Bertram C. Bruce (Chip)
C&I 461
Theory and Practice in
Children's Composition

This course will examine research on the teaching and learning of writing. We will study writing as a developmental process starting from scribbles and drawings, through invented spelling, personal narratives, toward community, higher academic, and professional writing. We will also examine the embedding of writing in curricular, sociocultural, institutional, and political contexts. Throughout, we will be concerned with how to improve classroom practices.

Background

Until recently, writing was the most neglected of the 3 Rís. This was true in the university classroom as well as the primary school. Moreover, writing was neglected as a field of study in comparison to reading, mathematics, or the so-called content areas. The result of this neglect was that little was known about the processes of writing or learning to write, and students were often given little help in developing their ability to write or to use writing as a means to learn.

This picture has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Today, many teachers make writing an integral part of learning. Seeing the problems brought about by the separation of language learning into components such as spelling, reading, vocabulary, and writing they now support learning to write at the earliest ages, and if anything, find that writing precedes reading. Throughout the curriculum, writing is increasingly being used not just to assess learning but to help learning happen. Because writing offers opportunities for students to express their own questions, interests, concerns, and knowledge, both the teaching of writing and research on writing have tended to emphasize a constructivist view of learning. Recent work on writing has thus influenced the meaning-making view of learning across the curriculum. The course will explore these issues and consider critically the roles that writing plays in education.

Readings

We will examine some major works on the theory and practice of writing, considering what these works imply for the teaching of reading, the role of writing in learning, theories of meaning, assessment, and multicultural education. We will start with research on early literacy development, followed by studies of writing in elementary, middle grades, high school, and college settings. We will also look at writing outside of and beyond school settings, including the use of new technologies for writing. We will analyze critically the relationships among the methods of study, the researchers, the questions asked, and the answers found. Readings will be drawn from a set of texts as well as from various articles and book excerpts, available in packets at a copy center.

You will be expected to participate in discussions of readings throughout the semester. In addition, you will work with a partner to co-lead two discussion sessions. This is an opportunity for you to suggest alternative readings or to bring in samples of writing from your class or your own work. You and your partner will share your responses to the readings and initiate the class discussion. I plan to work with you in preparing that discussion. [25% of grade]

Writings

We will also write, both to learn about the writing process and to develop the ability to write and to respond to the writing of others. This writing will include comments on readings and responses to othersí writing, as well as the semester research project (see below). A special feature of the course will be to examine the use of new technologies in the teaching of writing, including the Internet and interactive, multimedia CD-ROMs. We will also take advantage of the Professional Writing Classroom, which contains networked computers supporting real-time written communication. [25% of grade]

Research Project

The major assignment for the course is a research project with a written product. The first draft is due relatively early in the semester, on April 4. The project could be a theoretical study of an issue in literacy, a study of writers in the classroom, a report on your own experiments in teaching, a literature review, a curriculum unit, or other product that you feel is useful. The project may be a collaborative one, done with other students in the class or with people outside the class.

At least twice during the semester, you will present your ongoing work to the class, once in the early stages (January 31) to involve other members of the class in thinking about the issues you are addressing, and later (May 2 or 9), to report on your progress or interesting problems you encountered. You will also be expected to contribute to the research efforts of other students through discussions and written responses to work in progress. [50% of grade]

Schedule

I regard the syllabus as tentative. My hope is that students will work with me to add to it, bringing in additional questions or resources that more effectively meet their current interests. For each week, I have suggested a set of Readings for us to examine; a list of additional Discussion topics; a list of Activities, which usually involve writing or studying writing samples; and an Assignment, which is in addition to the required readings.

