Last dialogue journal…can you believe it!? Wahoo! I think I am going to be totally random for this one, so please bear with me. Today in class we talked about institutional forces that dictate who has power and who does not. While I think our brief conversation was interesting, I think that our definition of “institutional forces” would be somewhat difficult for students to understand. I think a better place to start would be defining “institution” and moving on from there. Our illustrious friends at Wikipedia define “institution” as “structures and mechanisms of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human collectivity. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior.” Whew. That is quite a definition. Regardless, I think if we can get students to first think of different institutions as places or things, then we can discuss what forces control those things—thus, institutional forces. Does that make sense? Maybe they would say school is an institution, then the education system might be the institutional force…I don’t know, but I thought our discussion today was bit messy at times (at least in my group where we had a bit of a debate about some of these “forces”).
Next on the docket...FoKs (or Funds of Knowledge). We read a lot about these in one of our foundation classes in the fall, and I think they are great to bring into the classroom. I would hope that by using time in the classroom to explore the different identities, cultures, and experiences of students through writing, discussion, and literature, we can tap into the FoKs and utilize them in the classroom. If I remember correctly, Amanti was working with elementary school students and, therefore, had a smaller class size which enabled her to physically go to the homes of her students to perform her ethnographic research. This is not practical for secondary school teachers, especially those who have over one hundred students in their classrooms. At this point I don’t know how I feel about entering the home of one of my students in a capacity other than to check in with a student or parent. Maybe as I gain more experience I might find myself more comfortable to follow in Amanti’s footsteps, but not just yet. Regardless, I think there are other ways to find and use our students’ FoKs in the classroom, and I believe in the importance of validating, respecting, and furthering the information and experiences our students bring into the classroom from their lives beyond the classroom.
Pirie. Hmmm. I don’t know how I feel about this article. I like that he is challenging our definition of the “English” classroom and pushing teachers to think examine their goals and actual accomplishments as teachers. I agree with his points on broadening our curriculum, studying interactions within texts and between texts and our own lives, the idea of literature and life consisting of a myriad of networks and webs, emphasis on personal growth and development, all of his bullets on page 97, and the importance of helping students connect with texts, but I don’t know that changing the name of the “English” classroom to “Cultural Studies” would suit. I agree that “English” is extremely limited (maybe even pompous) as far as its connotation, but I also think there are other courses of study which examine culture more explicitly than through language in our classrooms—anthropology, for example. I don’t know what title might be more appropriate…but I think “Language Arts” might be closer to what the “English” classroom is trying to accomplish: the study and development of human life through the use of written, spoken, and physical language. What do you think? My final question to you, have you got a better more appropriate course title?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #7
Talk about strategies! I loved how these two chapters provided a ton of different classroom ideas for making multicultural literature engaging and eye-opening for students. Parks uses a lot of different strategies and lesson plans that are designed to help students understand institutional racism, diverse perspectives, and the ways that students see and understand the culture around them—both visible and invisible. This is important because many students may find it hard to relate to multicultural literature, especially white students that might not have ever discussed white privilege.
Many of these activities are used to create the sense of “disequilibrium” or “dissensus” in the way that students think and discuss various issues. In doing this, students are pushed into an uncomfortable position that challenges their assumptions. While we can’t assume that we will be able to transform the minds of students across the country, we can provide them with information to think about. As Parks says, “I must prepare my students to be elastic enough to appreciate the various discourse communities they will need to enter to find success and competence in life” (118). Part of this includes “recognizing students’ allegiances to different worlds. It is important that we help students navigate the academic realm while still understanding the power within their own lives as well.
Today in class we discussed the use of stereotypes and I really liked the activity that Parks used in order to help students see that stereotypes exist everywhere in our society. It is important that we unpack these stereotypes by examining where they came from. Just as the students in Parks class became aware of their own stereotypes associated with rural and suburban life based on media images rather than any solid facts and/ or evidence. This was important in helping them understand the ways in which others might likewise have ungrounded or media-based stereotypes about urban lifestyles—including metal detectors in the schools.
Part of Parks’ ideas on how to help students take on different perspectives is through the exploration of dialogic tensions within a text. By examining the different ways in which dialogic tension forms between texts, texts and the world, and between peers, students can look at the tensions between, differences that are, as Parks puts it, brought along and those that are brought about in perspective taking and discussion.
In helping prepare his students for college life, Parks also sought to teach students how to use critical analysis and critical lenses as a tool to define relationships found within texts. Practice in critical analysis is a great way for students to learn how to approach texts from different angles. I think this is a valuable tool because while it is great to take on the perspective of a character it is also important that students learn how to think about different perspectives on their own. If students are to learn how to become critical consumers of literature and media, they need to be able to apply a multitude of different lenses and critical thinking skills beyond the realm of the English classroom.
Many of these activities are used to create the sense of “disequilibrium” or “dissensus” in the way that students think and discuss various issues. In doing this, students are pushed into an uncomfortable position that challenges their assumptions. While we can’t assume that we will be able to transform the minds of students across the country, we can provide them with information to think about. As Parks says, “I must prepare my students to be elastic enough to appreciate the various discourse communities they will need to enter to find success and competence in life” (118). Part of this includes “recognizing students’ allegiances to different worlds. It is important that we help students navigate the academic realm while still understanding the power within their own lives as well.
Today in class we discussed the use of stereotypes and I really liked the activity that Parks used in order to help students see that stereotypes exist everywhere in our society. It is important that we unpack these stereotypes by examining where they came from. Just as the students in Parks class became aware of their own stereotypes associated with rural and suburban life based on media images rather than any solid facts and/ or evidence. This was important in helping them understand the ways in which others might likewise have ungrounded or media-based stereotypes about urban lifestyles—including metal detectors in the schools.
Part of Parks’ ideas on how to help students take on different perspectives is through the exploration of dialogic tensions within a text. By examining the different ways in which dialogic tension forms between texts, texts and the world, and between peers, students can look at the tensions between, differences that are, as Parks puts it, brought along and those that are brought about in perspective taking and discussion.
In helping prepare his students for college life, Parks also sought to teach students how to use critical analysis and critical lenses as a tool to define relationships found within texts. Practice in critical analysis is a great way for students to learn how to approach texts from different angles. I think this is a valuable tool because while it is great to take on the perspective of a character it is also important that students learn how to think about different perspectives on their own. If students are to learn how to become critical consumers of literature and media, they need to be able to apply a multitude of different lenses and critical thinking skills beyond the realm of the English classroom.
Monday, August 2, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #6
I’d like to start out this response by touching a little bit on the various definitions of multicultural literature we went over in class today. I think the first one which claims multicultural literature is that which is written by people of color is extremely limiting in that is neglects the cultural experiences of people not “of color” that still might be divergent from the norm. I think the second definition claiming that multicultural literature represents the perspectives underrepresented cultures gets closer to the truth. This allows for the introduction of perspectives from, say, the Sami people who are the indigenous people of Norway and would not be considered “people of color” yet their perspectives are outside of mainstream Norwegian culture. But I think this definition is still lacking…
The last definition adds even more to these definitions by recognizing how texts create space for presenting conflicting or overlapping cultures. I think this is interesting in exploring and understanding how we deal with encounters between and across cultures. This could mean examining how white American culture conflicts with those of immigrant cultures or how white European culture conflicts with the cultures they encounter during the post-colonial era—as in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness which I mentioned before. I think this text helps students explore their own white privilege and background within the context of its subjugation of an African country and the culture within it.
I also think that including texts that explore religion, sexuality, gender identification, and exceptionalities as Jessie presented in her powerpoint. Especially living in a country that is built upon many different cultures that have assimilated, adapted, or remained strong, I think it is important to understand how individual identity and culture overlap in the different spheres of people’s lives. For some people, their identification as a transgender individual is as much connected to their heritage in terms of culture than other aspects of their identity.
The Athanases article brings up some of the concerns people have in adding so many different pieces into multicultural curriculum by claiming that it “dilutes the focus on race and ethnicity that belongs at the heart of the multicultural agenda” (254). First of all, I think that this statement is very close-minded. I think it’s unfair to assume that the “agenda” of multicultural education is to highlight differences in race and ethnicity when it is more about presenting students with chances to explore other perspectives as they shape and develop their own understandings about the world and themselves. As Athanases goes on to say instead of detracting from these areas, broadening our definition can “deepen students’ understanding about identities and oppression and the ways in which marginal groups both share features and differ” (254). In this way, he argues that a deeper “understanding of common ground for groups divided by difference” can be achieved.
I think we need to keep working on our definition of multicultural literature and, perhaps, explore new terms that can be used to more clearly indicate the ways in which cultural identity is shaped through individual experience.
The last definition adds even more to these definitions by recognizing how texts create space for presenting conflicting or overlapping cultures. I think this is interesting in exploring and understanding how we deal with encounters between and across cultures. This could mean examining how white American culture conflicts with those of immigrant cultures or how white European culture conflicts with the cultures they encounter during the post-colonial era—as in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness which I mentioned before. I think this text helps students explore their own white privilege and background within the context of its subjugation of an African country and the culture within it.
I also think that including texts that explore religion, sexuality, gender identification, and exceptionalities as Jessie presented in her powerpoint. Especially living in a country that is built upon many different cultures that have assimilated, adapted, or remained strong, I think it is important to understand how individual identity and culture overlap in the different spheres of people’s lives. For some people, their identification as a transgender individual is as much connected to their heritage in terms of culture than other aspects of their identity.
The Athanases article brings up some of the concerns people have in adding so many different pieces into multicultural curriculum by claiming that it “dilutes the focus on race and ethnicity that belongs at the heart of the multicultural agenda” (254). First of all, I think that this statement is very close-minded. I think it’s unfair to assume that the “agenda” of multicultural education is to highlight differences in race and ethnicity when it is more about presenting students with chances to explore other perspectives as they shape and develop their own understandings about the world and themselves. As Athanases goes on to say instead of detracting from these areas, broadening our definition can “deepen students’ understanding about identities and oppression and the ways in which marginal groups both share features and differ” (254). In this way, he argues that a deeper “understanding of common ground for groups divided by difference” can be achieved.
