• What
did you learn in this chapter that would improve your writing (about purpose or
audience)? What is something you learned in the chapter that will help you
become a better teacher? Address both concepts in your post; be sure to respond
to at least 4 classmates. Post by Tuesday Oct. 21, reply by Sunday, Oct. 26th
I think something that was really important in this chapter and helped me as a writer and as a future teacher was the idea that teachers should stop teaching writing with strict standards and traditional requirements. As a student, I can agree that it makes me feel like my writing means nothing, that it's just to fill a class requirement. I agree with Gallagher: that it's important to understand the reasons for writing. By knowing that writing can be used to express, inquire, inform, analyze, and take a stand, it seems much more meaningful and like it can be used for something outside of class. After writing so many research papers in traditional ways, I feel like I am less creative and enjoy writing less as a student. Therefore, my goal as a teacher would be to make writing more fun and take Gallagher's tips from this chapter: to not get hung up on strict boundaries, to write alongside my students, and to make sure they understand why writing is important.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that not teaching with strict standards and traditional requirements was a great point made by Gallagher. I definitely feel like writing can sometimes become a form of busywork for me if I am not getting anything out of it. I wish you luck in making writing more fun! I think that a lot more students would be much more excited to write if they found it to be fun.
Deletei can recall several times where i got bored or lost in english class because i didn't understand why we needed to write a specific way or about a secific topic. The teacher should have the class help choose the topics they write about and she or he should also give a reason to write.
DeleteI think choosing the topic you want to write about is huge! I know some students need more guidance but I feel that when I can choose what I white about, I'm more willing to write. I believe that when we let students choose thought its even more important to provide them with an example to help those students who might feel overwhelmed by the lack of strict topics. I think any time you can make writing fun and engaging then perhaps more students would be more excited to participate!
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DeleteI could not agree more with you guys here. As someone who is big into sports but doesn't really LOVE to write, I would prefer to read especially write about sports heroes and fiction. I think it is imperative that the student has enjoyment and excitement in the writing topic; in my case i enjoy sports and fiction so it comes natural to me to be able to write in certain voices to support my stories. It will definitely be difficult to accommodate and entertain all the interest of an entire classroom. Nonetheless, if the writer is “into” what he or she is writing about the flow will kick in. Proper engagement in writing is also key and the way you can present a topic to a student is just as important as the topic itself.
DeleteHaving the opportunity to choose a topic to write about is so much better than being forced to write about something you don't care about or you are not interested in. I know I always despised writing essays for my English classes during middle school because we would do them based on essay contests so we did not get to choose the topic. It sucks all of the fun and creativity our of writing to write about something you do not want to write about.
DeleteI do agree that it is way easier to write about something you chose, but I do not think that is very helpful in learning writing. Yes, it sucks all of the fun and creativity out, but as a teacher you cannot let your kids write about whatever they are interested in or whatever they want to write about at a given moment. I mean of course we all have different interests and like different things, but making students become interested in something different from usual is a success. For example, I never wanted to become a teacher, I never even thought about it, but after taking this class I realized that I could actually see myself teaching kids. It is kind of similar with writing. After all no one was born as a writer, it is something you learn how to do through both, positive and negative experiences :)
DeleteI completely agree with the idea of not teaching writing with strict standards. Allow for freedom while also implementing purpose behind the writing will allow for more motivated writers, and potentially better writing in general.
DeleteI learned that, as a teacher, I need to make sure I am utilizing tools and strategies both inside and outside of the classroom. I need to help students find a connection to writing whether that is through a true love of writing, a need to write, or a want to write. Hopefully, my students will be able to understand at least two of the three connections I previously suggested. Gallagher suggests five strategies both inside and outside of the classroom. The one strategy that was shared by both the inside and the outside really struck me as a way to motivate some of my students to want to write. Inside the classroom Gallagher suggests the use of RAG competitions, and outside the classroom Gallagher suggests promoting writing competitions among students. Both the inside the classroom learning (practical, logical foundation) and the outside of the classroom (real-world application) can help students that are motivated solely on competition become interested in writing. Competition can help some students to want to write.
