Van Velzen Twins Take Top Honors in Essay Writing Contest - Time4Writing.com Cited as Contributor to Writing Acumen

Time4Writing.com twin students Kessel and Kepler Van Velzen both took home honors at the recent 2009 District 29 essay writing contest awarded by the State of New York. Ninth grade student Kessel took home first place and twin brother Kepler placed third in the contest. Their father, Mr. Robin Van Velzen, credits their hard work, creativity and Time4Writing all as factors contributing to these honors and their improved writing skills.

The Van Velzen boys started taking the Time4Writing.com courses, offered by Time4Learning, when they were in middle school at PS 116 located in the Queens, New York school system. Their father was looking for a way to supplement their training to fill in the gaps that he saw in their education when he found Time4Learning.com. Mr. Van Velzen commented, “I noticed in middle school that Kessel had great ideas but wasn’t accomplished at expressing them. I work long hours to support my family, and I couldn’t provide the structure or supervision to address this issue, so I started both of them in the Time4Writing program.” Both boys have completed three 8-week teacher-led courses including Middle School Basic Mechanics, Powerful Paragraphs and Welcome to the Essay.

Kessel and Kepler are now in high school at the Pathways College Preparatory School in Jamaica, New York, also in Queens County. This summer they are attending the Fordham University History Makers Scholars Program.

Mr. Van Velzen stated, “Being involved in a program such as Time4Writing.com does give you some competitive advantage. Even as we speak, I have already paid for the next Time4Writing course.”
In reference to the teachers, Mr. Van Velzen said, “Teacher Leslie is an excellent teacher. Her approach to structural grammar is something that is lacking in our school systems today. She also has a good eye for spotting and encouraging writing talent. She consistently gave higher marks to Kessel and when I read both of their assignments I could not understand why. Now I see that Kessler is a very creative writer and Teacher Leslie spotted this exceptional talent, just as the essay judges confirmed.”

John Edelson, Founder and President of Time4Learning, the company that created and provides Time4Writing.com added, “Stories such as the Van Velzen twins show the power of technology. I’m so proud that Time4Writing is pioneering the ability to match quality teachers with students that can really benefit them.”

Congratulations again to both Kessel and Kepler and thanks for sharing your great news with us and the other Time4Writing members. We look forward to hearing more about your upcoming accomplishments and seeing you in class very soon.

Middle School Writing Prompts

One of the most challenging areas of teaching writing to middle school age students is getting them motivated and keeping their interest.  Young people, in this age group, are dealing with the physical and emotional upheaval taking place in their bodies.  So, inspiring them to write is no easy task.

Writing Prompts that Raise Interest Levels Help

Writing prompts that tickle their hormone-surged funny bone, or to which they can relate helps an instructor win more than half the battle with these students. Whether it is a narrative or an expository essay, the topic needs to be one that is going to pique the middle school age student’s interest.Writing teachers have found this method to be successful when trying to keep students of this age writing.

Time4Writing has paid attention to the needs of middle school students to be able to somehow identify with what they are asked to write. Time4Writing’s middle school courses offer prompts such as write a how-to essay about a video game like Guitar Hero; write a descriptive essay of the most disgusting meal you have every eaten; and write a paragraph contrasting the kind of music you like to the kind of music another family member enjoys.

Time4Writing Courses Contain High Interest Prompts

When students are enthused about what they are writing, they are more willing to keep on doing it. That is the philosophy behind the writing courses offered in Time4Writing.

A Time4Writing middle school student expressed their gratitude this way, “I really enjoyed my Time4Writing course. I liked writing about things like the most disgusting meal because I could have fun and be creative.”

If you would like to find out more about the middle school writing courses at Time4Writing, or sign your child up for one of the courses, click here.

Importance of Teacher Feedback

Providing constructive feedback to students is the goal of any dedicated writing teacher. This teacher-student interaction makes a huge difference in a student’s writing experience.

The need for feedback on one’s work is important to any writer; but it is even more essential for a student writer. It is the main way for them to receive writing help. Using a student’s own writing is the best teaching tool for writing mastery.

