Blogs

After last week's class, I feel kind of bad that I didn't realize how "big" blogs were. We were talking about how people can lose their jobs over what they put on their blog, and that didn't make since to me. It seemed weird that people could just go and read your blog, especially people that you didn't want there. I guess that I thought a blog was for groups like this class, or where people go to a specific place on the Internet and talk about it. I had no idea that blogs can be linked to one's website and name, etc. I guess I was thinking that if I hated my boss, and wrote about it on my own personal blog, that my boss wouldn't go looking on the web for my blog that he/she didn't know about in the first place. The blog to me seems like the only one reading it is me. Well, I felt a little stupid when Shipka said something along the lines of you must be an idiot to write stuff like that on your blog because I had argued the free speech thing. I probably would not write about my boss on my blog, not because of getting fired, or well because I don't have a boss, but because I just don't care enough to about write about someone I dislike. I'm sure that is opposite for many people, but hey. I just didn't realize how much blogs are actually used, but now I think I understand how widely accepted and looked at they are. I guess I need to think twice about what I say on these blogs, because honestly I still feel like they are very personal, and almost an extension of the classroom.
Just thought I'd put that out there for the whole wide world to see.

Motivation 486

The chapter by Donald Graves, An Examination of the Writing Processes of Seven-Year-Old Children, was very interesting to me. First of all, I really enjoy case studies. I'm not sure why, but after I took adolescent psychology I just love case studies! This one was interesting because of the results. It was no surprise to me that there was a difference in the processes between sexes. I've seen that many times before and will see it many times again. The part that surprised me most was the result on motivation. In the Learning Environment section, under number 2, it says, " Results of writing done in the informal environments demonstrate that children do not need motivation or supervision in order to write" (LE 31) . I am happy to see that result. There are always questions like, "well, if you don't force a topic, or a type of writing on students, what will be there motivation to write?" I have always believed that there is motivation to write without being forced to. It is very interesting as to why the students write, but I think that answer would be different for each student. Some students may not have motivation to write, but I still think that depends on what people consider writing. Teachers may think that they have a student completely unmotivated when it comes to writing, but that student may love to "write" his or her own way. For example, my four year old nephew does not know how to write because he is four. I think that he still "writes" in his own way. He organizes things so that he can tell a story later. He will put certain cars (like a porshe) in certain spots, on different colored paper (yellow), then later at dinner he will tell us a story about how the guy in the porshe was driving one day on a long road but couldn't see because the sun was in his eyes, and so on. Is that writing? I kind of think that it is. He is not in school and is not asked to tell stories or to do the things he does, but he sure is motivated to do them.
Anyway, the whole subject on motivation in writing, process, whatever is so amazing to me. There are a lot of avenues to look down in this subject. I guess my point is that we as teachers do not need to do as much forcing or assigning as we do now. I know that teachers don't have the freedom that we all want, but I think we need to give the students a lot more credit then we do. They are capable for much more than people may think. We just need to find a way to bring it out, without forcing it out.

Online Class!! 486

Well,
That was really interesting. I think that it is more difficult and easier at the same time to hold class online. It is more difficult because it tends to go all over the place. It is hard to read every ones comments and try to respond to all of them, especially being the slow typist that I am. Also, there wasn't too much Internet jargon, but I am not familiar with the jargon, so that can be a problem. I swear I didn't know lol until last year!!
The positives are that everyone says what they want. You don't have to wait until someone is finished to raise your hand and possibly talk. You just type what you want and people either respond or not. It also gives people who are not big public speakers a chance to say more than they would in class. People tend to break out of their shell on the Internet.
Anyway, I enjoyed the class today though I wouldn't want to do this everyday.
There was a lot of good insight into the process of writing. I do think that the process is important to teaching writing, but I also think it is a hard thing to really teach. What process??? Who's process do we teach?? Do we all really have or need the same process for writing? That is where I think teaching process becomes difficult. There are the standard text book ways of gathering ideas, brainstorming, etc. What about the process of hands on experience? Can I take my students outside and have them collect rocks for their writing process? This may actually work for a student, maybe two, what about the rest? That is how I feel about what is being taught now. It doesn't apply to everyone. What does then?? I think it is important for students discover their own process, and I'm not sure how to start them in that direction. Maybe giving them different examples, trying out different things? I liked the ideas for meditation, journals, and use of analogy in Landmark Essays. (Perl, 14)
Content is also very important in writing and I think that the process loses touch with content sometimes. The process can't be everything. The content has to get in there in order for the product to be meaningful. Content can't be everything either, so there needs to be a good mixture of the two. This will take a lot of idea gathering and practice, but I'm up for it!

