traits rubrics to analytically score writing
samples and describe reasoning behind scoring decisions based on the
point scale rubrics of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
(NWREL) and the Oregon Public Education Network (O.P.E.N.).
- Score online demonstration papers to practice analytical scoring for each of the 6 traits.
- Differentiate 6-traits instruction based on a wide range of
academic diversity including English language learners and special needs
students.
- Redesign current language arts lessons and integrate the 6-traits approach with developmentally appropriate learning activities.
- Integrate use of technology, easy access to online research resources, and digital writing and editing tools.
- Design an action plan to increase the frequency of
opportunities for students to write in response to math, science, and
social studies.
- Write reflectively about the themes, topics, and issues involved in teaching with the 6 traits.
By the end of the course participants will be able to
efficiently assess student writing using the 6+1 Traits™ model.
Participants will have shared effective methods for teaching each trait.
Finally, participants will publish an original student sample, complete
with 6-traits scores and rationales.
Instructor-Student Communication
The primary methods for communicating with students with be via...
- Course News Updates,
instructions, advice and tips will be posted in the Course News.
Remember to check it each time you login to your course. Please log in
at least four times a week.
- Discussion Check
the Discussion Board posts and responses regularly and remember that
your level of Discussion Board participation and your discussion summary
will be factored into your grade.
- Your UW-Stout Email Account
Check
the university email at least every other day. Daily is better. No
course communication will be sent to your home/work personal email
accounts.
As we complete each activity, you are encouraged to share your
discoveries and successes with other participants and collaborate during
team problem-solving. Participants may share drafts of
works-in-progress for peer feedback and discuss ideas and suggestions
before submitting the final project.
Each participant
brings unique needs and resources to the group. Our sharing will provide
a broader base of experience as we discover the solutions to each others design needs and challenges.
Since our diverse groups are
usually in many different time zones feel free to use the following aids
to determine what time it is in your classmates' countries and/or
cities. This will help when setting up real-time chats with your
learning partner during collaborative projects.
The World Clock - Time Zones
Evaluation
Your final grade will be based on:
40% - Satisfactory completion of module activities
20% - Final Project
20% - Online Discussion (postings to Discussion Forum)
20% - Self-reflection
Your projects will be evaluated using standards listed on the module rubrics or checklists.
A -- Exceeds the standard
B -- Proficient demonstration of the standard
I -- Incomplete demonstration of the standard (Work must be resubmitted.)
Discussion Board Etiquette (Please Read!)
Evaluation of your Discussion Forum participation
is cumulative and subjective based on notes that the facilitator
records each week. Always feel free to e-mail your facilitator for help
in upgrading your participation in the Discussion Forum.
Exemplary indicates you participated above the minimum level in both quantity and clarity of communication in your Discussion Forum postings.
Proficient indicates
you met the minimum requirement. Discussion postings are timely,
relevant and include some feedback about the readings and responds to
others' comments in the discussions
Partially Proficient Discussion
postings are too few in number, or too trivial to fully meet the
requirement. For example, most of the postings are "I think so too" or
"I disagree", but lack any argument that adds to the discussion or
includes excessive quoting from the material without any real supporting
evidence of how the topic might integrate with their classroom
teaching.
Incomplete indicates
you consistently contributed below the minimum two messages per week or
contributions were merely perfunctory ("I agree with so and so.") or
unclear.
Discussion Rubric
Reflections will be evaluated for clarity and your understanding of the readings and activities.
Any time that you want to ask about your progress, send an email directly to your facilitator.
Grading Scale
| A | 100-94 |
| A- | 93-91 |
| B+ | 90-88 |
| B | 87-84 |
| B- | 83-81 |
| C+ | 80-78 |
| C | 77-74 |
| F | 73 or below |
To maintain Full Academic Standing, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate students.
Course Outline
- Getting Started With Traits Introductions, Community, The 6-Traits Theory, Historical Foundations, The Writing Process, Coaching Students Trait by Trait
- Trait: Voice
Finding
the Courage to Speak from the Heart, Teaching students to be assessors,
Composing and revision in the writing process, Teaching strategies,
Voice and informational writing, Books for teaching Voice, Six point
writing guide
- Trait: Ideas and Content
Generating
Great Ideas, Ideas defined, Lessons and strategies for Ideas, Practice
papers for Ideas, Ideas sample rubrics, Three level writing guide,
Timeline/revision checklist for Ideas, Ideas and informational writing,
Prewriting activities, Ideas as a foundation for meaning, Books for
teaching Ideas
- Trait: Organization
Techniques
and Tips for Structuring Student Writing, Organization defined,
Timeline/checklist for Organization, Teaching of Organization, Books for
teaching Organization, Practice papers for Organization, Focused
lessons for Organization, Three level writing guide, Six point writing
guide
- Trait: Word Choice
Developing
Descriptive Vocabulary to 'Show' What You Know, Word choice defined,
Timeline/checklist for Word Choice, Teaching Word Choice, Books for
Teaching Word Choice, Six point writing guide, Practice papers for Word
Choice, Focused lessons for Word Choice, Informational writing guide
- Trait: Sentence Fluency
Developing
Rhythm, Sentence Fluency defined, Teaching strategies, Teaching
Sentence Fluency, Books for Teaching Sentence Fluency, Practice papers
for Sentence Fluency, Focused lessons for Sentence Fluency
- Trait: Conventions
Conventions
- Editing, Not Correcting / Assessments & Grading, Conventions
defined, Timeline/checklist for Conventions, Books for teaching
Conventions, Teaching Conventions, Scoring for Conventions, Practice
papers for Conventions, Focused lessons for Conventions, Six-trait
rubric
- Practical Applications of the 6-Traits in Writing Across the Curriculum
Use
of technology for collaborative writing and editing in the classroom,
Writers workshops in the disciplines and across the curriculum, Writing
and the discipline areas, Understanding the role of audience, Modes of
writing and the content areas
- The Assessment Roundtable Bringing It All Together
Assessing
middle school, high school and community college writers, Communicating
with students, Expanding the vision of 6-traits and the writing process
in the classroom
Participation and Collaboration
Participants will:
- Exchange posts with their colleagues and participate in discussions using a Discussion Forum
- Review and discuss online and text based reading materials
- Use online examples to practice score each trait
- Score demonstration papers using the rubric and discuss assessment rationale
- Develop and score an original student sample for all traits.