In order for teacher feedback to be beneficial, it should follow these guidelines:

• Highlight both the positive and the negative aspects of the particular piece of writing
• It should be given in a timely manner
• Feedback must be delivered to the student before that student moves on to another writing assignment

While teachers need to point out any errors a student may have made in their writing, they should accompany the “wrongs” with the “rights.” This allows the student to feel good about him/herself and to be more accepting of any criticism. Here is an example:

Your ideas are really creative, but you need to write them in a more organized manner.

Feedback ceases to be relevant if given too long after the writing assignment is submitted to a teacher. The student no longer has as much attachment to or memory of the particular piece of writing.

If a student attempts a new assignment without having been corrected on a previous assignment, the same error can be repeated over and over. This makes timely feedback, and waiting before beginning a new writing project, all-the-more important.

Time4Writing has a policy of sending feedback to students within a 24-hour time period unless it is a weekend or holiday. Time4Writing teachers adhere to all of the suggested guidelines for providing feedback to students.

For more information on the importance of feedback, read http://www97.intel.com/my/ProjectDesign/InstructionalStrategies/Feedback/

Summer Teachers Available Online For California Children

Time4Learning.com, a Homeschool.com top-rated online education software company, offers California parents an online alternative to cancelled summer school classes caused by the State budget deficit. Time4Learning.com provides award-winning, online Preschool to 12th grade education curriculum.

According to John Edelson, Founder and President of Time4Learning.com, “The summer is a critical time for many students to catch up or advance their skills. The cancellation of summer classes by the State of California has created a large gap in the ability to do this affordably for many families and the Internet is a great alternative.”

Time4Learning offers two programs to address the summer school children’s needs: Time4Writing.com and Time4Learning.com. Time4Writing.com provides teacher-supervised online writing courses in eight-week courses for elementary, middle and high school students. This program builds writing skills through one-on-one interaction with a certified teacher. Parents have real-time access to view and monitor their child’s progress at anytime. At less than $12.50/week or $99/course, the program is extremely cost-effective compared to most teacher-supervised tutoring programs. Parents can view course material online at Time4Writing.com

Time4Learning.com is an online parent-supervised learning program offering PreK-8th grade math and reading curriculum at a cost of just $19.95/month which equates to just over $4.50/week. Time4Learning is a popular online curriculum used with great success by thousands of home school families every year.

About Time4Learning.com

Time4Learning.com was founded in 2003 to improve education among today’s computer-loving students. Time4Learning provides online preschool lessons, online elementary curriculum, and online middle school curriculum for reading, writing and arithmetic as well as social studies and sciences. In 2008, Time4Learning created Time4Writing.com, a series of eight-week online writing classes taught and facilitated by experienced writing teachers.

Summer Writing Classes

Summer is for gardening, swimming, sipping lemonade,  wearing sandals, and…writing?  You bet!  Why would someone want to take a writing course in the summer?  Well, let’s see…

• Summer Is A Great Time For Hobbies
• If you are a student (or have a son or daughter who is) interested in writing, then summer is the perfect opportunity to flex your writing muscles and hone your skills.  Whereas during the school year your time is always accounted for, in the summer you have enough leisure time to spend on things you enjoy - - like writing!

Summer Is A Good Chance To Improve Skills

If you have struggled with the mechanics or format of writing this school year, summer is a wonderful time to work on those trouble areas.  Whether or not your teacher gave you specific advice on how to improve your writing skills over the summer, a writing course will provide the structured guidance you need to prepare you for the coming school year.

Summer Can Let Your Brain Get Mushy

By taking a summer writing course, you prevent the summer “doldrums” and keep your brain active, aware, and sharp as a tack.  Writing assignments - - especially ones that challenge you - - are the perfect antidote to the learning lag that often accompanies a long summer break from school.

Time4Writing offers a variety of writing courses for students in elementary, middle, and high school.  Each course lasts eight weeks, and is led by a certified writing teacher.  The classes are all online, so students can easily work them into even the busiest summer schedules.  To find out more about summer writing courses, please visit Time4Writing.com. 

