This has been quite the experience so far--blogging, I mean. Between constantly resetting my password, searching for my blog in cyberspace, publishing without proofing over at least a 24 hour period--why would anyone choose this completely avoidable form of stress? Clearly, it is not really avoidable in current times--even fellow AARP members are out there on the web connecting on social pages, blogging their reflections...Like the poem in one of the readings for this week professes, change can't be stopped, so we just have to hold onto our "threads" and adapt (wild paraphrase, unworthy of the poem!).
This will be a short reflection, as I am interested to hear the perspectives of classmates who are much closer to the technological revolution and its implications on teen writing and communication styles than I. I was struck by the Pew study finding that teens are motivated to write by "relevant, interesting, self-selected topics, and attention and feedback from engaged adults who challenged them." The three articles in Newkirk and Kent (Chs. 16,17, and 18) continued the theme of authentic writing assignments that fits with this criteria. As I read, I was evaluating whether these types of projects could motivate the students with whom I work. For the most part, our students are learning disabled around reading/written expression issues or ADHD with focusing and organizational issues.
The Deans and Marie article "Composition and Community Action" focused on service-learning, using a community based experience to achieve specific academic goals including the opportunity for critical reflection. There were different models--writing for community (partnering with nursing home residents to write poems), about community, or with community (writing fact sheets, proposals for a community group.) Each stresses the importance of knowing your audience, editing and revising because the final product has meaning/importance outside of the classroom. Many high schools have a service component required for graduation; at JD, it is part of the required Participation in Government class. Students must write a 10 page narrative and reflection about their experience--but writing is not generally integrated into the volunteer experience itself. Many seniors find their community service project for government affects their values/outlook or leads to career decisions. I think expanding the idea of community involvement into English classes holds this kind of potential. While it would clearly take organization and preparation by the teacher (not to mention additional transportation costs in a time of austerity), there are real opportunities to forge community connections/good will and to engage/motivate students around purposeful writing. I'm going to share this idea with my co-teacher and see if we can incorporate it in our planning for next year.
I was most excited about "Preparing Students for Life after HS" by Jesse Singer, a project that requires learning to interview, writing up the interview, while gathering information on a possible career path of individual interest. Students select an interview subject based on their career goals and area of interest, and they are preparing questions for a real situation--both of which should be highly motivation according to the Pew study. I'm not sure our 9th grade students could handle this as yet, but I'd love to see it as part of an 11th or 12th grade English class. Conducting and preparing an interview could be planned as part of a unit on recent historical fiction or on family stories. Singer was specific about how she set up this unit, and her student worksheets and process could be adapted by teachers as a starting point. Interviews are indeed important "gatekeepers" and conducting an interview will help students understand the process from the "other side of the desk." I think this project would yield many benefits for the types of students we are trying to engage.
On the other hand, Chapter 18 "Writers Reading Local Places" by Kim Stafford advocates a process that I don't believe would make sense to most of my LD students. I think writing impressions of a place, emphasizing details the eye of the artist sees, and keeping a journal of thoughts/observations specific to place could be highly motivational. Anne Lamott and several other writers I have heard speak over the years have stressed that they record scraps of specific details and then weave them at a later date into their work. Attending to detail--specific descriptive language--is huge for our students, who tend to use very general adjectives and bland verbs. Many of our students, however, would not be able to make that third connection Stafford is hoping for--to find an underlying theme/motiff connecting the place with the text. I was struck by Stafford's emphasis on the teacher's delight in finding the original, unique voice of her student writers. My co-teacher was just remarking yesterday how mind-numbing it can be to read 75 essays that are basically the same! Creative writing is not stressed in most English classes in my high school; I have the sense that academic writing is more prized, because that is the language of state tests and college research papers. As I read this article, one particular student of mine kept appearing in my heart-- he has a wonderful writing voice and would totally understand the nuances and creative opportunities of this approach. I'm going to bring up some of Stafford's ideas when were talking.
In the spirit of the new technology, I hope you don't LOL reading this blog. If my BFF from high school should stumble on this blog, please friend me on your facebook account!
Barb
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