Writing-to-Learn:

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

Caitlin Gallagher
Meg Sawler
Kevin Wehlage

EDITION
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

Non-Stop Write
A non-stop write is a timed writing which usually lasts between
3-5 minutes in which students are usually asked to respond to a
prompt.
! Can be a content specific prompt or can be something openended.
! Students focus on just writing rather than grammar, spelling,
or format.
! The goal is to get as many thoughts down on paper as
possible in the given time.

Non-Stop Write
Areas of Success

Potential Drawbacks

! Stream of Consciousness

! Some students will have difficulty

getting started.

! Focus on content and

understanding.
! Reflective indicator for students
about their knowledge of the
subject area.
! Can teach accountability through
revisiting what has been written.

! Speed of writing varies for all

students.
! Takes practice.
! Content questions can be
difficult for some students.

Reflective Write
Once an assignment is complete, whether it involves writing or not, its
a good idea to ask students to reflect on their learning and on the task
itself.
! Used at the end of a task, or for midcourse corrections.
! Gets students thinking about how they are doing and what theyve
learned.
! Places learning in a higher context and helps establish connections.
! Shows level of understanding of concepts and tasks.

Reflective Write
Areas of Success
!

Helps students be accountable for their learning and

understanding.

Provides information to both students and teachers.

Provides info that cannot be seen in the final product

itself.

Shows student connections and helps identify new

areas to target.

Helps teachers modify their teaching to focus on

student needs.

Allows teachers to get to know their students more.

Potential Drawbacks
!

Not all students tend to enjoy this.

Some students see writing with little to no prompts a

major challenge.

Students can find getting started difficult.

Takes time for students to become skilled at

reflecting.

Often seen as just a reflection paper when really, we

should be using this more often and in different
formats as teachers.

Todays Activities
! Non-Stop Write
! Read Political Cartoon
! Kahoot Activity
! Reflective Write

Non-Stop Write
Take out a piece of paper and respond to the following prompt
for the allotted time:

! What do you know about vaccinations?

!

Have you heard of vaccinations in the news or media lately?

! Are you aware of any social issues surrounding vaccinations?

! What are your thoughts on this?

Political Cartoon
Read The Nibs political cartoon,
Vaccines Work: Here Are The Facts
on an iPad or another device. Scan the QR code to
bring up the article.

Political Cartoon Website

Kahoot Quiz
Based on The Nibs political cartoon,
Vaccines Work: Here Are The Facts
Complete the Kahoot Quiz presented to the best of
your ability. There are 5 questions in the quiz, you
will receive points for correct answers and also for
the time it takes you to answer the questions.

Reflective Write
! Write a short paragraph reflecting on your experience
with todays activities. You may include things like your
experience with the Kahoot quiz, your thoughts on the
political cartoon, your interest in the subject, etc.
Variations could include: recording an audio file, typing a
response, posting to a Moodle forum, emailing back and
forth through partners, or a write-pair-share.

Non-Stop Write & Reflective

Write Discussion
! Ways we have used these strategies in the classroom.
! Discuss with us ways you have used these strategies in
your content area.
! Any input you may have for teachers trying to
implement these strategies?
! Any questions or personal experiences to share?