Entry #12

Using the blog for this class was really the first time I used a blog for extended writing. As there are many usages for blogs, the format we used was most helpful for the learning outcomes of the course. I had previously used blogger for a vocabulary journal in Dr. Jones’ other class. I think the purpose of using the blog in that activity was to make public our vocabulary choices. The purpose of this blog seems to be more closely linked to what actual blogs are used for--sharing our thinking.

The student learning outcomes writing the blog helped me achieve the most were (4) understanding the relationship between reading and writing processes and (2) the role of purpose and audience. I personally gained a new understanding of the relationship between reading and writing while writing the blogs. I not only had to read course material with more attention to detail, I also had to synthesize the information within my schema in my writing. I think this is the most important kernel of knowledge to take from using the blogs. If we aim to have students adding new information to their schemas while they read, then the blog definitely will help students make those connections quicker and more meta-cognitively than the act of reading alone. Teachers have tried to link reading with written activities but for some reason the blog may work better for more students. 

I think blogging may work better for students due to its purpose and audience. The purpose of our blog was articulated clearly as a place to explore our own thinking and learning. Knowing this before beginning to write lifted a bit of pressure from “finding the right answer” and making sure everything was correct. I found that I still attempted to try to hit the key ideas of each text we read. Over time, I let myself examine and concentrate on the issues I felt were important, which is where I got the most from my blogging. I think students would benefit from an explicitly stated purpose before beginning to blog.

The audience when publishing online obviously widens. The widened audience didn’t necessarily make me sensor any of my ideas. It did, however, push me to think more critically about what I posted, especially regarding comments. It is more powerful to have all of the students in the class observe our thinking because it allows for a larger conversation. Since we also needed to “bless, address or press” our peers’ blog entries, I gained new and different perspectives on the same topics. Plus, seeing other classmates’ thinking helped sharpen my own thinking.

I know I fell a bit behind in the cadence of the blogs, but I still gained from writing them. They helped me slow down my thinking. I have a tendency to close the books I read and consider it done, but blogging about the ideas helped extend the time I was thinking about a topic, which also helped me remember specific details better. Blogging also helped me find a stronger voice on topics, like standardized testing and my views on the importance of expository writing. I liked having a forum for a strong professional self.

Entry #11

Overall, the genre presentations were helpful for me. The format of Tompkins and how each person created their lesson helped me truly analyze the components of each genre. I am taking away new tidbits of knowledge about each genre we explored. I learned that journal writing can have different purposes. I generally thought journalling was best used for reflection of a reading. But Dr. Jones’ presentation reminded me that simulated journal entries can be of great value for students. In addition, I now understand the difference between an autobiography and a personal narrative more clearly than I did before. I guess I never realized there was a difference in the first place. I just lumped them both together. As for expository writing, I really enjoyed exploring different books through their text structures. I also found the multi-genre piece that Tompkins highlighted to be very exciting. Students would likely gain more knowledge about a topic by completing a multi-genre assignment than simply writing an essay. Similar to expository writing structures, students benefit from understanding story grammar. I was familiar with the persuasive genre because I had previously taken rhetoric courses, but did not have any ideas on how to work with students with it. I think persuasive posters are a fantastic way to introduce students to the art of persuasion. Once students are familiar with the components needed to persuade, then they can move to writing persuasive letters and essays.

The poetry genre and descriptive writing are closely linked in nature. I learned a lot about different poems to use with students. I didn’t realize how easily accessible many of the poems can be for students. Like I mentioned in a previous entry, students would have a blast identifying the different types of poems. Heather’s descriptive writing presentation shed light on the fact that it is not quite a genre in itself. Instead, descriptive writing is a component that many genres incorporate, such as narrative and poetry. I learned that to truly be descriptive, one needs to look at the essence of an object or thing and highlight that in their writing.

One thing I’ve noticed is that many of the genres seem to have overlapping components. Tompkins would agree that understanding the structure of a text greatly increases the chances of comprehension for students. I think understanding the structure and the components can only aid students in their reading and writing in each genre.

Before class, I thought I had a good understanding of many of the genres, for instance narrative, expository, and persuasive. I still think I have a strong understanding of these genres however, my understanding has widened to working with students effectively. Sometimes, I have felt in classes where we learned about these genres that what to do with students was missing from the conversation. Now, I have a good idea of different activities that highlight the intricacies of each of the genres. I think one of my greatest gains in knowledge and confidence about the genre is in poetry. Starting a poetry unit can be vast and overwhelming because there are so many different avenues one can go. Tompkins and Sophia’s presentation gave me a tool-kit of the different types of poems that students can study.

