in listening and reading (using additional
mentor texts), and also gathered evidence for use of the target language in speaking and writing. Feedback helped to move the learner forward in language development while improving both the content and process of student writing.
Image 4: Conferring in Spanish
Digital Notebooks/Cuadernos Digitales: Notebooks are a place for students to write, take notes and collect their writing; notebooks are also important part of the body of evidence of students’ learning for both formative and summative assessment. Our digital notebooks were created using Google Docs, allowing sharing of documents for written feedback, at school and at home. Google Drawing and Lucidchart (lucidchart.com) applications helped students to brainstorm, connect and organize ideas visually as a mindmap or with images. Kaizena (kaizena.com) is a useful way to offer feedback through written or recorded oral comments, in English or the target language, developing speaking, reading and listening comprehension skills as part of the writing process. Finally, Google Docs allowed the teacher to track progress, through the history option or by viewing resolved comments.
Student Learning/Aprendizaje de los Estudiantes
In the end, we wondered: do students see any benefit in the writing process, and does the workshop approach to teaching writing improve student learning? Student feedback indicated a greater awareness and increased craftsmanship: “I like mentor texts because they help me know what is expected from me in the writing.” Students also became more independent as they learned about themselves as writers: “I like conferring with my teacher because it helps me reflect on the work that I‘ve done.” Finally, our approach supported students’ metacognition: “planning really makes you slow down and think about what you are going to write.” We found that students learned to value and use the writing process. At the same time, they understood how a world language class could help them become better writers as they acquired the target language.
Teacher Growth/Desarrollo Profesional
Just like the students, as teachers we considered our approach during each step of the writing process. We focused not only on the completion of writing pieces, but explored students’ pathways to the end product, as a consequence this allowed a great amount of writing and learning. Furthermore, writing this article helped put us in our students’ shoes. As a native Spanish speaker, Gaby reflected:
Working with my co-author, and teaching
writing in my language class by adapting
writing workshop, allowed me to reflect on
my own teaching. Perhaps some of the
greatest learning has to do with the idea of ‘
less is more’. Teaching writing in this way
has allowed me to slow down, look at our
curriculum and consider the value of writing
fewer pieces but focusing more on the
process. Writing this article has also allowed
me to have a taste of the writing process
itself as I write in a second language.
The shift from less direct instruction to more authentic student writing provided the opportunity and tools to differentiate instruction and assessment. We were able to individualize language skill development, writing instruction and use of technology. Conferences with individuals or small groups provided valuable, meaningful feedback. Since components of writing workshop could use the target language, they also provided an authentic context for language use.
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