NON-STOP WRITE
The purpose of a Non-Stop Write, also referred to as Hot Pen, is to allow the student to brainstorm ideas, while integrating Higher Order Thinking. This strategy can be used before or after a reading assignment to allow students to write ideas about the text continuously for a set amount of time. It is stressed to the student as he or she begins the assignment that this will not be graded for conventional spelling, grammar or punctuation usage, but that the purpose is to brainstorm ideas about the ideas within the text.
The first time that we use this tool, we begin with a one or two minute time allotment, in which the given topic is discussed as a class so that it is made clear what the students are to be writing. I then set a timer for two minutes and have the students write continuously until they hear the timer's signal to stop. After the assignment, we break into small groups to discuss our ideas; this allows the students time for reflection on their own writing and hear other ideas that they might not have considered on their own. We then come together as a class and discuss our findings.
The first time that we use this tool, we begin with a one or two minute time allotment, in which the given topic is discussed as a class so that it is made clear what the students are to be writing. I then set a timer for two minutes and have the students write continuously until they hear the timer's signal to stop. After the assignment, we break into small groups to discuss our ideas; this allows the students time for reflection on their own writing and hear other ideas that they might not have considered on their own. We then come together as a class and discuss our findings.