Week 4 - Writing to Learn

This week, I read the article Writing to Learn Across the Curriculum: Tools for Comprehension in Content Area Classes by Knipper and Duggan, as well as Chapter 8 of the text by Fisher and Frey Powerful Pens: Writing to Learn with Adolescents.  I found that the overall description of writing to learn in the two pieces complemented each other well because the Fisher and Frey piece gave an example of what writing to learn actually looks like in each subject while Knipper and Duggan actually put that description into words.  The explainations given in both the article and the text were parallel.  I enjoyed the fact that both gave a wide variety of strategies to use in content area classes, many that I was not familiar with. 

As I read, I wondered how much better of a writer, reader, thinker, and learner I would be today had my content area teachers used writing to learn.  Both passages said that many content area teachers feel that writing is only the job of the language arts teacher, and sadly, I had those type teachers.  It seems like such a powerful tool for both student and teacher.  It is a means of, essentially, becoming a better thinker and learner and coming to know yourself as a thinker and learner (metacognition).  It is also a means of allowing the teacher to see how the student thinks and if he or she understands what is being studied. With an understanding of writing to learn, I now wonder why all teachers wouldn't make this a part of their curriculum.  To me, it is simply good teaching. 

After reading the articles, I am confused on whether or not writing to learn pieces should be graded.  Knipper and Duggan obviously think they should be because they discuss rubrics and checklists; however, Fisher and Frey state that "writing to learn prompts and tasks are not focused on perfect writing" (pp. 142).  This leads to one of my questions:

Should writing to learn pieces be graded?  If so, to what extent?

My second question:

If I happen to teach a content area class in a school where other teachers do not use writing to learn, what ways can I ease my students into the concept?