Entry #12: Celebration of Knowledge

This written expression course digs deeper into the purpose of each type of genre. I always knew that the different reading and writing genres existed but I didn't know how in-depth and the specific details each genre had to offer. Through the works of Tompkins (2019), I was able to broaden my knowledge on the techniques and strategies that could be used to successfully read or write in a wide variety of genres. Tompkins (2019) provided me with a number of mentor texts that could also be used for strong examples or instructional supplements that could be help students understand how to produce writing that would convey a particular genre's purpose. Hicks (2013) has also taught me how to advance my own reading/writing experiences by using digital media. Hicks (2013) provided me with checklists and rubrics I could use to analyze and evaluate online resources to determine their value of using them in my own classroom. 

In the beginning of this class, I thought I had a solid understand of the biographical genre. After I was required to study this specific genre more in-depth, I came to the realization that this genre actually had 4 different writing types or styles. I was convinced that biographical genre was just the process of writing about another person's life. Biographies are actually able to provide their readers with details that are often left out of textbooks. Biographical writing also includes autobiographies where the author writes about themselves and the writer touches upon their entire life story. There are also memoirs and personal narratives included in this genre. These written stories are more specific to a single life experience in someones' life (Tompkins, 2019, p. 195). Tompkins offers a number of engaging ways for authors to write about life experiences including using life boxes, hot seat activities and bio-poems (p. 204). Being able to actually engage in these writing techniques helped me to develop a better understanding of what this genre's purpose was. 

https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson185.shtml

Poetry was another genre that I learned a lot more about throughout this semester. I believed poetry had to include rhymes or use similes/metaphors that I truly did not understand. I was unaware of the beauty poetry has. I was also unfamiliar with the diverse ways you could invent a poem. Tompkins (2019) presented me with different formula poems that anyone could follow to help them develop authentic poetic expressions, for example, color poems or 'I am...' poems (p.148). These formulas or outlines are a wonderful way to introduce individuals to specific poem styles that will fit their purpose and match their intended audience. Learning about the various poetic devices also helped me to understand how to improve my own poetry writing. These devices help writers to make their poems 'come alive', they provide readers with strong images where they can mentally experience what the author is writing about. 

https://www.poetry4kids.com/activities/poetry-activities-for-kids/

Hicks (2013) allowed me to make the connection between author's craft and digital media. Hicks (2013) presented different types of digital texts including web texts, presentations, audio and video texts and social media texts. I learned how to view these online texts through a more concise and beyond-the-text point-of-view. I was exposed to a number of mentor texts where I was provided the opportunity to be critical of the text to see if it met the needs of what that particular text was intended to convey. For example, using Hicks' (2013) Table 6.2 found on page 114, I am now able to take note of the steps necessary for composing a digital video text. I can use this same criteria to help my students become successful in creating a video text that actually enhances their learning experiences. 

References 

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

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

Entry #9: The Power of Descriptive Writing

Growing up, descriptive writing was always something I thought I was pretty lousy at. In elementary school, my least favorite subject was definitely writing because I felt like I never had anything to say. I remember learning about descriptive writing and I never understood how to add details. I had trouble understanding the concept of allowing my readers "to paint a memorable picture and evoke a distinctive mood" (Tompkins, 2011). I thought I could just tell a story or write about an event that had happened in my life and my readers would have the full picture of what happened. It is hard as a young writer to really recognize the importance of making your writing engaging and meaningful. It is difficult to know how to provide the appropriate descriptions to your audience. For me, the best stories I have heard are the ones where I am able to make a 'movie in my mind' while also feeling like I am apart of the story, transporting myself to the experience that the characters are experiencing. While keeping that in mind, it is important to study the most useful and most transferable writing skills for students to truly understand what descriptive writing is all about.  

http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/descriptive_writing

I loved reading Tompkins (2011) chapter on Descriptive Writing. She provided me with 5 different techniques I could use to allow myself to make the 'shift from telling to showing' in my own writing but also helping my students improve in their own writing (p. 136). These techniques include: adding specific information, choosing words carefully, creating sensory images, using figurative language and writing dialogue (p. 136). In my opinion, the best way to learn how to do anything is to see it modeled or to view a demonstration. This is why I found it so beneficial that I was able to have the opportunity to read some descriptive mentor texts which highlighted the various techniques listed above but could also be used for a wide range of grade levels. This gave me a clearer idea of what descriptive writing should look like skill-wise but also what is expected a each grade level. For example, Skippyjon Jones is a picture book for a younger audience about a Siamese cat whose has a wild imagination and has a super-hero alter ego. There is also The Stranger which is meant to be used with 3-5 graders. This book discusses deeper themes and provides meaningful life lessons. This would be a great resource for teaching students about how to use and implement figurative language within their writing pieces (p. 137). 

