personal writing assignments

Conners has an interesting point. I agree that most people, as do I, take a middle position here. I think that we shouldn't just be focusing on academic writing. We shouldn't just focus on personal writing. There is a need for both, and both should be taught. I think that the individual should be celebrated, and is a great way to start writing. I won't say that it is easier, but I will say that personal experience is already in one's head, it doesn't have to be learned. The writing itself has to be learned, but the content isn't copied or given from a textbook. I think there was a time when the individual was no longer expressed, and only the academic, or technical writing was what was being produced in writing classrooms. I think that now maybe some classrooms have personal writing, but in general , personal writing is another class, another genre.......an elective. That is what bothers me, if we are going to have separate genres here, then they both should be mandatory. They both supply students with different tools and skills needed for writing. So, that is where I stand on that.