Imagining the Possibilities: Improving the Teaching of Writing Through Teacher-Led Inquiry
Excerpt
To gain perspective on teachers’ experiences as they work to address the CCSS, I recently supported the implementation of a teacher-led action-research group for teachers at an urban charter school serving grades K–10 in Phoenix, Arizona. The seven participants each teach English language arts or writing courses and are fellows of the Central Arizona Writing Project, a local site of the National Writing Project.
Our work together revolved around the following inquiry questions: How can I use writing to prepare my students for the next stages of their lives? How can I open up my curriculum to include the diverse forms of writing that take place in college, the workplace, and the community? Through our time together, this teacher-led inquiry group came to understand key strategies, resources, rewards, and obstacles for implementing college- and career-ready writing in the curriculum.