The most beneficial technique to me was incorporating sensory images within your writing. I think this is such a powerful way to improve your writing. These senses can really allow the reader to feel like they are apart of the story. Tompkins (2011) states "too often, students' writing is limited to one sense- sight: they describe something as though their writing were a home movie without sound" (p. 139). This quote was so true for me as a young writer but also true for so many students I encounter in classrooms today. It would be helpful to provide my students with opportunities where they are required to try to use at least 3 of the senses with their descriptive writing pieces. I feel like there are so many hands-on activities or games that could be developed to support students' sensory writing experiences. 

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/educator-english/esl-descriptive-writing/

Lastly, I really enjoyed the guided practice activities Tompkins (2011) offers to use within a writer's workshop. The activities provided were all so engaging and could be differentiated to fit the needs of all of your students. My favorite activity listed was the adding words to wordless picture books (p. 149). In these stories, the pictures need to be so detailed that the reader/viewer is able to develop their own storyline or create their own stories by inventing dialogue and adding other details to describe what is happening on each page. This would be a wonderful way to allow my students to practice their vivid descriptions. 

References 

Tompkins, G. E.  (2011).  Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (6^th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

Reading/Writing Blog Entry #5

Writer’s Craft is a difficult concept for me to wrap my head around even as an adult learner. There are so many aspects that need to be considered when composing a piece. In chapter 4, Tompkins does an excellent job of laying out the foundations and individual steps writers need to take into account when one is composing a successful written text. As a writer, there are some steps that I often overlook because I assume I have already mastered that trait. For example, I am very confident when it comes to implementing my own personal voice within my pieces. Even in more formal or research based writing, I find myself incorporating my own opinions on the research and experimental findings I have read about. My voice seems to be with me in all stages of the writing process. Even when I am revising, I try to look for ways to alter my writing to have it’s own unique style.

Another trait that I feel I am close to mastery in would be my idea development. Luckily for me, I rarely struggle to come up with ideas to write about. I really enjoy being able to play around with my writing using different genres. Sometimes, I use a trial and error process within the prewriting/drafting stage to see what genre would make the most sense for my audience depending on the given assignment. Often times, I come up with way too much to write about which can lead my ideas to become scattered and unorganized. This is why I find myself struggling within the traits of organization and conventions because I am so concerned with getting all of my ideas down that I fall short in other dimensions of writing mechanics.

I know how difficult it can be for myself to learn and improve within each of the 6+1 traits of writing. That is why I think it is crucial that when I am teaching writer’s workshop that I am explicitly modeling for my students how to develop and grow within each of these traits. I think it is beneficial to have students learn these traits at early grades then they can continue improving and building upon those writing skills as they increase in grade level. I appreciate that Tompkins (2019) took the time in chapter 4 to provide her readers with mentor texts that would work in various grade levels but also hit on specific trait skills. Students learn so much about writing from the stories they heard and as a result they enjoy adapting specific traits to fit their own stories. Another aspect I found beneficial from this chapter was the instructional overview that Tompkins (2019) provided for each grade level. Because I do not know what grade I will ultimately end up teaching, this overview allows me to see what is developmentally appropriate for a student’s writer’s craft at each level.

Before reading chapter 4, I did not know much about the procedures I could use to assess writer’s craft. I loved the idea that Tompkins (2019) presented about the checklists as a way for students to monitor their own crafts (p. 93).These checklists are awesome because they provide students with the exact skills to look for within their texts. I think it would also serve as a powerful tool for peer reviews because students would be provided with direct feedback to give based upon what was missing from the checklist. Philippakos (2017) discusses the importance of providing students with specific goals that can guide their revision efforts when it comes to peer reviewing (p. 20). These checklists allow students to practice evaluating their peer by using given prompts but also allows them to identify areas for improvement which leads to the beginning stages of goal setting process.

References

Philippakos, Z.A. (2017).  Giving feedback:  Preparing students for peer review and self-evaluation.  The Reading Teacher, 71(1), 13-22. DOI: 10.1102/trtr.1568

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