"Everyone has the capacity to write, writing can be taught, and teachers can help students become better writers." --- NCTE
WE BELIEVE…
Writing is purposeful:
- Writing is thinking. Sometimes you are learning to write; other times, you are writing to learn.
- Writing is contextual. Good writers consider their intent, audience, and mode.
- Writing is interdisciplinary. Students use writing to communicate their ideas across all content areas.
Writing is a process influenced by:
Students and Teachers
- Writing is developmental and will look different for each writer.
- Writing is connected to all literacies, such as reading, speaking, and listening.
- Writing emerges from life experiences—formal and informal, personal and shared.
Writing Experiences and Pedagogy
- Writing requires student choice, effective modeling, structured opportunities, and meaningful feedback.
- Writing instruction depends on ongoing teacher collaboration to discuss, determine, and implement best practices.
- Writing is multi-genre and results in a variety of products.
- Writing assessment occurs for different purposes—before, during, and after learning—and takes various forms—self-reflective, peer-to-peer, and teacher-student.
Culture and Environment
- Writing requires a nurturing environment that challenges students to take risks, reflect, and revise.
- Writers need dedicated blocks of time; writing improves over time and with regular practice.
- Writing is supported by purposeful and appropriate technologies.