I think we need to keep working on our definition of multicultural literature and, perhaps, explore new terms that can be used to more clearly indicate the ways in which cultural identity is shaped through individual experience.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #5
I think both the Encisco and Beach articles were extremely interesting and insightful. Encisco brings up an interesting point that I hadn’t considered before when she discusses the authority presented by her choice of text in the classroom. In choosing Maniac Magee, she is asserting her authority in the classroom. As she notes, “We did not engage in an open discussion about my choice of book, nor…my role in their classroom. Thus the representations of race relations in the literature could be seen by the children to represent my perspectives” (16). She adds in the presence of a Newbery medal on the cover of the book as one more example of an adult authority advocating for a text which might also be connected to the messages within that text. As teachers I think we need to be careful of our own text selections, especially in the realm of multicultural literature. It might be beneficial to have conversations with our classrooms about why a specific text was chosen and how to best use it in a school environment.
I also thought Encisco’s exploration of the dehumanizing metaphor and dehistoricizing allegory was helpful as ways in which to select texts and examine them with students. I think teachers should look for texts which are able to break free from these common structures in literature dealing with diverse cultures (or even in reference to other cultures than the Euro-American/white culture). On the other hand, recognizing the presence of these structures will also provide a way of looking at institutionalized racism in valuable ways. Segue to the Beach article…
What really stood out to me from the Beach article was the astounding lack of awareness among students to issues of institutional racism. I mean, Oprah! Even someone like Oprah Winfrey did a show in 1992 which explored the individual racism rather than addressing the power structures of our society in creating racism? (I do realize that since then she might have done—I would be very surprised if she hasn’t—a show focusing on institutional racism.) Then again, as Beach notes, “those students who benefit from institutional power are rarely aware of the advantages of privilege (insert “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” piece here).
I thought it was helpful to read through the different student responses and results of Beach’s study when looking at multicultural literature as a way to see how students might respond in both resistant and engaged manners. Knowing this ahead of time can help us try and structure discussion or reading-related activities in ways that might evoke empathy from our students and connect their lives to the texts (when possible) as they take on or look through someone else’s perspective.
Beach is right in asserting that students take stances on issues and topics that are shaped by their experiences and understandings of the world they live in. Going back to what you said in one of your previous responses, Matt, a girl in the text notices claims that “part of your education is not the classes you take but that you’re learning to deal with all kinds of different people” (Beach 87). She thinks the lack of diversity among the students in her class is a disservice to her and her peers. We can’t expect to change the system overnight, but we can try to bring in some of the missing voices and experiences through literature in one of the few placed available—school.
I also thought Encisco’s exploration of the dehumanizing metaphor and dehistoricizing allegory was helpful as ways in which to select texts and examine them with students. I think teachers should look for texts which are able to break free from these common structures in literature dealing with diverse cultures (or even in reference to other cultures than the Euro-American/white culture). On the other hand, recognizing the presence of these structures will also provide a way of looking at institutionalized racism in valuable ways. Segue to the Beach article…
What really stood out to me from the Beach article was the astounding lack of awareness among students to issues of institutional racism. I mean, Oprah! Even someone like Oprah Winfrey did a show in 1992 which explored the individual racism rather than addressing the power structures of our society in creating racism? (I do realize that since then she might have done—I would be very surprised if she hasn’t—a show focusing on institutional racism.) Then again, as Beach notes, “those students who benefit from institutional power are rarely aware of the advantages of privilege (insert “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack” piece here).
I thought it was helpful to read through the different student responses and results of Beach’s study when looking at multicultural literature as a way to see how students might respond in both resistant and engaged manners. Knowing this ahead of time can help us try and structure discussion or reading-related activities in ways that might evoke empathy from our students and connect their lives to the texts (when possible) as they take on or look through someone else’s perspective.
Beach is right in asserting that students take stances on issues and topics that are shaped by their experiences and understandings of the world they live in. Going back to what you said in one of your previous responses, Matt, a girl in the text notices claims that “part of your education is not the classes you take but that you’re learning to deal with all kinds of different people” (Beach 87). She thinks the lack of diversity among the students in her class is a disservice to her and her peers. We can’t expect to change the system overnight, but we can try to bring in some of the missing voices and experiences through literature in one of the few placed available—school.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #4
From the list of tonight’s readings, I thought that the Goebel piece “Who Are All These People?” brought up some interesting points that have yet to be addressed in articles or discussion. We all know that students bring a plethora of diverse experiences, values, and expectations. I appreciated that the article voiced some of these expectations and/or assumptions about the role of both teacher and student in the classroom.
I can only talk from my own experience as a woman, but I think that Goebel brings up some interesting ideas about the ways in which female students respond or participate in classroom discussion. He asserts that women are more likely to talk in terms of providing support and in “spirited shared discussions” (Goebel 23). In comparison, he notes that male students tend to thrive more on the competitive nature of classroom debates which are more “content-oriented” (Goebel 23). My own attitudes toward class discussions fit in with Goebel’s presentation of female members of class discussion. For the most part, I don’t like debates. As Jessie’s model suggested on the first day of class, debates connote a winner and a loser in a competition to prove xyz. I would much rather participate in a balanced and open-minded discussion in which speakers are able to validate or at least respect the views of someone else. Even today in our small group discussions, the two male members of my group debated among themselves almost the entire time. On occasion, the other female in the group and I would offer support to one or the other debating males, or voice our own opinion about something that struck us in the reading. In the end, I found myself with a bit of a headache from trying to focus on who seemed to be “winning” their little battle of wits. At one point there was even acknowledgment of the enjoyment each felt when one male mentioned that he would continue on with the topic because he “loved” arguing with the other. I recognize that this is not the case for all males, but it proved true today. Any thoughts?
I also think Goebel’s understanding of power relations in the classroom is worth mentioning. As he states, many teachers assume that they hold the power in the classroom. Said power may be tenuous, but it is theirs to command. Goebel is right in asserting that in order to help students succeed in the classroom, we need to acknowledge the power they bring into the classroom and find ways to put that power to good use.
Moving beyond myself, I think it is important for teachers to acknowledge the different ways in which their students may perceive their role, the role of the teacher, or even the level of importance and/or amount of participation connected with the American education system. Just as multicultural literature can (and should) be used in the classroom as a way to help students understand and explore the cultures and experiences of others and find themselves along the way, teachers should use the multicultural aspects of their students to do the same.
I can only talk from my own experience as a woman, but I think that Goebel brings up some interesting ideas about the ways in which female students respond or participate in classroom discussion. He asserts that women are more likely to talk in terms of providing support and in “spirited shared discussions” (Goebel 23). In comparison, he notes that male students tend to thrive more on the competitive nature of classroom debates which are more “content-oriented” (Goebel 23). My own attitudes toward class discussions fit in with Goebel’s presentation of female members of class discussion. For the most part, I don’t like debates. As Jessie’s model suggested on the first day of class, debates connote a winner and a loser in a competition to prove xyz. I would much rather participate in a balanced and open-minded discussion in which speakers are able to validate or at least respect the views of someone else. Even today in our small group discussions, the two male members of my group debated among themselves almost the entire time. On occasion, the other female in the group and I would offer support to one or the other debating males, or voice our own opinion about something that struck us in the reading. In the end, I found myself with a bit of a headache from trying to focus on who seemed to be “winning” their little battle of wits. At one point there was even acknowledgment of the enjoyment each felt when one male mentioned that he would continue on with the topic because he “loved” arguing with the other. I recognize that this is not the case for all males, but it proved true today. Any thoughts?
I also think Goebel’s understanding of power relations in the classroom is worth mentioning. As he states, many teachers assume that they hold the power in the classroom. Said power may be tenuous, but it is theirs to command. Goebel is right in asserting that in order to help students succeed in the classroom, we need to acknowledge the power they bring into the classroom and find ways to put that power to good use.
Moving beyond myself, I think it is important for teachers to acknowledge the different ways in which their students may perceive their role, the role of the teacher, or even the level of importance and/or amount of participation connected with the American education system. Just as multicultural literature can (and should) be used in the classroom as a way to help students understand and explore the cultures and experiences of others and find themselves along the way, teachers should use the multicultural aspects of their students to do the same.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #3
Alright, I am going to be a bit disjointed here, Matt, but I have a few different things to get off my mind…
1.In today’s class discussion about the cultural backgrounds and interpretations of the different poems we used in Jessie’s model, I find myself torn. While I think it is important to recognize, acknowledge, and explore other cultures, I don’t think that we should try to read or insert culture into a text just because the authors are from multicultural backgrounds. The poem I explored, “I Am Singing Now,” did not provide any insight into the culture of the writer other than her location as being somewhere in the south—references to mesas and pickups (I recognize that pickups exist in other spheres, but A LOT of people drive pickups in the south). I don’t think that I should read the name of the author and project my generalized conceptions (and/or misconceptions) of their culture into how I respond to the text. At the same time, these additions might help students take on another perspective…any thoughts on this one?
2.I understand where Pirie is coming from in his diatribe (maybe not a so forceful or bitter, but at least critical exploration of) on the five paragraph essay, but I still am not sure I understand how he suggests that we remedy the situation. I think his examples of dialogues between students and both texts and each other, but I’m not sure I understand his ideas about how we teach student expository writing without such structures. I’m all for trying something new, and I don’t think that I ever really had a firm lesson on the FPE, but what can we do? Where can we find examples for students to work with and learn from? When do we teach them how to write a FPE for success on state/national achievement tests? I loved this article in theory, but how do we go about putting it into practice?
3.This last one is more of a statement…I think the Ibo Diary activity is great! I have done similar things as a student (I wrote from the perspective of Ophelia’s maid in watching the tragic events of Hamlet unfold) and as a teacher (creating a project in which students become a “witness” of genocide and must write about their experiences), and it is such an enlightening experience—both creative and academic. I like reading about activities like this in Becoming (Other)wise and being able to see teacher/student reflection. Very cool!
Fin.
1.In today’s class discussion about the cultural backgrounds and interpretations of the different poems we used in Jessie’s model, I find myself torn. While I think it is important to recognize, acknowledge, and explore other cultures, I don’t think that we should try to read or insert culture into a text just because the authors are from multicultural backgrounds. The poem I explored, “I Am Singing Now,” did not provide any insight into the culture of the writer other than her location as being somewhere in the south—references to mesas and pickups (I recognize that pickups exist in other spheres, but A LOT of people drive pickups in the south). I don’t think that I should read the name of the author and project my generalized conceptions (and/or misconceptions) of their culture into how I respond to the text. At the same time, these additions might help students take on another perspective…any thoughts on this one?
