One of the requirements of the course--and of the Secondary English Education program--is for you to complete a research paper on an inquiry question related to the teaching of writing in secondary schools.
Now, when we think about teaching writing, we need to be sure to think broadly enough, of all the various nooks and crannies that are involved in teaching writing, learning to write, practicing sound pedagogies, and doing it with a purpose and a vision. Also, we need to think about the field of Composition, a scholarly field within English Studies where folks have been studying the teaching of writing for centuries. Also, we need to think about teachers as human beings and writers, with foibles and insecurities and societal imperatives to fulfill a mission. Finally, we need to refer to our course texts to be reminded that there are established ways (already!) of teaching some aspects of writing to kids.
So, what is interesting to you? I've identified some sub-areas within the teaching of writing below with some "starter ideas" for topics and issues. Please build on what I've started here!
A. Pedagogical approaches to teaching writing: methods and theories of teaching writing based on what we know about how people learn to write and learn to become writers.
B. Controversial issues within the teaching of writing: Plagiarism in an era of Creative Commons; the role of personal writing in preparing students for college and careers; the relevance of Writing Workshop; the literary analysis paper--what does it teach students about writing?; What is the problem with computer-scored writing tests?
C. Student perspectives on writing and the teaching of writing: What do the students think? (No one ever asks them!)
D. Composing in a digital age: How are rhetorical situations changing? How do those changes impact the teaching of genre, format, and purpose in an English/writing class?
E. Learning from writers: What can teachers of writing learn from writers? How do we build a community of writers within the walls of a classroom in a compulsory education system?
F. History: What is the history of teaching writing? Of teaching rhetoric? How far back does it date? What is the relationship between writing, rhetoric and composition? How can this history inform our teaching of writing today?
Some ideas to get you started! For this week's post, please share with us 5 (yes, five!) potential directions you might take for your I-Search project this semester. Be sure to give us some sense of:
1. what the exploration would be about
2. where you think you'd need to explore to seek out data and perspectives
I look forward to seeing what kinds of ideas you come up with!
I keep getting my post rejected because it doesn't fall within the 4,096 character limit of a comment so I am going to post it as two comments! Sorry, I tried to cut it down but it still wasn't good enough so here's there whole she-bang! I may have done this assignment wrong in that case...
ReplyDeleteThe main reason I want to be a teacher is to help teach students to navigate their moral compass and do good towards others. The main reason I want to be an English teacher is keep the arts alive in the schools through the written word, fine arts and performing arts. I love literature now as an adult and although I didn’t like reading when I was in school, I truly believe it is because I never had a teacher who showed me ways to get excited about the literature we were studying. I believe that through using community building both nationally and internationally, students could get jazzed about talking about assignments with others. I also believe that having the students do their writing through artistic ventures would be a way to help them become more engaged with the material. My I-Search topics are drawn from these ideals.
1. Idea for Fine Arts in the Classroom: How does bringing fine arts into the classroom (painting, sculpting, collaging, ink media, digital media, etc.) enhance the student’s engagement with the literature that is taught?
1. I-Search for Fine Arts in the Classroom: What are ways we can bring the fine arts into the English classroom? What are ways to incorporate writing into these fine arts assignments? Find case studies of teachers who used different forms of the fine art medium in the classroom and what the results were. What was the student’s reception to the literature taught through these fine arts? Did it enhance their learning process or distract them? Did they enjoy it more than other ways literature has been taught to them?
2. Idea for the Performing Arts in the Classroom: How can students benefit from the use of the performing arts (speaking through words and/or movement: dance, theatre, dramatic readings, reciting poetry, etc.) with the literature they are learning?
2. I-Search for the Performing Arts in the Classroom: Shakespeare is a great example for showing how seeing is understanding better than just reading. Even reading the dialogue out loud is more helpful than just reading the text silently. Through movement though, a richer understanding is gained by the audience because more of the senses are being used; sight, sound, smell, touch, maybe even taste. How can students understand the literature they are studying better this way? What’s more, how does this medium help the shyer and silent student find their own voice through their writing that they can perform?
3. Idea for International Discussions: Often we make assumptions or judgements about people we aren’t familiar with (like our own race) because we don’t know anything about them or understand them. If we would connect students with other students from other countries who study the English language, as well as literature, would they become more accepting of people who are different than them? Could those students give them different perspectives on their language and literature? The student may even be excited to discuss what they think about the material to their new friends!
Delete3. I-Search for International Discussions: There are already classrooms that use this technique, which I am personally so grateful for. How does this teaching technique enhance the lessons? Does it give the students a new appreciate for the written word? Does it give the student a different perception of the material? Does it get the student pumped about talking about the material? What are the pros and cons of such a clash of customs? Or how similar are the ways each classroom is taught? Perhaps we aren’t so different? Perhaps we can learn from one another to create the best classroom?
4. Idea for Backyard Connection Book Buddies: We have a bad habit of investing too much of our beliefs in others opinions but what if we could use that to our advantage? Students would be matched up with a member of their community, most likely someone from a retirement home. Together these book buddies would choose the same book to read on their own. They would then meet each week to discuss the few chapters they read.
4. I-Search for Backyard Connection Book Buddies: Are there other schools that have used this method? How did it work and how didn’t it work? In the age differences between the elderly and the high school students, what different perspectives on the same materials come up and how do the students learn from these? Do the conversations these book buddies have produce recommendations of other literature? How are the students influenced by these meetings in how they approach the material?
