Response to Rief/What's Right with Writing

Response to: What’s Right with Writing/Rief
Linda Rief’s article outlines what research has helped us learn about writing and the teaching of writing:
1. Writing is thinking
2. There is no one process that defines the way all writers write
3. Writers need constructive response
4. Evaluation of writing should highlight the strengths of the process, content, and conventions and give the writer tools and techniques to strengthen the weaknesses.
Rief also notes that writing is reading—that you can’t just focus on reading at the expense of writing. Writing is a recursive process and requires critical thinking.

The implication for my classroom is that I need to provide adequate time for my students to write and give them a choice of topics. If they are interested in their topic they have the strongest chance of writing with passion and voice. I also need them to read good models of written, both professional and peer-written. I need to find ways for them to get constructive responses. The writer’s workshop model should help me achieve this.
Rief also addresses the factors that stand in the way of powerful writing instruction:
1.Testing-because the prompts are generic and do not lend themselves to allowing students to have much voice. Many teachers feel forced to teach to the test and sometimes their contract renewal depends on improving test scores on the state test.
2.Lack of tools such as computers.
3.Scripted lessons that are generic “one size fits all lessons”.
4.Lack of professional development that appropriately addresses how to help teachers teach writing.
Further implications on my classroom are that I need to use technology. I currently have Alpha Neos that provide my students with a way to type and print their writing. This avoids the penmanship issues which can keep some students in the Resource Room context from completing writing assignments. This year I am slated to have a technology upgrade in my classroom which would increase the number of computers and add a Starboard. I do feel fortunate to work in a setting that does not have negative factors that will stand in the way of powerful writing instruction. My biggest obstacle is going to be finding adequate time for writing. Additionally, my district has adopted the Step-Up to Writing curriculum, but we have had excellent training on expanding the curriculum to use it with the students we teach. I think my previous training combined with my desire to implement writers’ workshop will give me a good basis for planning solid writing instruction for my students. Reading the work of different theorists this summer has given me so much to think about. I am enthused to make some significant change is my writing program!