I think I have gained more confidence in my understanding of each genre since the presentations. I already had a basic understanding of each of the genres, due to being an English major in my undergrad. The presentations reminded me of the components in each genre and offered fantastic opportunities to highlight the importances of each genre with students.

Believe it or not, the one genre that still intimidates me is narrative. It’s almost humorous but I have had the least amount of time working with a narrative genre in my own writing. College offers writing opportunities for expository essays and even reflections, but not so much for personal narrative pieces. It could simply be a result of less time to read for myself, since I usually read narrative. I guess its also related to how I haven’t had the opportunity to teach students a narrative text, that alone makes me less comfortable when thinking about working with students. Anyway, I have gained a greater appreciation for each genre and understand much more about each individual component about each genre.

Entry 10

Carrie mentions the integral issue of our writing assessments--they do not allow for full execution of the writing process. The standardized tests have always been an issue of contention for me. I understand the need to assess students and hold them accountable, I just think the way we have gone about it is unfair and frankly unpedogogical. My reasoning stems from experience as a student and belief as a teacher. Anything we assess a student on should be something they have been exposed to in the same format as it was taught. The assessments clearly do not align with what teachers are teaching--the writing process.

Interestingly, Dr. Jones’ mantra “form follows function” actually relates to the issue of assessment. If the form of our assessment, multiple choice and contrived essay tasks, does not fit the needs of our assessment, then why are we still using the standardized tests as a marker of success or failure in school. Hmm...politics sound familiar? When it comes down to it, it just does not make sense to me as a teacher to use the format of a standardized test to truly assess our students. I realize we are attempting to assess and hold accountable thousands and thousands of students. That’s why I think Dr. Jones’ suggestion of maintaining writing over time iwould be a logical addition to assessing our students.

Here comes the kicker, how do we make such changes in such a vast political arena that education in the U.S. has become? Yes, the writing portfolio addition to the standardized tests will begin to balance the potential distortion the tests create in the first place. But to really address the issue is to possibly revamp how we assess thousands of thousands of students. I’m not really sure what the answer is. Perhaps simply adding the portfolio component would be the most effective way to assess the writing process.

In addition, I think students connect writing with judgement and evaluation due to how we assess them. These tests are unforgiving representations of student performance. They are a snapshot of how that student performs on that given day, in that given setting, likely different than their normal classroom. This also highlights that we as teachers need to combat this association students have with writing and judgment even more throughout the school year. I think one of the most important things we can do as teachers is to build up our students’ confidence about where they are in their learning. When students can self-evaluate their writing, then they gain more confidence in their abilities.

In short, writing assessment needs to be multifaceted. It is important to assess students over time using a portfolio. Teachers need to help build students’ confidence regarding writing and the writing process. Both teachers and students also need to assess their own writing. If we must rely on the standardized tests, we must also balance that assessment with the portfolio component. We cannot be biased and outweigh one day’s writing over writings over time. Hopefully, with a multifaceted assessment, students will begin to realize that critiques are just suggestions to improve their writing. 

Entry #9

Reflecting on chapter 5 from Hicks (2009), I think this chapter has some of the most important information teachers can take from the book. We, as teachers, need to fully examine the different processes that writing for digital outlets forces students/authors to operate in. Each medium, whether a blog/blogfolio, class anthology, or audio anthology, requires focused attention to different details by the author. For instance, an audio anthology requires the author to fully examine his/her “text” as the audience, thus, aiding his/her understanding of their work. 

Before taking this class, I knew that writing in digital spaces was going to be the push in education. I did not have a good idea of what each of those writing spaces were. Thankfully, Hick’s outlines specific writing spaces, like the ones in this chapter. As teachers, we should be excited about the new digital spaces because they offer authentic writing for students. And the authenticity of traditional written papers is becoming less prominent when compared to the digital writing spaces we have discussed in class.

Blogfolios, class anthologies, and audio anthologies can be great outlets for our students to express authorship. I think students will be excited about using technology to express their ideas. Also, the collaboration that students and teachers are required to have while working with these mediums mirrors the collaboration needed when students leave school. It’s important to note that we must always keep our writing purpose(s) at the forefront of any of these projects so that we do not get “caught up in the tools” (Hicks, 2009, p. 95).

If nothing else, I hope that everyone takes a better understanding of fair use with them when they leave this class. As leaders of our students and hopefully of our professions, we need to have a strong understanding of what is ethical and sound regarding use of secondary material in digital texts. We need to educate other teachers, possibly hosting school wide workshops, and we need to educate our students as early as possible.

