I'm not sure what the novelty is, but my students LOVE to write with pens. Truth be told, they will write with anything that isn't a pencil! They love it so much, that they will pay (with Dojo Dollars earned during the week) for the privilege of using a pen for the day.
It's not a new concept to use pens or color to help engage students with tasks or to organize writing, but I thought I would share with you how I've implemented and continue to use this strategy to help meet the needs of every student in my class (even those that are most challenged when trying to tackle a writing assignment).
1. Post an Anchor Chart
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| Classroom Anchor Chart |
To stay consistent, I use the same color of marker to code the anchor chart, graphic organizers, and written drafts. The fact that "conclusions" has its own color has shifted the mindset of what conclusions should sound like and how to structure them to fit the writing piece.
I picked red, blue, and black because they are the most common pen colors. However, feel free to choose whichever colors work best for you!
2. Code the Graphic Organizer
As students fill in their graphic organizer, have them use the corresponding color! You can either have the students write in pencil (and then circle the parts in color) or have them write the notes in pen.
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| Color Coded Organizer |
With this organizer, the students were working in their "expert trade groups" to complete the organizer. Using the color helped them determine the structure of the paragraph when moving from organizer to draft. If you stay consistent with color coding organizers, the students will be able to transfer their notes easily because it's the color guiding their text structure and not necessarily the organizer. In a sense, you are keeping the process consistent regardless of changes in the organizer or the content.
3. Draft in Pen
Yup. That's right. Draft in pen. Why not? It's a draft and subject to changes anyway. If following the writing process, it should be changed as it moves to final draft. Whether you skip lines or not, students can adjust their writing later on. I don't let scribbles and cross outs drive me crazy. In fact, I prefer them. It gives the students an authentic look at drafting and dispels the notion that drafts should "look perfect" and that one should erase and re-write in order to edit/revise. Bring on the pens and watch the creativity shift in ways you never imagined!
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| Student Draft |
As the year progresses, students will find their own comfort level with pens and during which parts of the writing process they prefer to use pen. I keep a healthy supply available at all times and stay consistent with the three colors. I do incorporate other way to have fun with pens (#3 Choice Day), but for the writing process, I limit it to what you see in the process outlined above.
How do you making writing more engaging in your classroom? Comment below. I would love to hear your suggestions!