Write For Insight: Empowering Content Area Learning, Grades 6-12 - Softcover

Strong, William J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0205412831 ISBN 13: 9780205412839

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon, 2005

Synopsis

Middle and high school writing is not pointless! From one of the most respected writing professors in America, this book combines the insight — affective-- for writing with writing as a learning tool in all content areas.

 

Prompted by the “near-total neglect of writing” in content areas outside English, Bill Strong explores and answers the question ‘why writing matters.’ At a time when more emphasis is being placed on middle and secondary students and when writing tests have been added to the new ACT and SAT assessments, Write for Insight is ideal for teachers seeking a flexible and inspiring way to increase students’ motivation and to enhance long-term learning. Arguing that writing is a powerful learning tool in all content areas, Strong utilizes note-taking, drawing, summarizing, brainstorming, and metaphor-building to help students collect notes, plan future action, frame questions, monitor their own learning, and engage in a rich array of imaginative and cognitive tasks. Written by a masterful teacher for teachers, the friendly, thought-provoking style is appropriate for teachers in diverse disciplines.

About this title

About the Author

William Strong has worked in middle school and high school literacy instruction for four decades. Besides presenting hundreds of workshops and many conference talks, he has authored a dozen books and teacher resources, including Coaching Writing: The Power of Guided Practice (Heinemann, 2001). Bill was the consulting author in composition for the Writer's Choice textbooks (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2001) and the series consultant for English Matters! (Grolier, 2000), and he served for ten years on the National Writing Project Advisory Board. In addition, Bill founded the Utah Writing Project at Utah State University and directed it for twenty-five years while also teaching courses in content area literacy, English education, and writing. Both his teaching and research have received college-level awards, and he has been honored by professional groups for his statewide leadership in pre-service and in-service teacher education. He enjoys downhill skiing, motorcycle touring, and working with school districts and National Writing Project sites. Readers can contact the author at Bill.Strong@usu.edu.

From the Back Cover

“Bill Strong presents a clear and compelling case for using writing to learn as a tool across the curriculum. The author’s anecdotes and his rich, descriptive writing draw the reader into this thought-provoking text and the wealth of practical strategies and activities presented give content area teachers concrete ideas to implement in their classrooms.”
—Carol Booth Olson, UCI Writing Project, University of California, Irvine

Prompted by the “near-total neglect of writing” in content areas outside English, Bill Strong explores and answers the question: “Why does writing matter?”

• In a knowledge-based society—one with new high-stakes writing tests on its SAT and ACT assessments—students need far more than “basic” literacy skills. Write for Insight is an ideal resource for new and veteran teachers seeking practical, flexible, and motivating strategies for enhancing long-term learning across the middle and high school grades.

• Arguing for insightful teaching and learning—balancing more emphasis on writing-to-learn (ungraded) assignments with a rich array of process writing (graded) tasks—Strong draws upon the work of National Writing Project colleagues to show how writing becomes a powerful learning tool across diverse content areas, engaging both imagination and intellect. (See inside front cover for features of the book.)

Edition details

• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0205412831
• ISBN 13: 9780205412839
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208