Kristy Gruchy

September
   1. Describe your approach to composition.  Currently I have my students do a writing exercise at least once a week with our spelling words. We do this exercise by using the 4square approach.

2. How often do your students attempt to write each week?   Usually my students write once a week.

3. How have you integrated technology into instruction in the past?  I have used technology to introduce new subject matter into the class. I also use the technology as a review of what we have covered in class. It helps review the students and it makes the subject more interesting.

4. What do you hope to gain from participation in this project?  I want a better understanding of the 4square process and how it works. I am learning now with my students. We go over it at least once a week and I learn along with them. 

October

1. Describe your class’ positive experience(s) with Four Square writing this past month.

My students really seem to like the 4-square writing process. They really enjoy the graphic organizer. It helps them organize their thoughts and their writing.

2. How far did your students get with the Four Square method? (4 Square, 4 Square to paper, 4+1, 4+3) Why?

In class we have gotten all the way through the 4-square+1 process. I do not think we do a very good job at it but we manage. This month I took my students through a 4-square +1. I did not feel very confident in our efforts. I asked Mrs. Mulholland to come work with us one day and help get us on the right track. Mrs. Mulholland took us through another 4- square+1 and this time I participated with the class. I did this in hopes that I would have a better understanding of the process. I think I understand the process pretty well. I am just a poor writer and that makes it more difficult for me to help the students.

3. Have you experienced any problems through your participation in this project this past month? Describe.

The main problem I see with my students is writing the wrap up sentence. They apparently were taught that the wrap up sentence should involve something from each square. Their sentences end up 3-4 sentences long. Meaning they re-write all of their previous information as their wrap up sentence.

4. What suggestions would you have for making this project more beneficial to you and your students? The only thing I can suggest is to have the teachers do more practice writing with the 4-square before bringing it into the classroom. I also think that 4-square should be practiced with the students once a week. Meaning the class and teacher write a sample together in class.

November

December

1. Describe positive experience(s) with Four Square writing this past month.

Well, I went back after our last meeting and began with a sentence stretching activity. This went really well. The students enjoyed it but it took a lot longer than I anticipated. Once I did this it was a little easier to get a good 4-square.

2. How far did your students get with the Four Square method this month? (4 Square, 4 Square to paper, 4+1, 4+3) Why?

I am still on 4 Square +1. I have trouble moving on until I know the students understand the first concept.

3. Discuss the Sentence Stretcher experience.

I went through the sentence stretchers with my class one day. Then, we went back and they had to pick one to work with on paper. The students really enjoyed the activity and came up with some good sentences.

4. Were you able to complete a Colonial America writing activity? Discuss the success/problems.

We have only done the one Colonial America activity but I am trying to get to another one. The students really enjoyed the one Connie did, and I hope to get further in the process with the next one we do.

5. Were you able to successfully download a file from the Write On site this month? Tell about any problems you encountered.

I forgot about the downloading. I just used the activities straight from the site.

6. What problems are your students encountering with their participation in this project?

My students do not like to write. I can get them to write down ideas but not into sentences. When I realized this I did another sentence stretcher with them. They liked the activity but still did not want to write out their sentences. I struggle with this weekly.

7. What problems are you experiencing?

My biggest problem is finding time to include 4 Square. I have so little time and so much to get in. When I do get to a 4 Square I spend more time than I should on the activity. I guess my problem is trying to finish the activity all at once instead of spacing it out over a period of time.

8. What suggestions would you have for making this project more beneficial to you and your students?

More in class help for teachers new to the project. I would like to see an entire 4 square process. Not all at once but maybe over a period of time. Not only to help the students but to help me as well. I would like to see the brainstorming, the initial 4 Square set up, the editing process, the re-writing, and then publishing. I know this a lot to ask, but it would really help to see the process done with students. I guess in reality it can’t be done, just wishful thinking on my part. Maybe more practice for new teachers at the beginning. I feel that the run through we had at the beginning just wasn’t enough for me.

January
 

1. Describe positive experience(s) with Four Square writing this past month. This month I tried a four Square +3 with my students. Before I began the writing activity I went through the power point presentation with my class. It helped to get them interested in the activity and they were able to start thinking about their own ideas. The students did fairly well but they had a little trouble with the +3 part. They wanted to write out sentences instead of just a detail.

2. How far did your students get with the Four Square method this month? (4 Square, 4 Square to paper, 4+1, 4+3) Why? I started my class with 4 Square +3 but we still have a lot of work to do. This month was very difficult to get a lot of stuff done because of the holidays and snow days.

3. Discuss the Miss Take’s Challenge experience. I honestly did not get to Miss Take’s Challenge. I go back to my room after our meetings with very high expectations and plans of all of the activities we learn about in our meetings. I do plan to do this activity with my students and make it a more permanent part of our weekly routine.

4. Was Mr. Indent helpful to your students? If so, in what way. If not, why? I only did the power point presentation in my class. My students enjoyed it. We did do an exercise where they copied a paragraph from a presentation and they had to remember to indent.

5. Discuss your students’ experiences with a practice prompt activity. I showed my students the brief presentation on a prompt and then gave them the sheet of lined paper with the instructions on it. I explained to them that this is what the writing test would be similar to. We turned our instruction paper into a 4 Square +3 on the back. We still need a lot of practice before the actual test day arrives.

