Jayne Martin

September
1. Describe your approach to composition.  I currently use the four square writing approach in my classroom. This is my third year teaching. I started using this approach during my first year, and I have found it quite successful.

2. How often do your students attempt to write each week?  The students in my classroom write between 3 and 5 times each week. Sometimes it takes a few days to complete a writing project.

3. How have you integrated technology into instruction in the past?  I have not integrated technology into my writing instruction. We do use the computer to do other projects. We use it during our studies on habitats, planets, communities, world culture, and many other science and social studies units.

4. What do you hope to gain from participation in this project?  I hope to gain a better understanding of how to incorporate technology with writing in my classroom. I hope to better my teaching skills with deeper understanding of “Write On.”   

October

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

Some of my students just hated writing until I introduced this type of writing. These students appreciated the structure involved. After awhile these students wanted to do more of their own thinking. They even commented on how much they like “this kind of writing.”

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

We are doing the 4 Square to paper stage right now. My students are still struggling with sentence structure and punctuation. Until we can get past these problem areas we need to stay where we are. Before Christmas I hope to have them at 4 + 1.

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

I still find it hard to stop when doing the writing block. My timer goes off and I feel frustrated that we didn’t get as far as I would have liked. The student’s self-editing isn’t getting any better, yet. They are supposed to go by the checklist, but somehow they just don’t see their errors until I point them out.

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

It would help if the students need to start writing in kindergarten and follow through into 1st and 2nd as well. Maybe this will catch on and get better as we go along.

November

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

We have written several times this past month. Connie came one day and helped with our virtual field trip and we did a 4 square with her. After she left we went to 4 square to paper. The loved this. We also talked about our superhero that we invented. They wrote just a 4 square on this. The children wanted to go to paper on this, but time didn’t allow us to for the week. Their favorite writing project this past month was the Halloween 4 square. They were to write about what they were going to do/be on Halloween. Some invented poems to go along with this for our poetry unit.

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

My children are doing 4 square and 4 square to paper. They have finally started doing better with their editing skills. This coming month, I will introduce 4 square + 1 with them.

3. Discuss the Virtual Field Trip experience.

Our first virtual field trip was on Colonial Life with Connie. They enjoyed it so much that we had to go on another one the next week. We went to Colonial Trades in our computer lab to do this one. I had given them choices of virtual field trips and they wanted more on Colonial Life. They really enjoyed the interactive paper doll game. In their writing on Colonial Life, I was surprised by their various choices in which trade they would have like to have done. Usually in third grade they tend to go with whatever the first person had chosen, but this time they were very different. They only went to 4 square on the second one. They are already wanting to go on another virtual field trip. Next time I am hoping to do this as a whole group activity with 2 other 3rd grade classes.

4. What problems are your students encountering?

The students are very concerned about their spelling. They can’t stand not knowing how to spell words. They are constantly asking, “How do you spell_____?” I have taught them dictionary skills, but it is a time consuming process for them to look up all of their words during our writing block.

Although they are doing better with editing skills they are still rushing just to get finished. When this happens they miss a lot of errors. They are doing better with peer editing skills this month.

5. What problems are you experiencing?

Although I am trying to refrain from correcting every little detail, I still feel the need to fix their papers. I’ve stopped being the “comma cop,” but the capitalization capers get me every time. I know I must remember not to correct things we haven’t been over yet, but that makes me want to teach it to them right then. One thing I’ve started doing is using the peer editing sheet to help me correct only the things I need to.

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

I loved it when Connie came into the class. The class got to see whom I had been going to visit during my day out of class each month. That was great!

December

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

For my second principal observation this year, I did the Easter Island power point presentation and 4 square to paper write on project. This was the best that the children have ever done with taking it to paper. I had told them that the principal would be reading each and every one of them. They were to self edit then have a peer edit their paper as well. They loved Easter Island and were excited to write about it.

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 did several 4 squares, and a few 4 square to paper activities. Their editing skills have greatly improved. Since they have achieved this goal, we are now working on 4+1. For some students this is no problem, but a few others are struggling with adding a detail.

3. Discuss the Sentence Stretcher experience.

The students absolutely LOVED using the sentence stretchers. We did 4 in one day and they begged to continue. Since then, I have tried to do at least a few stretchers per week. The students are now making their own up for the rest of the class to do.

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

Yes. We did this as a virtual field trip and a 4 square activity. We went to the trades and Colonial life power points both. I gave them the writing prompt on the power point and they went with it. This activity was before the Easter Island activity, so their editing wasn’t as good at this time. They have really done well so far, now.

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

Yes, I downloaded the Easter Island, Colonial Life, and Colonial Trades activities.

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

They are gradually overcoming their fear of not knowing what to write. They need a subject and sometimes a topic sentence to prompt them. I am really proud of their editing improvement!

