Reluctant Writers
ChallengeMany students may have the ability to write, but are reluctant to do so for any number of reasons- failure in the past, takes too long, not fun, no interest, etc. However, that doesn't change the fact that many teachers are still going to require the students to write. Our job is to find solutions to help students get past their fears or inhibitions to be able to write freely.
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Helpful Websiteshttp://www.educationrethink.com/2012/09/13-ways-to-engage-reluctant-writers.html
13 Ways to engage reluctant writers http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10310.aspx Tips for parents for the reluctant writers. http://www.writopialab.org/ Creative writing workshop for kids 8-18. http://creation.com/enticing-the-reluctant-writer How to entice the reluctant writer. http://www.ldonline.org/article/6215/ Strategies for reluctant writers. |
Solution #1: Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12
Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 is the latest product from Nuance software that is a speech recognition program. The program allows the user to:
Features of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 are:
Tutorial |
Speech recognition software like Dragon NaturallySpeaking would be great implemented on an individual basis for students who are reluctant to write because it takes too long, or they struggle with writing because the ideas are in their head, but they can't write them on paper.
This software would also be ideal to implement for students with physical disabilities for whom writing or typing is a tedious or impossible process. For many students with physical disabilities, speech recognition software would allow them to complete writing assignments alongside their peers, without the struggle and frustrations of writing, typing, or having another person write down what they are saying. ResearchLandmark College did a study to determine the effectiveness of Dragon NaturallySpeaking in assisting students with learning disabilities to be successful in college.Landmark College is one of the only accredited colleges in the U.S. designed exclusively for students with dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or other specific learning disabilities They reported the following findings:
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Solution #2: Pixton
Many students are reluctant to write because it is boring to them. Pixton gives students a fun, interactive way to write that many students would find exciting.
Pixton is an online program that allows students to create comic strips instead of writing a paper. Features of the program include:
Pixton is a program that can be implemented in the classroom, and can be done individually, as a group, or with the whole class. Teachers could demonstrate how to create a comic strip with input from the entire class, students could break up into groups and collaboratively create a comic strip, and students could work on a comic strip individually.
Pixton is also an online program that can be accessed from any internet connection, so students could also work on comic strips at home with the help of a parent. |
TutorialResearchThere is quite a bit of research supporting the use of comic strips in the classroom. Research supports the fact that students enjoy reading comics and that comic strips have a potential motivational value (Wright, 1979). Also, because of their informality, students do not perceive them as a threat, or that reading materials is forced on them by the teacher (Richie, 1979). Gonzalez-Espada (2003), reports, "Despite some concerns regarding their use, thoughtful integration of this strategy, which includes extensive planning and a structured assessment, resulted in a high-quality product from my physical science students. Scientifically accurate comic strip are an innovative way to promote higher order thinking skills by presenting scientific knowledge in a popular form that is enjoyed by most students."
To learn more, visit: www.pixton.com |
Visual Writing Prompts
Many students are reluctant to write because they don't know what to write about, or where to start. Simply giving the students a prompt of "tell me a story," just might not be enough.
The website Visual Writing Prompts provides thousands of writing prompts with pictures to give to students to support their writing needs. This website is free, and provides a resource for teachers to use to aid students in producing better pieces of writing. You can sort the prompts by subject:
Or you can sort the prompts by type of writing:
Eventually, the creators of the website would also like to add the feature to sort by Common Core objective. To learn more, visit: http://visualwritingprompts.wordpress.com/ |
Visual writing prompts is something that could be implemented as an assignment that you give to the students during writing time. Teachers could give the students one writing prompt, or several writing prompts so that the students could choose what they wanted to write about.
Visual writing prompts is something that could also be implemented as a free time, or down time activity. Many students who get done with their work early are looking for something to do. Having a website with all of these prompts readily available is a great resource to give to these students who might not know where to start if you tell them "write in your journal until the bell rings." ResearchThe National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders claims that "visual supports meet the evidence-based practice criteria within the early childhood, elementary, and middle school age groups" (The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders).
A study to determine how the content of the picture writing prompt effected the writing sample produced found the following: "writing samplesin this study differed systematically depending on the type of visual stimuli; content of picture prompts was the primary factor in producing better narratives" (Schweizer, 1999). This study suggests that not only do visual prompts increase the amount of writing, but can also affect the type of writing that you get from a student. |
References
González-Espada , W. J. (2003). Integrating physical science and the graphic arts with scientifically accurate comic strips: rationale, description, and implementation . Revista Electrónica de Enseñanza de las Ciencias, 2(1), 58-66. Retrieved from http://reec.uvigo.es/volumenes/volumen2/REEC_2_1_4.pdf
The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. (n.d.). Evidence-based practice: Visual supports. Retrieved from http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/visual-supports
Nuance Communications, Inc. Landmark College, (2009).Case study landmark college integrates dragon® naturallyspeaking® to help students with learning disabilities achieve academic success. Retrieved from website: http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/pdf/cs_DNS10_Landmark_FINAL.pdf
Richie, J.R. (1979). The funnies aren’t just funny: Using cartoons and comic strips to teach. In J.L. Thomas, Cartoons and Comics in the
Classroom: A Reference for Teachers and Librarians (pp 34-39).
Schweizer, M. L. (1999). The effect of content, style, and color of picture prompts on narrative writing: An analysis of fifth and eighth grade students' writing. (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-021899-102353/unrestricted/etd.pdf
Wright, G. (1979). The comic book: A forgotten medium in the classroom. In J.L. Thomas, Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom: A
Reference for Teachers and Librarians (pp 21-25).
The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. (n.d.). Evidence-based practice: Visual supports. Retrieved from http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/content/visual-supports
Nuance Communications, Inc. Landmark College, (2009).Case study landmark college integrates dragon® naturallyspeaking® to help students with learning disabilities achieve academic success. Retrieved from website: http://www.nuance.com/naturallyspeaking/pdf/cs_DNS10_Landmark_FINAL.pdf
Richie, J.R. (1979). The funnies aren’t just funny: Using cartoons and comic strips to teach. In J.L. Thomas, Cartoons and Comics in the
Classroom: A Reference for Teachers and Librarians (pp 34-39).
Schweizer, M. L. (1999). The effect of content, style, and color of picture prompts on narrative writing: An analysis of fifth and eighth grade students' writing. (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-021899-102353/unrestricted/etd.pdf
Wright, G. (1979). The comic book: A forgotten medium in the classroom. In J.L. Thomas, Cartoons and Comics in the Classroom: A
Reference for Teachers and Librarians (pp 21-25).