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Writing to Communicate for Middle Grade+ Students

In this 22-week online course, students will write ten different academic essays using specific strategies, grammar, and rubrics for self-assessment that are unique to each essay.
Dr. Harper, Ed.D.
Average rating:
4.6
Number of reviews:
(361)
Class

What's included

66 live meetings
66 in-class hours
Assignments
2-4 hours per week. The homework assignments will involve the time needed to complete unfinished classwork and the time needed to write a first and final draft.
Certificate of Completion
The students will receive a completion certificate for each essay that aligns with a score of 3 or 4 from the self-assessment rubrics provided with each essay. Anything below a score of 3 will receive specific feedback targeting improvement.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Intermediate Level
Course Focus
The main objective of this course, Writing to Communicate, is to provide opportunities for middle-grade students to become more confident and proficient at academic writing. Writing skills remain the most important communication tools students can develop during their K-12 schooling (National Assessment of Education Progress). Through the clarity of writing, our thoughts, ideas, and intents become better understood. 

Topics Covered
The course will use foundational writing skills to cover seven essays (autobiographical, short story, descriptive, persuasive, comparison-and-contrast, cause-and-effect, and how-to), one research report, one response to literature, and one writing for assessment. 

Class Structure
The first two weeks of the course will involve a presentation of the qualities of good writing and the steps of the writing process - prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, publishing, and presenting. The writing process will be followed for the seven essays, the research report, the written response to literature, and the writing for assessment work. 

Teaching Approach and Style
The instruction will be delivered using a constructivist approach to teaching. This approach encourages students to use their current knowledge to build new knowledge.  This promotes growth and understanding of the unique differences in academic modes of writing. The constructivist approach supports a style of teaching that promotes independence in learning.  As students become more independent in learning, they become more self-confident in their ability to write and communicate effectively. 

Student-Teacher Interactions
When questions arise during class, students may raise their digital hands to be recognized. Everyone's question is important but often time runs out and questions go unanswered. When this occurs, students may contact the teacher outside the classroom through the OutSchool email communication system.
Learning Goals
1)	Students will be able to explain the qualities of good writing and apply the steps of the writing process effectively.
2)	Students will differentiate between the modes of academic writing and the different types of writing found within each mode.
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Standards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
66 Lessons
over 22 Weeks
Lesson 1:
The Qualities of Writing
 In lesson one, students will be introduced to developing an idea, organizing writing, establishing voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. The overview will also provide information on methods for keeping track of writing ideas and the importance of maintaining writing and reading logs. 
60 mins online live lesson
1 assignment
Lesson 2:
The Writing Process - Part 1
 In lesson two, students will be provided with an overview of the steps of the writing process. The steps covered in session two include prewriting and drafting. 
60 mins online live lesson
1 assignment
Lesson 3:
The Writing Process - Part 2
 In lesson three, students will continue the overview of the writing process.  The steps covered in session three will include revising, editing, proofreading, publishing, and presenting. 
60 mins online live lesson
1 assignment
Lesson 4:
Paragraphs and Compositions
 Lesson four is about writing effective paragraphs beginning with the development of a main idea and topic sentence, writing supporting sentences, placing the topic sentence, and maintaining unity and coherence. 
60 mins online live lesson
1 assignment

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
Students should be able to write in complete sentences, understand paragraph structure, and follow directions for writing different essay types.
Supply List
Teacher-generated hand-outs will be provided before and/or during each lesson.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined December, 2018
4.6
361reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
California Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
California Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Texas Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Doctoral Degree in Education from University of Phoenix
Experienced middle school and upper elementary ELA teacher (28 years) and credentialed as a reading specialist and ELA specialist. Eight years of experience teaching ELA in online and guest teacher instructional positions for grades K-8.

Reviews

Live Group Course
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$1,320

for 66 classes
3x per week, 22 weeks
60 min

Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
5-10 learners per class

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