7. What problems are you experiencing?

Slowly, I have come to not red ink every mistake when grading or helping them to edit. I am only correcting what areas we have studied. Since, I started doing this, the students aren’t as likely to be hesitant to show me their work.

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

I am glad that Connie could come and teach a lesson to my students. This really helped me to know that I am on track. Sometimes what I learn in a training class, just doesn’t actually work in the classroom. Once I got the hang of what is expected, I am very comfortable do these things in my classroom and teaching the things I’ve learned to the other third grade classes and teachers.  

February
 

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

This month we did a Four Square on steps in a process when we made 2 cakes for an evaluation. Once we went through the project the students had to write about their part in the project and their group’s part in the project and how they went about creating the final product (the cake.)

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?

Their writing was very interesting. They went to 4+3 to describe each step in each block that coordinated with what the project was about, what their part was about, and what the group was to do and the final product. Their editing skills have greatly improved with the peer editing and self editing guidelines I had given out in their writing folders.

3. Discuss the Goof’s activity.

Since 3rd grade’s Write On day was snowed out, we didn’t get a chance to see the Goof’s activity. Connie emailed it to me, but I was unable to open/download correctly.

4. What improvements are you seeing in your students through participation in this project?

My students are having a better understanding of the basic skills of writing (paragraphs, indenting, editing, grammar, punctuation.) They enjoy writing, especially when they can be creative with their topics.

5. What is the biggest hurdle you have experienced in composition instruction with your students?

Editing, by far, has been the biggest obstacle in writing. I think that since I have been so picky about editing, they have learned what I am looking for when they come to conference. They have come a long way from absolutely no self-editing to knowing when they are ready for conference and when to take it to paper.

6. What activity through Write On has been most beneficial to your students?

The Power Point presentations that I have learned how to download and incorporate in the classroom have been very beneficial to the students. They are so interested in these. Their favorite ones involved virtual field trips. They viewed the Power Point presentations and were to write 4 Squares about each one and enjoyed doing each one. They also loved the sentence stretchers, which helped them to learn how to develop their sentences in their own writing to make them more interesting.

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

I think that Connie does an excellent job in training us to use technology more efficiently. My students and I really enjoyed her coming to our classroom to teach a lesson. Watching her teach the writing with technology gave me a first hand experience on what to do. I was much more relaxed in incorporating what I had learned in my monthly workshops after her demonstration. The students could connect an actual person to why their teacher had to be out of their classroom one day a month. They were then excited for me to be out that one day because they knew that they would be learning something new and exciting when I came back.

March
 

1. Describe your class’ experience with Four Square writing this past month.

Our class celebrated Read Across America by creating poems. We used the Four Square method to organize our ideas for the poems. We read many Dr. Suess books to help get us started with rhyming ideas. We also wrote about stories about weather. They were allowed to choose which type of weather they wanted to write about, what they did during that type of weather, and how they felt. They are progressing in coming up with their own topic sentences. Their editing skills have come such a long way. They know they aren’t allowed to come to me until they have been through their editing skill checklist and allowed at least 2 peers to check it, too.

2. Did your students participate in a science cross curriculum writing activity? If so, describe its successes/weaknesses.

We ended up doing a Four Square activity on the Solar System. The students were presented with the online material and allowed to select one of the nine planets, the sun or asteroid belt to do a “report” on. They did 4 + 3 and it took 3 days to complete the project. Overall they did well. The Four Square helped them tremendously to organize their information. This helped them to have their facts in some type of order instead of so many facts being thrown in sporadically throughout the paper.

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

Having a variety of levels among the students is a challenge. There are some students that can barely write 4 + 1, while some are ready for multiple paragraphs. The majority of the students can and do write 4 + 3 without too much prodding. I have to modify lessons for students that struggle and it just isn’t fair to everyone to do this.

4. What positive effects can you see in your students through the participation in the Four Square method of composition?

Their writing and editing skills have greatly improved. They are able to recognize errors (mostly other’s errors) more easily than before. I have several students that have written mini stories in their spare time. Some have been very good. They enjoy writing now versus at the beginning of the year when I would first mention writing, they would moan and groan.

5. Have you been able to share experiences or activities addressed through this project with any other educators? What was the result?

Yes! We have done group activities with the whole 3rd grade using Power Points and writing activities. I have not only shared with my fellow teachers, but have taken their classes through Mr. Indent, Miss Takes Challenge, The Colonies, Solar System and Goofs from the county web site.

6. What changes will you make in your approach to composition in the upcoming school year?

I have not been doing journal writing on a daily basis with my students. Next year, I plan on starting journal writing on the first day of school to show how far they can come in one year. I would have liked to have had a daily progression shown in their writing.

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?