The Code of Best Practices for Copyrighted Material includes a key component for protecting educators and students: the fair use bargain. The fair use bargain states:

“we as a society give limited property rights to creators to encourage them to produce culture; at the same time, we give other creators the chance to use that same copyrighted material, without permission or payment, in some circumstances. Without the second half of the bargain, we could all lose important new cultural work” (Code of Best Practices in Social Media Website).

The most important kernel from this quote is that cultural growth is the deciding factor in usage being sound or not. As long as the creator is “re-presenting” the material for purposes of educational and/or cultural growth, the use is protected under fair use. The user of the copyrighted material cannot simply repeat the work at “the same intent and value as the original” (Code of Best Practices in Social Media Website). No, teachers and students cannot simply steal or plagiarize material. The material needs to be transformed for a different purpose.

Please take this information and, as mentioned in the video, talk about it! The more everyone knows the more widespread our protection will be!

Entry 8

I would like to bless Heather’s Entry 6. She highlights some key points about student and teacher roles during writing workshop. One of the key ideas she mentioned was that students should see themselves as writers. I agree that during writing workshop, and in other content areas, students should be able to see themselves as potential masters of their craft. Especially regarding writing, when students see themselves as authors, they are more empowered to take risks in their writings. And by taking those risks, they will learn more deeply about writing. 

Providing a nurturing environment for students to see themselves as writers will empower them. One way to help students become authors instead of student writers is to give them the necessary knowledge to create awesome writing pieces, much like the way we learned about each genre. I feel much more equipped to write and read in each genre because we learned about specific intricacies within them. I think much of what happens in classrooms is that students are taught step-by-step how to complete an assignment, rather than being taught the craft itself that the assignment was created to assess anyway.

Students could also meet actual authors, like at events like the teen book festival.  There is something compounding when someone gets to meet the person that created the book they have read. I was lucky enough to have that experience last year when I met Terry Trueman, author of Stuck in Neutral and Cruise Control First, Terry Trueman is a fantastic, witty individual with a big personality. Secondly, he shared his personal experience that led him to write the books. It really brought to light the reason authors write in the first place--to share the human experience. I think students would gain a tremendous appreciation for authorship if they met some of the authors they read. Students would likely start to grasp their own purpose for writing, helping them get a greater sense of their personal authorship.

One pertinent aspect to helping students think of themselves as authors is the class climate, essentially how the teacher views students’ writing and how she talks to students about their writing. Heather quoted Tompkins (2008) saying that teachers should be “listeners and guides” for students. I am happy she pulled this quote because the most important trait an effective teacher can have is to guide their students to their own understandings of the content. Today, the many pressures of standardized tests and a fast-paced curriculum make it difficult for teachers to have the time to guide students learning in the most effective manner. It is so important that we as writing teachers take time to teach our students at their level of understanding.

Becoming good at anything you do involves taking risks, being “wrong,” and continued effort. We need our students to feel they can take risks. So many students, even college students, do not take necessary risks to gain knowledge for fear of being wrong. So much of our society is based on wrong or right, when in reality things just are. If we create a class community that promotes taking risks, no matter what the consequences, then we have fought half the battle for our students.

Entry 7

Understanding a genre gives a strength to the reader or writer.  By studying the different structures and types of writing within a genre students will be better equipped to comprehend these texts.  The same goes for any literacy practice--to understand the big picture will help comprehension.  For instance, computer literacy or more specifically, internet literacy, is better understood when the individual using the tool knows why they are using it, understands the components such as internet search tools, media video footage, etc.  The same is true for the major genres in reading and writing.  Students would benefit from the roadmap that understanding each genre can give to them.

Biographical reading and writing offers students a gateway to thinking about their lives through language.  It is one of the first introduced types of writing to young students, which makes it more important to foster clear goals for this writing genre.  Students need to be specifically aware about the intricacies of biographies, personal narratives, and autobiographies.  Until Carrie’s presentation and activity, I was not entirely clear what constituted a personal narrative.  I’m sure I was previously exposed to such writings, but perhaps not explicitly told that it was a personal narrative so I never truly understood the essence of personal narrative until now.  Students deserve to be explicitly exposed to the different types of writings within the genres.

As I mentioned in my presentation, expository writing structures are a vital tool for readers and writers.  I think the text structures and signal words are key to unlocking the difficulty readers have with expository text.  Once a reader has an idea of the type of organization a reading has, it is easier to add information to their schema.  I think students with reading difficulties and disabilities would greatly benefit from practice with the structures.  It would give them much needed confidence and the skill of at least comprehending the basic meaning of a text.  Plus the different types of expository writing that Tompkins (2008) offers gives students a chance to write expository texts without the overwhelming idea of an independent research paper.  For instance, a multi-genre project can incorporate factual information in a narrative form of wri After the recent genre presentations, it is evident each genre has key attributes that can enhance student comprehension and composition. To be honest, at first I thought these presentations would simply be a review of the information in the Tompkins chapter. Albeit, most of the information is found in the chapter, yet I still gain something more from the presentations. I think the benefit of the presentations is that we personally can interact with language within the particular genre.

