Entry #8

I would like to bless and address a passage that Jenna wrote in Entry #6: 


"In these elementary classrooms I very rarely see students being exposed to different writing genres, especially during "Daily 5" time which is a popular reading instruction program used in the districts I work in.  Each day, I see students drawing pictures about something that happened over the weekend or in their life recently, then adding a few sentences about that picture.  Before this class, I had not thought of the possibility of introducing different genres to students.  I am sure the thought was somewhere in the back of my mind, but it has really become a focus of mine now.  I hope to read texts of different genres to my students, explore the texts and how they can write in that genre.  Eventually moving to independent practice or the application stage where they can write in different genres during any available writing time.  I have developed a stong belief that students need to be shown a variety of genres.  If we allow students, or even force them, to write consistently in one genre throughout their schooling, they are undoubtedly going to become bored with it, even as adults we have the same tendency."


I could not agree with Jenna more! I too have had similar thoughts while taking this class and seeing what actually goes on in today's classrooms. I think that writing instruction has improved some by being included in the students daily routine with the "Daily 5," but there is still a lot that is missing. I do not think that it is enough to just have kids write everyday and call it "finished." I definitely see what Jenna is saying about most students just composing a picture and a brief personal narrative about their weekend. I have seen the same thing and I wonder do these students actually understand what they are doing? It's hard because as a sub you only see bits and pieces of what they are doing throughout the year so its difficult not to judge the entire classroom on just one day. However, at the same time I think that one day can also be very telling because if the students are really independent and understand the writing process and various genres then it should/ would be very apparent.


Generally speaking, it seems that some teachers might think that writing during the daily five and then continuing to develop one of their short pieces during writer's workshop is basically what students need to know about the writing process. They may or may not add minilessons, but is this enough? I think that this sounds very boring, especially if students are doing this all year. After this class, I cannot possibly agree with this practice. I cannot really say that I know the full curriculum of any teacher's writing workshop, but I do sense that something is lacking. I feel that with the knowledge that I have learned from this class I am dedicated to serving as a representative and advocate for instruction in multiple genres. I want my students (even little ones) to be well aware that there are different genres, what they are and how to read/write them. I agree with Jenna that it should be a gradual process that is carried out throughout the school year until they are comfortable and confident enough to independently compose written pieces in a genre or genres of their choice. I fully support the concept of multigenre projects and I think that this is what all teachers need to strive for in our classrooms. I think a multigenre project should be the culmination of writing workshop, which should include elements of the digital writing workshop as well. 


I understand what Jenna says when she explains that she did not really think about teaching genres when teaching writing. I believe this happens to a lot of teachers because in undergrad we were taught how to teach the writing process specifically, not the writing genres. Without this class I feel like I would have been missing out on imperative information that is necessary to become an outstanding teacher. I was lucky enough to have worked with a fifth grade teacher who really stressed all of the genres, but without this experience I don't know if I would have even known to specifically teach each genre. I wonder why the reading/writing genres are not emphasized during undergrad? This class has changed my whole philosophy when it comes to teaching writing and I believe every future educator should have the opportunity for this same experience. 


I also like Jenna's point about not only teaching students to write in a variety of genres, but exposing them to many genres through reading, with the goal always being to gain a deeper understanding of each genre. As we know, "Tom Romano (2000) explains that each genre offers ways of learning and understanding that the others do not" (Tompkins, p. 182). Although I have already referred to this quote in a previous post I keep coming back to it because I think it really speaks to the reason why we must teach students about many genres. I have found myself learning new key components of each genre as we continue to dissect them and as a result, I have a better understanding of each genre. I believe exposure to reading and writing in various genres would work in the same beneficial fashion with our own students. 


Sometimes I question some of the instructional decisions that current teachers are making in language arts because I see them doing certain things that could easily be transformed into more meaningful activities. Although this frustrates me, I try to remind myself that right now I am really just an observer on the outside. Classroom teachers are under so much pressure and it is coming from all different directions. I have begun to realize that many instructional practices that I am seeing are not always the teacher's first choice. So many instructional programs "force" teachers to teach in a certain way whether they agree with it or not. I find this utterly saddening because it seems that teaching as lost a certain aspect of creativity that is truly what I thrive on. However, I do not think it is completely lost. I think we just have to work hard to incorporate our own creative practices, while still abiding to the pressures/instructional guidelines that are expected. I refuse to accept the reality of teaching in today's world as an excuse to just follow the rules. Yet, I will admit it still bothers me that there is such a mismatch between a lot of what we learn in higher education and what is actually happening in schools today. 


