The whole class write can follow the stages from the workshop model (modelled, shared, guided and independent) and we created an example of an interactive delivery option for each of the different phases of writing development.
Modelled Writing
Modelled writing is where the teacher demonstrates the process thinking aloud as they reveal key decisions as they generate ideas and develop those ideas in written form. The modelling provides a clear responsive model for students to learn from, replicate and adapt. The thinking is to be transparent and as the steps of the writing process are explicitly demonstrated, the product can be used as a reference tool (or model text) for students
Shared or Interactive Writing
Shared or Interactive writing is where the teacher and students work together to compose text. The teacher is the scribe for the process and talks about their own experiences. As students help compose and later reread the writing, they internalize conventions, patterns, vocabulary and specific genre features. As student and teacher share the writing process, students will be able to borrow ideas from the share writing piece or use it as a mentor text to enrich and expand their writing.
Guided Writing
Guided writing is a needs-based group and by observing and conferring teachers can determine who will benefit from the small group guided writing. Once in the small groups, the teachers can observe closely and offer specific personalized feedback and provide explicit teaching tailored to the needs of the writers. Some focuses for guided writing can be generating, developing the idea, sentence structure and/or paragraphing or conventions.
Independent Writing and Conferring
Independent writing is structured time that provides students with ongoing opportunities to develop their writing skills. Students engage in all aspects of the process from drafting to refining to editing to publication as they select their own topics, genre; develop vocabulary and structures; and play with audience and voice. Conferring with students as they write individualizes the process and feedback as students demonstrate growth over time.
Writing is a basic tool for learning and communicating with others. It has many facets and develops our critical and creative thinking as well as our communication and collaboration skills. We all will need to express our ideas and opinions in different forms and genres for different audiences and purposes. Students need to develop a foundation of the writing process and hone their skills as they explore different types of writing. The Whole Class Write is a FORMATIVE assessment designed to gather information about our students' writing skills, establish a starting point for what they can work on next and to help us with individualizing our instruction. This formative assessment and the tools we created can be used at any time, multiple times, with any topic and the focus for this process is on growth and progress as our learners become stronger writers.
The topics are generated as such that your students are able to reflect on one or more of the core competencies. As you determine how you would like to approach the exercise, please remember that gathering information, making connections, collaboratively exchanging ideas are of equal value to the meaning, language features and conventions. To offer voice and choice, perhaps introduce two or three topic options and/or offer an open-ended topic of interest.