The presentations make me think about each genre and how they operate in a categorized and organized way. Thinking of each genre as a mode of language use with its own general guidelines is helpful and would empower students to feel more confident while reading or writing in that genre. As referenced by Tompkins, “children’s concept of story plays an important role in their ability to comprehend the stories they read” (Stein & Glenn, 1979). I think the same is true for students’ understanding of each genre. A framework for understanding is one of the most important things students can have to better equip them to comprehend a text. It would help them concentrate on overall meaning, not so much decoding the language.

I find myself reinvigorated to experiment within these genres from the class activities we have participated in, which I’m sure students would find engaging too. I am starting to think of myself as more of a writer because of the presentations for some reason too. 

I would love to use many of the activities that were highlighted in the presentations. For instance, Jenna’s body biography project was quite useful. It could easily be used in many content areas and for different genres. While I did that activity I was highly engaged and students would likely be as well. There is something about drawing or representing a character without actual text that frees part of the cognitive load, therefore allowing for a deeper connection to content. I also really enjoyed Sophia’s activity where we identified each type of poem. That could easily be turned into a game and students would probably have a lot of fun with it. The added healthy competition would relieve some students of their stress to create a perfect poem or to always be “right.” As a future English teacher, I didn’t usually think about the many different types of poems beyond a haiku. Now, I realize some poems can be short and witty. They can be a great aid to get to know students/teachers, like the bio poem. In a similar vein, Heather’s descriptive genre presentation also opened my eyes to examine language use more closely. I really liked the book Heather highlighted with The Most Important Thing poem about a daisy. There are clearly many simple ways to incorporate descriptive language in student writing.

Overall, as I stated earlier, the presentations were helpful. They helped me slow down my thinking about each genre. Now I feel I understand each genre, the types of writings within each genre, and student activities that would greatly benefit students’ understanding.

Entry 7

Understanding a genre gives a strength to the reader or writer.  By studying the different structures and types of writing within a genre students will be better equipped to comprehend these texts.  The same goes for any literacy practice--to understand the big picture will help comprehension.  For instance, computer literacy or more specifically, internet literacy, is better understood when the individual using the tool knows why they are using it, understands the components such as internet search tools, media video footage, etc.  The same is true for the major genres in reading and writing.  Students would benefit from the roadmap that understanding each genre can give to them.

Biographical reading and writing offers students a gateway to thinking about their lives through language.  It is one of the first introduced types of writing to young students, which makes it more important to foster clear goals for this writing genre.  Students need to be specifically aware about the intricacies of biographies, personal narratives, and autobiographies.  Until Carrie’s presentation and activity, I was not entirely clear what constituted a personal narrative.  I’m sure I was previously exposed to such writings, but perhaps not explicitly told that it was a personal narrative so I never truly understood the essence of personal narrative until now.  Students deserve to be explicitly exposed to the different types of writings within the genres.

As I mentioned in my presentation, expository writing structures are a vital tool for readers and writers.  I think the text structures and signal words are key to unlocking the difficulty readers have with expository text.  Once a reader has an idea of the type of organization a reading has, it is easier to add information to their schema.  I think students with reading difficulties and disabilities would greatly benefit from practice with the structures.  It would give them much needed confidence and the skill of at least comprehending the basic meaning of a text.  Plus the different types of expository writing that Tompkins (2008) offers gives students a chance to write expository texts without the overwhelming idea of an independent research paper.  For instance, a multi-genre project can incorporate factual information in a narrative form of wri After the recent genre presentations, it is evident each genre has key attributes that can enhance student comprehension and composition. To be honest, at first I thought these presentations would simply be a review of the information in the Tompkins chapter. Albeit, most of the information is found in the chapter, yet I still gain something more from the presentations. I think the benefit of the presentations is that we personally can interact with language within the particular genre.

The presentations make me think about each genre and how they operate in a categorized and organized way. Thinking of each genre as a mode of language use with its own general guidelines is helpful and would empower students to feel more confident while reading or writing in that genre. As referenced by Tompkins, “children’s concept of story plays an important role in their ability to comprehend the stories they read” (Stein & Glenn, 1979). I think the same is true for students’ understanding of each genre. A framework for understanding is one of the most important things students can have to better equip them to comprehend a text. It would help them concentrate on overall meaning, not so much decoding the language.