1. January 17: Introduction to the course/What is Writing?
Discussion: Introductions Course goals and philosophy Course structure and assignments Overview of texts E-mail Activities: Write questions about children's composition; discuss as a group What is writing?: Examine writing artifacts Discussion: Ownership in writing Assignment: Find and bring in at least one example of beginning writing Decide on a question to investigate in your course project Schedule a meeting with me (during January 17-31) to discuss your project and course ideas

2. January 24: Beginnings of Writing
Readings: McLane & McNamee, Chapters 1-3 Activities: Examine beginning writing samples Initial discussion of course projects Set up schedule for co-leading of discussions Assignment: Write 1-page description of course project

3. January 31: Literacy in the Child's World
Readings: McLane & McNamee, Chapters 5-7 (skim 4) Activities: Share 1-page descriptions and informally discuss each course project Assignment: Write reactions and questions to Barton & Ivanic; share by email or bring copies to class

4. February 7: Writing in the Community
Activities: Butterflies story Readings: Barton & Ivanic, Chapters 1-2, 5

5. February 14: Writing with a Purpose and an Audience
Readings: Bruce & Rubin, Chapters 1-2 (skim 3-4) Discussion: Black History Show example Activities: Small groups: functions & genres of writing Assignment:

6. February 21: Revision
Readings: Bruce & Rubin, Chapters 5-6 Calkins, Chapters 4, 18 Activities: Assignment:

7. February 28: Writing to Learn
Discussion: School reform & assessment Readings: Calkins, Chapter 19 Rief, Chapters 7-8 Assignment: Write 1 page on one of Easley asusmptions

8. March 7: Writing and Reading
Readings: Rief, Chapter 3, 6 (skim 4-5) Hansen, Newkirk, & Graves, Chapters 3, 15-17 Discussion: Easley assumptions School Improvement Plans Assignment:

-----. March 14: Spring Break

9. March 21: Writing in the Classroom
Readings: Calkins, Chapters 11-16 Discussion: Shirley Kappes: school reform Activities: Assignment:

10. March 28: Writing in Mathematics and Science
Readings: Calkins, Chapters 26-27 Discoveries Teachers Guide Activities: Teaching writing in Japan Discoveries series CD-ROMs Assignment: Form writing conference groups Complete initial draft of research project paper to be given to class members by April 4

11. April 4: Writing with Adolescents I
Readings: Rief, Chapters 1-5 Activities: In-class writing conferences on term research projects Assignment: Read class members' drafts and prepare comments Schedule writing conference by April 10 Prepare notes from your writing conference; turn in draft(s) of your paper and notes about your paper from the writing conference(s)

12. April 11: Writing with Adolescents II
Readings: Rief, Chapters 6-10 Activities: Continue in-class writing conferences on term research projects Assignment:

13. April 18: Writing as an Adult
Readings: Barton & Ivanic, Chapters 6, 8-9 Activities: Assignment:

14. April 25: Writing Assessment
Readings: Selections from Rief Selections from Calkins Activities: Assignment: Complete final draft of research project paper

15. May 2: Final presentations I
Activities: 15-minute presentations of final projects

16. May 9: Final presentations II (in lieu of final exam)
Activities: 15-minute presentations of final projects (cont.)

Bibliography

Required texts, available in all the campus book stores:

McLane, J. B., & McNamee, G. D. (1990). Early literacy. Cambridge, MA; Harvard University Press.
Calkins, L. M. (1994). The art of teaching writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Rief, L. (1992). Seeking diversity: Language arts with adolescents. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Barton, D., & Ivanic, R. (1991). Writing in the community. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Hansen, J., Newkirk, T., & Graves, D. (Eds.) (1985). Breaking ground: Teachers relate reading and writing in the elementary school. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Bruce, B., & Rubin, A. (1993). Electronic Quills: A situated evaluation of using computers for writing in classrooms. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Recommended, also available in the book stores:

Newkirk, T., & Atwell, N. (1988). Understanding writing: Ways of observing, learning, and teaching (second edition). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Petrosky, A. R., & Bartholomae, D. (Eds.). (1986). The teaching of writing. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Wells, G. (1986). The meaning makers: Children learning language and using language to learn. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.