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WritingFix: The original home of interactive writing prompts and lesson ideas for teachers
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WritingFix also recommends these websites for writing teachers:


Corbett's Website




Dena's Website



NNWP's website



NWP's Website

Getting your daily "fix" of writing is more important than fixing your writing.
Welcome to WritingFix

Outstanding Northern Nevada Teachers Share New Lessons
Over 40 New Writing Lessons/Prompts Inspired by Literary Classics and Audio and Video I-Pod Segments

New Lesson Collection #1: Literary Classics In November, the NNWP hosted a new 16-hour inservice class for teachers called "Inspired by the Best: writing lessons based on great excerpts from literature and classical poetry." Twenty-four Northern Nevada teachers participated in demonstration workshop lessons given by seven NNWP Teacher Consultants. On the last night of class, each inservice participant proposed a new lesson that would be considered for posting posted at WritingFix. The result of the workshop are the 29 lessons that can now be accessed at our Literature-Inspired Lesson Collection.

New Collection #2: I-Pod Inspired Lessons In February, working collaboratively with Washoe County's Technology Department and the Teachers of the American History Project, the NNWP sponsored a 16-hour inservice class for twenty-two highly-recommended 4th-12th grade teachers. Each teacher was given the task of creating a writing-across-the-curriculum lesson that creatively made use of an I-Pod as part of the writing process. Participants all received a classroom I-Pod for their lessons, which are still being submitted. The first dozen lessons, however, are posted and ready for you to explore. By June, all twenty-two lessons will be posted at our I-Pod Inspired Lesson Collection. In Fall of 2008, these twenty-two lessons will be featured at inservices across Nevada and at workshops at numerous national conferences.

WritingFix's Philosophy: Interactive Choices Inspire Writers
from Corbett Harrison, WritingFix's webmaster

We all appreciate choices in life. In the classrooms where I learned to write, often I had little or no choice when writing was assigned to me. "Write a report about this topic," "Make sure your essay addresses this theme," and "Follow this format when writing your paragraphs" were mandates I remember from school that stifled me as a writer.

When I became a teacher, I allowed my students to make choices when they selected topics and approaches for papers and assignments. I taught them writing skills, and they applied those skills to the topics that interested them. My classroom of writers thrived in my choice-based, workshop approach to the teaching of writing.

When creating this website for writers, students, and their teachers, I was determined to make choice the theme that made this resource-based website different. As you explore and use WritingFix's resources, watch for the choices each resource offers young writers.

A fine example of one of our interactive, choice-based writing prompts is below: the interactive plot creator, which was one of the first twenty prompts that began WritingFix in 2001.


a writingfix original choice-based idea generator
The Interactive Plot Creator

Instructions for student writers: A story plot can be designed once three elements have been determined by the writer: 1) setting--where the story will take place; 2) character--who will "star" in the story; and 3) conflict--what situation will keep your character's situation interesting to your reader. Press the three buttons below until you have a combination that would launch a great and original story.

    

    

Working with students using this interactive writing prompt? 
Try using our pre-writing worksheet and our rough-draft worksheet?

 


Quick access to what's most popular and what's new at WritingFix:

Lesson Title: Overcoming a Personified Fear

Mentor Text: There's a Nightmare in my Closet by Mercer Mayer

Focus Trait: Organization
Support Trait: Idea Development

(Click on the book cover or lesson title to access this new lesson.)

This Month's "Hidden Treasure":
(a fabulous free lesson that only a few teachers know about)

Lesson Title: The Butcher's Tale

Mentor Text: "Reuben Bright" by poet E. A. Robinson

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Voice

(Click on the image or lesson title to access this hidden treasure.)


Lesson Title: Writing Like an Artist Paints

Mentor Text: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Support Trait: Word Choice

(Click on the book cover or lesson title to access the entire lesson.)

This great writing lesson was e-mailed on May 1st to all members of our Mini-Lesson of the Month Club! You too can join this free "club" by clicking here and then following the directions for signing up.

Prompt Title: Emotion and Colorful Day Poems

Focus Trait: Idea Development
Skill: Creative Details

(Click on the book cover or lesson title to access the entire lesson.)

This great prompt was e-mailed on May 1st to all members of our Mini-Lesson of the Month Club! You too can join this free "club" by clicking here and then following the directions for signing up.


The six most popular destinations for educators at WritingFix:

1) The Random Daily Prompt Generator:

Hundreds and hundreds of interesting writing prompts to choose from.
Click the image above to be taken to the collection.

2) The WritingFix Picture Book Lesson Collection:

Over 60 original lessons inspired by our contributors' favorite picture books.
Click the image above to be taken to the collection.


Interactive prompts and word games designed to inspire the younger writers.


Original 6-Trait resources featured here, with access to each trait's own homepage.


Inspired by the research of Robert Marzano: Free resources from our new comparison & contrast guide for teachers as well as access to quality lessons at WritingFix that require comparative thinking.


Free access to tools and resources we're developing in Northern Nevada to help our students better succeed with the constructed response questions on our state and district tests.

Copyright 2008 - WritingFix and the Northern Nevada Writing Project- All Rights Reserved

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