I find myself reinvigorated to experiment within these genres from the class activities we have participated in, which I’m sure students would find engaging too. I am starting to think of myself as more of a writer because of the presentations for some reason too. 

I would love to use many of the activities that were highlighted in the presentations. For instance, Jenna’s body biography project was quite useful. It could easily be used in many content areas and for different genres. While I did that activity I was highly engaged and students would likely be as well. There is something about drawing or representing a character without actual text that frees part of the cognitive load, therefore allowing for a deeper connection to content. I also really enjoyed Sophia’s activity where we identified each type of poem. That could easily be turned into a game and students would probably have a lot of fun with it. The added healthy competition would relieve some students of their stress to create a perfect poem or to always be “right.” As a future English teacher, I didn’t usually think about the many different types of poems beyond a haiku. Now, I realize some poems can be short and witty. They can be a great aid to get to know students/teachers, like the bio poem. In a similar vein, Heather’s descriptive genre presentation also opened my eyes to examine language use more closely. I really liked the book Heather highlighted with The Most Important Thing poem about a daisy. There are clearly many simple ways to incorporate descriptive language in student writing.

Overall, as I stated earlier, the presentations were helpful. They helped me slow down my thinking about each genre. Now I feel I understand each genre, the types of writings within each genre, and student activities that would greatly benefit students’ understanding.

All about me Draft (Carrie's Presentation)

My name is Emily and I was born in Rochester, NY. I grew up in Webster, Ny. I lived in a nieghborhood with lots of other children. We would always play cooperative games toghether, like hide and go seek and mother may I. I loved playing games together. I especially liked playing Red light/Green light. I liked the suspense of when the person was going to turn around and catch you!

I went to R.L. Thomas High school and enjoyed my classes there. Then, I went to Nazareth College to study English education. I also enjoyed my time in undergrad. I really liked reading different literature pieces and analyzing them. That is why I decided to go to graduate school as a literacy specialist. I hope that I can help students get as much from reading as I have personally.

I have two great times of the day...my first cup of tea and snuggling in my bed.  My favorite TV show is Bob Ross' Joy of painting and Knit and crochet now on WXXI. My favorite place to go is a coffee shop and people watch. I like to take in the world around me.

I am happiest when I live in a world of oranges and purples, sometimes greens. I love the richness that color gives to my life.

Entry 6

          So as I think of our entire program at Nazareth, I think of the many literacies students will be required to functionally operate as they enter the world.  One of them is financial literacy.  I was lucky enough to catch some of Suzie Orman’s special “The Money Class,” which was a quick overview of what the new American dream needs to be for families to be financially sound.  I bring up the point of financial literacy because students need to be able to absorb and synthesize more complex information faster than previous generations--their livelihood relies on it.  

Through Suzie’s program, she effectively communicates highly complex concepts with new vocabulary in a systematic way.  Although there is no actual reading or writing occurring during her presentation, many of the same principles in the expository genre are present.  In terms of writing, Suzie is using the common text structures to frame her vital information.  For instance, most of her discussion uses the problem-solution and cause and effect structures due to the many possibilities one’s choice about their money can have on their life.

I think Suzie’s presentation highlights what our students will be required to know and be able to do as they leave our classrooms.  More than any other generation before, it is necessary for students (and people) to comprehend more information in a shorter period of time.  By supporting our students using the expository text structures, cue words, and having them create new expository writings themselves, we hopefully help shorten the gap between the new knowledge they need to obtain and their own cognitive processes.  As teachers, especially literacy specialists, we all need to recognize this truth that our students will face. 

Tompkins quotes James Britton who explains the purpose of expository writing so well: “to interact with people and things and to make the wheels of the world, for good or ill, go round” (2008, p. 172).  I agree with Britton fully.  Narrative writing and the other genres are important to learn about, but expository writing is vital.  I have heard that once students leave school, most of the reading they do is purely informational as adults.  It makes sense that Britton claims informational writing is to make the “wheels of the world go round” because knowledge has the power to change the state of things.  Our students need to be comfortable with change and drive change, hopefully for good.  I think if we keep the purpose of expository reading and writing close to empowering students, then students will be more motivated to participate in activities to support their learning of these texts. 

Entry 5

Dear Dr. Jones,

Now that we are in week 6/7 of the semester, I feel I am starting to fully grasp some of the key ideas and concepts.  I am starting to consider the strong connection between reading and writing, as well as, what and how these processes work in digital form.  I am getting inspired by the ways teachers are using technology in their classrooms.  I am also learning specific, purposeful ways to incorporate technology into a classroom.