ReplyDeletei also loved having my students write for competitions. I remember entering a piece for some book that our school was publishing. I was in elementary school, but i remember when the book came out they gave me a copy and i felt super special and accomplished. If there are in class competitions i would just have to make sure that i change up the reasons for winning occasionally so that all students have a fair chance to win.
DeleteThis is one of the biggest things that I took away from this chapter was the importance of using tools and strategies both inside and outside of the classroom. I'm so glad to see your reflection on it! I remember when my pieces were entered in competitions for publishing and regardless of how large or small the competition was it meant the world to me. I think that it's those english course that actually did that, that I remember the most! I will definitely remember to do that with my students, I also think it drives them to prefect their writing which can make a kid who doesn't want to write feel more empowered.
DeleteI definitely agree writing competitions are a great way to get students more invested in writing. Everybody likes to win! Maybe you could do some classroom competitions that would motivate them. But I agree with Lindsey that you should make sure they all have a chance to win and maybe give them prizes for doing their best. I also agree with you that helping them connect information to the outside world is really important.
DeleteAs an athlete (a mediocre one, yet an athlete still) I live for competition, but for once I am going to disagree with this. I feel like writing is so subjective that sometimes you can't pick a clear cut winner...and this is so unlike me, but I think I dislike writing as a competition.
DeleteI agree that I too need to find a way to motivate my students to write. Others will be very willing to write and enjoy it, while some will be reluctant to give any sort of effort.
DeleteAlex, YES! I too am a tremendous competitor and always think that competition is healthy. In writing, there is not a place for competition. Writers take time to produce master pieces, some take minutes rather than weeks, and i dont think creativity can be rushed.
DeleteThe purpose of writing or the purpose of school in general is often questioned by students. I like that this chapter shows a monthly schedule for working in the 8 purposes of writing. Each reason to write is covered and you can go into detail on each one. each month you can have your students write for a different purpose and work on that one piece for several weeks.
ReplyDeleteFor audience, i love the idea of creating a reason for the student to share their writing with one another. I agree that it would make it difficult to want to write if there were no reason other than to get a grade. It could be fun to have little coffee shops every other friday or soemthing where students perform or read their work for the class.
I agree with you that the chapter outlines the purposes of writing very well. I think that having students explore the purposes of writing would be quite helpful to increase their enthusiasm about writing. It could break through the barrier of students thinking that writing is "too hard."
DeleteI really liked this too Lindsey! I think that it was encouraging and helped answer those kids who think that writing isn't useful! I like your idea of having little coffee shops, or poetry slams, or read arounds for kids to perform their work! I think that those activities would not only give students a self esteem boost but it might also encourage confidence with not only writing skills but oral skills.
DeleteI think knowing the reason for writing is really valuable. If students don't have a reason to do something, then they won't want to do it. I think your idea for creative and fun ways to share writing would make it less daunting for students who don't like to share and it would be something for the class to look forward to that wasn't just typical class.
DeleteI really love the idea of coffee shops for the students. In my education career, there were not many opportunities to share our writings with one another as a class. One instance I can think of is in eighth grade, our class was assigned to write a short story and then we each had to sit in a rocking chair in the classroom and share our story. It was so much fun to listen to all of the creative ideas of my classmates as well as command the attention of the room when it was my turn to share. Not only is it fun to share writing, but it can improve public speaking skills as well.
DeleteOrganization is key to me in the classroom no matter what. When i saw that there was a monthly schedule of what would be taught on the purposes of writing i smiled. That is something i am going to immediately take into my classroom. Direction/instruction and regimen are essential to students.
DeleteOne thing I learned about in this chapter is the exploration of determining a purpose and how it can affect how someone writes on a topic. These ways of thinking include describing, comparing, associating, applying, and arguing against it. One thing I will use to make me a better teacher is the different ideas for students to share their work. In my entire education process, I never had a teacher provide these kinds of opportunities for students to share their writing in a safe environment. Ideas such as the author's chair or golden lines sound not only fun but effective and it would help boost the confidence of my students as writers.