5. Idea for Word Exploration: When we read we stumble upon words we don’t know the definition of and it trips up the flow of our reading. How can taking these unknown words become an asset to the student? How about taking those words and looking them up in order to understand them all year long. The student will keep the list all year long. As the year draws to a close they will create a story with those words, showing not only that they understand them but also that they appreciate them.
5. I-Search for Word Exploration: As these students look up these words, they make the effort to find out what they mean. That extra effort makes them more attached to the word. When they find that this one word can describe an entire feeling, thought or object, they could get excited because now they can write fewer words to describe the same thing. In this condensing process, they find their assignments aren’t as long. They find that their vocabulary pool has deepened and so reading becomes more fluid and therefore more enjoyable. Do students really gain from this exercise or are they turned off completely because of all the extra work the process takes?
Jocelyn,
DeleteWow was your post intimidating at first! You have so many great ideas and sound really pumped about this project. It'd be exciting to see what you have to say about any of them really.
I like your "Idea for Backyard Connection Book Buddies" idea. At first I felt like my high school senior project was getting revenge on me, but in all actuality, I think the idea is wonderful. Maybe it could even turn into a pen-pal system? I would be very interested to know if schools have implemented this idea and, if not, why not?
Thanks Danielle,
DeleteI actually just came on to delete this post, edit it and re-post because based on what everyone else has done and re-reading Dr. Cook's idea's, I find that I definitely did the assignment wrong. But now I've read your comment and I don't want to lose that.
I kept speaking of how my ideas connecting to literature, and that is great as an English teacher but this is a Writing class and the assignment was to come out with ways to engage the kids in writing.
So to amend to what I have mentioned before...I plan on focusing on how these techniques and topics enhance or deter a student from their writing. I am of course, hoping that they all gain from such approaches but doing the research will show both sides of the coin and that's a good thing. See bold above for writing aspects.
1. Fine Arts: How do these forms shape the student’s writing for the better or for the worse? They can either write and then create a fine art or do the opposite, creating a piece about how they engage with the material or their feelings and then write about what they created. Students of high school age love to talk about themselves, right? So here’s an opportunity to do so, showing who they are what they believe.
2. Performing Arts: How do the student’s words come alive within this process? Do their words have more fluidity? Do they feel they can communicate better? Is the material more exciting this way? How does acting out the words make for better understanding for the student and their classmates?
3. International Discussions: English is often considered a language that is backwards by people who speak other languages. In that same vein, people who speak English feel that other languages sentences aren’t formatted correctly. The students can see what is important within the structure of sentence. Where is the emphasis placed? What is trying to be said? Who is this about? In gaining a new perspective from someone whose first language is structured differently, they can see how their writing fits or fights against other languages structure. What can they notice in their writing that is similar or different from their international friends writing?
4. Backyard Connection Book Buddies: What the student discusses with their community buddy will become the basis for the writing they will do on the book. The essay will be comparing what the student thought with what their buddy noticed and how they connect. Having twice as many ideas and connections may be what the student needs to feel more secure about what to write and what they want to say. Their vocabulary will also grow as the older buddy; will most likely use words they are unfamiliar with. Will they take advantage of these new words and use them in their writing, enhancing their essays? Do they find the writing process as a whole much easier to do because of this springboard they have been given ahead of the writing process?
5. Word Exploration: This is the one I actually did right! This one already addresses writing.
I think that the Book Buddies idea is awesome in theory, but I wonder about how it would function logistically. Would the students do this during class time? If not, would they have to log their hours in order to prove that they have met the requirement? What books would they read and would the students be expected to cover the same set of questions?
DeleteWhat you said about the vocabulary enhancement via the community members seems vague and I'm not really sure what makes learning vocabulary from a community member any better than learning it from a textbook?
As I said, I like the idea of 5, I just don't believe that it is practical.
1. First, I LOVE the idea of asking students what they think about learning to write. I happen to have a sister in high school, and I love hearing from her what she’s learning and how she’s learning it. I would like to explore where the teaching of writing starts. How does it start? What are kids’ earliest memories of learning to write? Were the methods used when they were learning effective? Did they help them become better writers later? Do they even remember how they learned? I want to go way back and figure out how it led students to where they are now—successful writers or otherwise. I would then ask how this relates to me teaching writing now. Are high school teachers really taking students’ needs into account when teaching writing? What can I do in my classroom to make sure this is happening. I suppose a lot of research into the theories of teaching writing would be required as well as extensive interviews with high school kids, but what better way to make sure I’m holding myself accountable?
ReplyDelete2. In a somewhat related vein, I would also consider investigating further specific pedagogical theories on teaching writing. Where does what I’m learning in SED 445 fall in the massive sea of theories on teaching writing? Who are some of the big names in teaching writing, and what are they saying? Are there any schools or teachers near us pushing for a change in pedagogy in their areas? This project would probably involve interviewing specific teachers and learning what they are doing in their classrooms.
3. I love the idea of using graphic novels in the classroom. I love everything we have done in class so far with Gods’ Man, for instance, and I greatly enjoyed reading other graphic novels, such as Craig Thompson’s Blankets in English 212 a few semesters ago. I feel that most students don’t get the chance to work with graphic novels in school. My only experience with them has been in college, and I feel that is the case for most students. There is a shift, I think, in this practice. I see graphic novels used more and more in classrooms. I would like to find teachers who are using graphic novels so I can talk to them about their experiences. This project may also involve speaking to students about their experiences (or lack thereof) with graphic novels. I would also investigate different methods for teaching graphic novels.