To begin, I am gaining a great deal from writing this blog.  As you know, my last experience with blogging was less than what it could be.  Perhaps the vocabulary blog from last semester did not extend my thinking because there was not a conversation.  I think if we were to comment on others' words, it might have solidified our thinking.  Anyway, the format of this blog, essentially mini essays, has allowed me to think more deeply about the readings and my own reactions to the readings.  I find that even while I read I stop and think about ideas that I agree with or find puzzling.  In part, I stop to think about what I may write for the blogs, but its turned into a habit of thinking.  Interestingly, as an undergrad I used to stop and think consistantly and constantly while I read.  I enjoyed my readings much more because I was actively engaged in the texts.  I think somewhere between graduating and the pressures of graduate level courses, I forgot some of my own reading strategies.  This blog has helped me gain them back.

The act of writing about my thinking from the readings has also helped me understand the concepts we are learning.  I am making more connections between texts and the world.  I feel more connected just participating in a new media (Hicks, 2009).

Looking back at my first two entries compared to my third and fourth, there is a noticable difference in how I approach the reading content.  At first, I rellied heavily on the reading alone, discussing each text.  My last couple of entries include questions that I feel passionate about.  Blogging as our response method to the readngs has given me more flexibility in what I present to you, the teacher.  If we were asked to write a three page reflection to hand in, I would likely write about each text and make sure to state key points of each text.  This blog has allowed me to allow myself to question the world based on the texts we read.  This in itself is refreshing and reinvigorating.  With my new found questioning, I find a stronger voice, especially in the teaching field.  As you know, I do not currently teach, which leaves me feeling less confident in my assertions.  This blog offers me the public space understand my own thinking.

To answer the question of how often I think when I write, I say more than I used to.  Of course we are always thinking, but the deep, actively engaged kind of thinking is what I assume the question is referring to.  Certainly the amount the thinking changes based on each task.  For instance, while writing in my personal journal I am thinking at least ninety percent of the time.  The other ten percent is my metacognitive awareness of being consice and sense of story.  For academic purposes, I would say I might think less simply because I tend to over rely on texts.  I am however starting to shift my thinking and allow myself to pause and ponder what I actually read.

Entry 4

Each of the readings this week discussed familiar topics in the literacy program at Nazareth.  The glaring issue the authors seemed to be touching on was the issue of approach to reading and writing instruction.  Is it better to teach bottom-up (skill approach) or top-down (strategy approach)?  While skills are necessary to promote overall growth in student reading and writing, a strategy approach or top-down model of instruction would best benefit students.  Furthermore, if a strategy approach is more beneficial, should we teach strategies implicitly or explicitly?

As an adolescent teacher I most certainly favor the top-down strategy approach to reading and writing instruction.  First and foremost, students need to understand the larger idea behind the tasks we ask them to complete.  Once students grasp the purpose of a task, then they will be better equipped to have success.  As I read the Kucer and Rhodes article (1986), I started to disagree with the importance of teaching only “discrete language elements” (p. 186).  By focusing only on skills before moving to strategies, students are left with disconnected processes in regard to literacy practices.  How then, can we expect students to magically intuit the connection between those discretely taught skills and strategies?  It may sound as though I do not support teaching skills, I do; however, emphasis on skills should be minimal and clearly secondary to strategies.

I think strategies are vital for students.  Collins (1998) described writing strategies as “deliberate thinking procedures writers use to solve problems that they encounter while writing” (Tompkins, 2009, p. 57).  Throughout my coursework in the literacy program, I have been exposed to many definitions of strategies.  I agree strongly with this quote because a strategy is the metacognitive awareness of how to solve a problem  in a given situation.  So much of what literacy specialists and teachers are trying to accomplish is to teach students how to problem solve.  Especially, in the twenty-first century age of diectic technology (Leu, 2000), the need to adapt to change and problem solve is more pertinent.  People in the twenty-first century are required to solve problems daily, including problems never encountered before.  I was very excited to watch a WXXI program on Digital Media because James Gee spoke on learning and where education is headed.  One particular concept he mentioned was that teachers could easily use game production (i.e. students creating games related to content) as a way to teach problem solving skills.  In tern, state-wide testing could be eliminated because students would have strong evidence of learning by their developed games.  For example, one class was creating a game based on Aesop’s Fables.  Students had to create a plot line and maintain character integrity throughout their game, but they also had to explore and discover different plot elements that may not have been found in the actual story in order to create their game.  I just thought the game concept is a new and refreshing way to use digital tools at the heart of standards-based instruction.

Furr’s (2003) conversation of “Engfish” is unfortunately a truth in our schools.  In the English subject area, I think it’s common practice to find teachers using formulaic essays and essay formats.  Then, students get to higher level education and struggle because they never had enough time to experiment with language play.  In the WXXI program about Digital Media the importance of play was stressed.  Play is essential to discovery in learning.  I completely agree with a constructivist approach to learning.  Furr’s examples of student learning are somewhat in line with a constructivist approach.  Students are immersed in content, then asked to write at their own pace about the subject.  

