This course is part of the Teaching Writing Specialization

Mark Farrington

Offered By

Teaching Writing SpecializationJohns Hopkins University

About this Course

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All educators will encounter students who struggle with writing. This course first focuses on the reasons student writers may be reluctant and then provides learners with a variety of strategies and practices to help reluctant writers develop a greater comfort and confidence with writing. Learners will examine classroom relationships, mentoring, scaffolding, conferencing, low-risk writing and mini-lessons, all tools and techniques that can be brought right into the classroom to help struggling writers increase student participation and success in writing. They'll conduct their own study of one reluctant writer and use their learning to help create a plan for teaching reluctant writers in their current and future classrooms.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

Teaching Writing Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is designed for current or future teachers, in any situation, who use or want to use writing with their students.

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Reasons why students might be reluctant writers, and tools and techniques to help them become more comfortable and confident as writers.

Skills you will gain

mentor texts
conferencing
scaffolding lessons
teaching reluctant writers

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

Teaching Writing Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is designed for current or future teachers, in any situation, who use or want to use writing with their students.

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Mark Farrington

Assistant Director

MA in Teaching Writing Program

2,579 Learners

5 Courses

Offered by

Johns Hopkins University

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

5 hours to complete

Understanding Reluctant Writers

Nearly all students find that writing presents challenges, but some students struggle so much that they dread having to put even a few words on the page. Why do these reluctant writers struggle with writing? In this module, learners will examine possible reasons students may exhibit reluctance to writing in classrooms. They’ll reflect on their own relationship to writing, select and begin to study a reluctant writer, and begin to explore and reflect upon methods for helping reluctant writers grow more comfortable with expressing themselves in writing.

5 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 52 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

11 videos

Teaching Writing Specialization Welcome Video5mTeaching Reluctant Writers Course Welcome Video4mResponding to Your Fellow Learners3mModule 1 Welcome Video55sWhy are Some Writers reluctant?9mWhy Some Writers are Reluctant, Part 23mReluctant Writer Case Study5mThe Benefits of Daily Writing2mWriting Territories7mThe Value of Writing Territories4mLow-stakes Writing5m

3 readings

Instructions for Your Reluctant Writer Case Study1hFreewriting30mMadman Architect Carpenter Judge15m

1 practice exercise

Understanding Reluctant Writers30m

Week2

Week 2

5 hours to complete

Engaging Reluctant Writers

Producing words is the first step in helping our reluctant writers become confident writers. As we’ve said before, a writer needs to write in order to grow and improve as a writer, and a daily writing habit is of critical importance in increasing writing fluency. In this module, learners will examine some of the tools and techniques that can help reluctant writers improve their confidence and comfort level. We’ll look at the strategies and practices involving daybooks, mentor texts, mini-lessons and scaffolding. You’ll learn about Vygotsky and the ZPD, and you’ll continue working on your reluctant writer case study.

5 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 39 min), 6 readings, 2 quizzes

8 videos

Module 2 Welcome46sDaybooks5mMentor Texts and Reluctant Writers4mMini-Lessons and Reluctant Writers6mThe Importance of Asking Questions: A Mini-Lesson Example3mConjunctions: Another Sample Mini-lesson4mVygotsky and the ZPD6mScaffolding7m

6 readings

"Ten Strategies to Engage Reluctant Writers"15mMore Strategies 15mHow Daybooks Helped My Students10mUsing a Daybook to Promote Student Learning15mScaffolding30mTo Read More About Scaffolding3m

1 practice exercise

Mini-lessons, Vygotsky and Scaffolding30m

Week3

Week 3

5 hours to complete

Empowering Reluctant Writers

In this module, we look at ways to move from engaging with reluctant writers to empowering them. We’ll examine two of the most important practices that help us focus on the specific needs and growth of each individual student, conferencing and reflection. Every reluctant writer has his or her own areas of strength and areas in need of improvement, and in student conferences, we can identify those specific needs by working with students one-on-one. Through reflection, students can become empowered as they come to identify and understand their own processes of learning and growth. In seeing writing – and even learning overall – as a series of choices they make, students can realize they have the power to determine what those choices will be. We'll also examine the value of writing for an authentic audience, and at the end of this module, you’ll complete your case study of one reluctant writer and you’ll reflect on how you might use your learning to help reluctant writers you currently teach or will teach in the future.

5 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 32 min), 3 readings, 3 quizzes

About the Teaching Writing Specialization

This specialization will provide learners with proven methods to improve the writing of students of all ages, in all situations, including K through University classrooms as well as homeschooling, tutoring, in business and the private sector. In four courses and a final project, you’ll learn effective theories and practices to teach writing that you can adapt to your own teaching situation and needs. You’ll learn how to teach writing as process, how to reach even the most reluctant writers, how to help students construct specific texts and make the reading/writing connection, and how to respond to and assess student writing in ways that are meaningful to both teacher and student. If you use writing in your teaching, or want to, this specialization will provide you with tools and practices you can use with your students right away.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.
Do I need to take these courses in a specific order?
We have designed the Teaching Writing Process course to provide a foundation for all the other courses, so we recommend taking that course first, although it is not required that you do so, and you may take these courses in any order you wish. You must complete all four courses before taking the Final Project.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Teaching Reluctant Writers

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain