Here is a picture of the front of Ms. Beale's classroom. It looks like controlled chaos, but I'm sure mine will be worse.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Classroom ethnography, supplemental
Here is a picture of the front of Ms. Beale's classroom. It looks like controlled chaos, but I'm sure mine will be worse.
Classroom Ethnography, part the third
I'm sick today, blargh. I've had multiple run-ins with sick people the last few weeks, so it's no surprise. My wife was sick last weekend. Ms. Beale's kids were both sick, one of whom I met. And there were 19 teachers gone on Friday, which meant there had to be something going around.
Oh, yeah, my subbing experience (oh, that sounds dirty). It went great. I taught three classes, 2 sections of AP English 11, and one section of regular English 11. Ms. Beale gave me a very easy day with all three classes, the first two finished up a group writing activity, then started another one. The English 11 class finished up a written paragraph, then did silent reading. I had about three minutes of lecture time total in each class, which is good, because I might not have known what I was talking about.
The students were more energetic and social than they would be for Ms. Beale. I was expecting this, and didn't bother to try to battle them too much. One thing that surprised me is that many students, both AP and regular, were overjoyed when they realized Ms. Beale was gone. "Yes!" they cried. "We have a sub!" Some of them clapped. The clapping sounded ironic, like they were putting on a show for the other students, playing at how overjoyed they were. I discouraged them verbally from cheering, and also said "no clapping." They stopped quite quickly.
Now, if I think about it, I seem to remember students doing this when I was in High School (I never did that. Um, I was a model student.). I can't remember if this was common for every teacher, or if it was only the ones the students didn't like. Will my students rejoice when I call in sick? Another thing that was interesting about this was that it was both the AP and regular classes that reacted this way. I assumed the AP classes would be more reticent in letting a substitute know that they are happy the teacher is gone.
This might be a good example of the classroom community that is established in this room, and the way the students resist it. During normal class time, the students are quiet while Ms. Beale speaks, and they studiously take notes and do their work. They form a line at Ms. Beale's desk when they need questions, and there are very few times when a student is off task, or doing other work.
When I subbed, since I was obviously not a complete authority, the students took liberties with me. Some played with their rubik's cube, some did homework for other classes, some talked with their friends. I circulated the room, and asked questions about the Rubik's cube (I work in a game store, and they've been selling like hot-cakes) and the other homework, and then evaesdropped on some of the social converstaions. I felt like it would have been a constant battle to keep the kids as on task as they would be for Ms. Beale, and so I cut them some slack. This doesn't mean that the entire class was off task, I helped many students with relevant classwork, and made sure that all students accomplished what they needed to in the class period (the AP classes finished the group discussion, and signed up in groups of three for the next assignment, the regular class finished up the paragraph, and did (at least some) silent reading, since they have a large amount of reading due next week.).
One important part of the classroom structure, I think, was the phrase "Ladies and Gentlemen." Both Ms. Beale and the other English 11 teacher use this phrase as a mode of address. It seems to be a very polite attention getter. I noticed, when I used the phrase Ladies and Gentlemen, I seemed to get a more unified and cooperative silence than when I used my preferred mode of address, "Hey, you guys" or "You all" (the American South's crowning acheivement is a gender nuetral second person plural). I found that quite interesting, as they were obviously responding to the phrase, and not to my innate authority. I will probably continue this practice in my student teaching, as it's important to maintain the practices that work best when taking over a classroom as I am.
There are other aspects of authority I wish to extend into my student teaching as well, one of which is the vocabulary which Ms. Beale uses to run her class. In her general English classes, she foscueses on actual rhetorical terms in expository writing, such as claim, evidence and warrant, and ethos, pathos and logos. I don't know if I just took the wrong English classes in High School and college, but this explicit instruction is thrilling and new for me.
On monday, there was one other observation that I found interesting. Ms. Beale had the AP English classes do individual reading conferences, where she would have the student read a piece, and interview him/her on how they understood it. She would also check his/her reading journal. During this time, the other students were working in groups on the assignment I assigned on friday. When the first reading conference was completed, the students automatically became silent (just as silent as when Ms. Beale speakes to them) while the first student related what had happened, and how it went. I found it interesting that the students were very able and willing to collaborate in this fashion.
Later today (after my nap) I'll try to type about the activity systems in place in the classroom.
MadS
Oh, yeah, my subbing experience (oh, that sounds dirty). It went great. I taught three classes, 2 sections of AP English 11, and one section of regular English 11. Ms. Beale gave me a very easy day with all three classes, the first two finished up a group writing activity, then started another one. The English 11 class finished up a written paragraph, then did silent reading. I had about three minutes of lecture time total in each class, which is good, because I might not have known what I was talking about.
