Blog 3: The Writing Strand

Good Day Fellow Bloggers!

Introduction: 

Welcome to my second post in EDBE 8P24 for the Brock University Teacher's College Program! Today, the purpose of this blog post is to review the Reading Strand in the Ontario Curriculum. Grades 1-8 Language [revised] 2006 and provide the reader with the expectations of students within the Writing Strand. This my my third of four blog posts dedicated to each strand of language: Media Studies, Reading, Writing, and Oral Communication.

Writing Strand: 

The intent of the Writing Strand in the Ontario Language Curriculum is to guide students to effective writing practices. According to Literacy for Learning, "writing ... provides students with powerful opportunities to learn about themselves and their connections to the world; to organize their thoughts, remember important information, solve problems, reflect on a widening range of perspectives, and learn how to communicate effectively for specific purposes and audiences." Students are expected to become disciplined thinkers to develop these communication skills by learning and applying standard written forms and language conventions. 

Engage Young Minds!

Student Opportunity: 

According to the Writing Strand in the Ontario Language Curriculum, "students should be given the kinds of assignments that provide opportunities to produce writing that is interesting and original and that reflects their capacity for independent critical thought." They should be able to write clearly and concisely, for the purpose of producing original writing results that are parallel to their interests. The product should also allow for students to independently critique their writing style and allow for critical thought on the very message they are trying to portray.

Using Technology to Help!

Developing Skills: 

For students to improve their writing, it is important for them to consider the writing activities presented in class to be relatable to outside curriculum and for them to develop creative themes for the texts in which they are writing. This will allow for students to have a genuine interest in writing, and will lead to them progressing at an increasingly enhanced level. The skill of writing is directly correlated to reading, and thus it is important for students to develop both their reading and writing skills as one cannot be without the support of the other. As the development of these skills is reciprocal, students must engage their vocabulary skills, adapt structure within their papers, and add their own original perspective and voice into the piece in which they are writing. As students practice both of these skill sets, they will use these skills interchangeably in language, and this is the hope that today's Ontario Curriculum has for students. 

Thats all for now! Until Next Week Bloggers!