Writing Science in Hard Times

Autor/inn/en	McClellan, Michael; Myelle-Watson, Dawn; Peters, Brad; Spears, Debora; Wellen, David
Titel	Writing Science in Hard Times
Quelle	In: Across the Disciplines, 9 (2012) 3 PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1554-8244
Schlagwörter	Content Area Writing; Science Education; Grade 9; Science Teachers; Teacher Collaboration; Prompting; Writing Strategies; Poverty; Urban Schools; Biology; Physical Sciences; Program Effectiveness; Standardized Tests; Interdisciplinary Approach; Writing Assignments; Comparative Analysis; Illinois + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schriftliche Übung; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; School year 09; 9. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 09; Science; Teacher; Teachers; Science teacher; Wissenschaft; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Lehrerkooperation; Benutzerführung; Schreibtechnik; Armut; Urban area; Urban areas; School; Schools; Stadtregion; Stadt; Schule; Biologie; Natural sciences; Naturwissenschaften; Naturwissenschaft; Standadised tests; Standardisierter Test; Fächerübergreifender Unterricht; Fächerverbindender Unterricht; Interdisziplinarität
Abstract	To teach science writing effectively, scholars encourage combining writing to learn with applications of the science writing heuristic. How teachers learn to do so remains under-examined. This essay follows a cohort of ninth-grade science teachers who collaborated in a project to develop, test, and revise such a combination of writing prompts for physical science and biology in a high-poverty, urban school district. Students in the project acquired course concepts more readily. In standardized exams designed by the district, they also outperformed students enrolled in the same courses, using the same district curricula. Even special education students demonstrated better progress and retention. In addition, the exams enabled the science teachers to evaluate the curriculum and to consider how writing to learn could redress its weaknesses. Preliminary results of the project suggest that writing to learn--augmented by locally designed standardized tests--might not only transform student learning outcomes, but transform the development of secondary science curricula as well. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. Tel: 970-491-3132; Web site: http://wac.colostate.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01