2.I understand where Pirie is coming from in his diatribe (maybe not a so forceful or bitter, but at least critical exploration of) on the five paragraph essay, but I still am not sure I understand how he suggests that we remedy the situation. I think his examples of dialogues between students and both texts and each other, but I’m not sure I understand his ideas about how we teach student expository writing without such structures. I’m all for trying something new, and I don’t think that I ever really had a firm lesson on the FPE, but what can we do? Where can we find examples for students to work with and learn from? When do we teach them how to write a FPE for success on state/national achievement tests? I loved this article in theory, but how do we go about putting it into practice?
3.This last one is more of a statement…I think the Ibo Diary activity is great! I have done similar things as a student (I wrote from the perspective of Ophelia’s maid in watching the tragic events of Hamlet unfold) and as a teacher (creating a project in which students become a “witness” of genocide and must write about their experiences), and it is such an enlightening experience—both creative and academic. I like reading about activities like this in Becoming (Other)wise and being able to see teacher/student reflection. Very cool!
Fin.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #2
Okay, there was a lot going on in the readings for this evening, so I think I am going to focus on the Dilg chapters that dealt with understanding our histories and self-identities in relation to the histories and identities of others. I encountered a lot of these issues during my student teaching experience and these chapters offered me new insight into why those situations arose.
Dilg addresses the presence of history in the English classroom as “a web of historical threads…woven around us in any given classroom before the first ‘lesson’ begins” (39). I think this is a great way of presenting an image of various personal, familial, and cultural histories that are a tangled yet invisible entity within every classroom from day one. Only through respectful communication between students and teacher, students and students, can we become aware of the complicated ways in which our histories are interwoven. The classroom becomes a place of negotiation, learning, and insight from which students can learn a great deal about themselves and each other. During this time, I think it is the responsibility of the teacher to illustrate both the unique and universal qualities of humans in relation to their unique cultural histories and experiences and their universal emotions—this ties into the important concepts of helping students feel sympathy and/or empathy for the diverse characters in the texts they read. In the meantime, students need to understand the constructed reality of the texts as stories that may or may reflect one experience from a given culture. It is not their job to criticize the actions of the characters in relation to their own perceptions, but to discuss the “multifaceted” existence of and illustrate a sympathetic reaction to the characters within the story while being “thoughtfully skeptical or critical” or situations regarding the motivations/decisions behind the actions/thoughts of the characters (Dilg 54). I think Dilg is correct in assuming that students need to be gradually led into difficult/controversial texts in order to prepare them for the portrayal of characters in a certain light. When reading Night with many of my students, this was crucial in setting up the actions of Elie and the Jewish people of Sighet or preparing students to think about Mexican immigrants when reading The Circuit.
Another issue I faced while student teaching revolved around the idea of who we are in relation to others. In a class comprised on 15 black students, 2 white students, and 2 Latino student, tensions arose between various groups. One white female identified with a group of black female students, and in conversation often referred to a black male student in advanced classes as “not really being black.” Among the black male students, one stood out from the rest due to his style, participation in class, and interest in both writing and reading fantasy books. This separation was noted on a daily basis in the way the other students—who obviously were from similar social circles—talked to him and about him among themselves. One day this tension manifested when the “outsider” male made a comment to the class that was perceived as disrespectful to the others. One black male student jumped up and confronted the “outsider” in a forceful and challenging way saying, “You better not have been talking to me! I know you didn’t say that to me!” After inserting myself and ending the confrontation, I was made acutely aware of the way in which the “outsider” was perceived by his peers in the class. Reading the section of Dilg about how important it is for students to develop an identity for themselves and the repercussions faced among people of their own culture was fascinating, and I hope to be able to use information from this chapter as I continue my foray into the world of adolescents…
Dilg addresses the presence of history in the English classroom as “a web of historical threads…woven around us in any given classroom before the first ‘lesson’ begins” (39). I think this is a great way of presenting an image of various personal, familial, and cultural histories that are a tangled yet invisible entity within every classroom from day one. Only through respectful communication between students and teacher, students and students, can we become aware of the complicated ways in which our histories are interwoven. The classroom becomes a place of negotiation, learning, and insight from which students can learn a great deal about themselves and each other. During this time, I think it is the responsibility of the teacher to illustrate both the unique and universal qualities of humans in relation to their unique cultural histories and experiences and their universal emotions—this ties into the important concepts of helping students feel sympathy and/or empathy for the diverse characters in the texts they read. In the meantime, students need to understand the constructed reality of the texts as stories that may or may reflect one experience from a given culture. It is not their job to criticize the actions of the characters in relation to their own perceptions, but to discuss the “multifaceted” existence of and illustrate a sympathetic reaction to the characters within the story while being “thoughtfully skeptical or critical” or situations regarding the motivations/decisions behind the actions/thoughts of the characters (Dilg 54). I think Dilg is correct in assuming that students need to be gradually led into difficult/controversial texts in order to prepare them for the portrayal of characters in a certain light. When reading Night with many of my students, this was crucial in setting up the actions of Elie and the Jewish people of Sighet or preparing students to think about Mexican immigrants when reading The Circuit.
Another issue I faced while student teaching revolved around the idea of who we are in relation to others. In a class comprised on 15 black students, 2 white students, and 2 Latino student, tensions arose between various groups. One white female identified with a group of black female students, and in conversation often referred to a black male student in advanced classes as “not really being black.” Among the black male students, one stood out from the rest due to his style, participation in class, and interest in both writing and reading fantasy books. This separation was noted on a daily basis in the way the other students—who obviously were from similar social circles—talked to him and about him among themselves. One day this tension manifested when the “outsider” male made a comment to the class that was perceived as disrespectful to the others. One black male student jumped up and confronted the “outsider” in a forceful and challenging way saying, “You better not have been talking to me! I know you didn’t say that to me!” After inserting myself and ending the confrontation, I was made acutely aware of the way in which the “outsider” was perceived by his peers in the class. Reading the section of Dilg about how important it is for students to develop an identity for themselves and the repercussions faced among people of their own culture was fascinating, and I hope to be able to use information from this chapter as I continue my foray into the world of adolescents…
Monday, July 26, 2010
CI: 5410 Reading Response #1
When I read I often lost myself in texts. I become so involved in the actions of the characters that I squeal out loud in anxiety, clench my fists in anticipation, and often have to skim over parts of the books that are embarrassing. I tend to feel many emotions of the characters or respond to the plot in ways that evoke deep responses in me. Needless to say, I am a very sympathetic and empathetic read. I read for pleasure, yes, but I also read in order to travel with a character into their world. I like being challenged to think in new ways, but I know that not everyone has the same desire to be provoked or experience visceral responses to the texts they are reading. Like Smagorinsky, I too sometimes assume that “we all not only benefit from exposure to a variety or ideas, but want to see the world from as many perspectives as possible in order to get the clearest sense of our own personal beliefs” (295). When I have been reminded of this by my students asking, “Why do we have to read this?” I realized that it is important to pull them into the texts more deeply in order to help them see the characters and their stories as more than just words on a page.
I agree with Erick Gordon that often students oversimplify their understanding of a story and the actions/motivations of characters within that story. Having just completed a course on gender construction in children’s literature, the concept of forever examining the world through a set of binaries that have little true meaning suggests a lack of reality. There are very few things in the world that are clear cut “black and white.” The hero is rarely completely without some sort of vice or hubris that they struggle to overcome in some way, shape, or form. What about the anti-hero? I think it is important to illustrate this point to students and ask them to think more carefully about the actions, events, and momentum behind a story. For Gordon, the Mockingbird Monologues provided him with an excellent opportunity to push students beyond their comfort zone and think in new terms. I loved the scene in which Atticus is struggling with his self-confidence in tying his tie. As illustrated in the class discussion, this was a side of Atticus that surprised many of the students who resisted any sign of weakness. One student points out though that Atticus is not a superhero; he is an everyday man who has his own inner turmoil to face on a day-to-day basis. Or the scene with Calpurnia in which she points out some of the hypocrisy that arises from her position in the Finch household and her relationship to Atticus.
While I don’t imagine myself doing something that ambitious anytime in the near future, I think the premise is excellent. Allowing students a chance to spend some time diving into the psyche of a character is a great way for them to think beyond and/or in association with their experiences. In doing so, students can learn to experience sympathy and empathy for characters rather than pity—important distinctions made by Gordon. In supporting this kind of interaction with a text, the “other” becomes familiar. Multicultural experiences remain unique, but through an understanding of human motivations, emotions, and experiences, they also become more accessible—and meaningful—to the reader.
I’m sure there are many different ways in which to facilitate a deeper understanding of a text that teaches students how to “talk back” to a text rather than simply “talkinabout” it. Making the invisible visible is an important part of working with students and literature. By using these methods of deeper understanding and awareness with students, I think it is possible, as Ruth Vinz says, to accomplish one of the main goals of multicultural literature education: helping students “acquire the attitudes and knowledge needed to take part in cross-cultural relationships and to encourage their participation in social and civic/democratic action” (2).
I agree with Erick Gordon that often students oversimplify their understanding of a story and the actions/motivations of characters within that story. Having just completed a course on gender construction in children’s literature, the concept of forever examining the world through a set of binaries that have little true meaning suggests a lack of reality. There are very few things in the world that are clear cut “black and white.” The hero is rarely completely without some sort of vice or hubris that they struggle to overcome in some way, shape, or form. What about the anti-hero? I think it is important to illustrate this point to students and ask them to think more carefully about the actions, events, and momentum behind a story. For Gordon, the Mockingbird Monologues provided him with an excellent opportunity to push students beyond their comfort zone and think in new terms. I loved the scene in which Atticus is struggling with his self-confidence in tying his tie. As illustrated in the class discussion, this was a side of Atticus that surprised many of the students who resisted any sign of weakness. One student points out though that Atticus is not a superhero; he is an everyday man who has his own inner turmoil to face on a day-to-day basis. Or the scene with Calpurnia in which she points out some of the hypocrisy that arises from her position in the Finch household and her relationship to Atticus.