New Video Explaining How Our Online Writing Courses Work

If you have been thinking about trying one of Time4Writing’s online writing courses for students, but haven’t been sure if it was right for your child, we have added a fun new way to get more information.

Time4Writing has added a video to the Learn More page of the website that lets you watch a detailed presentation with information about the course.

In the video, you will see:

• An Overview of the T4W Program
• An Explanation of How the Online Courses Work
• The Types of Courses Offered and How to Choose One for Your Child
• How T4W Teachers Interact with the Students

To view the new video, and find out everything you need to know about the online writing courses at Time4Writing, go to our Learn More page.

Help With Writing Paragraphs

In order to be able to write clearly and effectively, students need to be able to construct a strong paragraph.  As soon as they are able to write a full sentence, they begin to learn that those sentences can fit together to express an idea or theme.  This is the purpose of a paragraph.

But putting together a paragraph doesn’t always come easily.  Sometimes, students need guidance in understanding topic sentences, supporting details, and summaries.  For this reason, Time4Writing has created two helpful courses for understanding and constructing well-designed paragraphs.

Elementary students can take the Perfect Paragraphs course to learn the parts of a paragraph, the different types of paragraphs, and how to write in chronological order.  Students will get lots of practice in paragraph writing during this course, and will receive feedback on their efforts.

For middle schoolers, Time4Writing offers the Powerful  Paragraphs course. This course is similar to the elementary course, but with more advanced insight into the structure and composition of a good paragraph, as well as additional practice in proofreading and editing their own paragraphs.

Either of these courses will prepare your student for future writing assignments including essays, narratives, and even fictional works.  To find out how to sign up for one of these courses, head over to our registration page to reserve your child’s spot.

Meet The Teacher: Viki

If you are a high school student or the parent of one, you know that the very best teachers put an emphasis on making connections with their students.  Well, Time4Writing would like to introduce you to an extraordinary member of our teaching staff who does just that!

We recently interviewed the teacher in charge of many of the high school level writing courses at T4W…introducing: Viki Gardner!

First of all, Viki, what could you tell us about yourself?

I live in Texas with my husband, Michael, and two dogs, Rosie and Buttercup. Our children are grown and have left the nest, so I have lots of time for teaching online.  Prior to teaching, I worked my way up in the publishing industry from manufacturing assistant to book designer, and eventually changed direction to become a publisher’s sales representative.  While working in sales for a school book fair company, I decided to change careers in midlife.  Determined to fulfill a childhood dream of being a teacher, I went back to college and obtained my BS in Elementary Education with a Reading Specialization from Texas Woman’s University in 1992.  To be sure I could teach at any grade level, I also obtained a secondary license to teach English Language Arts and Reading.  After teaching for 12 years in a traditional (brick and mortar) classroom, I returned to graduate school and obtained my MAED in Adult Education/Distance Learning from University of Phoenix in 2005. I have been teaching online (and loving it) ever since.

What is your favorite part of teaching online?

Working from home (and communicating one-on-one with my students).

What do you think are the biggest benefits or drawbacks for students taking an online writing course? 

The main benefit for students taking an online writing course at Time4Writing is the constant, personal and almost immediate feedback on their writing. Every student at T4W receives personal, one-on-one attention from their teacher; this up-close and personal critique of their work is something students in brick-and-mortar schools don’t see unless they have a personal tutor. Teachers in traditional schools have many more responsibilities that take up their time. As for a drawback for students, the biggest would be time management. Many students struggle to keep up the pace of the class because just by being on the Internet, students are presented with many tempting distractions to take them from their work. Of course, that’s just my own opinion, based on what I’ve experienced teaching online.

What challenges do students who are new to the Time4Writing course often face?

It depends on whether students are familiar with the technology. Learning to navigate the course is the first challenge; learning my expectations is the next challenge for them. I invite my students not only to reach outside of their comfort zones, but to also pull from deep within their imaginations. And I expect them to do this while using good writing skills; this can be quite challenging and sometimes frustrating for the students, but I try to include lots of positive warm fuzzies for their efforts.

In your opinion, what is the importance of writing instruction to high school students?

