What are your thoughts about the SSW instructional approach?

Two things stand out.  First, SSW has strong performance agreement—the assessed written work aligns directly with the content and practice in the class.  Second, SSW provides a consistent structure and framework for the course so that students spend less time learning the course and more time learning the content and skills.

 

What do you find to be the most effective component of the approach for your students? 

I have always done some modeling with my students, but SSW has helped me do it consistently and with a think-aloud component.  I have always had students analyze and grade a sample assignment, but SSW has helped me expand that practice to include weak examples, self-evaluation of students’ own work using the rubric, and evaluation of my instructor modeling examples and our collaborative class examples.

 

How do you use the SSW approach in your instruction?

For developmental students, SSW is the entire curriculum.  For my freshman composition students, SSW is the backbone of the course that provides structure for each unit, including collaboratively evaluating strong/weak examples using the assignment rubric, instructor-guided collaborative modeling, and journals that explore the Strategies for Academic Success.

 

What advice would you give to other colleagues who consider using this approach?

Using SSW is a different kind of teaching that requires different class preparation.  You won’t be preparing lectures and slide decks.  You will be thinking through the strategies and processes that you will model and facilitate for collaboration.  You have to think like a student and do all of the assignments in front of the students.  You have to learn how to think aloud as you model so that the unveiling of the cognitive processes is at the level that students can see the mess, see the strategies at work, and appreciate the level of effort/time needed to produce work that meets the criteria for that task.

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What are your thoughts about the SSW instructional approach?

I think the SSW instructional approach is effective. The concept of showing students how proficient learners complete assignment through think-aloud modeling goes beyond just giving writing assignments and providing a well written example. No matter what the reading or writing assignment, the approach put forth in the SSW shows how to analyze a task, create a plan, use strategies and evaluate their work.

 

What do you find to be the most effective component of the approach for your students?

I think that the combination of the 6 steps of wiring, the emphasis on text structure recognition in reading and writing, and think-aloud modeling truly help students.

 

How do you use the SSW approach in your instruction?

As stated in the previous answer, I use the 6 steps with a strong emphasis on text structure. Additionally, I use think-aloud modeling to show how I use choose strategies, monitoring my usage, change them if necessary, and how I revise my work by comparing it too the goal that I set.

 

What advice would you give to other colleagues who consider using this approach?

Follow the SSW curriculum faithfully the first time. Do not be afraid to work through problems in front of students; they need to see how instructors work through challenges.

What are your thoughts about the SSW instructional approach?  

The Supporting Strategic Writers program accomplishes exactly what the title implies—students are taught strategies, and they are supported as they practice these strategies. I believe it is a program that works.

 

What do you find to be the most effective component of the approach for your students? 

I believe the most effective component is the emphasis on thinking while writing. Students are asked to think about the point of their writing, and they are given a strategy that helps them organize and write their thoughts.

 

How do you use the SSW approach in your instruction? 

I have been using “Factitious” in all my classes as an introduction to the SAP approach to validating information.

 

What advice would you give to other colleagues who consider using this approach?

I highly recommend the Supporting Strategic Writers program for entry level college students. Students are taught to think, organize, and plan before they write. One way they are taught this approach is by watching their instructors think, organize, plan, and write. This program teaches the process of writing, and the program offers support so that the students learn to write organized and detailed papers.

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What are your thoughts about the SSW instructional approach?

The SSW training led to significant changes in my approach to teaching composition. The layers of reinforcement, from demonstration to collaboration and finally to independent writing, result in greater student confidence when they do write their own essays.

 

What do you find to be the most effective component of the approach for your students?

Students love to see me struggle with my writing, to see that it’s hard work for me even though I’ve been doing it for a long time.

 

How do you use the SSW approach in your instruction?

I use the SSW approach in composition classes to demonstrate my own writing process. I also use IROC and the graphic organizers. I have modified the information literacy portion to include some online resources.

 

What advice would you give to other colleagues who consider using this approach?

The SSW approach forced me to consider my own writing process and articulate my reasons for each step of the process. I found myself rethinking some of my own practices and sharing that with students as I demonstrated my own approach. My advice to colleagues would be to remain open not only to sharing your process but also to sharing reflections and adaptations of that process.