While I don’t imagine myself doing something that ambitious anytime in the near future, I think the premise is excellent. Allowing students a chance to spend some time diving into the psyche of a character is a great way for them to think beyond and/or in association with their experiences. In doing so, students can learn to experience sympathy and empathy for characters rather than pity—important distinctions made by Gordon. In supporting this kind of interaction with a text, the “other” becomes familiar. Multicultural experiences remain unique, but through an understanding of human motivations, emotions, and experiences, they also become more accessible—and meaningful—to the reader.
I’m sure there are many different ways in which to facilitate a deeper understanding of a text that teaches students how to “talk back” to a text rather than simply “talkinabout” it. Making the invisible visible is an important part of working with students and literature. By using these methods of deeper understanding and awareness with students, I think it is possible, as Ruth Vinz says, to accomplish one of the main goals of multicultural literature education: helping students “acquire the attitudes and knowledge needed to take part in cross-cultural relationships and to encourage their participation in social and civic/democratic action” (2).
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
The Student Teaching Chronicles: Day Two
Day two...
Well, this morning I was really looking forward to today. Ann was going to be gone from GL and that meant that I would really be in control of the classroom. I was looking forward to stretching my arms out a bit and establishing my place in the classroom community. I also created a solid lesson for teaching my AW class to write attention-grabbing introductions with solid thesis statements--with the powerpoint to back it up.
GL: I walked into GL and thought it was going to be a good day. Ronnie was in the classroom first and when he saw that we were going to the library in order to get books to read in class, he immediately asked if he could go get his book that he is reading from his locker and bring that. He was so excited to read! Awesome! Everyone filtered into the classroom. Some students were late which caused some disturbances among the other students, but nothing we couldn't get past.
As the lead teacher for the day, I welcomed the class into the room and asked them to get their notebooks from the class crate. Once that was accomplished, I reminded them that from today on their job when they enter the classroom is to get their notebooks, write down the date and agenda, copy the journal prompt (or other activity), and answer the prompt or complete the activity. And that's when it began...after I went over my expectations, I read the agenda on the board out loud. Then I moved on to the journal prompt and began reading that out loud too. Britney then piped in, "Could you be quiet for one minute so I can write this down? I can't write with you talking up there." Now, this startled me a bit but I quickly replied, "Sure thing, I 'll give you a minute to copy the agenda first." I feel like I could have handled that a bit better, but I also know that I need to pick any battles I want to face any of the students in. After a minute I read the prompt out loud--completely--and asked them to write 3-5 sentences in response to the prompt. There were some groans for this entire process, but eventually they all got to work. We discussed the prompt, which went better than I thought. Next we moved to the library to get choice books. This was difficult because most students found books right away and wanted to go back to the room. A few did not and that forced the rest of the class to sit in a section of the library and read--which they didn't want to do. Most ended up reading a few pages and then chatting.
In retrospect, I would have made it clear that once students had found a book they were to sit at a table--no more than two to a table--and read until the class was ready to return to the room. I also would have double-checked with the media center staff who were supposed to set out books for us on tables but forgot...not helpful.
Once we got back in the class, the students didn't want to read anymore. Power struggle with Britney again about reading her book.
Next I handed out a questionnaire and the students really took to it which was great. They got really into the questions and I think they began to see just how many humans are in the world and how the American experience is not the "norm."
Things to do better:
Next I introduced the introduction, or how to write an attention-grabber and thesis statement. We started with the thesis. It was during this time that two things happened: one, I got something wrong in front of my students, and two, one of the students mentioned how another teacher had taught them to do something. They had to happen sometime, and I am relieved that they are over now, but I was a bit flustered when it happened. I kept my cool though, told them they were right, I was wrong, and moved on from there. It was not a pleasant feeling, but I don't believe they smelled any of my brief blast fear/embarrassment.
The attention-grabber section was a bit dry--something to improve for later--but the practice thesis writing and introduction writing were good. After lunch, I introduced their introduction assignment and modeled my own examples of the assignment for them. We have been told how it can help to let students know that we are writing and participating too, and they were pleasantly surprised by my introductions--both that I had written them and the information they told about me. For me, this saved a somewhat dry class...whew!
Things to improve:
Highlights:
Well, this morning I was really looking forward to today. Ann was going to be gone from GL and that meant that I would really be in control of the classroom. I was looking forward to stretching my arms out a bit and establishing my place in the classroom community. I also created a solid lesson for teaching my AW class to write attention-grabbing introductions with solid thesis statements--with the powerpoint to back it up.
GL: I walked into GL and thought it was going to be a good day. Ronnie was in the classroom first and when he saw that we were going to the library in order to get books to read in class, he immediately asked if he could go get his book that he is reading from his locker and bring that. He was so excited to read! Awesome! Everyone filtered into the classroom. Some students were late which caused some disturbances among the other students, but nothing we couldn't get past.
As the lead teacher for the day, I welcomed the class into the room and asked them to get their notebooks from the class crate. Once that was accomplished, I reminded them that from today on their job when they enter the classroom is to get their notebooks, write down the date and agenda, copy the journal prompt (or other activity), and answer the prompt or complete the activity. And that's when it began...after I went over my expectations, I read the agenda on the board out loud. Then I moved on to the journal prompt and began reading that out loud too. Britney then piped in, "Could you be quiet for one minute so I can write this down? I can't write with you talking up there." Now, this startled me a bit but I quickly replied, "Sure thing, I 'll give you a minute to copy the agenda first." I feel like I could have handled that a bit better, but I also know that I need to pick any battles I want to face any of the students in. After a minute I read the prompt out loud--completely--and asked them to write 3-5 sentences in response to the prompt. There were some groans for this entire process, but eventually they all got to work. We discussed the prompt, which went better than I thought. Next we moved to the library to get choice books. This was difficult because most students found books right away and wanted to go back to the room. A few did not and that forced the rest of the class to sit in a section of the library and read--which they didn't want to do. Most ended up reading a few pages and then chatting.
In retrospect, I would have made it clear that once students had found a book they were to sit at a table--no more than two to a table--and read until the class was ready to return to the room. I also would have double-checked with the media center staff who were supposed to set out books for us on tables but forgot...not helpful.
Once we got back in the class, the students didn't want to read anymore. Power struggle with Britney again about reading her book.
Next I handed out a questionnaire and the students really took to it which was great. They got really into the questions and I think they began to see just how many humans are in the world and how the American experience is not the "norm."
Things to do better:
- Establish greater structure when moving from room to room.
- More detailed agenda.
- Move class at a faster pace in order to accommodate the dynamics of the class--different from years past. They need the class to move faster in order to keep their interest.
Next I introduced the introduction, or how to write an attention-grabber and thesis statement. We started with the thesis. It was during this time that two things happened: one, I got something wrong in front of my students, and two, one of the students mentioned how another teacher had taught them to do something. They had to happen sometime, and I am relieved that they are over now, but I was a bit flustered when it happened. I kept my cool though, told them they were right, I was wrong, and moved on from there. It was not a pleasant feeling, but I don't believe they smelled any of my brief blast fear/embarrassment.
The attention-grabber section was a bit dry--something to improve for later--but the practice thesis writing and introduction writing were good. After lunch, I introduced their introduction assignment and modeled my own examples of the assignment for them. We have been told how it can help to let students know that we are writing and participating too, and they were pleasantly surprised by my introductions--both that I had written them and the information they told about me. For me, this saved a somewhat dry class...whew!
Things to improve:
- More student, less me--this will be easier to do as they enter into the world of writing more and more.
- Be even more prepared for discussion and questions.
- Make sure my oral instructions are clear, repeat myself even more, continue to model, and make sure they are following procedures.
Highlights:
- Talking with Jose about the book he was getting. He was telling me about a show he had seen on the History Channel about a guy who gets his family in trouble and they all get killed. Turns out is was the Russian Royal Family--the Romanov's. He was impressed that I knew about them. the fact that he was looking me in the eye and talking to me was awesome!
- Blake looking me in the eye and telling me about the book he chose--about a boy whose girlfriend at another school suddenly goes missing.
- Ronnie getting so excited about reading his book--he stayed in the classroom with Natalia while we went to the library so he could just read. :)
- Sharing some of my background and swimming experience with my AW students. It helped them get to know me better and hopefully loosen up a bit.
The Student Teacher Chronicles: Day One
Wow...day one and two are both done. I realize that this first post is a day late, but, forgive me, yesterday was a crazy exciting and busy day. Going in to the day I was excited. I was nowhere near as nervous as I thought I would be. I consign this to the fact that I was: one, well-prepared, all my copies were made and my lessons were ready to go; two, that I had experienced something similar during our practicum experience at Crosswinds; three, that I had spent so much time thinking about this day; and four, that I had talked so much with my fellow cohort members--many of whom had already started their complete student teaching experience. I slept better than I expected--of course, the Tylenol PM I took at 6:30 might account for some of my ability to quite literally, hit the sack.
I woke up to my alarm and jumped out of bed, put on my teacher outfit, and headed out the door. I am SO grateful that I have Molly at Hopkins with me and that we are able to carpool. I picked Molly up, and we had plenty of time to talk out our pre-teaching jitters before we arrived at Hopkins. We arrived at school around 6:30 and--neither of us teaching until 9:15--were able meet with our teachers and further prep for class.
Ann and I are team-teaching a lower level literature class together during second block, so she took priority in meeting with me that morning. Together we finalized a seating chart and went over how we would divide the procedural aspect of the first class. (I should mention that Hopkins is on a block schedule and that some of their courses are only one quarter long--both of the classes I am teaching are a quarter long and, thus, day one for me was day one for my students as well.) Ann thought it would be best for me to start out the class by introducing myself and then she would follow along with Natalia (a special education specialist). Then we would take turns discussing class procedure and the calendar of events. We would do a get-to-know-you activity, and then have the students write us each a letter about themselves in their notebooks.
Next, I met with Marty. I am teaching one of her advanced writing classes and she is leaving me to it. She asked me if I had everything set-up and if I knew how I was going to introduce myself. We did a bit of role-playing in which she was a student asking where Ms. Snyder was, who I was, and if I was a student teacher. I really appreciated this and it gave some ideas on how to introduce myself. She gave me some tips about not seeming defensive and to mention my status only if asked.
