Effective Strategies to Improve Student Writing

(Grades 4-12) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 42T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC41465


Course Description

Are you looking for effective ways to help your student writers? Do you find that your students dread the writing process? This online course provides teachers with strategies that are sure to improve students’ writing skills. Teachers will be provided with effective ways to teach students how to write successful narrative essays, persuasive essays, and informative essays. The course also focuses on teaching students a step-by-step process for writing research reports, including note-taking and outlining skills. Technology is another area of focus addressing digital research, information literacy, digital storytelling, and iPad writing apps. Teachers will also learn ways to help struggling writers as well as motivate reluctant writers. Strategies for using literature as an inspiration for writing will be shared as well as using the six traits to expand and improve writing. Tips for teaching writing to English language learners will be shared in order to expand the skills of this special population. Writer’s workshop is introduced within the context of the writing process. A variety of assessment options are explored and shared. Finally, ideas for using writing across the curriculum and presented and explored. By the end of this course, teachers will have the tools they need to help their students become better and more effective writers. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from University of California San Diego (UCSD) Division of Extended Studies. For detailed information on university credit, click here.

"This course was fantastic. The course content was excellent. I like how there is a breakdown that makes sense for teaching writing." - Jason Green

Enrollment Options

Course Only

$112 with the discount

Course with Credit from UCSD

$284 with the discount

This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units or 5 quarter units of graduate-level credit from UCSD.

You have up to one year from the date you are enrolled to complete a flex course.


Click here to view the course syllabus.

Print our customized course approval form to share with your school district.

UCSD Course Number: EDUC41465
Unit One
  • Writing Standards in the Classroom
  • Writing and Technology
  • Literature as an Inspiration for Writing
  • Assignment #1: Write an autobiography
  • Test #1
Unit Two
  • Focus on Narrative Writing
  • Focus on Persuasive Writing
  • Focus on Informative Writing
  • Assignment #2: Article reflection
  • Test #2
Unit Three
  • Focus on Research Reports
  • Information Literacy and Digital Research
  • Note Taking and Outlining Skills
  • Assignment #3: Share your expertise
  • Test #3
Unit Four
  • The Writing Process
  • Six Traits of Writing
  • Helping Struggling Writers
  • Test #4
Unit Five
  • Writer's Workshop
  • Writing Across the Curriculum
  • Writing Assessment
  • Test #5
Unit Six
  • Tips for Working with English Language Learners
  • Digital Storytelling
  • Writing Apps
  • Assignment #4: Develop a writing assignment based on your grade-level content for each of the three areas of writing: narrative, persuasive, and informative
  • Assignment #5: Course Reflection

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