4. Does publishing student writing improve students’ self-esteem around writing? Several classes I was in in middle school published poetry written by my classmates and myself, and I always loved it. I felt that it made me feel like a writer like nothing else did. I would like to investigate different ways of publishing students’ work—digital and otherwise—and I would like to look for examples of published student work. Perhaps I can even contact some teachers who have published student work to see how students have responded. Can this help to build a community of writers in the classroom?
5. I’m intrigued by the idea of looking at the history of teaching writing. Where and when did it start? How far back can I go? How far have we come? If I hadn’t gone into English, I may have chosen to study History. I’m extremely interested in certain aspects of the past and how it has shaped our present lives. This would be a really interesting way for History and English to converge for me. What’s wrong with a little cross-subject learning? Not a thing. I may even use the history of teaching writing as a building block or jumping off point to look at using multidisciplinary teaching—connecting a History class or a Math class to my English class for my students. Will this help them, or will it just saddle them with more work they don’t need? I will have to look into the history of teaching writing for this project, but I will also have to look into teachers who have used multidisciplinary strategies in their classrooms to see how it works.
Allie, These are all awesome. I really enjoy the idea of asking student opinion, it gives them power in the classroom if the teacher is interested in seeing how they feel about things.
DeleteI'm also really interested in the idea of publishing student writing. In middle school we had to do a report for English where we asked someone about something in the history of Pawtucket and we had to get a whole bunch of then and now pictures and it all came out really great and all of them are not in the Pawtucket Public Library. I felt reall great about my writing ability after this,
I too am also interested in the ways that graphic novels could possibly be used in the classroom. I do not have much knowledge of them, but feel like they could be very useful in a classroom.
I think the reason that students and teachers like graphic novels is that they are a non-threatening form of text. This is not a Moby Dick-sized undertaking, it is something small and relateable that incorporates multiple intellegences.
DeleteAllie,
ReplyDeleteReally great ideas! Finding out how kids feel about writing. Who are the prominent names in teaching writing and what are they saying? Does publishing boost students’ self-esteem? How interesting these questions are! I can’t wait to see what you find because now I am just as curious! Isn’t history great?! I wish I could get over the whole notion of how history is written by the winners but anyway…crossing subjects is natural and essential for a well-rounded life! Go you!! –Jocelyn B.
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ReplyDeleteMark,
DeleteI like your idea about Graphic Novels and I think it would make for a wonderful I-Search. Right before I graduated from high school, some of the English teachers were allowing Manga and Graphic Novels to count towards student teaching. Just thought that may spark some further interest in that particular topic.
I think it is also important to see what students want to be taught. As Cook says, no one asks them. Their answers may surprise us all, because most students, despite how they act, do actually like learning. maybe another subtopic within that could involve why students feel that learning is a "chore" or "boring" and how we, as teachers, can fix that?
"Should new technology be utilized to create digital assignments? Like recreating a literary character on Facebook, becoming a Twitter poet, etc?" I think I saw a lesson plan somewhere that did that. Maybe you could look on the web and see if you can find one?!
Good luck!
Mark,
DeleteI really like your literary analysis idea because I think it does show students how to deal with the real world-what to notice, what to connect! It justifies to the student why it's so important to do!
I absolutely love the idea of assigning different topics and styles of writing to your class. It will be interesting to see if you allow the student to choose which one they'd like to do! Options, within a confined structure (oxy-moron? nah!) are so important! It will allow the students to then share their writing as well without it becoming a monotone of twenty-five of the same theme!
Your digital media idea is so interesting. At the writer’s conference last year, I took a seminar with a teacher who uses Facebook as a lesson plan to teach Thoreau and Emerson. She had the students create pages for the authors, putting up some of their quotes or thoughts they felt they would have and discussion between the two. She even brought in Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. It showed how well the student knew the authors and their material. They students seem to really enjoy the assignment too. Both the student and the teacher had fun! If you decided to go with this search, I'll have to get you in touch with her!
Mark, you have become my hero with your fifth idea. This would be the perfect kind of assignment to give in the beginning of the school year! Getting the students opinions would give you such an informative base for how to teach the classroom. It would also show them that their opinions matter. The caveat is that you would actually have to use some ideas so that they didn't feel like it was a waste of their time and that you don't care. This is something we have already discussed in class.
Mark, I'm really interested on how you would explore graphic novels. I am a person that has never really cared for them but I do believe they have so much value and allow more room for exploration because of just guessing what some authors want you to see, they already include it, bringing a new element to the aspect of analyzing text.
DeleteI also really like your idea of putting the power in the hands of the students. One of my ideas had touched along with that. It seems like it could make students own their learning and find things that they are interested in. Renewing the idea that school should be interesting and fun.
I enjoy the idea of different assignments among students, causing them to make their own decisions. The only hard part would be figuring out how to evenly grade them even though they are all different things.
A. How can I incorporate song writing, spoken word, or poetry into my classroom while still meeting the curriculum? How will these meet the needs of my students: personally and academically?
ReplyDelete• To find information about this topic, I would look up some spoken word on YouTube and see what students have already made. Many classes allow students to put their work on YouTube, and some students do that on their own. Seeing student generated work is only a starting point, however; I would need to ask and find teachers who have already learned to implement this in their classrooms and how it has affected their students. Do students find this more enjoyable? It is easier? Too easy?