Next thing I knew, the bell rang and I was off to my first class. I felt that the class went alright. I know some of the students from working with them during my observation, but there are some new faces too. Right away I knew that some of the students will become my favorites--even though I know we aren't supposed to have those. There is one girl in the class named Britney who has a bit of an attitude. Add to this her loudness and dominating personality, and we have a class problem. She questioned many of our procedures, causing others to mirror her statements. The get-to-know-you activity went pretty well, afterward Ann realized that she usually has students do this after they write their letters to us--evident by the extremely specific answers on the sheet, like: find someone who...owns a border collie, works at aeropostle, was born in Chicago. The students still seemed to like it and it helped us get to know them better too.
Many of the students completed the letter assignment within 15 minutes and they had nothing to do while the rest of the class finished their letters. Two students wanted to finish the letters at home, and, therefore, didn't really even try to complete them in class, and several more wrote much less than the required page length.
Overall, the class went well, but it was so obvious that Ann has done this before and I had not. Despite my efforts to open the class and establish myself as one of two main teachers, I felt a little out of place.
Things to work on:
After the maintenance stuff, we did a questionnaire in which we answered questions about ourselves. Then we went around the room and shared answers to some of the questions which helped me get to know the students and vice-versa. Next we went over some comma rules. I had the students work in pairs and read a comma rule, create an original sentence, and then teach both their rule and their sentence to the rest of the class. This went over fairly well, and all the students seemed to understand the different rules. Then we went over how we define the "writing process," I modeled the activity associated with that--which was homework for later in the week--with my own definition of the "writing process," and they had some time to work on the grammar questions due at the end of the week.
I thought the class went smoothly if nothing else. There were no major issues and other than the typical boredom of procedural stuff, the students were invested in the assignments we were doing.
Things to work on:
Thus ended the first day of teaching. Nothing too bad, nothing really great, but definitely full of possibilities.
I woke up to my alarm and jumped out of bed, put on my teacher outfit, and headed out the door. I am SO grateful that I have Molly at Hopkins with me and that we are able to carpool. I picked Molly up, and we had plenty of time to talk out our pre-teaching jitters before we arrived at Hopkins. We arrived at school around 6:30 and--neither of us teaching until 9:15--were able meet with our teachers and further prep for class.
Ann and I are team-teaching a lower level literature class together during second block, so she took priority in meeting with me that morning. Together we finalized a seating chart and went over how we would divide the procedural aspect of the first class. (I should mention that Hopkins is on a block schedule and that some of their courses are only one quarter long--both of the classes I am teaching are a quarter long and, thus, day one for me was day one for my students as well.) Ann thought it would be best for me to start out the class by introducing myself and then she would follow along with Natalia (a special education specialist). Then we would take turns discussing class procedure and the calendar of events. We would do a get-to-know-you activity, and then have the students write us each a letter about themselves in their notebooks.
Next, I met with Marty. I am teaching one of her advanced writing classes and she is leaving me to it. She asked me if I had everything set-up and if I knew how I was going to introduce myself. We did a bit of role-playing in which she was a student asking where Ms. Snyder was, who I was, and if I was a student teacher. I really appreciated this and it gave some ideas on how to introduce myself. She gave me some tips about not seeming defensive and to mention my status only if asked.
Next thing I knew, the bell rang and I was off to my first class. I felt that the class went alright. I know some of the students from working with them during my observation, but there are some new faces too. Right away I knew that some of the students will become my favorites--even though I know we aren't supposed to have those. There is one girl in the class named Britney who has a bit of an attitude. Add to this her loudness and dominating personality, and we have a class problem. She questioned many of our procedures, causing others to mirror her statements. The get-to-know-you activity went pretty well, afterward Ann realized that she usually has students do this after they write their letters to us--evident by the extremely specific answers on the sheet, like: find someone who...owns a border collie, works at aeropostle, was born in Chicago. The students still seemed to like it and it helped us get to know them better too.
Many of the students completed the letter assignment within 15 minutes and they had nothing to do while the rest of the class finished their letters. Two students wanted to finish the letters at home, and, therefore, didn't really even try to complete them in class, and several more wrote much less than the required page length.
Overall, the class went well, but it was so obvious that Ann has done this before and I had not. Despite my efforts to open the class and establish myself as one of two main teachers, I felt a little out of place.
Things to work on:
- Getting the classes attention focused on me without adding to the noise.
- Coming across as more assured and confident--part of this might have been nerves about working with two experienced teacher in this setting, but who knows.
- Providing even more structure to the class.
- Working with students and getting them to work.
After the maintenance stuff, we did a questionnaire in which we answered questions about ourselves. Then we went around the room and shared answers to some of the questions which helped me get to know the students and vice-versa. Next we went over some comma rules. I had the students work in pairs and read a comma rule, create an original sentence, and then teach both their rule and their sentence to the rest of the class. This went over fairly well, and all the students seemed to understand the different rules. Then we went over how we define the "writing process," I modeled the activity associated with that--which was homework for later in the week--with my own definition of the "writing process," and they had some time to work on the grammar questions due at the end of the week.
I thought the class went smoothly if nothing else. There were no major issues and other than the typical boredom of procedural stuff, the students were invested in the assignments we were doing.
Things to work on:
- Thinking and acting on the fly--quicker more coherent responses.
- Presenting information in a more clear and concise manner.
- Continuing to find ways to engage students.
- Seeking out questions in a more clear way.
Thus ended the first day of teaching. Nothing too bad, nothing really great, but definitely full of possibilities.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
CI: 5461 Weekly Readings Post #5
This week’s readings certainly gave me a lot to think about. I really like the idea of using technology in the classroom to enhance student learning by providing them with more authentic forms of writing, creating online relationships and communities with others, and placing a greater responsibility in the hands of the students to perform to the best of their abilities. But, let’s break it down even more…
Blogs. I think that blogs can be a great way for students to write down their thoughts and receive feedback from both peers and educators. The blog is informal, yet, has a more authentic and wide range in audience. Today, blogs are easy to create and control; with a handful of keystrokes and a few clicks of the mouse, you are good to go.
Wikis/Nings. The wiki/ning idea is great in that it provides a user-friendly arena in which a teacher can post unit materials and create online communities for students and their families. I love the idea of creating a wiki/ning with students from across the ocean and around the globe. The ability of technology to so easily cross distance and combine cultures can be a great way to expose students to different perspectives, provide them with communication skills, and connect them with new people and ideas. It is also through these sites that one can easily facilitate and/or participate in online role-play.
Online role-play. While I have never participated in online role-play, I can see the benefits. I think that it can provide students with the time to carefully prepare for a debate while also providing them with the safety of a role from which to take their stand. For me, debates are frightening. I would much rather take on the persona of another individual and present a researched argument from their point of view than to ambivalently take on a position that I might personally be indifferent or undecided to. The ability to create or research an opinion and to communicate through online communication provides a more genuine basis for the debate. Online role-play also creates the opportunity to monitor and analyze different arguments, connect points to related online material, etc., as suggested in the Beach and Doerr-Stevens article.
Of course there are many other ways to get students writing through the use of technology, whether it be through photo-essays, iMovies, digital storytelling, etc. With the ever-expanding arena of technology accessible to students and schools, it is important that we as teachers utilize these emerging tools for the benefit of our students. It is important that students find support and instruction in how to use these technologies to express their ideas in the same way that teachers provide instruction on how to write a five-paragraph-theme essay. Each and every writing experience in a student’s life is important and should be valued; it is up to us as teachers to help students broaden their definition of “writing” and to help them explore their talents for creating new types of texts.
Link:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html
This is a neat link that provides some examples of digital storytelling, an overview of the tools necessary, lesson ideas, how to get started and evaluate projects, and even handy links where students can find free sounds and images. It could be a great way to get things going and learn to incorporate digital storytelling into the classroom.
Blogs. I think that blogs can be a great way for students to write down their thoughts and receive feedback from both peers and educators. The blog is informal, yet, has a more authentic and wide range in audience. Today, blogs are easy to create and control; with a handful of keystrokes and a few clicks of the mouse, you are good to go.
Wikis/Nings. The wiki/ning idea is great in that it provides a user-friendly arena in which a teacher can post unit materials and create online communities for students and their families. I love the idea of creating a wiki/ning with students from across the ocean and around the globe. The ability of technology to so easily cross distance and combine cultures can be a great way to expose students to different perspectives, provide them with communication skills, and connect them with new people and ideas. It is also through these sites that one can easily facilitate and/or participate in online role-play.
Online role-play. While I have never participated in online role-play, I can see the benefits. I think that it can provide students with the time to carefully prepare for a debate while also providing them with the safety of a role from which to take their stand. For me, debates are frightening. I would much rather take on the persona of another individual and present a researched argument from their point of view than to ambivalently take on a position that I might personally be indifferent or undecided to. The ability to create or research an opinion and to communicate through online communication provides a more genuine basis for the debate. Online role-play also creates the opportunity to monitor and analyze different arguments, connect points to related online material, etc., as suggested in the Beach and Doerr-Stevens article.
Of course there are many other ways to get students writing through the use of technology, whether it be through photo-essays, iMovies, digital storytelling, etc. With the ever-expanding arena of technology accessible to students and schools, it is important that we as teachers utilize these emerging tools for the benefit of our students. It is important that students find support and instruction in how to use these technologies to express their ideas in the same way that teachers provide instruction on how to write a five-paragraph-theme essay. Each and every writing experience in a student’s life is important and should be valued; it is up to us as teachers to help students broaden their definition of “writing” and to help them explore their talents for creating new types of texts.
Link:
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/index.html
This is a neat link that provides some examples of digital storytelling, an overview of the tools necessary, lesson ideas, how to get started and evaluate projects, and even handy links where students can find free sounds and images. It could be a great way to get things going and learn to incorporate digital storytelling into the classroom.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
CI: 5461 Weekly Readings Post #4
Finally! This week’s readings addressed something that has been on my mind ever since I first got it into my head that I wanted to be a teaching and has been plaguing me ever since—What do we do about grading different levels of writing in the same classroom?!?!?!?!?
I have been tormented by the debate in my head about subjective and objective grading. How is it that we can give a student who has improved in their writing so much but still is not near the same level as their peers a “C” for an awesome paper and then turn around and give another student an “A” for a paper that you know they could have worked much harder on! The fact of the matter is that, as teachers, we need to be both subjective and objective to some degree.
