Directed Writing
TIPS FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTION
1. You have only 45 minutes for this question, so budget your time carefully.
10 minutes – planning
30 minutes - writing
5 minutes – checking for mistakes
2. Read the question carefully and determine the task required. Are you required to write a speech, an article or a letter? What is the purpose of the task?
Who is the target audience? Ask yourself continuously as you plan and write your answer, checking that you are answering the question correctly.
3. Plan your answer quickly, deciding which points would go into which paragraphs or which points could be combined. Remember to use all the points given.
4. If there are more than ten points given, you do not need to elaborate on each. Many of my proficient students tend to elaborate too much on each point and end up having less than an hour for their continuous writing. Remember that only one mark is awarded for each point, no matter how long the elaboration is.
5. Write out your answer as neatly as possible as there is no time for re-writing. Do not use liquid eraser to wipe out whole sentences and re-write over these sentences. The errors might resurface after a month or so and the examiner would not be able to read your answer.
6. Write your essay with an appropriate introduction and conclusion. Make sure your paragraphs are well-organised.
7. Check for grammatical mistakes, punctuation and spelling errors.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Teacher's Guide to the journaling project
TEACHER’S GUIDE
JOURNAL WRITING FOR STUDENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
“You never know what you will learn till you start writing. Then you discover truths you never knew existed.”
Anita Bayer
A journal is a continued series of writings made by a person in response to their life experiences and events. Diaries contain a description or a record of daily events. A journal may include those descriptions, but it also contains reflections on what took place and expresses emotions and understandings about them. A journal helps you to keep in touch with your inner self and helps you to grow as a person.
1.1 Journal Writing – a flexible tool for teaching writing
Journal writing is not a new concept. It has been used by teachers all over the world to teach and improve writing. One of the best benefits of using a journal is that it is very flexible. Teachers can use journal writing to meet specific goals such as checking on students’ work and polishing their writing skills. We can also provide journal prompts to help weak students to begin their writing. Students of high proficiency can be left on their own to go in any direction. Students can also keep a journal on anything they like such as a journal of famous quotes and their response, a journal of ideas and thoughts.
1.2 More Benefits
i. Less pressure on students
Teachers find that journal writing takes the pressure off students. It gives students who have great difficulty with written language an opportunity when spelling, punctuation, and grammar don't count. This let them express themselves in writing without the pressure they typically have when doing assignments. It ensures they have one positive writing experience each day."
ii. Improves writing skills
Some teachers discovered that students write more fluently with less ‘think’ time as the journaling progresses. When they write on a regular basis, their writing tends to flow and they improve.
iii. Provides a safe structure for weak writers
Students may begin with lots of illustrations and minimal writing as in my Remedial Module but as they progresses, illustrations are replaced by words and eventually, they would be able to write a page.
iv. Journals help develop relationship with students
Journals help teachers to understand students better and begin to develop a relationship with them. As these journals are strictly between teacher and student, students feel free to write about their problems and situations they face. This helps teachers to understand what is going on in that student’s life. Students will reveal many things as long as they know the teacher can be trusted.
Journal Prompts
Here are some prompts to help you set up your journal for your students. Just pick and choose the ones that your students can handle.
Tell about your favorite pet – what kind of animal is it? When did you get him/her? Why do you like this pet?
What is your favorite thing to do in the summertime? Why?
Tell about a trip your family took that you particularly enjoyed. Where did you go? What did you see?
What is your favorite movie? Why do you like it? What’s it about?
Tell something you enjoyed doing with your Grandmother or Grandfather?
What is the best Christmas present you received? What is the best one you gave?
What is your favorite thing to play at the park?
If you could have your favorite dinner for your birthday, what would it be?
Tell all about your favorite friend and why they are special to you.
If you could have any animal as a pet, what kind would you choose and why?
Write something nice about your family that they do that makes you happy.
Tell your favorite joke or about something that makes you laugh!
What is a favorite board game or computer game of yours and why do you like it?
If you could watch a video over and over, what would it be and why? What is it about?
Tell about the house you live in. Have you lived anywhere else? If so do you remember the addresses and phone numbers?
Tell about a special Birthday party you’ve had or given or been to.
How do you like being the older, middle, or youngest child? Does it have any particular advantages or disadvantages?
Who is your favorite teacher? Why? Can you remember and tell about a special teacher?
What are you frightened of?
Describe your favorite clothes?
What kind of music do you like? What is your favorite song and why?
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Do you have a bicycle? What is it like?
What instrument do you wish you could play and why?
What would you give yourself if you had all the money in the world? What would you give your family?
Where do you go to school, what grade are you in, who is your teacher?
What is your room like? Do you share it with someone? What makes it special to you?
Describe a typical day during the school year.
What is your favorite holiday? How do you celebrate it?
Have you ever been sick and what made you feel better?
What is the most adventuresome thing you have ever done?
Write a want-ad that best describes you if you were for sale!
Tell about your favorite Aunt or Uncle.
Describe your perfect spring day – what do you like to do outside?
Tell about some of the places you have been in your life?
What are your favorite hobbies?
What is your mother’s best trait? Worst? Do you share any of these traits?
What is your father’s best trait? Worst? Do you share any of these traits?
Were you ever in a drama, speech, sports, pep or glee club or activity? Tell about it.
Do you go camping? Tell about your experiences.
How do you feel about school?
Describe a childhood birthday.
What do you think you would like to do when you graduate from high school or college?
What are some of your family holiday traditions?
What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?
Do you have any household chores? If so, what are they? Which ones do you enjoy the most/least?
Write about some places you have been with your mother.
Write about some places you have been with your father.
Where would you like to go someday and why?
Describe the classes you are taking this year in school. Which ones do you like and which ones don’t you like?
Do you belong to a church youth group? If so what are some of your favorite activities?
Describe the best teacher you ever had.
When are you happiest?
When have you felt lonely?
When do you feel proud?
Which quality best describes your life--exciting, organized, dull--and why?
Which quality do you dislike most about yourself--laziness, selfishness, childishness--and why?
Which place would you most like to visit--Africa,
Which is least important to you--money, power, fame--and why?
Which is most important to you--being popular, accomplishing things, being organized--and why?
Who do you talk to when you have a problem?
Who or what has had a strong influence in your life?
Where would you prefer to be right now--mountains, desert, beach--and why?
Why is it important to be honest?
Why is important to have good manners?
Why is exercise important to someone your age?
Why do you think the rules you must follow are good or bad?
Families are important because...
Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? What would you like to be famous for?
What do you like to do at recess?
Do you think boys or girls have it easier?
Do you think you have too many chores? If you could choose whichever chores you want, which ones would you prefer to do?
What would you do if everyone in your family forgot your birthday?
If you could travel in a time machine and go any distance into the past or future, where would you decide to go? Why?
What makes your class special?
If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
If you could choose any bedtime you wanted, what time would you pick?
Pretend that you were already grown up with children. How would you treat them differently from the way your parents treat you?
Would you like to have an identical twin? What would be the best thing about it? What would be the worst thing about it?
Are you excited to grow up? What does it mean to be "grown-up" and what do you think will be the best thing about it? What about the worst thing?
Save this question for last: How did you enjoy working on this journal this year? Did it help you discover some things about yourself or your past that you had forgotten?
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