The students were more energetic and social than they would be for Ms. Beale. I was expecting this, and didn't bother to try to battle them too much. One thing that surprised me is that many students, both AP and regular, were overjoyed when they realized Ms. Beale was gone. "Yes!" they cried. "We have a sub!" Some of them clapped. The clapping sounded ironic, like they were putting on a show for the other students, playing at how overjoyed they were. I discouraged them verbally from cheering, and also said "no clapping." They stopped quite quickly.
Now, if I think about it, I seem to remember students doing this when I was in High School (I never did that. Um, I was a model student.). I can't remember if this was common for every teacher, or if it was only the ones the students didn't like. Will my students rejoice when I call in sick? Another thing that was interesting about this was that it was both the AP and regular classes that reacted this way. I assumed the AP classes would be more reticent in letting a substitute know that they are happy the teacher is gone.
This might be a good example of the classroom community that is established in this room, and the way the students resist it. During normal class time, the students are quiet while Ms. Beale speaks, and they studiously take notes and do their work. They form a line at Ms. Beale's desk when they need questions, and there are very few times when a student is off task, or doing other work.
When I subbed, since I was obviously not a complete authority, the students took liberties with me. Some played with their rubik's cube, some did homework for other classes, some talked with their friends. I circulated the room, and asked questions about the Rubik's cube (I work in a game store, and they've been selling like hot-cakes) and the other homework, and then evaesdropped on some of the social converstaions. I felt like it would have been a constant battle to keep the kids as on task as they would be for Ms. Beale, and so I cut them some slack. This doesn't mean that the entire class was off task, I helped many students with relevant classwork, and made sure that all students accomplished what they needed to in the class period (the AP classes finished the group discussion, and signed up in groups of three for the next assignment, the regular class finished up the paragraph, and did (at least some) silent reading, since they have a large amount of reading due next week.).
One important part of the classroom structure, I think, was the phrase "Ladies and Gentlemen." Both Ms. Beale and the other English 11 teacher use this phrase as a mode of address. It seems to be a very polite attention getter. I noticed, when I used the phrase Ladies and Gentlemen, I seemed to get a more unified and cooperative silence than when I used my preferred mode of address, "Hey, you guys" or "You all" (the American South's crowning acheivement is a gender nuetral second person plural). I found that quite interesting, as they were obviously responding to the phrase, and not to my innate authority. I will probably continue this practice in my student teaching, as it's important to maintain the practices that work best when taking over a classroom as I am.
There are other aspects of authority I wish to extend into my student teaching as well, one of which is the vocabulary which Ms. Beale uses to run her class. In her general English classes, she foscueses on actual rhetorical terms in expository writing, such as claim, evidence and warrant, and ethos, pathos and logos. I don't know if I just took the wrong English classes in High School and college, but this explicit instruction is thrilling and new for me.
On monday, there was one other observation that I found interesting. Ms. Beale had the AP English classes do individual reading conferences, where she would have the student read a piece, and interview him/her on how they understood it. She would also check his/her reading journal. During this time, the other students were working in groups on the assignment I assigned on friday. When the first reading conference was completed, the students automatically became silent (just as silent as when Ms. Beale speakes to them) while the first student related what had happened, and how it went. I found it interesting that the students were very able and willing to collaborate in this fashion.
Later today (after my nap) I'll try to type about the activity systems in place in the classroom.
MadS
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Classroom Ethnography, part the 2nd
On Friday, I sat down with Ms. Beale and interviewed her. Her son was sick -- in fact, he threw up on her on the way to preschool, and then once again at the high school. She was understandably harried, so her answers may be short. Not that she didn't take the time to answer my questions -- she did, and was very patient with me -- but I'm sure that she also has much more to say. Perferably in a room that doesn't have a wastbasket of her son's vomit in it.
Oh, by the way, there were 19 teachers sick that day, and there were only 15 substitutes in the building. This is not a good correlation. It meant that many teachers had to use their prep time teaching another class. It also meant that I had to substitute teach on Friday, for Ms. Beale. So, now I've officially taught high school. It was fun, although I had a very easy plan, and a very motivated student group (two AP classes, and her best-behaved regular English class) so it was basically a cakewalk. I'll talk more about that later.
*What are you purposes for teaching literature?
Ms. Beale says that she's not a very affective teacher, mostly because she's a self-confessed introvert, but also because she feels that style can be manipulative. She expresses a love of stories, and says that communicating through stories is "part of being human." Also, her primary goal is to improve reading skills and this is easier and more fun with stories.
*What is your philosophy of classroom management?