The Newkirk and Kent chapter posed the exact question that has been on my mind for so long and they surmised that “It might seem logical and fair to base grades solely on writing quality—but then a good writer who makes no progress would be evaluated more highly than a less proficient writer who makes great progress” (65). Exactly my dilemma! They conclude that the best way to go about grading writing assignments is to “reward students for diligence and for the quality of writing they produce” (N &K 65). To me, this seems like a great way to ensure that students are being evaluated on the amount of effort they put into a piece of writing as much as for the skills they possess as writers. The idea of formatting a grading system that allows for this is great, but then one has to worry about the repercussions, a.k.a. the students who will not be alright if they receive a paper that is less then “A” quality. I can remember those students from my own high school days and they are not the type of kids you want to mess with--their parents will often hunt you down. Hmmm…
Moving on, let’s talk about another gray area in the world of teaching: to use a rubric or not to use a rubric, that is the question! I can see where using a rubric can benefit students and teachers by presenting clear, outlined reasoning behind grades. Students can observe the different areas under examination by the teacher, see specific areas that need improvement, and find some kind of justification in their grade—unless, heaven forbid, they don’t understand the grading scale of the rubric either. The trick with a rubric can be found in the argument of, “Well, what’s the difference between a “4” in Presentation and a ‘3’? If I write it again will it boost my grade?” all in that whiny high school teenager voice—the one we have all employed at some point in our lives. When it comes down to it, rubrics are just a way of trying to justify a given grade and are just as subjective as not using a rubric. Will I use a rubric in my own classes? Probably. Will I struggle to create rubrics that are clear, concise, and valid? Yeah. Do I expect to be able to “cocreate” a rubric with my students successfully (Andrade)? No.
In the end, all I can hope for is that I can find a way to balance subjective and objective grading whether it is with a rubric, checklist, or some hybrid that allows me to monitor the progress of my students and reward them for improvement, innovation, and skill when it comes to manipulating the written English language. I would rather provide my students with positive feedback, constructive criticism, and opportunities to grow than to bury them in rubrics and grades. I’ll end with these final thoughts that mirror my own feelings on the matter:
Teachers who rely too much on grades to convey their evaluation of students’ writing are not communicating much that’s of value to a developing writer. Grades may be a required part of teaching, but…successful teachers of writing keep them to a minimum. (Dornan et. al.184)
Link:
dailywritingtips.com
This website has a lot of great information on grammar and vocabulary, writing basics, and pages on all sorts of different writing genres. It also hosts fun articles and cautionary advice about all things writing. (Very Englishy!)
I have been tormented by the debate in my head about subjective and objective grading. How is it that we can give a student who has improved in their writing so much but still is not near the same level as their peers a “C” for an awesome paper and then turn around and give another student an “A” for a paper that you know they could have worked much harder on! The fact of the matter is that, as teachers, we need to be both subjective and objective to some degree.
The Newkirk and Kent chapter posed the exact question that has been on my mind for so long and they surmised that “It might seem logical and fair to base grades solely on writing quality—but then a good writer who makes no progress would be evaluated more highly than a less proficient writer who makes great progress” (65). Exactly my dilemma! They conclude that the best way to go about grading writing assignments is to “reward students for diligence and for the quality of writing they produce” (N &K 65). To me, this seems like a great way to ensure that students are being evaluated on the amount of effort they put into a piece of writing as much as for the skills they possess as writers. The idea of formatting a grading system that allows for this is great, but then one has to worry about the repercussions, a.k.a. the students who will not be alright if they receive a paper that is less then “A” quality. I can remember those students from my own high school days and they are not the type of kids you want to mess with--their parents will often hunt you down. Hmmm…
Moving on, let’s talk about another gray area in the world of teaching: to use a rubric or not to use a rubric, that is the question! I can see where using a rubric can benefit students and teachers by presenting clear, outlined reasoning behind grades. Students can observe the different areas under examination by the teacher, see specific areas that need improvement, and find some kind of justification in their grade—unless, heaven forbid, they don’t understand the grading scale of the rubric either. The trick with a rubric can be found in the argument of, “Well, what’s the difference between a “4” in Presentation and a ‘3’? If I write it again will it boost my grade?” all in that whiny high school teenager voice—the one we have all employed at some point in our lives. When it comes down to it, rubrics are just a way of trying to justify a given grade and are just as subjective as not using a rubric. Will I use a rubric in my own classes? Probably. Will I struggle to create rubrics that are clear, concise, and valid? Yeah. Do I expect to be able to “cocreate” a rubric with my students successfully (Andrade)? No.
In the end, all I can hope for is that I can find a way to balance subjective and objective grading whether it is with a rubric, checklist, or some hybrid that allows me to monitor the progress of my students and reward them for improvement, innovation, and skill when it comes to manipulating the written English language. I would rather provide my students with positive feedback, constructive criticism, and opportunities to grow than to bury them in rubrics and grades. I’ll end with these final thoughts that mirror my own feelings on the matter:
Teachers who rely too much on grades to convey their evaluation of students’ writing are not communicating much that’s of value to a developing writer. Grades may be a required part of teaching, but…successful teachers of writing keep them to a minimum. (Dornan et. al.184)
Link:
dailywritingtips.com
This website has a lot of great information on grammar and vocabulary, writing basics, and pages on all sorts of different writing genres. It also hosts fun articles and cautionary advice about all things writing. (Very Englishy!)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
CI: 5461 Weekly Readings Post #3
At this very moment I am watching Howl’s Moving Castle in my living room and trying to figure out how to start this response to our readings for this week. The main character in the movie—and book—is Sophie, a young girl who is cast aside by others and doesn’t recognize her own worth. In the course of the film she learns to find her strength and cast off the curse that has plagued her. This is one of my favorite movies and I love that the moral of the story corresponds, perhaps in a roundabout way, to what so much of our reading this week focused on—the need for teachers to foster in students the ability to value their own insights and skills as writers.
As teachers, it is our duty to ensure that students can find importance in their own writing. I noticed that there were many similarities in the readings this week and, thus, I decided to make a list of the most valuable insights that arose from the texts. These steps can help teachers create a writing pedagogy that meets the needs of students everywhere and will foster within them an appreciation for writing.
Teachers should be sure to…
1. Create a safe environment that encourages experimentation, risk, personality, and reflection in conjunction with the writing process.
2. Help students to discover for themselves that writing is an individual process and that there are many different types and forms of writing. This will help them learn to take risks and take pride in their writing. This may often include the need for them to understand that writing is not something that a teacher tells you to do, but “something real” (Dornan et. al. 172). Risk is something that writers need to get through and teachers can help them accomplish this by providing a safe and comfortable environment for experimentation and sharing.
3. Help students to appreciate and value their thoughts and insights in order to help them find their personal voice. This can be done by providing students with opportunities to explore their personal voices in a variety of writing genres and prompts. “When we nurture and praise voice in our students’ writing we imply that writing is much more than the basic ability to communicate in various social forms effectively; it is a way of expressing who we are” (Lane 164). This was something that my teachers never emphasized in their classrooms. I think this is important in helping students develop their writing style by helping them transmit their personality into their writing.
4. Help students identify the correct tone and level of formality that is expected with different genres of writing by exploring audience and purpose. This can be done by providing them with plenty of exposure to other authors and genres.
5. Provide time in class for revision. This can be in the form of conferences with teachers and/or peers and should be focused around providing questions that help students extrapolate/clarify the content of their writing. (Don’t worry, grammar, mechanics, and punctuation will come later!) Conferences should be about building the student-teacher relationship and not telling students how they should write; “the teacher should not look at the text for the student, not even with the student. The teacher looks at—and listens to—the student watching the text evolve” (Murray 28). Teachers should “encourage students to pursue ideas, feelings, or merely a sense of things which they may not yet have thought out or been able to express, but which may emerge into language between” student and teacher (32).
6. Encourage students to make decisions for themselves; providing helpful questions or insight into their own interests can be a way in engaging students with writing. In doing this, students can find value in putting their ideas down on paper—to organize their thoughts and help them expand upon questions that might arise; making sense out of seemingly arbitrary assignments.
7. Identify the difference between revision—editing content—and proofreading/copyediting—editing for grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
8. Remember that “errors” in student writing should be assessed based on the student’s dialect and the tone/genre of the piece of writing in question.
9. Present grammar, mechanics, and punctuation in the classroom in a way that puts responsibility more in the hands of the students themselves in conjunction with the teacher and other students. Mini-lessons and self/peer revision can be the best way to help students learn to take responsibility for their own revising needs and writing in general.
10. Model, model, and model! An important rule writing teachers need to remember is that “students need to be immersed in a writing and reading environment in which language study has a direct application to their own composing, where the usage skills they are taught are immediately applied to the papers they are writing, and where the grammatical structures they study help them become responsive readers and flexible writers” (Dornan et. al. 82).
If these steps are met, teachers can turn the tide of poor writing that plagues American schools. I myself will keep this list handy and be sure to utilize it the best that I can in the classroom. Some of these things I have observed or experienced myself, but there are aspects of them that are new and exciting to me as a future educator. I can only wish that my former teachers had taught me to value my own writing style and voice, put grammar instruction into my own hands (for the record, sentence diagramming doesn’t count), and found ways to successfully utilize both teacher and peer conferences in the classroom. Nevertheless, here’s to the future of writing instruction!
Link:
http://www.songsforteaching.com/grammarspelling.htm
Okay, this is kind of a silly link, but I know that I remember the words to songs, or vocalized little ditties a lot more than I remember grammar rules. If your class is getting stuck on a grammar, spelling, or punctuation rule, this might be a good way to bring it all together in a rhythmic manner!
On a more serious note...
http://www.eslgold.com/
This link would be a great tool for both ESL teachers and students. The site provides materials that can be used by the teacher in helping ESL students master their speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary as well as providing ideas for teaching appropriate speech in the business realm. Some of the provided material looks more helpful than others, but it might still be a good starting point or back-up plan in our future endeavors.
As teachers, it is our duty to ensure that students can find importance in their own writing. I noticed that there were many similarities in the readings this week and, thus, I decided to make a list of the most valuable insights that arose from the texts. These steps can help teachers create a writing pedagogy that meets the needs of students everywhere and will foster within them an appreciation for writing.
Teachers should be sure to…
1. Create a safe environment that encourages experimentation, risk, personality, and reflection in conjunction with the writing process.
