Key Idea Everybody Writes: Set your students up for rigorous engagement by giving them the opportunity to reflect first in writing before discussing. As author Joan Didion says, "I write to know what I think".
Benefits:
- Gives the teacher a chance to select effective responses by circulating around the room and reading students responses.
- Allows cold calling to be natural.
- Allows all students a chance to participate in conversation.
- It improves students thoughts and ideas.
- Sets a standard to guide student thinking in the right direction.
- Students remember twice as much if the they write it down.
"These six benefits work on at least three axes: they increase the quality of the ideas discussed in your class and expand the number of students likely to participate and their readiness to do so. And regardless of who actually speaks up, the exercise increases the ratio since it causes everybody to answer the question, not just those who discuss it"
What are your thoughts:
Can you give an example of how you can use the everybody writes technique in your student teaching or tutoring class?