It's Happening! 486

After just leaving class, talking about the happening movement, I would like to add some more: Silence as Experience, by Deena Metzger. It interested me right away because of the Cal Arts reference, which I used to live less than half a mile from. It then got me interested by describing the silence workshop. I think that this is a cool idea. Personally I don't need silence to write, but there are times when I am writing something for personal reasons when I really enjoy the silence. This workshop provides the students with a chance to find their "inner self" which to me is that little voice that I hear when I am writing, guiding me through my experiences, preferences, pleasures, dislikes, etc. Maybe I sound crazy now, but does anyone know what I mean? Anyway, I think it is important to have the time and the means to be able to find that or to at least be able to be focused on something for a good amount of time without distraction, unless of course silence is a distraction to you. My point I guess is that Metzger's workshop was a neat "experiment" if you will, to see what the final product is. It was nice that they had a choice of what to do as well. They were not given a topic or style to write about, they could even draw if they wanted, or nap!
It was weird though that Metzger said that she wanted the students to "turn inward" and "avoid the distraction of others," yet they all ate at the same time in a ritualistic manner, as well as opening and closing the day. Anyway, I did like it and actually may try it in one of my classes in the future, but they sure as hell aren't all coming over to my house!!!!
I also enjoyed Freshman Masks, by Robert Lambert, because it gave some good ways to have the students identify their own writing. Some students may not actually realize how pretentious they actually sound in their writing. I like the idea of reading examples from other papers that sounds similar and having them hear it. I think it is important to do something about these "masks" so that the students will have a real chance to express THEMSELVES and not someone that they think they should represent.
Not excited about leaving this building and walking to my car with the snow wind in my face.

thoughts on teaching writing, etc.. 486

Okay...I'm back.
I'm really upset that I can't access blogger from my computer. Not sure why, it just isn't cool.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I think it is important to teach students how to write. It may be pointless to those who believe that writing is "out of style" or whatever, but I disagree. I think writing will always be in style in one form or another. It is part of who we are. Technology can try all it wants, and I'm sure it will get pretty far, but still....writing a poem, a story, an essay, a book, a passage, whatever, is important. Not all students will use their writing abilities to their full potential, but not all students use math or science to their full potential either. We all learn a variety of things in school that may or may not help us in the career we choose, but they do expand our minds, and give us more knowledge for those moments that happen once in a while when we NEED math or we NEED to figure something out, etc. Integrating technology and "new media" into our curriculum for English is fine, I understand that it is important to be literate in that field as well, but not to the extend of taking any other form of writing away. David may be great at web design, but I don't want to teach web design. I want to teach literature, writing, etc. Some is okay...but not too much..I guess that is my point.
Okay, so I'm gonna go watch the Grammys now...the Police are performing!

My first time.....blogging 486

okay.....I am in this now.
Thank you to those who have helped me become blog literate. ( well, sort of)
Anyway, I guess I'll start with day one....Amish people.
I think that we should all become like the Amish people.
Why do I say this? Well, things would be more simple I guess.
Why more simple?
Well, we would focus more on our community and more on the people in it, and that is a good thing. We wouldn't be so caught up in computers and the Internet, websites and e-mailing each other, cell phones and all of that sort of stuff. I'm not saying that that stuff is bad or wrong, but it does make our lives a bit more impersonal if you ask me. I say this because when was the last time we wrote an actual letter, like the Amish do, to a friend, a relative, etc.? Letters are personal because it is in our own writing, it is a work that represents us through paper, ink, words, etc. An e-mail or a text message, although it does serve a functional purpose, is less personal. It is the computer or the phone that is doing the work...the computer or phone serves as the paper that you no longer need to supply, the editor because you no longer need to know how to spell, the post office because you no longer need to stick an envelope on it and send it out!
Same thing with phone conversations. Why call someone when you can e-mail or text them? I understand that the phone can be expensive or whatever, but I really miss hearing somebody's voice on the phone, or even meeting them somewhere to talk face to face.
Well, that went off a little, sorry.
You get my point I'm sure.
Maybe I just need to get hip.
Maybe I'm not cool.
Maybe my lack of technology puts a damper on my social life.
Who knows?
This is fun though.....this blog thing.
I'm having a good time.
Okay, I'll stop.