I look forward to getting to know all of you and to reading what you have to say! The beauty of a blog is that everyone has a voice (shy and outgoing alike!), and it also allows you time to think and then share your thoughts.
Your first blog will be to discuss the Write-Around. There were several things we talked about in class: experience starting a story, writing the middle of a story, and ending a story. Then we shared. How do you think this activity would be beneficial in a secondary classroom? In other words, why do it? Why do you think Gallagher recommended doing it on Day One of any secondary classroom?
This activity would be beneficial in a secondary classroom because it would help the students to get experience in multiple areas, like writing, reading, and public speaking. It also incorporates group work and individual work at the same time. Everyone has to do their part individually, but work together as a group to continue each others' stories. I think Gallagher recommended doing it on day one because it automatically gets everyone involved and feeling like they are part of the class. The students who are shy can express their thoughts through writing. The students will also get to know one another a little better through their different writing styles. This activity is a more fun and relaxed activity where the students can learn, but also where they don't have to feel pressured and are automatically included.
ReplyDeleteThis is great for allowing people to meet, if they haven't, and for letting students get to converse a bit if they haven't. I agree there was no pressure, because I was having so much fun.
DeleteThis is a great activity for middle/secondary students, for several reasons. Firstly, it is a wonderful ice breaker. Secondly, it forces students to be creative and think on their feet. Finally, it is extremely fun! In case anyone forgot, not everyone enjoys writing like us English (communication arts) nerds do. -Alex
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of starting off the year, especially in secondary classrooms, with a fun and easy activity that keeps the students minds engaged, but doesn't make them feel like they are being tested or graded yet. I didn't realize how useful this exercise was until Dr. Bum explained that we each just wrote different parts of stories! I agree that it is difficult for one student to write a full story especially in one sitting, so i like the sectioned off technique. I think it would also be interesting to have students choose three different writing prompts and have to use them as the beginning, middle, and end and somehow combine the three.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe this exercise would be extremley beneficial in a secondary classroom. Starting this exercise on day one encourages students to break down barriers and truly express themselves without feeling embarrassed or not good enough. For each story, there was no right or wrong answer. There was no correct or incorrect way to format the story, either. Therefore each student is truly able to express themselves creatively. Another neat thing about this activity is that I believe it can be done multiple times without losing it's value. Each time, I'm protecting my skills, I'm learning new methods of writing, as well as learning to work as a group. I believe I would love to try to this out in my own classroom someday, I think it is a great activity.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the Write-Around activity could benefit a classroom by making writing seem less intimidating right off the back. It would give every person a voice, without making every person talk. It would also give students an easy way to meet their classmates and learn more about the level of creativity within the class. I think that Gallagher recommended every student to participate in this activity on day one in order to help every student know what it is like to struggle and succeed as a writer. Each student had to read the previous writings and then add on to a story they did not start. They have the benefit of not starting and completing one, but three stories as a team.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the write around activity is an excellent tool for secondary teachers to use. It is an excellent ice breaker for the first day of class. The group work helps students learn to work in teams and feel more comfortable around their peers. It also helps students understand that writing can be a fun and exciting activity with others, not sitting alone by themselves. This activity also encourages quick thinking because it is a quick turn around time for a student to switch from story to story and then make something up.
ReplyDeleteThe write around activity is a great ice breaker to use in the classroom on the first day because it allows for fun and creativity while maintaining some anonymity for those who are shy and quiet. It involves quick creative thinking and writing which flexes some academic muscles that might have needed it over the course of a break; winter or summer. Also, everyone participates on some level and that is another important factor for the first day. Everyone should feel included but not pressured into doing something that makes them uncomfortable; like for quiet students talking in front of the entire class.
ReplyDeleteI think the write-around activity can be quite beneficial in an english classroom. The student learns how to write every portion (beginning, middle, end) of a story or poem or even paper, while maintaining proper flow. Each writer amongst the groups can put forth their own thoughts in their voice towards 3, maybe 4 pieces. I think the exercise is also quite enjoyable; in MS and HS we had some really boring activities to help with our writing skills.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it is super fun! I did this in high school, and I enjoyed it then, as I did now.
DeleteThe write-around serves several purposes in a secondary classroom setting, especially on the first day. It gives the teacher a chance to see how the students work in groups -- which ones thrive and which ones struggle in a group activity. It allows students to get to know one another; they can form opinion about one another in regards to writing style, topic of choice, and openness, rather than just appearance or first impression. It also gives every student in the class a voice. The more vocal students in the group will be the ones that choose to read out loud, but everyone's writing will be in the story. It's also something fun, and can really set the tone for the classroom. When high school students come to classes on the first day, they are overwhelmed with information, some of which they don't find interesting. Having an engaging activity at the onset of class can help the students have a more positive attitude towards your class.
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons why the Write-Around activity could benefit a secondary classroom. First, this activity helps break down a rather long and intimidating process, being the writing process. In this activity students are forced to just write and not necessarily have time to care about how their writing sounds. This helps because the hardest thing about writing is getting started and in this activity each student only has to start writing the beginning of one story, and then they write the middle and conclusion by following the example set by their fellow classmates. This activity also helps each student have a voice in not just one story, but three different stories. I think that it is because of these reasons that Gallagher recommended this activity on the first day. In this activity students are getting a feel of one writing, sharing their works, and working in a group. I think that these are all very important things to have in a secondary education classroom. I think one thing that this activity really helps bring out in students is their imagination. I believe that imagination is a great tool in writing, especially in creative writing.
ReplyDeleteThis write around activity would be beneficial in a secondary classroom for many reasons. First, it forces students to write the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Some students, like myself, may not enjoy writing or have a lot of experience writing different parts of a story. The write around would give each student the opportunity to try writing each part. Working in such small groups would create a safe, more comfortable environment for students. Second, the write around would allow students to share their work, even if they aren't normally comfortably doing so. When we shared allowed in class, we never knew who wrote which part of the story.
ReplyDeleteBy doing this activity on the first day of class, it sets a tone for how the rest of the semester is going to be. Students will know write off the bat that they will be very active in the classroom. This activity also allows students to get to know each other in kind of a nontraditional setting. On most first days, the class all says their name and a little bit about themselves. In this activity, students get to know each other on a deeper, creative level.
I totally agree with you, my first days in high school were always spent going over the agenda and stupid school rules.
DeleteThe write around activity is very useful in a secondary English classroom. It covers the aspects of understanding, and then writing the beginning, middle, and end of a story. The write around gives each student the learning opportunity of writing, but doesn't put the pressure of producing a story all on their own. This is helpful for students that aren't strong writers. Doing this activity on the first day allows for the students to experience an ice breaker while doing a learning activity. It lets each student feel a part of the group since they all worked together to produce the story. For shy students, this could be a big boost going into the school year. It lets them, and all the other students know what the environment of the classroom will be like.
ReplyDeleteThe Write-Around is a perfect starter to the Secondary Language Arts classroom, due to it's malleable nature. It can form to fit various students. Examples of this include the student that feels they cannot write (although everyone can). Usually a topic generates more ideas than leaving it to this type of individual to fend for themselves, and both the pictures provided, alongside their peers' writings will help to get the intellectual juices flowing. This allows a glimpse into the adolescent writer, who will rise to the occasion, eager to try all forms of the group. This activity is wonderful for the first day of class, due to it allowing for a student who is more shy to interact, without forcing constant verbal communication. It instead relies on what has just been created by the group. This allows for a fun introduction, as well as an easy way to jump into the school setting. It lets the students know that we are all here to work together, to create something only a classroom could.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the pictures! They just make the beginning process easier on everyone involved!
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