Synthesizing Articles

I found it very helpful for my group to collaborate our key ideas from all of our articles. I discovered that there were many common elements throughout our articles. Most notably, the notion of teacher modeling and prompting. "The teacher, through modeling, takes a strong lead in helping students envision using what they are learning in their own writing" (Ray, p.239). This proecess is essential to teaching writing to students because it enables them to first-hand experience the collaborative writing process. Sharing ideas, hearing what other students have to say, and reading aloud all help reinforce the writing and learning process.

Another prominent theme discussed was that of free writing. Free writing, op-ed pieces, and journals allow students to express their feeings, thoughts, fears, and experiences on paper. The importance of sharing and reading aloud was also displayed in all of our articles. Learning to write is a highly social experience and a sense of community is important to students. Kids play many different roles in their lives and having a positive learning experience is essential to good writing. In Rowe, Fitch, and Bass's article, they discuss literacy as a pathway for social actions. The teacher, Joanne, "...wanted children to understand that 'writing is power' and that they could use print to further their social purposes"(p.427). Empowerment and boosting a student's confidence level is key to successful learning and writing. It seems that all of our articles shared these themes in one way or another.