You will be able to customize activities to your specific teaching responsibilities and needs.
Citations
No more that 10% of a discussion posting or paper may be directly quoted.
Tips for documenting direct quotes in a discussion posting or paper: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/
See: "short quotations" and "long quotations" and "summary or paraphrase."
Late Work
Regular, timely feedback to classmates via the
Discussion Board makes this class vital, and prompt submission of
assignments for assessment allows the instructor to give you the
guidance you deserve to receive. Due dates for each module are published
on the course calendar at the start of the class. Work turned in by
midnight on the due date will be considered on time and will receive
full credit.
Life can bring emergencies which may
prevent timely submission of assignments. If you have an emergency which
interferes with your coursework contact the instructor as soon as
possible. Emergencies are defined as serious events which are not
planned. Emergencies cannot be written on the calendar in advance.
Examples of emergencies are heart attacks, car accidents, serious health
crises of the student or in the student's immediate family. Examples of
non-emergencies are family weddings, vacations, or any other event
which can be planned around. If the family calendar looks busy at a
particular time, plan to work ahead on your coursework.
Excused
Makeup Work - If the late submission has been requested and approved in
advance of the due date, there will be no deduction of points from the
grade. An email to the instructor requesting an extension of the due
date must be sent. The instructor will inform you if late submission
will be allowed.
Unless previously excused by the
instructor, work that is submitted after the close of a module will be
penalized 10%. In other words, you need to be on time to earn 100%. You
will only one week to make up late work. Late work will not be accepted
after one week unless previously approved by the instructor.
Please contact the instructor if you have any questions about the late policy.
Accommodations
If you believe the course requirements create a
conflict with your observance of religious holidays, please notify the
instructor within the first two weeks of the semester so that
appropriate alternative options can be arranged.
Accessibility
UW-Stout strives for an inclusive learning
environment. If you anticipate or experience any barriers related to the
format or requirements of this course please contact the instructor to
discuss ways to ensure full access. If you determine that additional
disability-related accommodations are necessary please contact the
Disability Services office for assistance 715-232-2995 or contact the
staff via email at this website: http://www.uwstout.edu/services/disability/contact.cfm
Academic Dishonesty
"Students are responsible for the honest
completion and representation of their work, for the appropriate
citation of sources, and for respect of others' academic endeavors.
Students who violate these standards must be confronted and must accept
the consequences of their actions."
Definitions of academic dishonesty as provided by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators include:
- Cheating — The use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
- Plagiarism — The use of others' ideas and words without a clear acknowledgement of the source.
- Fabrication
— The intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any
information or citation in any academic exercise.
- Assisting — The facilitation or assistance in academic dishonesty.
UW-Stout also considers academic dishonesty to include forgery
of academic documents, or intentionally impeding or damaging the
academic work of others.
Academic misconduct in the University of
Wisconsin System is defined by UWS Chapter 14. "Student Academic
Misconduct / Disciplinary Procedures - UWS," Ch. 14.Â
Technology Requirements and Assistance
Complete the system checkup on this website –https://uwstout.courses.wisconsin.edu/ – by clicking on the link that says:Check your system.
For help with your university email account, password, and login process: http://helpdesk.uwstout.edu
If
you have any questions about these preferences, please call the Madison
Help Desk at one of the numbers listed below and indicate that you are a
UW-Stout student needing help with Learn@UW-Stout. Help is available 7
days a week.
- 1-888-435-7589 select option 3
or
- 1-608-264-4357 select option 3
Problems with Email
Call
715-232-5000 for technical assistance such as forgotten passwords,
email, storage, and problems logging in to Access Stout to view tuition
billing or final grades.
Library Services
To access UW - Stout's Library Services visit http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/.
In addition to traditional and online services, the library maintains
many helpful videos on searching and use of the online research tools.
Help them find their voices!
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