2. The article "Writing Now'" confirmed my thinking about the effects of school based writing instruction on young peoples abilities to read and write. I agree with the article "writing instructors need to help students meet the challenges of writing effectively for many purposes (Writing Now, 2008). We as teachers need to set the example for students to write properly. We can't complain that students don't know who to write properly if we don't show. Digital media is changing the way we write but as teachers we must meet that demand by offering our students to meet that demand.
3. "Writing Now," article states " growing demands for good writers require more time and attention devoted to writing instruction and assessment in order to prepare all students for the changing world" (Writing Now, 2008). I think this means that educators need to choose more meaning writing instructions to have a more positive effect on children's abilities to read and write. For example choose writings that are meaningful. Children learn better the subject matter is built on their interest. My example is if you want the children to write a book report, allow them to choose the book. Teachers may hesitate to do that because this may mean that every student will choose a different book, but their writings maybe more meaningful because they book meant something to them.
Video
This video is supports my idea of encouraging children to write what is meaningful to them. The children in the video are creating a play based on their ideas. The teachers comment on how the children are excited to write because it is their idea. I feel that more educators need to take this approach to writing. I think the fear is that they will not cover curriuculm but that couldn't be further from the truth. It is more about allowing the children to help guide curriculum.
References:
A Policy Research Brief. (2008). Writing Now. The National Council of Teachers of English.
Scholastic Books. (n.d.). Can Texting Help With Spelling?Scholastic.
Oxford Digital Media. (2013, August 3). Read Write Inc. (You Tube). Retrieved from http://youtu.be/0ers1OIrAo0
Digital Image
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/2a/94/3b/2a943b770a79d84f0f75225c557e03a8.jpg
Nicole - These articles shed new light on the concept of digital media and how they can positively impact learning for me as well! The ideas that the Scholastic article presented (about texting helping students read, boosting phonology, playing with words, etc.) were things that I hadn't considered before. They make complete sense, but I just had not thought of the other possibilities. I had been familiar with "code-switching" from my English teacher days (formal speech versus informal); however, I had not applied it to the digital media context.
ReplyDeleteI agree that digital media is changing the way we write; however, as you point out, we need to also make sure that our students are adhering to the foundational skills of reading and writing. Digital media definitely enhances the learning experience, but I don't think that we need to totally abandon the "archaic" lessons and learnings of reading and writing; those, IMHO, are what make up a solid foundation for long-term success.
I appreciate your ideas on involving the students as much as possible in developing the assignments. This not only supports their interest and, hopefully, encourages them to do more as they have "ownership" in the assignment, it also allows them to find things that interest them and will, again hopefully, encourage them to stretch their areas of interest and delve deeper into subjects.
Nice post!
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteI am also on the fence over this topic. I do feel that texting has a negative effect on our student's writing abilities because I teach at the high school level and we are pushed to make our students write every day. I do a "quick write" at the beginning of every class. I write a prompt on the board and they have to write at least five complete sentences on that topic using correct grammar, spelling, sentence structure and punctuation. Easy, right? Wrong! I would go out on a limb to say that 50% of them could not do this. Majority of them do not capitalize the beginning of sentences or use any sort of punctuation. They wrote short hand as if they were texting, they received bad grades for these, and they still continued to write this way because their excuse was "it is how they are used to writing". I like the idea Jaime had of making them write in three different ways: if they were texting, to their friends or parents, or as a professional or for a graded essay. That way they can analyze their own writing and critique one another on those skills. I think it does have an effect on our students, but we do have to take control and "teach" them what writing is appropriate in each given situation.
I agree with your statement "that we have to take control and teach them what writing is appropriate in each given situation." It is important to be able to write to your audience and use the correct grammar and punctuation.
DeleteHi Britney, you might be getting bad writing because it seems as if you are treating the quick write assignments as formal writing assignments Quick writes are meant to be informal writing opportunities to help student practice getting their idea down on paper. Remember writing is a process. If you want student to learn and practice conventions associated with academic writing then you need to let the students revise and edit their quick writes,,, preferable in a writers workshop setting.
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