CYRIL POTTER COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ROSEHALL CENTRE
YEAR ONE SEMESTER THREE
Group Assessment
Christopher Clarke
Oma Pooran
Anna Ramnarine
Lecturer: Mohinie Ramnarain
Student Information
Pseudonym: B
Grade Level: Grade 7
Identified Challenge: Paragraph writing in response to stimuli relating to Prose Fiction
Agenda for the Conference
1. Introduction and rapport building with Student B
2. Review of Student B’s most recent paragraph writing sample.
3. Identification of challenges (organization, coherence, textual support).
4. Teacher candidate provides guided feedback.
5. Collaborative discussion to identify Jason’s personal difficulties with writing.
6. Development of an action plan to address challenges.
7. Practice writing activity during the conference.
8. Agreement on post-conference steps.
Sample of Student’s Writing (Before Conference)
Stimulus Prompt: “Write a paragraph explaining how the main character in the story shows bravery.”
Student B Response (unedited):
“The character was brave because he fight the monster and he was not afraid. He run to the monster and kill it.
The boy was very strong and brave. That is why I think he is brave.”
Identified Issues:
Repetition of “brave” without deeper explanation.
Lack of textual evidence.
Limited sentence variety.
Weak transitions.
Action Plan Implemented During the Conference
1. Modeling Strategy: Teacher candidate modeled how to write a strong paragraph by using the PEEL
strategy (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link).
o Point: Clearly state the main idea.
o Evidence: Provide a quotation or detail from the story.
o Explanation: Show how the evidence supports the point.
o Link: Connect to the broader idea of bravery.
2. Scaffolding Approach: Jason was guided through sentence starters and graphic organizers to support
idea development (Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development).
3. Immediate Practice: Jason wrote a revised paragraph using the PEEL method with teacher guidance.
Theoretical Support:
Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory: Learning is mediated through social interaction.
Graves (1983): Writing as a process that benefits from conferencing and teacher feedback.
Process of Engagement
Step 1: Teacher candidate engaged Jason in a discussion about bravery and asked him to recall details
from the story.
Step 2: Jason shared oral responses, which were used to scaffold his writing.
Step 3: Teacher modeled paragraph construction using Jason’s own ideas.
Step 4: Jason attempted writing independently, with encouragement and prompts.
Theoretical Support:
Flower & Hayes (1981) cognitive process model of writing emphasizes planning, translating, and
reviewing.
Tomlinson (2001) on differentiated instruction: tailoring strategies to the learner’s level.
Sample of Student’s Writing (After Implementation)
Jason’s Revised Paragraph:
Improvements:
Use of textual evidence.
Clear explanation of how actions show bravery.
Stronger sentence structure and transitions.
More precise vocabulary.
Post-Conference Action Plan
Jason will continue using the PEEL strategy for all paragraph writing tasks.
Weekly short writing tasks will be assigned for practice.
Teacher candidate will provide written feedback and hold mini-conferences every two weeks.
Jason will maintain a writing journal to monitor growth.
Theoretical Support:
Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory: Small, successful writing tasks build confidence.
Graham & Perin (2007) highlight the effectiveness of strategy instruction and regular feedback for
adolescent writers.
Video Recording Link
[Link]
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.
Flower, L., & Hayes, J. R. (1981). A cognitive process theory of writing. College Composition and
Communication, 32(4), 365–387.
Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: Effective strategies to improve writing of adolescents in middle
and high schools. Alliance for Excellent Education.
Graves, D. H. (1983). Writing: Teachers & children at work. Heinemann.
Myroup, J. (2020). The importance of writing conferences in developing student writers. Journal of Literacy
Education, 5(2), 14–20.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms (2nd ed.). ASCD.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard
University Press.
Appendices
Appendix B: Pre-Conference Writing Sample (unedited copy)
Appendix C: Post-Conference Writing Sample (revised copy)