Thinking about a constructivist approach to learning starts to make me think about implicit or explicit teaching.  Initially, one would think that a complete constructivist approach would only have implicit instruction and learning; however, I believe a balanced approach would best suit the needs of our learners.  Although I am clearly in the constructivist camp, I do believe there is a time and place to explicitly teach students skills.  Deciding what time is appropriate falls on the teacher and how well she/he knows  his/her students abilities.

Entry 3

          As choice is part of an effective writing workshop, the addition of an RSS and/or social bookmarking tool further promotes choice as a “foundation of writing workshop” (Hicks, 2009, p. 15).  From my limited experience with an RSS in class and otherwise, I still find it valuable for students.  The myriad of information available on the internet can be overwhelming, so having a filter of related information is a fantastic way to focus thinking about a topic.  Hick’s essential questions when using an RSS with students are great because they go beyond a singular lesson about source reliability.  The questions have students begin to narrow their topic and consider how the digital tools will aid them in gathering the information.  

I particularly liked the student response about blogging.  The student hits the nail on the head.  She articulates “[blogging] is about creating a space...to safely extend and explore...online voices” (Hicks, 2009, p.22).  I got really excited when I saw this quote in the chapter because it described exactly what blogging should be.  The purpose of each blog can range but the main point for a blog is to create another written voice.  Students can gain so much from their posts.  First, they immediately have a built-in audience.  Secondly, their work is codified like a book, but more malleable because they can comment.  As instructors, we want our students to develop a strong sense of voice and authorship.  By the immediacy of publishing on a blog, students can start to realize the power that writing can provide for them. 

Personally, the concept of social bookmarking is completely new and different to me.  Experimenting with it in class has made me realize how helpful it is in sorting and storing information.  The biggest benefit is that you basically have a personalized database of articles and websites tailored to your topic of interest.

In terms of conferring using these digital spaces, I am quite excited.  I think its great to be able to extend collaboration beyond the classroom walls and time constraints.  Students will hopefully take new learning in class and continue to think of related concepts.  In fact, our writing group is using the Wiki to track our meetings and status of group.  We hope to confer between class meetings about our writing as well.  I like having access to the Wiki in this way because it makes me feel more connected to my writing group.

The biggest thing I take from the reading is that these digital media spaces, blogs, RSS, and social bookmarking, are available to make stronger, wider reaching, and more focused connections between topics and individuals.  One key kernel to consider is how are we as teachers going to relay to students that the digital tools we use in class can aid them in endeavors outside of class.  Many times we speak about digital media and come up with relatively minimal uses of the tools available.  That may be the case; however, as teachers we are responsible for teaching students how to access and use these digital tools to help them understand new knowledge now and in the future.  Personally, I am really starting to grasp the importance of technology in the classroom.  I think the biggest issue for technology is access and creating habits of use.  Students are more than willing to use technology while learning because it is motivating, but what good is motivation when schools have not embraced digital tools beyond visiting the library or computer lab once during a research project?  I think we need to push our thinking even further than we have already.  What are other ways that teachers can incorporate or even use technology to drive instruction?  How can we use technology at the heart of our instruction?

