Real-World Writing

Focus on Real, Relevant, Relatable Writing

What CTE Schools Teach Us About Writing in All Content Areas

This month we have been inspired by lessons we took from recent work with CTE (Career and Technical Education) staff and students. We routinely demonstrate lessons for teachers and students in our schools, and CTE areas are no different.

This past month, we facilitated discussions with both students and teachers at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland and were interested in how students felt about writing.

Some of the ideas they shared:

• I am an awful speller and that makes me a bad writer.

• Writing has nothing to do with what I am going to do in my future.

• How does writing have anything to do with this class? This isn’t English!

• I have always been a bad writer, and my papers are always full of “corrections” from the teacher.

• I HATE essays/writing assignments.

• I never understand what I am supposed to do, and every time I get a piece of writing back, I feel worse.

Similarly, teachers expressed fear about assigning and using writing in their specialty areas:

• I am not equipped to teach writing - if I had wanted to teach English, I would have!

• Writing has nothing to do with my area, and I don’t see how I can make it relate.

• I do not know how to grade writing assignments (and I don’t really want to!)

• I don’t want to take time away from my content, and I can’t add on one more thing.

These sentiments are not necessarily unique to CTE classrooms. Teachers in all types of schools and classrooms share some of these same fears and hang-ups and at times find themselves wondering, “What does writing really have to do with what I teach?”

After a full day of teacher training and classroom lessons at Stafford, though, something wonderful was happening. Students and teachers were asked to share takeaways from the day. Many students said that the Collins "writing" assignments they completed "didn't seem like writing," and they felt that with the framework provided by Type One, Two, and Three Writing, they could write successfully and not be overwhelmed. They also understood how writing tasks related to their CTE area.

One of our favorite comments of the day came from a teacher who shared that he will use the Collins framework because it is about “real writing.” Pushing further, we asked, “What is real writing?” According to him, “real writing” is the writing students will have to do in their real life and future careers. It doesn’t feel like “school” writing. It not only assesses students’ ability to write, it helps to teach and assess content area knowledge and understanding in a way that feels authentic to both teachers and students.

It became apparent that these observations about "real writing" could have come from any content area. Our framework can benefit all of our clients by reinforcing how “real writing” is more engaging and relevant for students. Not every writing assignment needs to be a five-paragraph essay or multi-draft masterpiece. After all, how many five-paragraph essays have any of us completed in the recent future? Yet I think we would all agree that we "write" every day.

For teachers, writing serves as a tool to instruct content, assess understanding, and incorporate focused writing skills. It helps students make sense of their learning, convey technical ideas, refine their thinking, and practice both content and communication skills. Writing has a place in every classroom, and when we make that writing feel "real" to students, that's when we start to see those "aha" moments that build real-world skills and competencies.

The photos in this issue are from Auto, Welding, Construction Trades, and Cosmetology labs at Stafford Technical Center in Rutland, Vermont.

A Few More Thoughts on "Real-World" Writing...

The following insights came from members of the CTE community; but, they actually apply to any content area:

• Although important, conventions alone do not make effective writers. Communicating content clearly is what makes writing effective.

• Student writers often lose confidence when conventions are prioritized over the message of the writing - they just see that everything they do is “wrong.”

• Writing in the content areas should focus on the content and be authentic to the type of writing that the discipline demands.

• Students, and many teachers, believe that essays and formal academic writing are the only types of writing. They do not see how “real” writing will always be a part of their future.

• Teachers of all subject areas can be confident about assessing writing when their content is the priority. They do not have to be English teachers, and the assignments they give can reinforce great writing skills and real tasks.

• Collins Writing should not be viewed as an add-on in any classroom; it should be a natural part of teaching, learning, and assessing.

• Collins assessment tools are easy, quick, and relevant to the area of study - they save time, not add to it!