Ch.3 The Right to Go Off Topic

I know, when I read the title I too thought “what!” We can not encourage students to write off topic! It’s not what you think. The author is marvelous at captivating our attention this way. When a student writes about the Super Bowl but the prompt stated to write about The Use of Technology Today, on a scale of one to five (five being the highest) the score is definitely a one. Actually, what Spandel is referring to is when students passionately provide more details than what is required. Some writing assessor gurus believe that elaborating beyond what is required is violating the “prompt nobility”. In agreement with Spandel, our focus should be on the quality of the writing “student-as-writer nobility”. Keep in mind that she is not suggesting that students should never write about a specific topic. In this case, their writing will be measured on what they know about a particular topic. Even then, a little flexibility still may exist especially with historical topics like the American Revolution.
Question to ponder: In a large scale writing assessment, what is being assessed content knowledge or writing skill? Spandel stated “In assigning any prompt, we need to look closely at the standards or criteria by which the writing will be judged and ask, “Will this prompt encourage writing in which the writer can demonstrate the required skills?”
In essence, effective writers possess these qualities: creativity, spontaneity, originality, and most importantly they are risk takers.
Bob Ornstein said it best, “Good coaching doesn’t begin with spelling and grammar-or commas. It begins with the writer’s ideas-and the writer.”