Writing as a Tool - for Teachers of PSD (Personal & Social Development)

1. agais
3rd. Advanced Writing Workshop
Tuesday, 2nd. September, 2008
Presentation / Workshop
1|Page
Annabel Desira

2. agais
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2|Page
Annabel Desira

3. agais
This handout is aimed for the PSD teachers during the Workshop.
In which “settings” do
Do you ever write? Is
you usually write?
“writing” a tool for you?
How often do you write?
Do you
write for
official /
formal
purposes
only ?
Give examples of the writing
genres that you like.
Do you like writing?
Yes / No and WHY?
3|Page
Annabel Desira

4. agais
“In the finest writing, there’s a magic that will outlive marble and
tha fame of tyrants, and in the most ordinary writing, if honest,
there’s a seed of magic that grows and grows and blossoms with
time ...”
from “The Night Watchman” by David Mc Fadden
“Though life may be
painful, there’s a joy and
a power in writing, even
when you’re dealing with
something that is hard to
live through day by day.
You’re trying to
understand what you’re
living through by using
the tools of words and the
beautiful inner structure of
language.”
“Working with this
group helped me see
how writing can
change the world.”
by Terri Bush from the
introduction of the
book “Writing Your
Way” by Ellen Jaffe
by Sandra McPherson,
cited in Bill Moyers
“The Language of Life”
4|Page
Annabel Desira

5. agais
Case Study 1 : Alan
Alan is a 13 year old who has just moved house and is
now living in Valletta. He has also changed school and is
now attending a college in the same city where he lives.
He is rather shy, quiet and timid. He has practically no
friends at all and is often left alone during break time.
Lately, he noticed a group of boys who live near him that
attend the same college. He wants to be their friend but
he thinks he is not cool enough to join their group.
First, he has no piercings or tattoos. Secondly, his mother would kill him if he had to stay
out late like they do. Thirdly, he has never touched a cigarette or a shot of alcohol all his
life. On the other hand, he cannot be isolated for a lifetime ... He starts thinking of ways
how to approach this group of cool guys ... He needs to be noticed. He needs to be
accepted. He doesn’t want to feel left out anymore.
What do you know about Alan so far?
What do you know about the group of “cool
guys” so far?
Do you think that this group of guys will accept Alan in the group? Yes/No? Why?
5|Page
Annabel Desira

6. agais
Build up on what you already know!!!
Name and Surname :
Age :
College where he attends :
City where he lives :
Family Situation :
Any Brothers or Sisters :
Hobbies :
Any Friends :
Favourite Game :
Favourite Subject at School :
He is good at :
His main worries are :
At school, he speaks about his worries with :
Activities he attends outside school :
In the future, he would like to :
6|Page
Annabel Desira

7. agais
 Let’s say that Alan is accepted in this group after a series of challenges he had
to face.
 How do you see Alan in one year’s time after such an experience?
 Do you think this group of “cool guys” effected him in a positive way or in a
negative way?
 Below are some prompts that will help you think.
How is his behaviour?
How does he see friendships now?
How has his reputation changed?
Relationship with Parents :
Relationships with Siblings :
Relationship with Teachers :
What about his choice of fashion?
Is he asking his parents for more pocket money?
Is he making use of drugs?
Is he smoking / drinking any alcohol?
How is his attainment at school?
Does he have a girlfriend? Is it his choice?
Is he still attending after-school activities?
Is he giving any kind of contribution to the community?
What can you say about Peer Pressure?
7|Page
Annabel Desira

8. agais
This activity could have alternative endings :
It could be developed into :
 Write a page from the diary of Alan the 13 year old who has no friends.
 Write a page from the diary of Alan the 14 year old who has joined the group of
“cool guys”.
 Write a page from the diary of Alan’s mother who is worried about the radical
change in her son’s attitude.
 Draw and write a comic-strip showing the change in Alan.
 Create a poster / chart showing how peer-pressure can effect us. (both positive and
negative)
 Write a report about Alan’s school attainment from the teacher’s point of view.
 Write a speech, using Alan’s story as an example, where you highlight the
importance of a strong character.
 Write a story, based on Alan’s experiences and how this changed his life.
 Write a short story from the point of view of the “cool guys”.
 Imagine you are a scout leader, write a letter, inviting teenagers like Alan to
participate in a social activity that you are organising highlighting the benefits of
peer interaction in a safe environment.
Can you think of other ways to discuss / write about “peer pressure”?
8|Page
Annabel Desira

9. agais
Case Study 2 : Angela
Angela has just turned 14. One Saturday night after
another , she is returning home at 3 o’clock in the
morning – way past her curfew. Her mother is very
upset ...
Angela’s Mum : You’re late again! Don’t you realise I stayed awake just worrying while
waiting for you?
Angela : Oh! Please .... don’t ...
Angela’s Mum : Don’t you dare answer me back you little girl. You are way beyond your
curfew. You must be ashamed of yourself.
Angela : Ashamed of what?
Angela’s Mum : Ashamed of what the neighbours might think. Ashamed of not
respecting our times. Ashamed because you’re only a little girl!
Angela : But all my friends stay till late ... Why do I have to be the outsider?
Angela’s Mum : Because until you live in this house, you follow the house rules...
Angela : Yeah!yeah!yeah!
Think about what could be?
Angela’s Arguments
9|Page
Her Mother’s Arguments
Annabel Desira

