Processing+Interactive+Writing

====**Scenario: ** Your principal has sent you to a professional development workshop on //**Interactive Writing **//, because writing scores are low at your elementary school and she wants your faculty to implement this strategy with students to bring a greater focus to writing in the curriculum. ====

====**Your responsibility: ** Now your principal has charged you with the responsibility of presenting a brief overview/introduction to Interactive Writing to selected members of your elementary school faculty! “Hit the highlights and give them takeaways!” she says. Given this charge, please address the following questions: ====

**- What is the Writing Process associated with Interactive Writing? **

 * The writer must establish a //**purpose**// or reason for writing, and purposes arise from all circumstances of life.
 * The writer needs to think about his/her //**audience**// -- who will they be? What is their point of reference? What do they need to know?
 * The writer needs to select a //**form**// for the writing -- this is based on purpose and audience.
 * The writer needs to think about his/her //**message**// and how to say it. This is referred to as composing!
 * The writer //**constructs text**// to say the message. This process includes forming letters, arranging them into works, working from left to right and top to bottom, and separating words with a space on a page.
 * The writer //**reflects and evaluates**// during the process. //Revision// and //editing// are important aspects of the craft.
 * Consider text layout. Punctuation, paragraphs, and other visual conventions help make text clear to the reader / audience.

**- What are the Key Features of Interactive Writing? **

 * Group children based on learning goals.
 * Have the students write for authentic purposes.
 * Share the task of writing.
 * Use conversation throughout the process to support the process.
 * Create a common text.
 * Use the conventions of written language.
 * Make letter-sound connections -- help students develop recognition.
 * Connect reading and writing in explicit ways.
 * Teach explicitly! Be specific!

**- What is the distinction the authors make between composing v. constructing? **

 * //**Composing**// is really about helping younger children to decide what to write. In other words, it refers to the negotiation of the text, the decision about what will actually be written. Initially, this is a collaborative endeavor led by the teacher, but using students' ideas and input. This involves Q & A facilitated by the teacher.


 * //**Constructing**// is really about the next step of engaging students in the actually writing of the message or text. It refers to the "encoding" of the message, that is, actually writing it down -- letter by letter, word by word, organized in the space on a page.


 * ====Teacher-led collaborative writing activity can be important strategy for younger writers. It can also serve as a bridge to more individualized writing efforts.====


 * See text for good resources (Use of Name Chart to address spelling indirectly rather than solely through "correction" p. 7; Comparison of Writing Approaches p. 24-5; Student Examples of collaborative writing products pp. 90-91 and 104-105; importance of learning/teaching letters in context of reading/writing rather than in isolation p. 102-103).

====//**Directions: **// Choose an archivist who will type your group’s responses in the appropriate section of the 520 Wiki. Everyone should collaborate and discuss the Interactive Writing Chapters in order to contribute ideas to the wiki page. Since you only have one group, your use of Google Docs for this part of the assignment is optional – you may type directly into this wiki page focused on the elementary grades. ====