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.

Reading/Writing Blog Entry #4

Donald Graves (2004) stated “Writing is, after all, a medium for learning to think” (p. 90). I think this quote speaks wonders about the power of the writing process. The writing stages: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and publishing all involve cognitive processes that require one to engage in deep thought and critical thinking. I usually engage in writing as a way to better understand what I am currently learning. I use my writing to guide my comprehension on various topics within different subject areas. Often, I try to engage in a variety of thought processes like discovering, questioning, synthesizing, clarifying and refining as I am writing. When I am engaged and interested in what I am writing, it takes me a long time to finish that particular piece because I am always going back to revise my ideas. To me, it is important that I do not ever complete a piece in one sitting. I take the time to step away from the piece and process what I have written so far. After I have taken a break from that piece, I return to it with a fresh pair of eyes. This helps me to add other necessary ideas or make improvements to my writing that I may not have thought of in my first original draft. Even when I have ‘published’ a piece I enjoyed creating, I continue to think about what I could have done differently to improve that given piece. On the other hand, if I am not passionate about what I am writing, I do not take as much time to process what I have written. In this case, I am just writing to get a piece done or to meet a specific word count requirement.

The process of writing is a tool I use within my own teaching career. I keep a journal and I also take anecdotal notes about how well my students are responding to the lessons I present to them. Within this writing activity, I am able to remind myself of the strengths and weaknesses of a particular lesson. These writings help me to become a better teacher because I can alter my lessons accordingly to meet the needs of all my students. As I am writing these reflections and evaluations of my lessons, it probes me to continue to think about the different activities or strategies that could be engaging but also meaningful for each of my students. This writing activity also allows me to become more flexible within my thinking because I am able to reflect on the choices I have made during my instruction and then reevaluate my procedures depending on the context, the purpose of a given lesson and my audience (grade level) (Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, & National Writing Project, 2011).

Writing these blog entries also help me to process what I am learning within this class. They help me see the value in blogging as a way to reflect on the different educational research and studies that are relevant to today’s classrooms. These blogs have allowed me to notice the various ‘habits of mind’ I currently possess when it comes to writing. Some of these include: allowing myself to take the time to reflect on my writing and devoting an equal amount of time to each stage of the writing process. I must continue to look for ways to become a stronger writer. Because I will not always enjoy every genre of writing or writing topics, I need to find the value in everything I write to make sure I am always producing my best work. I also need to develop more of an openness and “consider new ways of being and thinking in the world (Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, & National Writing Project, 2011)”. Often times, I find myself stuck within my own opinions without ever considering changing my way of thinking. I hope to become more open within my thinking by taking the time to learn about various perspectives and connect with others who have different viewpoints from myself.

References

Council of Writing Program Administrators, National Council of Teachers of English, & National Writing Project  (2011). Framework for success in postsecondary writing. Retrieved from http://wpacouncil.org/framework/

Reading/Writing Blog Entry #3

Journal writing can help students learn to love the process of writing. Often times, students begin learning how to write journal entries by writing about themselves. Students are given the opportunity to write about their daily feelings and learning experiences. Students also learn to be reflective writers throughout this process by learning how to include deep thought and critical thinking in their writing. Writing in journals allows students to ask questions or make connections on topics that they are struggling to understand. Journal writing is great because it puts a personal and relatable touch on everything the students are learning regardless of the subject area.

For me, introducing students to the process of journal writing can be the hardest part. Like many other lessons regardless of the subject, minilessons can be used to provide an explanation on the purpose, how to appropriately brainstorm ideas, the drafting process and learning how to successfully share their entries with their classmates (Tompkins, 2008, p. 116). I think the interesting aspect of teaching journal writing is that there are many ways to teach it. It will also help to model or provide models where students can see certain writing strategies being used in a real-world written examples. Within my own instruction, I usually write my own journal example to present as a model for my students. Especially with personal journals, I have found that students enjoy learning about their teacher’s lives; it can also serve as a way to make strong connections with your students. Mentor texts also help display ways to make writing journals more engaging and interesting. I think it is important to use mentor texts that are not only developmentally appropriate but are also written so that they are relatable to the students.

Tompkins’ (2008) chapter on journal writing touches upon the importance of privacy. Students need to feel like they are able to share and write about anything that is of importance to them without feeling any judgment. Writing in a journal for students who are struggling emotionally or physically can be a alternative coping mechanism, serve as an emotional outlet instead of turning towards violence or other harmful coping skills. Dialogue journals would be an perfect example of how I could use this type of journal as a social-emotional check in or check out system with my students. I may not have the time to sit down and talk to every student about their emotions daily but writing back to my students in their dialogue journals can also allow students to develop a positive connection with me.

Tompkins (2008) provided me with many instructional procedures that I could use with my students in order to solidify their learning. Some of these procedures included: drawing maps, diagrams and pictures. I never considered the idea that journals don’t have to be limited to just written text. These visual images will enhance my students learning experiences. Students can associate an image with a particular concept even if they don’t fully remember the written definitions. For example, the clusters diagrams offered on page 120, would be a wonderful way for students to remember specific facts or concepts about complicated topics.

In Tompkins (2019), she continues to discuss more details about the various types of journal entries. I found the simulated journals to be the most interesting. In this type of entry, “students assume the role of another person and write journal entries from that person’s viewpoint” (p. 132).  I had never heard of this type of entry before but I think it would be a great to use in a social studies class. Students could truly understand what was happening during a certain time period and what people from that time period had to endure whether it be positive or negative experiences. Students will have to put themselves in someone else's shoes as a method to remember the events and significant achievements that happened throughout history.

References

Tompkins, G. E.  (2008). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product (5th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

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

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.