ReplyDeleteI definitely found the purpose of writing and determining a purpose can affect an individual's writing so much. I was surprised that there can be so much involvement to a topic. I usually do not think about the purpose of writing much other than needing to complete writing for an assignment. I think that you bring up such a great point that the students need a safe environment to share work and the teacher needs to help make writing fun. I think it is a hard balance to build and keep immediately in a classroom, but definitely needed for every student.
DeleteIt's so interesting how we take things that our previous teachers did or didn't do. We will constantly compare our experiences with those that we give to our students. I definitely think this is a positive thing. As long as remember what it was like to be a student, we will be able to relate to our students and provide them with the most quality education possible.
DeleteI for one had trouble with writing, especially in high school if I did not understand the purpose behind it. I think that is a main reason why students become reluctant to write. I agree that knowing the process and reasoning behind what they are doing will result in positive writing.
DeleteI agree with you Emma when you say that different opportunities to share student work is essential. There are always going to be students with different styles of writing in your room and what better way to accommodate them then having them create a nifty way for them to present their creation.
Delete.I love the idea of cubing, which is dicussed on pages 127 and 128. I believe that it will allow me to form strong opinions and ideas about topics that I do no particuarly care about (e.g. who is the greatest Japanese politician of all time). The steps include: describing, comparing, associating, analyzing, applying, and arguing for/against. If I can't find an opinion with those steps, then I need to find a new topic. As far as something that will help me become a better teacher goes, I really enjoyed the chart on pages 123-124. Allowing students to have this, or something similar, as a resource would be incredibly benificial to students' understanding of the purposes of writing, and they may even realize how powerful writing can be.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading about that strategy. It sounds very helpful for students to be very concise and thoughtful with their topics for writing. Do you think that it could be too much though? Would it be more beneficial to focus on the power and brainstorming ideas or would it be better to focus on analyzing ideas for writing like the book suggests?
DeleteIdeas may be hard for some kids, but with a great prompt, or even memoir (everyone can write about their life), and that's why I think this would be more beneficial for the students than just ideas; however, I see your point!
DeleteI love how you used such specific examples! I feel like we often use the same tips in our writing as we will in our teaching. This is a great thing, in my opinion. I like your last line a lot, about students realizing how powerful their writing can be. This is something that I really, really, really want to do as a teacher... to take students who hate writing for whatever reason, and give the a purpose for loving it.
DeleteI agree with what you said about cubing. I also really enjoyed the idea of the cubing exercise. It would allow me to look at my topic through so many different perspectives.
DeleteI learned from this chapter how important audience is when you are writing. Not only is purpose is important when writing, but you have to know who you are writing to in order to write an effective paper. You would change how you wrote and what you wrote about based on who you are writing to. I also learned that students respond well when they know they will have an audience. I really liked the idea of finding ways that students can showcase their writing, such as a targeted bulletin board, bloodlines, and the author's chair. I think that those are strategies that I will want to implement in my classroom someday.
ReplyDeleteI learned this as well! It made me even more aware of my voice when writing and when teaching my students to write because of the importance of the audience. I know in the context of the memoir, mine would probably change completely if the audience was a member of my family. I would be more modest because of the vulnerability of the situation.
DeleteI liked this part of the chapter too. I would write differently depending on who I thought would be reading it. I think, if they know they will be sharing, they will be more motivated to try harder on their writing.
DeleteAudience is so important. Take my Facebook posts for example. I write so much differently now than I used to, not just because of increased maturity (Dr. Bum will comment on my lack of maturity, just wait) but also because I am now friends with many family members.
DeleteI agree that keeping the audience in mind is important when writing and I know it is not something I necessarily consider when I write something. I do not believe any of my English teachers ever brought up writing towards a specific audience except for the purpose of a persuasive/argumentative essay. I wish someone had taught me about it sooner though, I would have found it interesting.
