From Harris, M.J. (2006). Three steps to teaching abstract and critique writing. International Journal of Teaching 136-146 and Learning in Higher Education 17(2), Developing Graduate Student Writing A process for integrating writing instruction with coursework Alisa Belzer Rutgers University October 2013 1. Decide to consciously help students improve their writing in the context of your course. Make this agenda clear to your students, and let them know that this is a goal above and beyond their learning the course content. 2. In addition to your normal, weekly topical reading assignments, assign a short chapter from an instructional text on writing every other week or so. I recommend Graff, G. and Birkenstein, C. (2006). NY: Norton. OR Booth, They say/I say: The moves that matter in academic writing. W. C., Colomb, G. G. and Williams, J. M. (2003). Chicago: Univeristy The craft of research. of Chicago Press. OR Johnson, A. P. (2003). New York: A short guide to academic writing. University Press of America. These all have short chapters and each tackle the challenges our student encounter in somewhat different ways. 3. Each week that you have assigned a writing oriented text, take 15 or 20 minutes of class time to look at an assigned topical text relevant to course content in terms of how the writing skill outlined in the assigned writing text is implemented. Have students point out specific examples. Point to other writing strategies the author employs that you think are particularly helpful in making a strong (or problematic) piece of academic writing. This might actually serve a double purpose of making writing strategies explicit through exemplars and be a lead in to discussion of the central arguments of the piece. In discussing how an argument is constructed it can, obviously, lead to a discussion of what the argument is and how it’s made. 4. Use a piece of student writing from a previous semester to have students critique elements of writing they have been reading about that are missing and that improving on would make for a better writing piece. Do this once or twice during the semester and emphasize skills you have covered. 5. Give at least two writing assignments (one early in the semester and one towards or at the end) that require students to employ the writing skills you have been teaching or ask students later in the semester to rewrite something produced earlier in the semester.
From Harris, M.J. (2006). Three steps to teaching abstract and critique writing. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 17(2), 136-146 Developing Graduate Student Writing A process for integrating writing instruction with coursework Alisa Belzer Rutgers University October 2013 1. Decide to consciously help students improve their writing in the context of your course. Make this agenda clear to your students, and let them know that this is a goal above and beyond their learning the course content. 2. In addition to your normal, weekly topical reading assignments, assign a short chapter from an instructional text on writing every other week or so. I recommend Graff, G. and Birkenstein, C. (2006). They say/I say: The moves that matter in academic writing. NY: Norton. OR Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G. and Williams, J. M. (2003). The craft of research. Chicago: Univeristy of Chicago Press. OR Johnson, A. P. (2003). A short guide to academic writing. New York: University Press of America. These all have short chapters and each tackle the challenges our student encounter in somewhat different ways. 3. Each week that you have assigned a writing oriented text, take 15 or 20 minutes of class time to look at an assigned topical text relevant to course content in terms of how the writing skill outlined in the assigned writing text is implemented. Have students point out specific examples. Point to other writing strategies the author employs that you think are particularly helpful in making a strong (or problematic) piece of academic writing. This might actually serve a double purpose of making writing strategies explicit through exemplars and be a lead in to discussion of the central arguments of the piece. In discussing how an argument is constructed it can, obviously, lead to a discussion of what the argument is and how it’s made. 4. Use a piece of student writing from a previous semester to have students critique elements of writing they have been reading about that are missing and that improving on would make for a better writing piece. Do this once or twice during the semester and emphasize skills you have covered. 5. Give at least two writing assignments (one early in the semester and one towards or at the end) that require students to employ the writing skills you have been teaching or ask students later in the semester to rewrite something produced earlier in the semester.
Student_Writing_FIPSE_Produ.docx