APS MS Writing and Projects

[Anonymous]

How much writing and long term projects did your 7th and 8th grader do in APS middle school. Our 6th grader did almost nothing but not sure if that’s a DL thing or an APS MS thing?

[Anonymous]

My 6th grader has done quite a few in smaller group work, but at least some part of it was extension work that isn’t offered to all students. I don’t know what portions of those projects were assigned to all of her classmates, or if it was teacher, class, or group specific.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader has done quite a few in smaller group work, but at least some part of it was extension work that isn’t offered to all students. I don’t know what portions of those projects were assigned to all of her classmates, or if it was teacher, class, or group specific.

I’m not looking for group work per se, but actually writing substantial papers and getting edited feedback

[Anonymous]

At least 2 long term papers in 7th so far. I'm not really keeping track though. They used extensive organizers though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 6th grader has done quite a few in smaller group work, but at least some part of it was extension work that isn’t offered to all students. I don’t know what portions of those projects were assigned to all of her classmates, or if it was teacher, class, or group specific.

I’m not looking for group work per se, but actually writing substantial papers and getting edited feedback

This was work assigned to groups of kids, but not generally group work. Detailed writing assignments with rubrics, for example, that are completed over weeks and culminate in a presentation.

I would recommend requesting a conference with the teacher(s) (or send an email if you prefer), ask if s/he offers extension writing work, and say that you think your child could benefit from it. It can’t hurt to ask.

[Anonymous]

8th grader has had a few essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least 2 long term papers in 7th so far. I'm not really keeping track though. They used extensive organizers though.

What does this mean? And do they get good feedback on the railing or is it just presented and they get a grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least 2 long term papers in 7th so far. I'm not really keeping track. They used extensive organizers though.

What does this mean? And do they get good feedback on the railing or is it just presented and they get a grade?

It was a multi-step process over a couple of weeks with lots of built-in supports. e.g., first write your main idea. write three supporting statement & details. Maybe too much structure for 7th grade? Hopefully the supports diminish in 8th grade...

They did get good feedback throughout the process.

Nothing happened in 6th grade (aside from pre-algebra).

[Anonymous]

My kid is in 7th grade now. He didn’t do a lot in 6th grade, but they had to deal with covid in the second half of sixth grade which is when I would have expected more substantive projects to be done. I’m 7th grade, nothing particularly long, but they step them through it, as a PP described. I suspect they may have done more in in-person learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least 2 long term papers in 7th so far. I'm not really keeping track. They used extensive organizers though.

What does this mean? And do they get good feedback on the railing or is it just presented and they get a grade?

It was a multi-step process over a couple of weeks with lots of built-in supports. e.g., first write your main idea. write three supporting statement & details. Maybe too much structure for 7th grade? Hopefully the supports diminish in 8th grade...

They did get good feedback throughout the process.

Nothing happened in 6th grade (aside from pre-algebra).

Can you show any samples of these rubrics or organizers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least 2 long term papers in 7th so far. I'm not really keeping track. They used extensive organizers though.

What does this mean? And do they get good feedback on the railing or is it just presented and they get a grade?

It was a multi-step process over a couple of weeks with lots of built-in supports. e.g., first write your main idea. write three supporting statement & details. Maybe too much structure for 7th grade? Hopefully the supports diminish in 8th grade...

They did get good feedback throughout the process.

Nothing happened in 6th grade (aside from pre-algebra).

Can you show any samples of these rubrics or organizers?

Something like this - the hamburger essay. https://mrmulloy.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/9/3/10937155/burger_essay.pdf

[Anonymous]

I have an APS 7th grader. His writing skills are quite poor and he’s an excellent reader and a smart kid. He did nothing in 6th grade, not even a 5-paragraph essay. This year he’s had a couple of those (with these organizers/matrices along the way) but still isn’t good at writing. No specific feedback, which I’ve been told is because of covid (ie the teacher can’t mark up and return an essay). But idk whether that would have happened regardless.

Our experience of APS MS pre-covid was that the teaching/learning are very heavy on apps and iPads and as a result my kid types with his thumbs and relies on autocorrect which I think is part of the issue.

Having had at least one kid in APS for 8+ years now I can say I think the lack of a writing curriculum is a huge issue. But I also have friends with kids in public schools elsewhere and it doesn’t seem unique to APS. However, both DH and I use writing skills constantly in our careers and I think it’s a real shame to forsake this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an APS 7th grader. His writing skills are quite poor and he’s an excellent reader and a smart kid. He did nothing in 6th grade, not even a 5-paragraph essay. This year he’s had a couple of those (with these organizers/matrices along the way) but still isn’t good at writing. No specific feedback, which I’ve been told is because of covid (ie the teacher can’t mark up and return an essay). But idk whether that would have happened regardless.

Our experience of APS MS pre-covid was that the teaching/learning are very heavy on apps and iPads and as a result my kid types with his thumbs and relies on autocorrect which I think is part of the issue.

Having had at least one kid in APS for 8+ years now I can say I think the lack of a writing curriculum is a huge issue. But I also have friends with kids in public schools elsewhere and it doesn’t seem unique to APS. However, both DH and I use writing skills constantly in our careers and I think it’s a real shame to forsake this.

This is a copout on the part of the teacher or school. Some teachers absolutely are marking up electronically submitted projects and essays.

[Anonymous]

DD is in sixth at HB and has had only two, both for her history class. I think that really rigorous writing feedback is pretty rare and just depends on how good the teacher wants to be about it. It has got to be really hard with students at so many different levels. I am tutoring my own kids in writing using a book called The Writing Revolution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At least 2 long term papers in 7th so far. I'm not really keeping track. They used extensive organizers though.

What does this mean? And do they get good feedback on the railing or is it just presented and they get a grade?

It was a multi-step process over a couple of weeks with lots of built-in supports. e.g., first write your main idea. write three supporting statement & details. Maybe too much structure for 7th grade? Hopefully the supports diminish in 8th grade...

They did get good feedback throughout the process.

Nothing happened in 6th grade (aside from pre-algebra).

Can you show any samples of these rubrics or organizers?

I don’t have a copy of the rubric, but the exercises and organizers leading up to the essay were similar to these:
https://wms.wpsok.org/320962_4

For the final essay on this segment, the teacher printed it out and marked it up with comments. We had to pick it up at one of the materials distributions days.