B. Are cellphones a distraction or an asset? How can this tiny technology be accepted in a classroom?
• I personally am slightly “old fashioned” when it comes down to cell phone use. Texting is not my thing, I find talking on cell phones in company rude, and I normally do not find them beneficial in a classroom. I saw an image on Tumblr that had me thinking a bit (I cannot find it again sadly); students know how to use this technology better than any of us. Many teachers have already begun implementing technology in their classrooms as well. Is it helpful? A hindrance? I would ask teachers who work with and without technology about their experiences with technology. Even asking fellow teacher candidates about it could be helpful, as they are just beginning and learning as they go; has technology made their teaching better, or worse? Or does it not matter?
C. How can I bring multicultural influences into a classroom? What would students be interested in? How can I tie multicultural texts into any genre of literature?
• Many of our students are from various parts of the country and, sometimes, other parts of the world. As teachers, we are entitled to introduce multicultural material in our classrooms to bring awareness and respect for multiple cultures. I would start my search by looking up some essays and such about multicultural teaching and classrooms and how they have affected student learning.
D. How can I make group assignments more meaningful? How do I avoid one student doing “all the work”? How do I get a whole group actively involved and interested in a topic?
• Finding a relevant writing and group work topics that students actually want to do is easier said than done. We have all been there: the moaning and groaning when the teacher begins pairing students up. Just what are some good activities that teachers can implement to avoid this disappointment while at the same time retaining its relevancy to the classroom and the topic at hand. I could interview teachers who have believe they have effectively used this to its fullest potential. I could even research some group work assignments that could be used in a classroom as well as any “ice breakers” that would get a group collaborating beforehand.
E. Can students use each other as sources? Could this help students learn to properly cite their work?
• I think that something like this would be a great way for students to not only learn how to properly cite their work, but to also learn from each other. It would give students an opportunity to see how much their writing could be worth, even to someone else. This could build confidence, and allow them opportunities to see the ideas and thoughts that their classmates have that they normally do not share in class. I would have to see if other teachers have done this and, if not, what they think about it.
Danielle,
DeleteSong writing, spoken word, poetry….you are speaking my language. Words of these avenues always get to the core of the individual writing them, right like a diving rod! In performing them in class, the student also practices public speaking, which is so important. The more they do it, the less they we become weary of it.
I am intrigued about what you would find on the cell phone in class issue. I see how having it would allow someone to find a video or a definition or anything related to the material taught in class but how often would that need to be available? How often would such a need come up? I think by banning them in the classroom, we are showing them that it doesn’t need to become a limb. That the world isn’t going to fall apart in the 50-70 minutes you don’t have it on your person. Then again, we all have resentments to being told what we can and cannot due….then again there has to be rules, right?!
Multicultural texts in the classroom are essential to a student’s world view and acceptance of other different than them. I love this idea so much-truly!
You’ve got your work cut out for you on the group’s question. I think that’s something we all would like to know!!
Danielle, you are another hero for me: “It would give students an opportunity to see how much their writing could be worth, even to someone else.” YES!!
Danielle, I love your idea of using spoken word. I would really like to see this used in a classroom as it is definitely something that I have always found to be really cool and creative. It flows and makes things just feel simpler. After a few times doing it, I think students would really warm up to it.
DeleteThe cellphone use is very interesting to me and something I am constantly thinking about. We have these super powerful devices in our pockets that connect us to a whole wealth of information. They could be very useful in a classroom, I feel if they are used the right way, but that brings up the question of, what is the right way?
And finding the meaningfulness of group work is an excellent idea to pursue. I know often times in school for me, group work has seemed like busy work. I think this is often done this way so one student doesn't have to take all the responsibilities, but I think there may be ways to evenly split up work to come to a larger conclusion on something.
1) How would students feel about working with teachers to decide on the topic and execution of projects, along with the evaluation?
ReplyDeleteI think students may really enjoy collaborating with teachers to create essay prompts or project assignments and the evaluation that goes along with it, probably a rubric. This puts some things into student power and they can really own their learning and create things that they are interested in. A good way to seek out data would be to interview students and teachers and see how this has probably been done before and how well it worked or did not work.
2)What is the proper way to run a writing workshop and how do you make it different every time to make it not be monotonous?
The term writing workshop is something that gets tossed around a lot and I know there are effective and ineffective ways of doing it. The idea of students sharing work and techniques with each other could be very useful, but how could a teacher keep this activity interesting and worthwhile if they are using it often? I feel like students would have a lot of input on this, as they are the ones that have to do it, along with some of the teachers that have used the technique in their classes.
3) How could an old fashioned thing like letter writing be used in a classroom?
Letters were the original way of communication over long distances, they were personal but seemed to always be kept formal. I am curious if using letters in a classroom is a way to help teach formal writing that could be applied to a paper. As mentioned in class personal writing seems to be the favorite among student, and letters could help students practice formality. I imagine there are probably many teachers that have used letter writing in class.
4) What is the proper way to introduce mentor texts in the classroom?
There is a lot of talk about mentor texts to help student writing, but I am curious if there is a proper way to introduce them to the class without discouraging them. I know that reading some of my favorite writers, I often feel like I will never be as good as them. How can you display great work but still make students feel that they could potentially produce greatness. This answer might be eventually found in the Gallagher book.
