ENGL285 Writing Workshop Process Writing Handout PDF

**ENGL285: Writing Workshop** **Process Writing: A Classroom Example** **Handout (2)** ***'Smoking in public places should be banned'. Discuss.*** 1\. **The Pre-Writing phase** - Get the class to think of a list of controversial topics (e.g., smoking in public places; the legalization of...

**ENGL285: Writing Workshop** **Process Writing: A Classroom Example** **Handout (2)** ***'Smoking in public places should be banned'. Discuss.*** 1\. **The Pre-Writing phase** - Get the class to think of a list of controversial topics (e.g., smoking in public places; the legalization of drugs; euthanasia, etc). Write all these topics down on the board - Now you're going to get the students to pick a topic and generate lots of ideas and arguments that they can include in their writing. 'The idea is simply to write for ten minutes (later on, perhaps fifteen or twenty). Don't stop for anything. Go quickly without rushing. Never stop to look back, to cross something out, to wonder how to spell something, to wonder what word or thought to use, or to think about what you are doing. If you can't think of a word or a spelling, just use a squiggle or else write, "I can't think of it." Just put down something. The easiest thing is just to put down whatever is in your mind. If you get stuck it's fine to write "I can't think of what to say, I can't think of what to say" as many times as you want: Or repeat the last word you wrote over and over again; or anything else. The only requirement is that you never stop.' (Elbow's 1973, p.3, cited in Ferris & Hedgcock 1998,p. 103) {#the-idea-is-simply-to-write-for-ten-minutes-later-on-perhaps-fifteen-or-twenty.-dont-stop-for-anything.-go-quickly-without-rushing.-never-stop-to-look-back-to-cross-something-out-to-wonder-how-to-spell-something-to-wonder-what-word-or-thought-to-use-or-to-think-about-what-you-are-doing.-if-you-cant-think-of-a-word-or-a-spelling-just-use-a-squiggle-or-else-write-i-cant-think-of-it.-just-put-down-something.-the-easiest-thing-is-just-to-put-down-whatever-is-in-your-mind.-if-you-get-stuck-its-fine-to-write-i-cant-think-of-what-to-say-i-cant-think-of-what-to-say-as-many-times-as-you-want-or-repeat-the-last-word-you-wrote-over-and-over-again-or-anything-else.-the-only-requirement-is-that-you-never-stop.-elbows-1973-p.3-cited-in-ferris-hedgcock-1998p.-103.Style1} ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tell students to freewrite on the topic they chose. {#tell-students-to-freewrite-on-the-topic-they-chose..Style1} --------------------------------------------------- - After the freewriting, pair students together who freewrote on the same topics. Get them to read each other's freewriting and combine the best bits of both texts into a bullet-pointed list, e.g.: - freedom to do what we want - Bad for children---breathing in smoke - etc. **2. The Drafting Phase** - The same pairs of students who combined their freewriting write a draft of their essay (e.g. 'Smoking in public places should be banned'. Discuss.) together. - The class then have a discussion of the controversial topics the class are writing about. The teacher also brings in some readings from the Internet and newspapers about these controversial issues. The class react to the texts and have a debate about them. - The students then use the ideas which have come from the class discussions and the texts to modify their drafts. **3. The Rewriting & Redrafting Phase** - The students then swap their writing with other pairs of students writing on a different topic. The students read the texts, and comment on the ideas (but don't comment on the quality of the writing). After a number of discussions like this with different people in the class, each pair of students modifies their drafts again as a result of their colleagues' feedback. - Throughout the drafting and redrafting phases, the teacher sits at their desk. Students can come and ask for advice if they want it. **4. The Feedback & Revision Phase** - The teacher gives the class an anonymous student's essay (who belongs to a different class). The class is asked to assess the essay's strengths and weaknesses. Then the teacher shows the class the written feedback the writer was given by the teacher. The teacher stresses the importance of focusing on the positives, and of avoiding impolite/insensitive comments. - The students now read everyone else's work, writing (polite and positive) comments to each writer about their writing **5. The Editing & Revision Phase** - Students again modify their drafts based on their colleagues' comments **6. The Publication Phase** - Students' final drafts are published on the school/university website for everyone to read.