So here I am blogging about readings from the UIWP Summer Institute again. What a familiar position to be in this time of summer, having spent the last three summers involved in this wonderful group. In fact, I have been involved so long I have read the Yancey article multiple times. I suspected I had a previous blog entry on it, but if I do, I can’t seem to find it. Since I have not re-read it this summer, I can speak to it only vaguely at this point. I know that my first reading of it convinced me that what I did in a classroom had to change. I found her article powerful enough that I have, for the last few years, made copies to put outside my office during parent/teacher conferences so those parents waiting might pick it up and read it. I find her argument convincing — and a bit frightening. I am an old dog to have to learn these new tricks.
Likewise, I got the impression I had read Teaching the New Writing (Herrington, et. al.) before, although it may simply be a case of having looked through a chapter or hearing someone else talk about it in a previous book group. I must admit to not being as enthusiastic about this one. I am usually quite enthusiastic about books that give practical applications to all the theoretical, change-is-gonna-come talk, and this book does that with the numerous chapters on various classrooms. Perhaps the lack of a single voice is the issue. Deborah Dean manages so adeptly, I think, to talk theory then ground it in real classroom experience. Her works I find more engaging. Voice may be the issue.
And admittedly, I skipped the first chapters about elementary school since that is not my area. I approached the chapter “Be a Blogger: Social Networking in the Classroom” eagerly. I am always looking for ways to link my students. Something about Allison’s work, though, put me off. Too involved, I think. Too much “get hooked up to that so you can get connected to this so you can write whatnot” for my needs. Still, I think maybe some underlying pieces of what he discussed might be molded into something I could find more useable.
As I try to put into writing my thoughts on this book, I find myself with a vague dissatisfaction that I have trouble nailing down. I did not find the book so tedious I put it aside, but I did not find it particularly engaging, either. One particular I can point to, though, was my disappointment with the last chapter and assessment. Assessment is the constant thorn in my side. How do we incorporate the technology and all it means into the firmly-established “process” mold and come out with some viable way to assess the results? I did not find an answer in this book.
Would I recommend it? With reservations. For someone just engaging with technology and the teaching of writing, yes. For someone deeper into that pedagogy, maybe not.
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June 15, 2011 at 4:03 am
wkbj79
Regarding Teaching the New Writing, you said, “And admittedly, I skipped the first chapters about elementary school since that is not my area.” This was my first inclination as well. I realized, though, that my lack of familiarity of students’ writing at an elementary level might not be a good thing, and that this reading could help change that. When I read through those chapters, I became even more thankful that eighth grade is the lowest grade that I teach! I firmly believe that it is more important for writers to express ideas, then (if ever) worry about conventions, but some of the sample writings had such poor conventions that extracting meaning out of them took a considerable amount of effort. I am glad that there are teachers out there that are willing and able to sift through writing such as “so he wanted to be ferro so he be came a soldier leader so she die her son be cam a ferro so he read of hacifes as ferro an he rewrot the histre then her son ruled the wold for 25 years.” I am certainly not one of those teachers.
I think that having a better of understanding of expectations of students’ writing at an elementary level will help me as a teacher, as I will hopefully have a better understanding where my students are coming from and better enable them to improve their writing. I especially enjoyed the list of teachers’ roles on page 44. Concepts on the list include: model and encourage revision, provide and model organization, model rereading, play devil’s advocate, model word processing formatting, and direct. I feel that I already address these aspects to some extent, but being more conscious of these aspects is definitely beneficial. The fact that some students are exposed to teachers to teachers who address these aspects in elementary school comforts me for some reason.
As for your second-to-last paragraph, I strongly agree with what you said in the first two sentences. I think that I would have found the book more enjoyable if there would have been transitions provided between essays rather than just putting all of the essays consecutively. I also think that the lack of a single voice caused some dissatisfaction.
June 15, 2011 at 7:01 pm
Daniel Kuglich
Assessment. Yeah, no matter what innovative things we do in the classroom, there is always going to be some pushing back from ‘higher powers’ with regard to assessment. I think the best we can do is to have clearly established guidelines and expectations.
I think we also need to reiterate to students that newish ‘modes’ of writing don’t necessarily require you to toss out everything you’ve ever learned. For example, concepts of voice, audience, specific detail and support, etc. are timeless.
June 16, 2011 at 2:48 pm
stephanieuiwp
When a group of this read the book last year, we sectioned the book off, and I think is the reason we loved it. We all read the intro and the conclusion, and split up the chapters according to what pertained to our disciplines. We then discussed each section and found what was most useful. Perhaps that should have been a disclaimer…
Regardless, assessment is my biggest issue. I have been talking about it so much this week alone, I hope I can find some answers by the end of the SI. Maybe I will find some answers in my first reading group book- I’ll let you know how it goes.