Reading/Writing Blog Entry #2

Ever since I became a teacher, I have developed a greater appreciation for authors and their personal crafts. Now, I actually take the time to evaluate authors' various writing styles and take note on ways I can improve my own craft. On page 13, Hicks (2013) offers the idea of “studying craft by slowing down.” I find myself carefully examining an author’s craft based upon the mood or genre an author as chosen to write in as a way to determine an appropriate meaning for a particular text. Often times, I study an author’s craft as Hicks (2013) would consider as ‘starting small’ as I evaluate traditional texts. I am the type of learner that needs to study material in an step by step order. I cannot multi-task while looking for multiple features or strategies an author uses all at once. Therefore, I must take the time to read through a text multiple times, looking for different features used to solidify my understand of an author’s personal craft.

I rarely interact with digital texts because it is hard for me to read educational texts online. I feel like my eyes often skip around while I read. I get easily distracted because I usually only read digital texts if they are on a media platform; for example, skimming a news article or scrolling through my social media feeds. I have never considered the digital tools that Hicks (2013) discussed on page 15 by using graphs, maps or tables as a way to represent or summarize a digital text. In today’s society, I think digital texts can be valuable as traditional texts as long as they are used in a purposeful way. Students need to be taught how to interact with digital texts appropriately so that they are not wasting their time wandering on something else offered in the text like unnecessary videos or hyperlinks.

On page 16, Hicks (2013) suggests many combinations that can be implemented to aid students to successfully understanding an author’s craft or how to develop their own crafts. Essentially, there is no perfect recipe on how to teach author’s craft. As a teacher, I am always looking for best ways to instruct my students to fully grasp a concept. I think it is difficult to teach author’s craft because it is a essentially a ‘trial and error’ process to see what strategies your students will actually understand and implement within their own writing.

Tompkins (2019) presents the ‘six plus one’  traits of writer’s craft developed by researchers at Education Northwest. These traits include: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions and presentation. Within my own writing, I tend to focus the most on the 'idea' element. Before I begin writing, I consider my topic and brainstorm ideas that would communicate my topic effectively. I know I need to think about the type of genre that would support my chosen message. Another trait I consciously consider when I write would be the 'voice' element. When I am given more freedom within my writing, my personal voice is always stronger. In almost every piece of writing I develop, I find that the tone of my writing always shines through. I usually make it very clear what my opinion is on a particular topic. The rest of the traits are usually secondary steps I take to improve my rough drafts. For me, I have always struggled within the organization of my writing. I am the type of writer that ‘brain-dumps’ my thoughts so my ideas are often scattered and incoherent. This trait is something I am always working to improve.

References

Hicks, T. (2013).  Crafting digital writing.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.

Tompkins, G. E.  (2019). Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (7th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

Reading/Writing Blog Entry #1

It is important to consider and evaluate all aspects of the reading and writing workshop process. In my opinion, prewriting is one of the most essential stages. I believe more time should be dedicated to this planning stage. There are many aspects to consider while prewriting. Tompkins (2019) suggests that students should consider their topic options through collaboration or by keeping a writer’s notebook. Students also need to figure out the purpose of their writing and who their audience is. Lastly, students need to decide which genre they will write in to capture their audience. All of these prewriting steps deserve deep thought and adequate decision making skills before moving into the drafting stage.

I also value the idea of incorporating technology within the various stages of the writing process. In chapter 2 of Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product, Tompkins (2019) suggests numerous ways to integrate technology to improve a students’ experience with the writing process. For example, using instant messaging to brainstorm writing ideas with classmates or double-spacing drafts while typing on the computer to leave enough room to revise and edit. I also enjoyed learning about how to produce digital stories discussed in Bogard and McMackin (2012) article where students were able to create storyboards using computer programs like iMovie or Photostory. Students are able to create their own sentences, visuals, or add music to accompany their stories. Bogard and McMackin (2012) also studied recorded oral rehearsal recordings as a way to reduce a students' cognitive load during their writing experiences.

Tompkins (2019) offers the idea of revising centers as a way to differentiate instruction during workshops. I had never considered the use of centers during a writer’s workshop. I think these revising centers would be a great way to keep students engaged because they are able to move around while also learning how to properly use supporting writing materials like a thesaurus or a word wall. Students are also able to receive new ideas about how to improve their own writing from suggestions made by their classmates.

Another aspect Tompkins stated and I have never considered was the arrangement of the classroom during this instructional time. It would be beneficial to have students sit in small groups for collaborative activities like revising centers or conferences to limit the amount of time needed to transition around the classroom. Students should also have access to computers and an accessible classroom library to support them during their writing journey.

I was never really sure of the best way to teach the editing process. On page 13, Tompkins (2019) discusses proofreaders’ marks and the editing checklists. The checklist can also be revised as students learn new editing skills. I think this would be a wonderful way to organize and focus a students’ attention on any possible errors. The editing process can also be used as a way to teach students about what it means to be a responsible author since they will be heading to the publishing stage where they will want to share their best work.

Before learning about the writing workshop components, I was a little confused on what to teach during the mini-lesson portion. On page 29, Tompkins (2019) lays out a step-to-step process including: introducing a topic, providing examples with supporting information, supervised practice and ending with assessing the learning. “Worksheets are rarely used; instead, students apply the lesson to their own writing (p. 28). This quote provided me with the insight that mini-lessons should be used as a way to enhance students individual writing weaknesses or areas for improvement instead of teaching them strategies that cannot be applied to their own writing experiences.

References

Tompkins, G. E.  (2019). Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (7th ed.). Upper

Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

Bogard, J.M. & McMackin, M.C. (2012).  Combining traditional and new literacies in a 21st-century

writing workshop.  The Reading Teacher, 65(5), 313-323. DOI:10.1002/trtr.0148