Entry 2

      My last teaching experience was in an eighth grade English class in which some students were also labeled with special needs, such as LD or ADHD.  My cooperating teacher was keen that digital media and writing were becoming more linked and had created a class blog.  The blog was an option for students to respond for their independent reading tasks, so it was not mandatory.  In addition, use of the blog was not expanded to other areas of the English curriculum, likely due to limited access of computers at home.  However, in terms of digital space, my cooperating teacher laid a foundation for using technology and writing in her curriculum.
     Setting up a digital workshop would not be too difficult once students were familiar with the structure of the writing workshop (Tomkins, Ch. 2).  Incorporated within the traditional writing workshop, a teacher could easily have a mini lesson on the procedures of an online digital writing workshop. Success of a digital writing workshop relies on similar principles of a traditional writing workshop.  First and foremost, a community of writers should be stressed.  Students should understand that a blog or other media writing space is another form of published writing.  Furthermore, students should understand the importance of "blogging etiquette" (i.e.understanding a blog is a public space and that responses may not be removed once posted).  Students should be explicitly explained assignment expectations and be well-informed of the purpose of each assignment, which will help ensure an extension of the classroom, rather than simply using technology for technology's sake.  Hicks adds, "Understanding when, why, and how to use different forms of media to convey a particular message requires a working knowledge of the mode...audience [expectations]...how to effectively manipulate the media" (2009, p. 127).  The goal of a digital writing workshop is to obtain the knowledge Hicks describes here: audience and mode.  These to key elements add or detract from particular writing pieces when published in digital media places.
      Other necessities would be access to computers, hopefully on a daily or every other day basis.  Therefore students will continually work on their writing in a recursive way.  In addition, I would need to decide which digital writing spaces would best suite the needs of my learning goals and students.  For instance, most students would likely be familiar with a blog, however, perhaps not for academic purposes.  A Wiki or audio anthology may be more difficult for some students to understand how they work.  To resolve technological discrepancies, I would have students complete a survey with specific questions regarding their personal experience with the media options I was considering for class assignments.  Then, I would have a class discussion about technology preferences and set up general guidelines for digital etiquette, including student input.  Initially, I would experiment with a blog or wiki by incorporating digital responses as an option for students.  This would allow me to gage the level of comfort and professionalism my students had.  Once, it was evident students were comfortable enough with using this kind of technology for school purposes, I would enlarge the use of digital media for a literature study.
      My ultimate goal for using digital media spaces for academic purposes is to have students deeply interact with content material using the digital media in hopes that the technology would allow for a more sustained, deep pondering of the content.  I think a key point to remember about writing with technology is that the writing becomes more malleable so it can be revised easier over a period of time.  I would convey this purpose to students so that they would realize exactly why we are using this technology.  Particularly, for the literature study, I may have students write a blog through the eyes of a specific character as they read a text.  In that way, students would still write in journal form, which would be in alignment with their background knowledge of blogs.  I may add a class Wiki for specific questions at certain points in a text, which would enhance in-class discussions.  I would love to have questions to ponder before class and after class discussions on a Wiki so that students would be emersed in the content of the text while studying it.  Once I had a general practice of using digital media spaces in the ways described I would then consider using this technology to assess students knowledge at the end of a unit.  At that time, I may give options such as an audio anthology; however, the options for the assessment would be very specific and in direct correlation with the content of the unit.

Entry 1

   Writing is an integral part of my teaching cirriculum.  One obvious reason is that my content area is English and I am charged with teaching students how to write for multiple purposes; however, my passion for writing and the writing process is deeper than simply teaching students how to write for descrete purposes.  I see writing as play with language. It's a chance for someone to actually manipulate language and decide what works or does not. Writing is an imperative part of reading. Understanding how an entire writing piece is composed will only aid students in their understanding of reading.
    Unfortunately, writing as actual writers do is simplified to a specific, almost mathmatical, equation in classrooms today.  My classroom community would early on understand why writing is so important to practice and the freedom writing offers, personally and otherwise. Although the writing process itself is clearly defined by many scholars and teachers, enacting each step to its fullest extent is not so prevalent in classrooms. 
   Our readings for tonight's class really sparked my own thoughts about what I believe about teaching writing. Tompkins quoted several authors, as stated in our class discussion Sommers reminds teachers that "writing [is] a revision procession in which writers develop their ideas, not polish their writing" (p.7). This quote resonated with me because students today, and myself as a struggling writer, fully believe the purpose of revision is to "correct" our poor langauge use. In my class, I would try to combat this particular assumption with appropriate modeling of revision versus editing, and focus students' attention on their ideas and organization before miniscule spelling errors. I hope my students would realize that writing is important because it helps one understand how language works. The last thing I would hope to find in my classroom is a student so paralized to write due to fear of writing incorrectly. There is no way to improve if there is nothing to improve upon.
   A planned trajectory for the schoolyear would include major writing assignments, for personal expression and more formal academic writings throughout all units. A reading unit should always include writing activities and assignments for assessment. I plan on students writing in personal teacher-student journals at least once a week to informally connect with students and model writing. In addition, my understandings of writing to learn activities would be used throughout lessons to generate student thinking in different ways other than simply discussing a topic with a nieghbor. I believe the inner dialogue between the self and the writer that is the self is a unique conversation a student can have.
   One way to connect students with each other and myself would be to have a class blog. Now that I am more comfortable with blogging in general, I feel I could direct my students to do the same.  Blogging can be a great tool for connecting peers and extending student thinking about texts, topics, and discussions.  I would hope that my students would have access to a computer to partake in such an activity, but I realize that is not always possible.  Instead, I may still incorporate blogging into a class experience and possibley complete a shared writing piece (Tompkins, Ch.1). I still am not completely familiar with all the technology available on the internet that can extend student writing activities.

Hola!

Hey there, welcome to my blog. My name is Emily and this is my second blog for a class. I'm excited blogging again because I plan to use it more readily.