With that being said, I hope to continue to expand my knowledge of the digital writing process and genres in order to construct a writer's workshop in my own classroom that truly mirrors the research that we have read and discussed throughout this semester. I think that writer's workshop is one of the few subjects that still allows for a great deal of teacher creativity and I plan on taking full advantage of it in my future classroom. 


Jenna, thank you for allowing me to address your entry and for aiding in my reflection on making connections between my personal teaching experiences and what we are learning about in class!!

Entry #7

After reading and participating in Carrie & Emily's workshops on biographical and expository writing I feel that I better understand the genres and their benefits. Carrie did an excellent job of articulating the difference between a personal narrative and a auto/biography when we were having difficulty identifying some of the books in our little collection. She said that a personal narrative usually focuses on one particular event in a person's life and then that person develops it into a narrative using literary elements. However, a biography typically outlines multiple events in a person's life. Of course, we agreed that sometimes the lines between these definitions get blurred, but for the most part this is a good rule of thumb. I also thought it was interesting how Dr. Jones said biographical writing has often had ghost writers, which makes it difficult to truly know which type of biography we are reading. For the purposes of teaching the genre I think that Carrie's explanation would be a clear approach and a great starting point for getting students to expand upon personal narratives that they have already started.

While I was reading Tompkins (2008) I was interested in the section on personal narratives because I had never really thought to categorize this sub-genre into my biographical schema. I have always just thought of a personal narrative as being part of the narrative genre, but it does seem to make more sense in the biographical section. I think other times I may have categorized personal narrative as realistic fiction, but that is not necessarily what it is. Now I have a better definition and understanding of what a personal narrative actually is. One quote that helped me to rethink viewing personal narratives as part of the narrative genre is when Tompkins (2008) says personal narratives "focus on real-life experiences, whereas stories are imaginative" (p. 149). This really made me realize that personal narratives are different because they are based on all factual information and narratives all include some aspect of imaginative writing, even realistic fiction. The idea that some teachers refer to all types of writing as "stories" (or narratives, which are imaginative) to younger children is a little bit frustrating to me. I had not really thought about this because it just sounds like teachers are trying to be cute and kid-friendly when they say that, yet in reality they are really doing their students a disservice by not emphasizing that there different reading/writing genres that serve different purposes.

That takes me to my next point about multigenre projects. I noticed that Dr. Jones added this same quote to our class blog, but I too found it to be very profound. We really must encourage students to use multiple genres on the same topic because "Tom Romano (2000) explains that each genre offers ways of learning and understanding that others do not" (as cited by Tompkins, 2008, p. 182). I absolutely love the idea of multigenre projects because I think it takes learning to a new level. It really adds multiple dimensions to a topic of study and enables students and viewers to really "know" the topic in a deeper way. This type of assignment would also be a powerful way for students to include technological formats, like the ones that Hicks (2009) describes. I think that multigenre projects support differentiation by offering choice and multimodal experiences that promote student engagement and achievement. I believe in teaching more about less and I think multigenre projects allow students to study a certain subtopic in more depth rather than trying to cover every fact and detail of the overarching topic. This type of project would also allow them to really see that each genre serves a different purpose and to make connections between them that they might not have if they were asked to produce only one genre.

One last lingering thought that I am still wondering about is this idea of using expository text more frequently with struggling readers/writers and younger children. Recently, I have seen a few articles supporting the use of expository text in early childhood programs. I have to say that I agree with this statement because I feel that expository text is often well organized, which makes connecting reading and writing of this genre easier. I think that this is why expository text is frequently appealing to struggling readers because they do not have to rely on text only to gain meaning from a book. Expository usually includes pictures, charts, diagrams and bolded titles and subtitles, which makes for a more pleasant and clear cut reading experience. It only makes sense that this would be an easier way to organize information for writing as well. In addition, expository text typically involves one topic, in which students may be interested. This can prompt motivation for students who are lacking in this area because if they have the slightest bit of interest in a topic there is probably an expository text that can elaborate on their interest. In my opinion, it makes sense to start teaching young children about expository text because it sets the framework of organizing reading and writing at a young age and prepares them for using these types of text for research purposes in the future.

