Entry #12

I can confidently say that I believe I have learned about each of the "Student Learning Outcomes" on the first page of the syllables. I think my blog is truly evidence that I have learned each of the outcomes. In Entry #11 I just proved how much I learned about each genre and in previous posts I reflected on the genres after the student led workshops. In addition, I cannot tell you how many times I have used the short but sweet phrase "form follows function." I have used it when writing in my blog and when talking with people in my other classes. I really believe that phrase now and I do not think I will ever forget it because that is how I want to teach my students to write.

I have definitely learned about the traditional and digital writer's workshop through our integrated conversations of our two texts and through making connections in my blog posts. In Entry #10 I talk about how digital writing assignments are important, yet we cannot forget about traditional writing skills. It is not one or the other, but always a combination of the two. Teaching one workshop over the other would be doing a disservice to our students. They need traditional skills to be able to write, even simply handwriting. However, students also need to be trained to use, read and write in digital modes in order to thrive in our technological world.

My blog reflects my understanding of the parallel processes of reading and writing and my own personal journey of becoming more metacognitively aware of these processes in Entry #5. I detail how these two processes are deeply connected. I think that many people underestimate the connections between reading and writing because they are taught as separate entities rather than parallel processes. I plan on teaching them together in my future classroom and teaching my students strategies that will benefit them in both reading and writing.

I am definitely aware of reading and writing assignments that are appropriate for learners. We read a couple of articles on teaching the writing process to struggling writers. A few things that I took away from those articles are the idea of teaching expository writing first and the writing wheel and card sorting strategies. Expository writing is a good place to start for students who have difficulty writing because it is much more organized and structured. It allows students to do some research and organize their facts into subtopics to write about one general topic rather than attempting to write a complex narrative right away. Students who struggle often need this type of structure. In addition, I remember the writing wheel being helpful because students could mark where they were in the writing process and see where they were going. The card sorting strategy like we did in class is great because it enables students to brainstorm starting at the word level and then provides cards for them to manipulate to guide them on their writing journey. Sentences can also be cut out in order to be manipulated during revision. These are all excellent approaches to make the writing process more manageable for all students.

Many digital technologies can enhance the writing process as well. Students should always be expected to produce a piece in written form first, but in the last few stages of the writing process the piece has the potential to be transformed into a digital means of communication. This may include a podcast, a wiki, or a digital story, just to name a few. This then takes the focus away from the mechanical aspects of writing, which students might struggle with, and puts a greater emphasis on the ideas, word choice and organization of the digital piece. These digital modes have greater potential to reach more distant and elaborate audiences than traditional written pieces.

Lastly, we have talked extensively about assessment and evaluation of writing. I would say that the most important thing that I have learned in terms of assessment is to assess the writer not the writing. Often that means focusing on ideas and not mechanics. The emphasis should be on the the writer's process not on each individual project. Although final products are important and should be graded sometimes I think that we have to think of writing as a long term process and not get caught up on minor errors. I'm thinking of writing as a piece of music and each final project is one note in the large scheme of things. We do not expect students to get every note right when they are first learning how to play an instrument or read music so why should we expect students to compose perfect written pieces when they are still learning to write? We should never grade students just to get a grade in the grade book. Grades should always has a purpose, just like writing should always have a purpose.

With all that being said, I am thrilled by the knowledge that I have gained in this course! It has been my favorite course this semester and I have learned so much that I will carry with me in the future. I am actually amazed by how much that I learned! My new knowledge will influence me and mold me into the teacher that I want to be.

Thanks Dr. Jones!! :)