DeleteI agree. I think, in a lot of papers I write, I spend way too much time giving background, when it is my professor who will be reading the paper. The professor obviously already knows the texts about which I am writing (in formal papers), so the background knowledge is often excessive or superfluous. I don't want my students to be adding in unnecessary detail, rather than focusing on their own ideas and opinions and conclusions.
DeleteOne of the things that I learned was strategies to create "friday night lights" outside the classroom. I thought this section was so important because it was giving students a rewarding feeling for all of your hard work in a students writing. I loved the idea of real world application and having students writing about topics and debates that interest them it that might cause public change. My favorite section, however, was public displays. I thought what Gallagher says about campus displays was so inspiring and something that I will do to showcase the work of my students. I want them to realize that their writings deserve public recognition. Along with displays, I can't wait to host public readings and encourage my students to enter in writing contest. I remember when my 7th grade language arts teacher entered my writing in a contest and I got a plaque with my name engraved on it. I was so inspired to keep going! I hope I can inspire my students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that it's important for students to have their work out there and believe that it's important. Prizes or awards are a great way to do that. Would you require them to showcase or share their work or just to do it if they felt comfortable with it, since some students might write about something they wouldn't want to share with the class?
DeleteWithout a showcase, what is the point of writing...I get the therapeutic aspect of some writing..but it is just so fun to write for an audience, to have your feelings be felt by someone else.
DeleteI like when my writing gets recognized by the public as well. It really is a confidence booster and just knowing someone besides the teacher will be reading a student's writing might be the push they need to write to their fullest potential.
DeleteI think this is a great goal!! Presenting their writing can be so terrifying for students (I know it was for me in middle school), until they receive proper recognition and encouragement about their work. Love, love, love the idea of having a showcase be the final goal for student writing... gives them a sense of purpose and ownership!
DeleteSomething that would improve my writing from this chapter was motivation. Sometimes, if the writing assignment is not creative, I can get lazy about it. I can write an A paper in about an hour, but it's not my best work. Why am I writing if all I am trying to earn is a grade? This same idea is what I think will help me to grow as a teacher, as well. I want my students to be motivated about their writing, and will offer CHOICE because of this. I want their input, so that they don't throw together something in an hour and make it look like something that deserves a good grade.
ReplyDeleteThe very last little section of this chapter stuck out to me. Gallagher asks the question "How do we teach our students to recognize audience and purpose?" Then he answers his question by saying we need to give our student real-world examples of text. This makes sense to me. I think reading and analyzing classic literature is really important, but at the same time I find it more important to read relevant texts. By reading relevant, real-world texts students are able to understand how to write to certain audiences. They learn by example. Not only does this improve their writing skills, but it will also improve their critical thinking (while reading). Just by reading this chapter alone I was able to realize how importance purpose/audience is. The examples about Dick Cheney in the beginning of the chapter are a perfect example of audience. I know that by reading this chapter I will be more aware of what I am reading and who it is aimed at.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I read in this chapter that will help me as a writer was the section about exploring thinking before determining purpose. This discussed "cubing" a topic, meaning break it into six different angles by describing it, comparing it, associating it, analyzing it, applying it, and arguing for or against it. Doing something like this before writing would allow me to think deeper about the topic before diving straight into it. Something that would help me as a teacher is the section about strategies to create "Friday Night Lights" outside of the classroom. I think this would be really cool because the students can relate their writing to life outside of the classroom with the idea of a required writing standard to the real world. Also the idea of letting them know that others will read their work will make them work harder and potentially produce better writing.
ReplyDeletePurpose of writing... When teaching writing I believe it is very important for teachers to convey those purposes and importance of writing to students. Once students know and/or discover purposes of writing, it will make them more interested and more motivated to write; hence it will eliminate understanding of writing as hard and strenuous activity, and thus facilitate the teachers to fulfill their daily activities which are involving writing.
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