5) How to you get away from teaching the 5 paragraph essay?
The 5 paragraph essay is terrible, but seemingly a little necessary in order to get students in the process of using and introduction, conclusion, and body. I'm curious about when the proper time to move away from this is. I don't think teachers even like reading a 5 paragraph essay. There is probably a lot of literature on avoiding the teaching of the 5 paragraph essay.
Nate,
DeleteI love the idea of having the students work with the teacher on deciding a topic. Play to their interests so that they will be more engaged!
I’m glad you pointed out how the phrase “writing workshop” has the stigma around it that screams “work” and “boring” because really, they aren’t supposed to feel like either. Delving into this topic would offer so many helpful approaches to removing that stigma!
Aaaaahh, good old letter writing! Remember what it used to feel like to receive a letter in the mail? It’s nothing like receiving e-mails. Maybe that’s because we get so many. I think it’s more so that the e-mails are less meaningful. That’s why writing letters is so important. They tell a story of the person writing it instead of “I did this and then that; I have to do this and that.” There’s something about actually writing to someone on paper that allows you to feel like you have to paint a picture for them. One idea you could explore is post crossing. It would be a shorter form of writing but it’s a free website where you create a profile and ask for an address. That persons address and interests come up and you send them a postcard telling them about who you are and where you live. Once that person receives your postcard, they register it and your name is given to a different person who then sends you one in return. Again, it’s a much shorter piece of writing, but it forces them to share of themselves and to send the other postcrosser a postcard of their interests.
A great point on mentor texts. How to move away from feeling like they are much better than me and then feeling overwhelmed. A great question!
1. How could non-standard works of literature be addressed and created in an English/Writing Classroom? The definition of literature extends to comics, songs, television shows, movies, pictures, and even more besides. How could this aspect of “literature” be addressed, and used as a way to expand students’ understanding of what literature “is” and “can be.” For this topic, the theoretical base would have to be a bit stronger than the practical base, with interviews being important, but only after I have formed a “definition” of what literature is. Once I have that defined for myself, I can begin researching and interviewing. And then, I could look at how to engage students in experimenting with and creating these forms of literature. I would need to focus on one or two of these aspects when I move forward.
ReplyDelete2. How can we make journal writing more Engaging? “Journaling” is something that many people, myself included, did at least a bit back in school. The problem is, at least for me, there never seemed to be much thought placed into what we were journaling about. We had “free writes” or “react to this statements,” and they were even enjoyable. But I couldn’t help thinking, even then, that there was some missing potential. And so, by looking at experts such as the ones used for this class, as well as others (Barry Lane, etc.), I hope to find ways of making fun, interesting, “original” journaling activities, and maybe some guidelines for crafting my own. And most importantly, not lose the benefits of journaling by doing so. What are their benefits, how can we maximize them?
3. Are Grammar Lessons still a valid and useful use of time in the modern English classroom? This is also something that I have gotten mixed answers from among my peers and the texts I have studied in this program. Some believe grammar instruction should be left at an absolute minimum, and never given as a “full lesson,” and yet the need to give students a working knowledge of mechanics and other “necessities” is crucial, and time cannot be wasted imparting it and evaluating it. What is the more efficient method, what is the more effective method, and are those the same? I want to look at books and articles about this, and evaluate the trends in grammar education (are we still in the time of Eats, Shoots and Leaves, or have we moved on)? I can hopefully network with some writing teachers/professors for more information.
4. Does modeling “perfect” work negatively affect student performance, and if so, why and how? Having almost always been shown a “finished” product as an example in school, I never knew there was supposedly a problem with this. I just tried to make my work measure up to the example. But, I have been told that this is ineffective, and can negatively impact students. Is this a fact, and if so, why is it that way and how does in negatively impact them? I think for this one I would start with the textbooks, and network out like a web. I would probably want a solid foundation of knowledge on this topic before I asked anyone their opinions. I want to understand the mechanics, and that means I need educational theory and pedagogy.
5. What are the main differences between Class Blogs, and traditional Classroom Communities? What superior areas do each hold? Are Class Blogs the new “crucial” teaching tool? I never used blogs for schooling, but then in the last few years, blogs keep coming up in my classes. Why are they everywhere, and why have they been so enthusiastically grabbed up by instructors? And should they be? Is there a trade-off there, does it limit or expand opportunities and interactions? By looking at people with experience with using them, and looking at the different types of “blogs” available, I want to compile a critical profile of a “Class Blog,” and weigh it against traditional, in-class interaction.
Matthew,
DeleteWe live on non-standard forms of literature-it’s what we use to feel inspired, as therapy or just to unwind and relax. So bringing these into the classroom seem so appropriate. The students would be so excited to explore these avenues.
Before this class I had never even thought of doing journaling in class and now I can’t imagine not using it. You brought up some great questions on direction of the writing. I think as long as the student is writing, the discoveries will come to them.
Grammar is a lost art. It makes up the fundamentals of writing. It could be what scares so many away from writing. This is why it is so important.
Your blog question is also interesting. I find myself working on this class longer and longer each week because once I read everyone’s posts; I am so excited that I have to write back. On these blogs so many great ideas are shared that spark my own interests. I can’t help but say in my head “yes, yes, it’s like that!” as I read our classes posts. I believe students would feel the same way. Is there any better feeling than that of feeling understood? On the blogs, I feel the student get just that!
