Implementing the writing workshop. (c2005)

Abstract

Teachers have always been faced with the challenging task of teaching a diverse group of learners in mixed-ability classrooms. Most teachers relied on the one-size-fitsall approach, which ignored students' academic diversity in favor of standardization. Similarly, students in today's classrooms are certainly diverse as they reflect differing academic readiness, interests, and learning profiles. Therefore, teachers continue to wonder how to divide their time and energy in order to provide adequate learning experiences that are meaningful to each student in the classroom. Thus, differentiation of instruction has been proposed as an educational approach that centers on teaching and learning, which is distant from other approaches that standardize instruction. In schools, differentiation promises the possibility of establishing classrooms where student variance in academic readiness, interests, and learning profiles are addressed and become a reality. This qualitative action research study analyzed the manner in which writing instruction was differentiated through implementing the Writing Workshop approach in an attempt to help students demonstrate improved writing skills. In addition, the study examined the effects of second graders' participation in the Writing Workshop and discussed the success factors that enabled students to develop their writing skills. The study also analyzed the manner in which portfolios have been used as an assessment tool to measure students' writing progress and growth. The results ofthe data revealed that differentiating writing instruction, through implementing the Writing Workshop approach, created a powerful and motivating tool that allowed students to grow to love writing. Additionally, students' writing skills have greatly improved and that was reflected in their progression of text, expansion of ideas, and development in conventional writing.