Effective communication skills for the 21st century. Students may not write another essay after graduating from school, but they will use writing to communicate in almost every facet of their lives. Students who can write effective essays will be able to transfer that knowledge into their future careers and professions.

What do you see as your main contribution to each of your students in the Time4Writing courses?

The HS Mechanics Toolkit and the HS Exciting Essay courses have been very busy with their 30 and 20 participants respectively. The students been submitting assignments faster than I can grade them. Some days there are 25 emails waiting in the inbox and with every assignment I grade, I go back to see 25 more emails there waiting for me, time after time. I always critique the assignment and leave feedback, especially if the grade can be raised by revising the assignment. So as you can see, it is of my own doing, but that is what being a student advocate means to me. I have to remember to always do what is in the best interest of the students, and that doesn’t mean just to grade their work, but to help them learn and get high grades on each and every assignment.

A big thanks to Viki for this interview, and a chance to peek into the behind-the-scenes life of an online writing teacher!  If you would be interested in having Viki, or one of the other terrific writing teachers at Time4Writing help your child find their writing potential, then click here to find out more about our courses.

Online Writing Courses

Which students can benefit from online writing courses? 

Homeschooled Students – Writing can be a difficult subject to teach from home.  Homeschool parents sometimes question their ability to give their children effective writing instruction, or their ability to know whether they might be leaving vital gaps in the teaching.

School Students Needing Additional Writing Practice –   Just because a child is in a language arts classroom does not mean they are receiving adequate writing instruction.  Some students, especially those with learning deficits, are struggling so much with writing mechanics, that most of their instruction has to be focused on remediation rather than written expression. 

School or Homeschool Students Wanting More Writing Challenges –  There are always a group of students who take to writing like a duck to water.  No matter how many writing assignments their teacher/parent gives them, they hanker for more.  These students need additional opportunities to flex their writing muscles and challenge themselves.

Online writing courses can meet the needs of a variety of different students. By allowing flexibility of schedule, focused instruction, and certified teachers, the courses at Time4Writing provide opportunities for homeschooled students and school students alike to get additional, specialized writing instruction right from their home or school computer. 

To find out more about the courses for elementary, middle, or high school students, check out the course list.  Time4Writing offers classes for all grade levels and skill levels.  If your child would benefit from one of these online writing courses, sign him or her up today.

Six-Trait Writing Framework Needs Updating For The Digital Age

Six-trait writing has been all the rage helping students write formal essays.  In the past, “good writing” meant fitting into a neat framework, easily summed up in the six traits: content, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. But does this model provide adequate guidance in the digital age? Or is it a casualty?

The rules of culture are always changing on us.  Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, society goes and tells you that you no longer wear white gloves when you go to dance, that  brand new DVD’s are now on the way out, and that Pluto is no longer a planet.

Well, writing has no sanctuary against this trend either.  The traditional essay, so popular with college admissions counselors and standardized test graders, may soon become one of many types of acceptable writing.  Whole new genres of writing are coming in to compete with the formal essay for primacy….  Blog writing.  Web articles.  Microblogging.  Even texting.

It isn’t that we are writing less. On the contrary, we have never had such a proliferation of writing!  The difference is in our style of writing.  The six-trait approach to writing  assumes that there is one way way to write: formal essays.  Yet this new generation of wordsmiths is proving everyday on the internet that this is just not the case.

Six-trait writing instruction focuses on organization, word choice, and voice.  Modern media writing, on the other hand, highlights content, compactness, and conversational tone.  Teaching for the digital age needs to be recognize what is obvious to everyone: that instead of just one, there are many different ways and angles on writing.   Each one should be approached by keeping in mind appropriateness for the particular media.

Time4Writing has modified the six-trait writing model for the media savvy writer.  In the new “Writing Today- The Advanced Essay” course, students are invited to learn a more modern way of approaching the writing process.  They will learn that  there is one way to write for a standardized essay test, another way to write an informative essay, and yet another way to write for the web.

Today’s young writers already understand that the time of handing in that notebook paper with its five paragraph essay on summer vacation is quickly fading to black.  Can the demise of the six-trait writing assessment be that far behind?