Matthew, I really like your idea on non-standard literature and how it can be used. This could be a perfect way to get students more into reading standard literature. I know personally when I hear a line in music referencing authors I look into those authors. Like The Good Life lyric "I was reading Fante at the time, I had Bukowski on the mind" or when I have hear Common reference many authors. This may be an excellent tool.
DeleteI also am interested in exploring the idea of making journals interesting and getting rid of the monotony of it. I feel like the first step may be something that we have done, which is making our own journals. Students may really get into this and get excited whenever it is time to use the journals.
I am also right there with you on the idea of modelling. The use of great models may give students the state of mind that they will never be that good. I know I read things myself and say I will never be that good, even though I know it is not necessarily true.
I wish I could tell you I always wanted to be a teacher, but I’ve only really thought about actively teaching over the past year or two. Most of my thoughts come from how I learn myself. I would consider myself a decent model since I never liked reading or writing (or realized how much I liked it) in high school. Above all, I have concerns with the restraints of teaching in public schools. When I speak with experienced teachers, I often hear about creative, engaging lesson plans being rejected in favor of more structured curriculum fit to prepare students for testing. I have to imagine it is those who choose to defy these attitudes and think beyond testing that really make a positive impact on students. Hopefully, the trend of outward thinking will be in play by the time I secure a teaching position (if it’s not time to retire by then.) That being said, some of these suggestions may be outside the box, but there’s ten of them so…
ReplyDelete1. Read stuff through twice- Reading a book for the first time is a completely different experience than every time thereafter. The first time you can clearly understand the characters and plot, but subtle nuances, symbolism and criticism are difficult to draw. A second or third reading allows the student to examine other possible meanings, and encourage them to draw their own. Rather than rush through a vast number of books leaving the works to be appreciated at face value, covering less material through more completely and thoroughly gives the student more of an opportunity to see the creative and fulfilling aspects of literature. My idea would involve having the students read a certain work and analyze given things like plot, character and setting as any other evaluation. Students would then move on to the next book and so on through the first half of the year. The second half of the year, they would cover the same books as the first half only they will analyze it more in depth, teaching the students literary elements such as symbolism and interpretation. Such elements are what make literature a creative art and are often lost in a classroom setting, and I believe this method can help encourage students interest in literature.
2. Use Poetry for transition- This goes with the first one however… poetry is a perfect example of how repetition increases understanding. Every time one reads a poem, they understand more about it. It is impossible to fully understand the first line if you haven’t read the last line. A poem can be read through a number of times in a brief moment and is a perfect application of this idea. Students can be asked to read a poem once and interpret what they think it means and then asked to read it again and see if they caught anything they didn’t in the first reading. Then they can be asked to read it a third time keeping in mind the symbolism of a certain object, or analyze if it touches on a theme personally relatable to the student or someone they know. This can be applied at the beginning of the second half of the year as a transition and to inform the students the benefit of a fuller understanding of literature.
3. Meet students face-to-face and develop lessons unique to the student- Everyone learns differently and all students should not be held to the same procedures. While complete individual instruction is impossible for an entire classroom, it is possible to assign 10-15% of class time (and grading points) to a completely unique project developed by the teacher and the student. Teachers could meet with students during class and create a task based on the students’ interests that would encourage and enrich their experience with literature and the arts. The possibilities are endless however some examples include drawing a comic book, writing a song, or a story, or producing a short film, developing an ad campaign, writing jokes, or coming up with a script for a tv show; things that the students may really want to do but lack the courage or motivation to see them through. Face time with students can also benefit relationships and familiarize the teacher with the students’ home life, encouraging parents to get involved, developing projects that fit the family income as well. The project would benefit the developmental aspect of education, showing students that they can enrich themselves outside of school, or get school credit for doing something they enjoy.
ReplyDelete4. Note common interests- it never hurts to get the respect of your students by showing them that you are on the same level. If you can find a common interest such as music, TV, books, movies or sports, bring it up to the individual students whenever possible.
5. Familiarize yourself with your student’s interests- Don’t be afraid to do a little research on something a particular student finds interesting. Familiarity where they least expect it is much more enduring.
6. Walk the line between coolness and respect- Easy for me to say, I know, but it’s just as important that your students respect you as it is that they like you. As soon as they get the idea you’re a pushover they’ll walk all over you. The goal seems to be to keep their interest and their respect at the same time.
7. Don’t completely throw out sentence structure- While the 5 paragraph essay complete with thesis statement, body and conclusion that “tells ‘em what they’re gonna tell ‘em, tells ‘em, and then tells ‘em what they told ‘em” is forever associated with the dregs of academic writing, it is the basis of writing and should be taught (after all, it’s really not that tough.) It should be taught as an option and appropriate for certain mundane analysis but necessary nonetheless.
8. If possible, time certain books to coincide with history or science lessons- If the school is set up in a team atmosphere (a certain group of students have the same teachers) try to cover certain things while the students are studying the same topic elsewhere (for instance, read Tom Sawyer while the students are covering American slavery in history.)
9. Teach them that they’re already writers- With digital writing, almost anyone with access to a computer is a writer in one form or another. Most kids have Twitter or Facebook and don’t realize that their take on their grilled cheese as being “yummy” actually did require a certain level of literary composition. We need to encourage students, and tell them that their stupid little Vine video is important to someone.
10. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW ANY STUDENT TO MISUSE THE TERM “LITERALLY” AND NOT PAY DEARLY FOR IT!! This is a pet peeve of mine, plaguing the youth of today. Misuse of this term is the literary equivalent of ripping a gaping hole in the space/time continuum.
Jared,
ReplyDeleteIt's not just students who misuse literally!! And I find that a lot of words are mis-used. My father hates when people use the phrase "I don't know" because on some level, you know. Reading your intro I couldn't help but feel like you were telling my same story. I'm much older than most of the students in all of my classes and came back to school only once the lighting of clarity hit and the little voice in my head screamed "teaching, duh!" Working in retail will do that to you. I had the worst English teacher in high school who didn’t teach us any literature, which was fine with me at the time because I didn’t care for books. As an adult, I can’t enough of them, seriously, it’s a problem.
I too have come along the teacher ship within the last few years and even struggle with if I want to work in the education system after hearing first hard how regimented it is but like you said....it's we who can change and improve it and I truly believe we can. I think the tide is turning already. You can go online and find schools around the world, and even in our country that are teaching outside the box. There's a school in India that (I’m sorry, I can’t think of a better word to use but I don't think I'm misusing this...) literally breaks down their classroom rooms allowing nature to be their wallpaper. I love this! So if your passion for teaching is strong enough (which I think it is) then teaching is definitely for you and everything else will fall into place. I know it!
You have so many great ideas here. Subject spanning is one of the coolest of them. You mention throughout all of them relating to the students on their level in their interests and thought process-I can't imagine a better way to reach them. Showing the students that they are composing writing each day through Facebook and twitter, etc. proves to them how relevant writing is.
I agree with the five paragraph structure being important. I've got to be honest, we throw that idea around a lot but I personally never remember having to use that format. Perhaps this was implemented before 2000? Probably not, it could be that my memory is waning with age. Once students have the fundamentals down, the sky is the limit. Getting used to the structure is what helps to remove the anxiety of things that trip us up even today like grammar and spelling. I absolutely love your idea of reading through things twice. It’s so true how much you will get out of it. Take for example listening to a song and then listening to it again while reading the lyrics. It’s just that more enhanced and understandable! This is the idea where I think you will be met with the most student opposition but you know it’s good for them and they’ll see why once you do it the first time.
1. How can a teacher candidate foster her own writing ability in order to gain the confidence to teach others? While I have confidence in my own ability to write academically, I have always struggled as a creative writer. In all of the texts we've read thus far, writing professionals have insisted that the teacher is the best writer in the room. In order for this to be true, I know I will have to improve my skills and confidence in writing creatively.
ReplyDelete2. How can we use writing in the classroom to effect our students' lives outside of the classroom? The texts we've read have advocated for writing for practical use, usually citing future jobs our students may hold. I think it's just as important for students to see the power of their writing right now. I am interested in finding out how students can use writing formulated in the classroom to make the changes they often voice wanting to see in their schools and communities.
3. How can I utilize a variety of texts, such as graphic novels, in non-traditional ways? I don't think it's fair to treat a text like Gods' Man the same way you would treat Gatsby. While they are both means to a similar end -- storytelling -- the modes through which those stories are told are so vastly different. The only way to do each medium justice is to teach not only the content of the story, but the medium as well. I would like to know best practices for doing this.
4. How can we build students' confidence as writers early in the school year? In order for students to be receptive to the idea of writing in a variety of ways, they must first see themselves as competent writers. Unfortunately, this is not always the case at the secondary level. I would like to know ways to form a classroom community where the goal is to REFINE the skills students already have, instead of teaching a brand new concept.
5. How can we create rubrics in which creativity can reign supreme? What does "creativity" mean anyway? What are we really looking for when we ask student to be creative? How can we judge this fairly? What is another way to encourage creativity without that under-descriptive term?
Jessica,
DeleteI like your ideas, especially "2" and "4": it is indeed very common to hear the high school students moaning about the fact why they need to learn this or that, therefore, I agree - advocating and holding a writing workshop for them, and specifying the particular reasons for that -future career or community- oriented purposes - would, I am sure, raise the levels of their motivation.
It is so true when you say that students need "to refine" their writing skills and not to learn them over. Most of us, I think, do lack confidence and creativity, and providing that to the students would be a significant help.
Some ideas that I have been considering for the I-search are as follows. I am not perfectly attatched to them just yet, but it seems like everyone is giving a tremendous amount of feedback, so something might present itself that could be further elaborated:
ReplyDelete1. Posting examples of student work around the classroom. I don't believe that this is just for elementary-level children. Kids take great pride in the fact that the expert in the room has not only addressed the problems in their work and tried to make it better, but also considers the work worthy of posting so that others (both members and non-members of the class) will have to oppertunity to view and critique (constructively) the assignments. This sort of in-house publication gives the students a taste of the benefits of refinement and drafting while also providing purpose and audience for writing. A student (unless they happen to admire their teacher in a profound way) is unlikely to be motivated by having a single pair of eyes, a single opinion handling their best efforts and then never using it again. If a student says, "I really want to make the wall. What can I do to get there?" they are developing the critical skill of driving goals. This is something that I have been toying with in my mental classroom and it's a concept that I'd like to implement in a real one as well.