2. Help students to discover for themselves that writing is an individual process and that there are many different types and forms of writing. This will help them learn to take risks and take pride in their writing. This may often include the need for them to understand that writing is not something that a teacher tells you to do, but “something real” (Dornan et. al. 172). Risk is something that writers need to get through and teachers can help them accomplish this by providing a safe and comfortable environment for experimentation and sharing.
3. Help students to appreciate and value their thoughts and insights in order to help them find their personal voice. This can be done by providing students with opportunities to explore their personal voices in a variety of writing genres and prompts. “When we nurture and praise voice in our students’ writing we imply that writing is much more than the basic ability to communicate in various social forms effectively; it is a way of expressing who we are” (Lane 164). This was something that my teachers never emphasized in their classrooms. I think this is important in helping students develop their writing style by helping them transmit their personality into their writing.
4. Help students identify the correct tone and level of formality that is expected with different genres of writing by exploring audience and purpose. This can be done by providing them with plenty of exposure to other authors and genres.
5. Provide time in class for revision. This can be in the form of conferences with teachers and/or peers and should be focused around providing questions that help students extrapolate/clarify the content of their writing. (Don’t worry, grammar, mechanics, and punctuation will come later!) Conferences should be about building the student-teacher relationship and not telling students how they should write; “the teacher should not look at the text for the student, not even with the student. The teacher looks at—and listens to—the student watching the text evolve” (Murray 28). Teachers should “encourage students to pursue ideas, feelings, or merely a sense of things which they may not yet have thought out or been able to express, but which may emerge into language between” student and teacher (32).
6. Encourage students to make decisions for themselves; providing helpful questions or insight into their own interests can be a way in engaging students with writing. In doing this, students can find value in putting their ideas down on paper—to organize their thoughts and help them expand upon questions that might arise; making sense out of seemingly arbitrary assignments.
7. Identify the difference between revision—editing content—and proofreading/copyediting—editing for grammar, mechanics, and punctuation.
8. Remember that “errors” in student writing should be assessed based on the student’s dialect and the tone/genre of the piece of writing in question.
9. Present grammar, mechanics, and punctuation in the classroom in a way that puts responsibility more in the hands of the students themselves in conjunction with the teacher and other students. Mini-lessons and self/peer revision can be the best way to help students learn to take responsibility for their own revising needs and writing in general.
10. Model, model, and model! An important rule writing teachers need to remember is that “students need to be immersed in a writing and reading environment in which language study has a direct application to their own composing, where the usage skills they are taught are immediately applied to the papers they are writing, and where the grammatical structures they study help them become responsive readers and flexible writers” (Dornan et. al. 82).
If these steps are met, teachers can turn the tide of poor writing that plagues American schools. I myself will keep this list handy and be sure to utilize it the best that I can in the classroom. Some of these things I have observed or experienced myself, but there are aspects of them that are new and exciting to me as a future educator. I can only wish that my former teachers had taught me to value my own writing style and voice, put grammar instruction into my own hands (for the record, sentence diagramming doesn’t count), and found ways to successfully utilize both teacher and peer conferences in the classroom. Nevertheless, here’s to the future of writing instruction!
Link:
http://www.songsforteaching.com/grammarspelling.htm
Okay, this is kind of a silly link, but I know that I remember the words to songs, or vocalized little ditties a lot more than I remember grammar rules. If your class is getting stuck on a grammar, spelling, or punctuation rule, this might be a good way to bring it all together in a rhythmic manner!
On a more serious note...
http://www.eslgold.com/
This link would be a great tool for both ESL teachers and students. The site provides materials that can be used by the teacher in helping ESL students master their speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary as well as providing ideas for teaching appropriate speech in the business realm. Some of the provided material looks more helpful than others, but it might still be a good starting point or back-up plan in our future endeavors.
Monday, February 1, 2010
CI: 5461 Weekly Readings Post #2
What I loved about the readings for this week was their ability to create a sense of just freedom in the processes of writing. Instead of providing one “correct” way in which students, as writers, should write the authors provided a plethora of ways in which students could write. The chapters and articles illustrate how personal the writing process truly is.
The first chapter in Within and Beyond the Writing Process details different assumptions that the authors make about teaching writing. They assume first of all that writing is thinking—an assumption I readily agree with. The reason in which we speak and write is to use language to communicate with one another. This communication can come in many different forms and be used with a variety of purposes. Because of this, I think it is important that as teachers we try to position the value of writing as part of the essential process of communication. In doing this, we need to present students with a reason or purpose to write; this can be to tell a story, communicate a dream, present a resume, or critically analyze a piece of literature. In a similar vein, the text quotes Frank Smith who says that, “words are the map of the way we think” (4). I myself feel much more eloquent and comfortable with written language than in spoken language—especially when it comes to presenting fuel for arguments. For me, writing gives me the ability to take my time and sift through the words entering my head, pulling the best out of the melee, and creating something that is worth communicating. An example would be the failed debate in our last class. My ideas were written on paper, but in the heat of the moment—and after Josh’s Karate Kid references—I am horrendously ill-equipped as a communicator to think on my feet. Writing gives me the right pace at which to process my thoughts and reread them as they are composed on the page.
As the Ede and Lunsford piece suggests, writers are writing as much for themselves as for their audience and it is important that they acknowledge that in order to take pride and responsibility for their writing. Of course, they also need to be aware of the other audiences of their writing--as many of the readings suggest, providing a real audience to readers can be extremely beneficial in helping them focus their writing. The duality between readers and writers in which "writers create readers and readers create writers" matches the ideas from Within and Beyond the Writing Process about writing and learning.
I loved the idea that humans learn to write and write to learn. As with the other assumption, this one draws upon the ability of writing to help organize one’s thoughts and facilitate both critical thinking and artistic expression. I think many students fear writing because of the “red-ink” effect, but with a variety of writing genres and tools in their pockets, students can use writing to help them explore their knowledge, solve problems, “reason, remember, understand, and imagine” (Dornan, Rosen, and Wilson 7). I especially like the idea of using writing to help students “imagine.” Writing in the classroom should be about imagining an audience and writing with a purpose intended for that audience. Students can use writing to help them create new thoughts and organize the new; writing has no bounds.
When it comes to teaching writing, I think daily writing and the retirement of the red pen can help students become comfortable with all aspects of the writing process. During Intercession at Crosswinds, we used an informal bell-ringer to help get the creative juices flowing and to get our students writing without fear. They were able to use this writing later on and craft something much more polished. I loved the Dornan chapter that detailed the different ways in which the authors write—from pre-writing ideas to the dreaded revision process. I think it is clear that people have different writing methods—everyone is different so why should anyone assume that one prescribed writing process will fit all. Personally, I use different process of pre-writing depending on the assignment and my comfortability with the subject matter. The revision process is the same, sometimes I have someone look over it for content issues, other times I read it out loud to myself to listen for structural and content issues, and on occasion, the revision process does include rewriting the piece from scratch. What is comes down to though, for me, is the reality that writing is a recursive process—what goes around comes around. Writers are constantly pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, etc.
I also think it is best to present as many different methods to students in an effort to help them find the techniques that work best for them—after all, they are the writers. An effective way to do this is by assigning a variety of writing assignments that utilize a variety of techniques, provide opportunities for a variety of genres, have meaningful agendas to the writer, and adhere to student interests. A writing portfolio—as used in the Kent chapter of Teaching the Neglected “R”—is one way to provide students with the chance to engage in different writing activities and acquire writing skills along the way. In order to ensure that these skills are taught in the best capacity, teachers should remember to create positive working environments that encourage communication and critique among all its members. Positive experiences foster learning and the retention of that learning and we need to get students to believe and find the positive side of writing.
Resource Link:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
This website provides a variety of handouts and information about grammar and writing from the basic sentence level on up to research paper guidelines. There are even powerpoints on different forms of punctuation and clauses. It also provides answers to some of the English languages more difficult conundrums. Overall, great resource for teachers who might need some help with their grammar and writing coaching!
The first chapter in Within and Beyond the Writing Process details different assumptions that the authors make about teaching writing. They assume first of all that writing is thinking—an assumption I readily agree with. The reason in which we speak and write is to use language to communicate with one another. This communication can come in many different forms and be used with a variety of purposes. Because of this, I think it is important that as teachers we try to position the value of writing as part of the essential process of communication. In doing this, we need to present students with a reason or purpose to write; this can be to tell a story, communicate a dream, present a resume, or critically analyze a piece of literature. In a similar vein, the text quotes Frank Smith who says that, “words are the map of the way we think” (4). I myself feel much more eloquent and comfortable with written language than in spoken language—especially when it comes to presenting fuel for arguments. For me, writing gives me the ability to take my time and sift through the words entering my head, pulling the best out of the melee, and creating something that is worth communicating. An example would be the failed debate in our last class. My ideas were written on paper, but in the heat of the moment—and after Josh’s Karate Kid references—I am horrendously ill-equipped as a communicator to think on my feet. Writing gives me the right pace at which to process my thoughts and reread them as they are composed on the page.
As the Ede and Lunsford piece suggests, writers are writing as much for themselves as for their audience and it is important that they acknowledge that in order to take pride and responsibility for their writing. Of course, they also need to be aware of the other audiences of their writing--as many of the readings suggest, providing a real audience to readers can be extremely beneficial in helping them focus their writing. The duality between readers and writers in which "writers create readers and readers create writers" matches the ideas from Within and Beyond the Writing Process about writing and learning.
I loved the idea that humans learn to write and write to learn. As with the other assumption, this one draws upon the ability of writing to help organize one’s thoughts and facilitate both critical thinking and artistic expression. I think many students fear writing because of the “red-ink” effect, but with a variety of writing genres and tools in their pockets, students can use writing to help them explore their knowledge, solve problems, “reason, remember, understand, and imagine” (Dornan, Rosen, and Wilson 7). I especially like the idea of using writing to help students “imagine.” Writing in the classroom should be about imagining an audience and writing with a purpose intended for that audience. Students can use writing to help them create new thoughts and organize the new; writing has no bounds.