10. agais
This activity could have alternative endings :
It could be developed into :
 Write a page from Angela’s diary where she states her frustrations about her
continuous arguments with her mother.
 Write a page from the diary of Angela’s mother who is worried about the radical
change in her daughter’s attitude.
 Draw and write a comic-strip showing the relationship between mother and
daughter.
 Continue the dialogue between Angela and her mother highlighting their arguments
more. (use of emoticons to emphasize different emotions)
 Write a dialogue between Angela and her best friend where Angela opens up about
her problem.
 Invent a dialogue of your own showing conflict between a parent and a teenage
child.
Can you think of other ways to discuss / write about
conflict between parents & teenage children?
10 | P a g e
Annabel Desira

11. agais
Combine any of these emoticons with your dialogue so that
you emphasize your character’s feelings ...
11 | P a g e
Annabel Desira

12. agais
Case Study 3 : Cinderella & the Ugly Sisters!
Excerpts from their diaries :
Why is it that sisters tease? Can you tell
me please? They always make me cry with
one mean lie. Why is it me, they don’t
like to see? All I did was love you! Do you
have no respect? Or is it ‘cause you have to
be so perfect?
Cinderella
Looking in a book of 1,000 pictures, and I
finally find one of just me. And it seems
it is just the smallest one there. There are
thousands of that Cindy beauty. She has
everything I don’t. Love from the prince,
talent, beauty. She gets all the glory and
I get none.
Ugly Sister 1
My “great” step sister Cindy is like my crayon coloured
room. Just like the colours , happy to mad, from black to
green, from mad to grumpy, from green to grey, from
grumpy to sad, from grey to blue, from sad to tired, from
blue to orange, from tired to hungry. But the greatest colour
of all is the colour brown representing her angelic innocence
– the innocence you can see in her eyes – even though, she’s
the one holding the crayon! Oh! How much I hate Cindy the
pest!
Ugly Sister 2
12 | P a g e
Annabel Desira

13. agais
Invent a list of activities / games / ideas / suggestions of how the three sisters can
become united once again.
 What could make the three of them happy?
 Which activities could they do together?
 Now, that Cinderella is rich, what could she do to show them she has no
feelings of revenge towards them?
 What could they do to show her some form of appreciation?
13 | P a g e
Annabel Desira

14. agais
This activity could have alternative endings :
It could be developed into :
 Write a page from Cinderella’s diary stating how things with her sisters have
changed for the better since the olden days ..
 Write a page from Ugly Sister 1’s diary write a poem where she highlights her sister
Cinderellas’ good qualities.
 Write a page from Ugly Sister 2’s diary where she talks about her positive
experience when going shopping with her sisters.
 Imagine you are the prince. You gave Cinderella your credit card on one condition
that she shares it with her sisters. Your intention is to see them happy together
once again. Write a dialogue between the prince and Cinderella when she comes
back from shopping with her sisters.
 Draw and write a comic-strip illustrating the relationship between Cinderella and her
sisters and how this has changed for the better.
 Cinderella’s step mother is now living in another town. Imagine you are Cinderella
writing a letter to your step mother and giving her good news about you and your
sisters. Re-assure her things have changed for the better.
Can you think of other ways to discuss / write about
conflict between siblings?
14 | P a g e
Annabel Desira

15. agais
Towards Becoming Reflective Practitioners:
More ideas of how writing can be used as a tool in PSD classrooms :
Strategies :
A journal activity where all students are encouraged to write freely about any given topic
you choose to discuss or explore. It helps them express and articulate their thoughts and
keep a certain degree of privacy at the same time.
The use of a diary / daybook : where students are able to write whatever interests
them/inspires them, attach things they like eg. photos of themselves. This is a way to
personalise their book and at the same time serves as record-keeping.
The use of comic strips : they use drawings / collages from picture magazines to highlight
events / situations where the characters have different experiences ...
The use of charts / posters : highlighting the importance of captions / slogans and how
powerful wording conveys messages. A great example is wording in adverts indeed.
Books as a Reference :
1. Family Message Journals by Julie Wollman-Bonilla (MWP 506)
2. Writing Your Way by Ellen Jaffe
3. Thinking Out Loud on Paper by Lilian Brannon et. Al (MWP 608)
Websites for Useful Resources :
 www.familyfriendpoems.com (for poems / prompts about different topics used in PSD lessons)
Your notes! More Books, Webites or Resources!
15 | P a g e
Annabel Desira

16. agais
Franz Kafka once said :
“A book ought to be an ice-pick, to break up the frozen sea within us.”
After this presentation what do you say about writing ?
“A writing ought to be ....................................................................
..................................................................................................
................................................................................................”
16 | P a g e
Annabel Desira