2.Socrates taught in open-air classrooms, and I think there are some very marked outcomes that promote calmness of mind, which is crucial to learning and thought. This is why it might be interesting to experiment with teaching outdoors. The presence of sunshine and flowers can create happier and healthier students.Even though most teachers employ this strategy as a last resort on scorching June days or as a venue to conduct science projects in, the simple un-boxing of learning could change the attitudes of the restless.
3.The Myth of Originality. It is said that there are very limited things to write about, but a number of ways to write about them. The emphasis on creating innovative characters and genres is overshadowing the fact that just about every idea that has ever been thought has been written before. Teachers should know better than most that the spin of writing is much more substantial than the content since they read twenty or so papers with the exact same topic, sometimes even the same focus depending on how strict the prompt is. Shakespeare; a masterful writer, based all of his plays on historic events or other works of fiction rather than composing a new universe for his characters every time he picked up the quill. 50 Shades of Grey is a bowlederized form of Twilight, and those two appear to be equally sucessful as far as sales are concerned. Wordplay and a knack for images matter just as much as exciting material.
4.Prompts. I hate assignments that involve prompts, mostly because they are treated as law rather than guideline. Some are too open-ended and others are so limited that the writer of the essay has to compose their way out of a duct-taped corner. I wonder what teachers can do to wean themselves off of prompts or at least ways of generating fresher ones.
5. More workshopping. Unlike the literature portion of a lot of ELA classes, there is not as much benefit to providing lots of background on what exemplary authors do. Writing is a mechanical skill as much as it is a mental one and it needs to be practiced in order to be fully understood. A literary analysis can be performed without having ever published previously, but a piece of writing is a different thing altogether. A writer writes like a salmon swims upstream in order to breed and die, there is a lot of adversity and not many tanglible rewards other than the experience of the work. This is why workshopping is important; it maximizes the knowledge of what works and what doesn't work for the next attempt.
When reflecting on teaching writing, I think it is very important to test out that piece of the assignment himself/herself first before having the students "dissect" it. The teacher also needs to ask himself/herself the following questions. Is the writing assignment relevant to the students’ personal interests? Does it have "an engaging" factor? Does it ask for a student’s creativity (a use of multimedia, role-play, a drawing, a song etc)? Are options of writing formats available?
ReplyDeleteCritical reasoning is also a very important factor to address when teaching students writing, especially in the higher grades. The question is how and in what ways that can be done? I think one of the approaches is posing a rhetorical question before any discussion and brainstorm all possible ideas and solutions with the whole class before having students complete the writing assignment. What are other ways to stimulate students' critical reasoning?
When writing the college essay, for example. the students is sometimes asked to do a pre-writing work: an outline. Are the outlines and graphic organizers are really that helpful? In ELS language center where I currently teach, for example, writing an outline is a part of the grade: students are required to write a 4-5 sentence introduction, a 3-4 paragraph body and a well-contructed conclusion. The problem with that is, though, that a lot of students feel constricted and their essays lack any creativity, provoking thought and overall seems "dry".
While a great education process without technology seems to be almost impossible, what should a teacher do in the classroom where smartboards are not available? How can we as teachers incorporate more technology in the classrooms? What if not all students own laptops/computers/tablets?
Some I-Search Ideas
ReplyDeleteWhat are the benefits of offering students multiple, different forms of writing assignments based around the same topic? For example, if a student has to answer the prompt, what is the theme of Catcher in the Rye, they could either write a formal essay, write a poem, or write a song, along with choosing background music and perform it. I’d be interested in working with Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences and the impact of giving students a choice. Does this increase their likelihood to understand better? Does it make them feel as though they have more ownership of the piece? And what are some way to even out the workload so that each option is somewhat equal in work and difficulty?
How does the regular practice of low stakes writing enhance a student’s ability to produce better high stakes writing? My theory would be yes, it does enhance it, because with low stakes writing you are practicing in a safe space. But even though this is logical to most people, with the implantation of Common Core, I feel as though most teachers are shoving this important exercise out. I would probably have to research data and different ideas from professionals to get an answer as well as look at classrooms where lots of low stakes writing is done versus classrooms where little to no low stakes is done.
What are some way to write in different subjects, like math and science? Students must write in all subjects and different forms in order to be diverse in their skill level. So what would be some prompts and ways to incorporate it because the obvious like writing out labs? How is it beneficial to students to write in all subjects and formats? Could writing be used as a way to get student’s to better understand the topics in these subjects? And if so, what are some ways to incorporate low stakes writing into these classrooms? Here I would explore how students evaluate and judge (Gallagher) and how using these skills in other subjects strengthen them.
How is the use of teacher models effective to students in beginning level writing classes? Kelly Gallagher writes a lot about standing up in front of the class and literally beginning to write something before them. He argues that by showing the students your process it strengthens their own personal writing and can warm them up to it. I’d like to explore how exactly that works and if it really does. Along with this I’d like to touch upon creating a safe and open environment in the classroom and how important and beneficial that sort of space is to students.
How does having a class blog perfect their writing and analysis of texts and work? Along with writing a blog, does the fact that their writing will be public and open for their classmates to see change their word choice and critical thinking? Does it force students to be more thorough in their thinking and writing or is the fact that it will be public for others to see overwhelming? Some ways to measure this would be to ask students who have been in classrooms with blogs. It would also be interesting if the use of a blog is helpful to certain age groups over others.
Heather,
ReplyDeleteyou're raising really great points here. I like your I-search idea regarding a safer environment for high-stake testing: how could it emulate the one of the lower stake testing/writing?