6. What problems are you experiencing? I am still having trouble finding time to fit the lessons into my regular schedule. I try to develop a 4 Square that will go with what we are studying but, with all of the interruptions throughout the day it is difficult to get it all in.

7. What suggestions would you have for making this project more beneficial to you and your students? Schedule wise, I would suggest not having the meetings on a Monday. It is very difficult to be out of your room on the main day to start new stuff. Other than that I would not change anything. I enjoy the meetings and get a lot of helpful information from them.

February
 

1. Describe positive experience(s) with Four Square writing this past month. I was given a wonderful tool to use this past month and it really helped my students move forward in the writing process. This tool was an elaborate 4-square organizer. It had everything on it so the students just had to be creative and fill it in.

2. How far did your students get with the Four Square method this month? (4 Square, 4 Square to paper, 4+1, 4+3) Why? We go all the way to 4 Square +3 +T+ Intro. Right now we have gone back to the basic 4 Square to do a small activity but we will go right back into building our 4 Square process.

3. Discuss the Goof’s activity. I did the Goof’s with my class right after our last meeting. My students found them to be somewhat easy. They got bored with it very quickly. I found that to use this activity in my classroom it would have to be in small groups or with individuals.

4. What problems are your students encountering with their participation in this project? Well, now that the writing assessment is over they don’t see the point. I can’t get them to understand that writing is life-long not just until the test is over.

5. What is the biggest problem you are experiencing in composition instruction with your students? I have noticed my students like to write the topic over in the 4 Square. They write the topic and not a topic sentence. I always fear they will use it again as their topic sentence in their actual writing. Most of them come up with a topic sentence but some continue to use the topic they wrote down as their topic sentence. I can’t seem to break them of this habit.

6. What activity through Write On has been most beneficial to your students? I would have to say the power point presentations with writing prompts at the end. The pictures help my students to visualize their story beforehand.

7. What suggestions would you have for making this project more beneficial to you and your students? I think this should be a summer program with afternoon meetings during the year. This way teachers are not pulled from their classroom. Meetings in the afternoons once a month would allow us to discuss problems and successes. It would also give us time to share new ideas with one another.

Grade 5 Teachers Please discuss:

After administering the Writing Assessment test recently to my students I felt …Relieved! I was very thankful it was over. I felt that the week before the assessment we really worked hard on reviewing the steps and did a lot of practice writing. The prompt was a bonus too. The students really enjoyed it and were able to picture the event. I think my students are going to do just fine.

March

1. Describe your class’ experience with Four Square writing this past month. This month I gave each of my students an African American to research and complete a 4 Square on. Once they filled out the 4 Square they took it to the computer lab and got to type out their paragraph. The final steps in this project will be for the students to edit their work and to present their findings.

2. Did your students participate in a science cross curriculum writing activity? If so, describe its successes/weaknesses. No, unfortunately we have not gotten that far yet. It is so pressing to get two subjects into one hour (Science and Social Studies).

3. Other than time restraints, what is your biggest problem in composition instruction?

4. What positive effects can you see in your students through the participation in the Four Square method of composition? My students are more positive about writing and they feel more confident in themselves as writers. It really makes me feel good as a teacher to know they have come this far in the process. Especially since this is my first year with the program.

5. Have you been able to share experiences or activities addressed through this project with any other educators? What was the result? I share the ideas and activities that we learn about and put together with another teacher when I return from Write On. We talk about the activities and try to incorporate them into our weekly lesson plans. Sometimes she is one step ahead of me. She participated in the program last year so she knows a lot of what I am learning now. We work well together though and when something new comes along we share the ideas.

6. What changes will you make in your approach to composition in the upcoming school year? I will make sure that I fit it in to my schedule once a week. I will prepare better for the composition and make it a regular part of each lesson.

May

This project address the following Tennessee Master Plan Goal: State of the art technology will be used to improve curriculum. Tennessee Report Card Performance Indicators Competency (Composition Skills) How do you feel this project moved toward the goal of improving student composition skills?

The project improved student composition by giving the students a way to organize their thoughts and ideas before writing the actual composition. This project gave many students a needed boast in confidence.

List ways your participation in this project has positively affected the writing skills of the students in your classroom.

Your attitude towards something really affects how the students feel about the same thing. I was very excited to be learning new ways to improve writing skills with my students. We had good topics to write on and that makes it easier for the students to write. They take an interest in their work and try harder. The sentence stretchers confused some of my students at first, but the more we worked with them the better they got at stretching their own sentences. They finally saw the importance in details.

How did your participation in this project positively affect your instructional strategies?

The Write On project gave me a better way to teach writing. I tried to incorporate one writing activity into my lessons each week. I did struggle with going further in the process and in the editing process. I have enjoyed learning the process and plan to make adjustments in my planning for next year so that I can incorporate it more. I want it to be a regular part of our weekly schedule.

How has your approach to writing composition changed through your participation in this project from that of previous years?

Previously, I really didn't have a set way to teach writing. Now I have a format to use and it covers all subject areas. The students enjoy writing this way and tend to get more involved in their work. This project has given me ways to teach writing and to grade it. I have a better understanding of what to require or request from my students and how to go about it. I also feel more comfortable working with writing now.

What other curriculum areas would you like to see implemented in a professional development technology integration project?

Reading comprehension is something I would like more technology training in and science and social studies.