Entry #6

When thinking of assessing writing I would like to adopt Tompkins' (2008) motto that "teachers should focus on the writers themselves" (p. 76). As we have discussed in class, the main focus should first be on the writer and then on the writing. Assessing writing is not always about the quality of the end result, but the path that students take to arrive at their end result. In Tompkins (2008) words, "Process assessment  is designed to probe how children write, the decisions they make as writers, and the strategies they use rather than the quality of their finished products" (p. 81). By focusing on the writer we can ensure that we are scaffolding the writing process for students and gradually releasing them to take on more responsibility of their own when they write. 

I think that anytime students can be involved in assessment it is beneficial for them. The teacher should not be the one who holds back information from her students, but rather shares their progress with them throughout the process. Checklists help to ease this process by providing a simplistic reminder to students and teachers that this is what needs to be included for that assignment. Teachers should not create assessments in isolation, but should incorporate student input whenever possible. If students are true writers then they should be able to articulate what work needs to go into a well-done written piece. Creating a rubric together is an excellent review for students. By talking through the process and what is expected of them then they are more likely to retain the information and be more conscious writers during writer's workshop. 

I also have to agree with Tompkins (2008) when she claims that "self-evaluation is a natural part of writing" (p. 84). When we us assessments like checklists and rubrics we are creating guidelines for our students to help them self-monitor their own writing process. However, we do not want them to finish writing and then just abandon the whole assignment. Self-evaluation is a critical and natural component of the writing process and one that in my opinion is often forgotten. I loved Tompkins (2008) ideas about having students write a brief reflection after completing or deciding to finish a written piece. These can then be attached to the piece and placed in the student's writing portfolio. This is another helpful tool to look at overall growth and the students thinking about their writing at that point in the year. 

Conferencing is another aspect of assessment that I think is extremely beneficial. It can be done in many ways as Tompkins (2008) outlines, but each conference should have a specific purpose and the student should walk away with a new plan of attack for their written piece. Tompkins (2008) says "the teacher's role is to be a listener and a guide" during conferences (p. 77). It does not say that teachers should be a forceful figure who pressures students to write the way they want them to write. We must remember that everyone's writing process is different. Sometimes it is difficult for teachers to hold back, but part of the writing process is prompting students to figure things out on their own or with a peer. Sommers (1982) makes a valid point that "teachers' comments can take students' attention away from their own purposes in writing a particular text and focus that attention on the teachers' purpose in commenting" (p. 149). I had never really thought about teachers' feedback like this before, but reading this article provided me with a moment of clarity. Reflecting on my own education, I can recall falling into this trap of losing my sense of purpose to fulfill the teacher's wishes. It happens without us even realizing because at a young age we are taught to respect our teachers and to obey them. 

When thinking of effective conferencing we need to be very clear and purposeful in the comments with which we provide students. We must act as a listener and a guide who assists students in their process. We must also stay true to the purpose of the conference. If it is for revising then that is what we should focus on, not mechanical errors. Sommers (1982) discusses how it can be awfully confusing for students to receive a paper with the teacher's comments about organization and development as well as comments about how to change mechanical errors. As teachers we need to stay true to the process if we expect our students to and marking up their paper with every possible correction is not the best way to provide meaningful assessment. 

Lastly, sometimes the burden of grading numerous papers at a time is tiresome and frustrating for teachers, especially at the secondary level. I really think that if we set up a writing workshop like the one that we are doing in LTED 618 right now and the way that Tompkins (2008) recommends we can avoid the massive amount of grading that comes along with teaching. Well, maybe avoid is not the right word, but rather break up the grading into smaller chunks. If students are free to work on the writing process at their own pace then it is less likely that the whole class will finish at the same time. This allows the teacher to really focus their attention on providing meaningful feedback to one small group at a time. Conferencing becomes less overwhelming because not all students need to conference at the same time. I ran into this problem yesterday when I was subbing in a fourth grade classroom. During writing workshop, the students were all working on editing their final drafts of a persuasive essay they have been working on. I found it very difficult to have individual conferences with students because the demand was too high. The whole time I kept thinking how doing a status of the class would be so beneficial for this class because some students were mostly done and others were still struggling with the assignment. This made me realize how I truly believe that students should be given freedom to move between the stages in the writing process when they have been given the okay and are ready to do so. I cannot wait to use these techniques during writers workshop in my own classroom someday.