When it comes to teaching writing, I think daily writing and the retirement of the red pen can help students become comfortable with all aspects of the writing process. During Intercession at Crosswinds, we used an informal bell-ringer to help get the creative juices flowing and to get our students writing without fear. They were able to use this writing later on and craft something much more polished. I loved the Dornan chapter that detailed the different ways in which the authors write—from pre-writing ideas to the dreaded revision process. I think it is clear that people have different writing methods—everyone is different so why should anyone assume that one prescribed writing process will fit all. Personally, I use different process of pre-writing depending on the assignment and my comfortability with the subject matter. The revision process is the same, sometimes I have someone look over it for content issues, other times I read it out loud to myself to listen for structural and content issues, and on occasion, the revision process does include rewriting the piece from scratch. What is comes down to though, for me, is the reality that writing is a recursive process—what goes around comes around. Writers are constantly pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, etc.
I also think it is best to present as many different methods to students in an effort to help them find the techniques that work best for them—after all, they are the writers. An effective way to do this is by assigning a variety of writing assignments that utilize a variety of techniques, provide opportunities for a variety of genres, have meaningful agendas to the writer, and adhere to student interests. A writing portfolio—as used in the Kent chapter of Teaching the Neglected “R”—is one way to provide students with the chance to engage in different writing activities and acquire writing skills along the way. In order to ensure that these skills are taught in the best capacity, teachers should remember to create positive working environments that encourage communication and critique among all its members. Positive experiences foster learning and the retention of that learning and we need to get students to believe and find the positive side of writing.
Resource Link:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/
This website provides a variety of handouts and information about grammar and writing from the basic sentence level on up to research paper guidelines. There are even powerpoints on different forms of punctuation and clauses. It also provides answers to some of the English languages more difficult conundrums. Overall, great resource for teachers who might need some help with their grammar and writing coaching!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
CI 5461: Weekly Readings Post #1
Let’s start our journey at the beginning or at least at the beginning of the twentieth century…as a new decade dawning educators and researchers noticed that the pedagogy driving our nation’s efforts to instill in students the ability to write was ineffective and guess what, it still is to this day. Thomas Newkirk’s research reveals articles about the struggles faced by English teachers as they endeavored to teach writing to the nation’s youth. Newkirk notes that F.A. Barbour claimed that “Young people do not learn to write well by trying to apply rules of any text-book to their writing, but unconsciously rather” (2). Instead of being force-fed the different rules and regulations of the written word, Barbour noted that students needed to experience writing as modeled through their reading and personal experiences. He claimed that only through modeling, continued practice in areas of interest, and the constructive criticism of teachers could skillful writing be achieved. You would think that after one hundred years someone would have finally listened to these accounts and done something about it.
Combine the disdainful reality of the “test-prep” writing classroom of today with the stagnant concept of the “normal” schoolroom and there is no wonder as to why American students lack effective writing skills. The static imaginings of both what writing and schooling “should” look like has left its mark on America’s education system and is best summed up in Newkirk’s assertion that “if an English teacher from 1900 visited a school today, he or she would feel strangely at home” he juxtaposes this image with a comprehensive list of some of the major technological advances that have been made in the course of the century to further add illustrate the anachronism of the American classroom today (5).
In order to correct the situation at present, educators need to move beyond the perennial teaching of the five-paragraph essay and explore both new and creative ways of teaching writing to students. Kimberly Wesley’s article “The Ill Effects of the Five Paragraph Theme” presented me with the type of heresy I always imagined would send a teacher to the depths of Dante’s Inferno. She presents a strong argument as to why the five-paragraph essay should not be the end-all-be-all of secondary writing instruction. To put it simply, she argues that the system limits the student’s ideas, critical thinking, and complex analysis while emphasizing organization over content.
Another moment of brilliance can be found in Jeffery Wilhelm’s interview surrounding the current emphasis on testing. Wilhelm pointedly illustrates the unrealistic format and basis of the testing writing skills. I specifically remember—and I am sure others do to— being told by my high school teachers to focus only on my writing skills when taking my state exams. It was, “The content doesn’t matter, make something up that answers the prompt if need be, just be sure to write a nice five paragraph essay with all the important parts and you will pass.” How is that a realistic assessment of a person’s ability to write an essay? How does that demonstrate reality? Wilhelm goes further to explain how such exams teach students to be dishonest and do not teach them the realistic processes of writing as found in the real world. In the real world, writers have time to think about their topics, outline ideas, write drafts, discuss their drafts with others, edit and revise their pieces, and, eventually, come up with something that is worth the time and effort. These tests offer no glimpse into the real world and will only present kids with a false sense of the truth. Wilhelm claims that, “If you get a dumbed-down test, you’ll get a dumbed-downed curriculum, and kids are not going to learn what real people do. They are going to be disenfranchised because they are going to know they are just ‘doing school’” (15).
In order to change the writing pedagogy, we as educators need to think far beyond the five paragraph essay and standardized writing tests and help students by providing them with opportunities to write genuinely, risk-free, and with enough frequency to ensure skills develop through constant practice. Students do need guidance from their teachers and this can be given in three ways outlined by Dornan, Rosen, and Wilson, as the creation of a supportive environment in which the natural processes of writing can mature, the presence of encouragement and coaching in their guidance as an instructor, and the presentation of appropriate instruction on structure, form, audience, purpose, and other aspects of writing. In doing this, teachers can help to create an environment that allows students to explore writing and the many different genres found within its branches. Tom Romano’s Multigenre Research Project illustrate one way in which students can break free of the dominant expository form and experiment with using different genres to present research. In doing this, students gain experience and confidence in their writing as they practice manipulating the English language to fit their needs. As Romano notes, “Writing is a big world mural, not a snapshot” (88).
As teachers, we might forget how monotonous, trying, and difficult it was to write and present our materials to others; the pain of handing over something you spent hours sweating over only to have it returned dripping in that abominable red ink. In order to better understand and sympathize with our students, we need to be sure that we are actively presenting ourselves as writers alongside our students. Reid professes that she forces her graduate students to write difficult assignments and to explore their writing, and to reflect on their writing experiences in order to provide them with a better sense of community and empathy with their future/current students—something she claims to have recognized herself in the process of writing the article. To me this serves to emphasize the importance of providing students with opportunities to write without the fear of red ink and to continually return to the page ourselves in order to maintain that painful, anxiety-ridden, authorial affinity with students.
http://www.users.muohio.edu/romanots/
This resource link ties directly with Tom Romano’s section from Teaching the Neglected “R” and will be very beneficial to anyone who is thinking of utilizing his multigenre research project in their classroom. The site provides more information on the mechanics and development of the project, rubrics, and examples of his students’ work. Many, if not all, of the information can be reworked into a secondary school setting and still see the same successful results.
Combine the disdainful reality of the “test-prep” writing classroom of today with the stagnant concept of the “normal” schoolroom and there is no wonder as to why American students lack effective writing skills. The static imaginings of both what writing and schooling “should” look like has left its mark on America’s education system and is best summed up in Newkirk’s assertion that “if an English teacher from 1900 visited a school today, he or she would feel strangely at home” he juxtaposes this image with a comprehensive list of some of the major technological advances that have been made in the course of the century to further add illustrate the anachronism of the American classroom today (5).
In order to correct the situation at present, educators need to move beyond the perennial teaching of the five-paragraph essay and explore both new and creative ways of teaching writing to students. Kimberly Wesley’s article “The Ill Effects of the Five Paragraph Theme” presented me with the type of heresy I always imagined would send a teacher to the depths of Dante’s Inferno. She presents a strong argument as to why the five-paragraph essay should not be the end-all-be-all of secondary writing instruction. To put it simply, she argues that the system limits the student’s ideas, critical thinking, and complex analysis while emphasizing organization over content.
Another moment of brilliance can be found in Jeffery Wilhelm’s interview surrounding the current emphasis on testing. Wilhelm pointedly illustrates the unrealistic format and basis of the testing writing skills. I specifically remember—and I am sure others do to— being told by my high school teachers to focus only on my writing skills when taking my state exams. It was, “The content doesn’t matter, make something up that answers the prompt if need be, just be sure to write a nice five paragraph essay with all the important parts and you will pass.” How is that a realistic assessment of a person’s ability to write an essay? How does that demonstrate reality? Wilhelm goes further to explain how such exams teach students to be dishonest and do not teach them the realistic processes of writing as found in the real world. In the real world, writers have time to think about their topics, outline ideas, write drafts, discuss their drafts with others, edit and revise their pieces, and, eventually, come up with something that is worth the time and effort. These tests offer no glimpse into the real world and will only present kids with a false sense of the truth. Wilhelm claims that, “If you get a dumbed-down test, you’ll get a dumbed-downed curriculum, and kids are not going to learn what real people do. They are going to be disenfranchised because they are going to know they are just ‘doing school’” (15).
In order to change the writing pedagogy, we as educators need to think far beyond the five paragraph essay and standardized writing tests and help students by providing them with opportunities to write genuinely, risk-free, and with enough frequency to ensure skills develop through constant practice. Students do need guidance from their teachers and this can be given in three ways outlined by Dornan, Rosen, and Wilson, as the creation of a supportive environment in which the natural processes of writing can mature, the presence of encouragement and coaching in their guidance as an instructor, and the presentation of appropriate instruction on structure, form, audience, purpose, and other aspects of writing. In doing this, teachers can help to create an environment that allows students to explore writing and the many different genres found within its branches. Tom Romano’s Multigenre Research Project illustrate one way in which students can break free of the dominant expository form and experiment with using different genres to present research. In doing this, students gain experience and confidence in their writing as they practice manipulating the English language to fit their needs. As Romano notes, “Writing is a big world mural, not a snapshot” (88).
As teachers, we might forget how monotonous, trying, and difficult it was to write and present our materials to others; the pain of handing over something you spent hours sweating over only to have it returned dripping in that abominable red ink. In order to better understand and sympathize with our students, we need to be sure that we are actively presenting ourselves as writers alongside our students. Reid professes that she forces her graduate students to write difficult assignments and to explore their writing, and to reflect on their writing experiences in order to provide them with a better sense of community and empathy with their future/current students—something she claims to have recognized herself in the process of writing the article. To me this serves to emphasize the importance of providing students with opportunities to write without the fear of red ink and to continually return to the page ourselves in order to maintain that painful, anxiety-ridden, authorial affinity with students.
http://www.users.muohio.edu/romanots/
This resource link ties directly with Tom Romano’s section from Teaching the Neglected “R” and will be very beneficial to anyone who is thinking of utilizing his multigenre research project in their classroom. The site provides more information on the mechanics and development of the project, rubrics, and examples of his students’ work. Many, if not all, of the information can be reworked into a secondary school setting and still see the same successful results.
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