Writing Essays: Christensen & Hawley Turner and Hicks
It's interesting that this weeks topic is teaching students to write essays, since as students we write so many of them ourselves. It seems as though each week, I'm writing something. Some long, some short, some free write and some that require certain structures. I took a lot away from the readings, I think they each make some very important and vital points for teaching the writing of essays.
First, I read Hawley Turner and Hick. Their main focus is on writing essays with argument in the digital world. Something that I think a lot of people forget is that once you publish something out there on the internet, it's there forever. Some day down the line, someone will find who you wish didn't. I, personally, am very careful about what I publish. I tend to shy away from posting very personal issues or facts, I keep my political and religious opinions to myself, and I mainly go online to post about my obsession for anything Real Housewives. Even then though, I'm so careful about what I write because as in the example of Dr. Raff's post about vaccines, Kristen saw the post on a friend's Facebook. People do look at what we post, and they share, and they share, and they share. A small post about how someone hates a certain politician may make it all the way around the world and back again, before you even realize it.
If we're writing an opinion piece on the internet, it needs to be well written. We need to revise it and review it for mistakes and make sure that what we share is actually something we want out there. There may not be a specific format to follow when positing digitally, but there is a thing called ethics, and class.
I like the quote "Crafting arguments in a digital world could be one of our greatest opportunities to improve dialogue across cultures and continents, or it could contribute to creating or continuing bitter divides." This really sums up the act of publishing online. It could go one of two ways, and as much as we think we may know, we really never do. People could love it, or they could trash it. We need to consider that when posting anything. Can you handle having your work torn apart or ridiculed? Can you handle having it shared with anyone? What would your mother say if she read that? (The is what I tell the students I meet when they talk about posting!)
I'm not against posting and having a digital argument or discussion. I just think it's important to think it through first, and be sure you stand by what you're writing/sharing.
Christensen. Oh Christensen. She's so great. Her methods of teaching are just what we need. I want to start this part of the blog with a quote of hers.
"When students write for a teacher instead of writing out of a compelling need to speak out, the writing is often tedious, not worth writing, and not worth reading."
That's insane. It's 100% true. They need to feel passion behind their writing, otherwise the point it dead. We need to give them some structure when writing, of course. They need guidelines and some prompts. But when we give them the ability to have some control over what they write, there really isn't any limits to their abilities. I hope that my students are as fueled to write and revise as her students. They seem so passionate and proud of their work, and there isn't anything better than that.
Another important point she makes is that we need to think about the audience of our piece. Who are we writing for? Why are we writing this? What makes this story or piece special? I usually think about who ill read my piece when writing. If it's just something a professor will read, I write a specific way. If I write with the intent of publishing, then it's completely different. We need to be aware, and in turn teach our students to be aware of what or who they're writing for, and why.
For the last part of my blog, I want to leave another quote from Christensen. It supports everything that I believe as an educator, that no matter what, all students are capable. They just need some guidance and reassurance.
"Teaching essay writing requires a nonnegotiable belief that students can write, and that they have something important to say."
Wow, right??
First, I read Hawley Turner and Hick. Their main focus is on writing essays with argument in the digital world. Something that I think a lot of people forget is that once you publish something out there on the internet, it's there forever. Some day down the line, someone will find who you wish didn't. I, personally, am very careful about what I publish. I tend to shy away from posting very personal issues or facts, I keep my political and religious opinions to myself, and I mainly go online to post about my obsession for anything Real Housewives. Even then though, I'm so careful about what I write because as in the example of Dr. Raff's post about vaccines, Kristen saw the post on a friend's Facebook. People do look at what we post, and they share, and they share, and they share. A small post about how someone hates a certain politician may make it all the way around the world and back again, before you even realize it.
If we're writing an opinion piece on the internet, it needs to be well written. We need to revise it and review it for mistakes and make sure that what we share is actually something we want out there. There may not be a specific format to follow when positing digitally, but there is a thing called ethics, and class.
