Overall, I felt that the language that they used to describe each trait was very asset-based. It rewards students for what is present, rather than deducting points because things are missing. I think it is encouraging to student writers and considers aspects of the writing that are sometimes forgotten, but are still very important, such as voice and presentation.
Monday, November 7, 2016
6+1 Trait Writing
I really appreciated the 6+1 Trait Writing model that was featured in the reading. I felt that it was a very holistic approach to assessing student writing. The traits themselves embody all of the most important aspects of good writing. I liked how they were more on the general side so that as a teacher, you are able to pick out some important qualifiers for each trait that can be tailored to your students. For example, if your students are struggling with using weak verbs like "said" too often, under word choice you could say "Paper uses strong verbs" or something similar. I also liked the addition of Presentation as a trait, because when I have made assignment sheets/rubrics in the past, I've typically lumped the presentation aspect into conventions, but I like how it is separate here. This way students will take the time to present their work in a professional way, and it is less likely to be an afterthought for them.
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I agree that the traits embodied the important aspects of writing and that they are a good way to look at student writing. The teachers had more freedom through this model but could also use the traits as a guide to figuring out which one the student needed to focus on the most. I also like the way the model is portrayed because it can get students motivated and thinking positively about their writing. I see that the traits are not so much about seeing what's wrong in student writing and how they need to fix it, but what the students can use to succeed. The traits are tools for success and the more students use them, the more praise they get. This model of positive feedback in assessing student writing is reflecting very well through the 6+1 trait writing.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked this holistic approach to assessing student writing. I think that there are many ways to approach assessment that focus too much on specific features or fill-in-the-blank requirements that don't really help students produce better writing. If we focus on these more general yet all too important features that good writing should have, I think we have a better chance of helping our students to improve their writing.
ReplyDeleteFunny that you point out the difference between conventions and presentation, Jessica! this was a huge controversy with the originators of the rubric. You'll find 6-traits without the plus one on the web.
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