I like the quote "Crafting arguments in a digital world could be one of our greatest opportunities to improve dialogue across cultures and continents, or it could contribute to creating or continuing bitter divides." This really sums up the act of publishing online. It could go one of two ways, and as much as we think we may know, we really never do. People could love it, or they could trash it. We need to consider that when posting anything. Can you handle having your work torn apart or ridiculed? Can you handle having it shared with anyone? What would your mother say if she read that? (The is what I tell the students I meet when they talk about posting!)
I'm not against posting and having a digital argument or discussion. I just think it's important to think it through first, and be sure you stand by what you're writing/sharing.
Christensen. Oh Christensen. She's so great. Her methods of teaching are just what we need. I want to start this part of the blog with a quote of hers.
"When students write for a teacher instead of writing out of a compelling need to speak out, the writing is often tedious, not worth writing, and not worth reading."
That's insane. It's 100% true. They need to feel passion behind their writing, otherwise the point it dead. We need to give them some structure when writing, of course. They need guidelines and some prompts. But when we give them the ability to have some control over what they write, there really isn't any limits to their abilities. I hope that my students are as fueled to write and revise as her students. They seem so passionate and proud of their work, and there isn't anything better than that.
Another important point she makes is that we need to think about the audience of our piece. Who are we writing for? Why are we writing this? What makes this story or piece special? I usually think about who ill read my piece when writing. If it's just something a professor will read, I write a specific way. If I write with the intent of publishing, then it's completely different. We need to be aware, and in turn teach our students to be aware of what or who they're writing for, and why.
For the last part of my blog, I want to leave another quote from Christensen. It supports everything that I believe as an educator, that no matter what, all students are capable. They just need some guidance and reassurance.
"Teaching essay writing requires a nonnegotiable belief that students can write, and that they have something important to say."
Wow, right??
Lila, I really enjoyed how you added in your own ideas on how to teach students about the dangers and risks there are when publishing pieces online. The part when you add, (this is what I tell my students) is what I feel when I think about how exposed the younger generations are. Things that they look at as silly, "no big deal" and "just a snapchat" are taking over in really huge ways. Students have been expelled from well known private schools because of a snapchat they posted of another student in the school "conducting themselves in an inappropriate way" (for a lack of better words) The student who had recorded was also expelled and was criminally charged! CHARGED! Students do not realize that what they do online can substantially affect them in the future! We really need to teach our students that there are consequences for their actions on digital platforms.
ReplyDeleteLila, you talking about the dangers of thoughtless posting made me think of a recent development in my home town where a TEACHER in the district starting the ball rolling on a horrible rumor that a 12 year-old student was pregnant. She used her power as a teacher to tell her daughter, who is a classmate of the girl, that she's not allowed to be friends with this student. This caused the teacher's daughter to spread the vicious slander across the whole school and it caused severe psychological damage to the student being targeted. The poor kid has been suicidal and had to switch her classes to avoid being in the same room as the teacher's daughter. The teacher was removed from the middle school, but she was placed at a different school and she's still working for the district. This happened in March this year and it was only on October 22 that they were grudgingly bringing the matter up in the latest school committee meeting. The parents are seeking justice and nothing is being done about it. There are some adults that need to learn this lesson that ethics applies in all situations. It shouldn't matter that this teacher told her daughter something about another student at home. She handed her daughter the tools to be a bully. There has to be consequences for people who think they're above the rules.
ReplyDeleteRight! WOW!! I appreciate that you put category of your reading and thinking together. It is so easy to read and say, yes, yes, yes, and yes. Katie, Maddie, and Bianca said everything there is to say. I don’t see the point to repeat what they said, but I want to express that I enjoy reading your blog very much every time. I could relate to your thinking and so many times, I say, yes I wish I knew how to write this and that. Im on a learning mode right now. :)
ReplyDelete