Here, Ms. Beale quotes another teacher who said "Classroom management starts with a good relationship with your students." She says she tries to keep "some semblance of order" in her classroom, but she struggles sometimes, when students want to focus more on friendships than on the lesson at hand. She will easily point out when students cross the line, but feels bad sometimes when she does this, as it does take classtime away from teaching, which "impedes their learning." She does contact parents if a student has a recurring problem.
Ms. Beale makes it clear that a good relationship doesn't mean become a student's friend. "They have plenty of friends" she says. But she tries to know them, ask about their lives, or what they do in their free time, and try to joke with them.
*How do communicate, both verbally and nonverbally?
Ms. Beale wasn't sure how to answer this question, and I probably wasn't much help. She described the importance of proximity and gaining attention of the student before speaking to them.
*How do you describe a "good" Englsih teacher?
Ms. Beale doesn't think that there is one perfect type of English teacher. The keys to being a good one are a love of the subject and the key concepts, and the ability to work with the school district and handle multiple disciplines. She beleives that she is not just teaching a vague "creativity" skill, but multiple, concrete tools to help students.
She also emphasizes that there are many good teacheers at her school, and they are good because of their passion and ability to work together.
*How do you teaching methods align with your values?
This was a interesting question. Ms. Beale said that she tries to be nuetral in her classroom, that, "like most teachers, I'm Liberal" but that she is also sensitive to other viewpoints, and wishes them to not feel ostracized in her classroom.
Overall, she tries not to be too political in her classroom, but believes it is more important to teach a value of respect for multiple viewpoints. Specifically, she says that her AP classes focus on looking at multiple perspectives, and in her basic classes she teaches persuasion, in order to instill this value. Through this, she also plays a devil's advocate role, as she calls it, "raising the natural next question," in order to refine her students views and opinions.
*How do you interact with students' families?
Ms. Beale bemaons the lack of contact that she sometimes experiences. "I wish there were an easier way to contact them, especially for good things," she says. Most of the time, she admits, when talking to parents, it's bad news. She does send home something at the start of the trimester with information about the class for a parent to look over, but that's usually about it until conferences for most parents. Ms. Beale tries to solve most issues with students by themselves first, before calling parents. It's takes a lot to call home, she says. She does communicate by email with many parents, and she does think this is a good method, but she is very carefull about tone in her email. She relates a story about a past student teacher who wrote emails in a tone similar to his speaking voice, and it didn't translate, and it made some parents upset.
As an aside, she cautions that her school does have some litigious parents, and dealing with them "can be tricky." I feel weird writing that. Like it's a journalistic scoop or something.
*How would you describe your calssroom environment?
One word? Structured.
"For me, structure works." Ms. Beale says. She and her students know what to expect and where to begin. She also hopes that this structure is safe and helpfull for her students.
*What subjects and content areas do you "love" to teach?
"Writing." She says immediately. Literature is hard for her, because so much of it is discussion, and she is, after all, an introvert. She doesn't think creative writing is her strength; she has taught it in the past, but more as experimenting with different established forms and styles than anything else. She does enjoy teaching expository writing, however. She talked of teaching exigence -- which, if she hadn't of spelled for me, I would have had to look up-- or the purpose for writing, and how she enjoys having students brainstorm dillemas and freewrite in order to choose interesting topics. She hopes to teach them to notice details in arguements, and thinks this will lead to improvements in driscussion and writing. She talks of helping students figure out ways to be better writers. She likes freedom in topic choice, but does monitor and limit them where necessary, she isn't afraid to say "for this assignment, it's not going to be [a] good [topic]" and guide them towards something else.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about my substituting experience, along with some notes on the Classroom community. And maybe something else. We'll see.
MadS
Oh, by the way, there were 19 teachers sick that day, and there were only 15 substitutes in the building. This is not a good correlation. It meant that many teachers had to use their prep time teaching another class. It also meant that I had to substitute teach on Friday, for Ms. Beale. So, now I've officially taught high school. It was fun, although I had a very easy plan, and a very motivated student group (two AP classes, and her best-behaved regular English class) so it was basically a cakewalk. I'll talk more about that later.
*What are you purposes for teaching literature?
Ms. Beale says that she's not a very affective teacher, mostly because she's a self-confessed introvert, but also because she feels that style can be manipulative. She expresses a love of stories, and says that communicating through stories is "part of being human." Also, her primary goal is to improve reading skills and this is easier and more fun with stories.
*What is your philosophy of classroom management?
Here, Ms. Beale quotes another teacher who said "Classroom management starts with a good relationship with your students." She says she tries to keep "some semblance of order" in her classroom, but she struggles sometimes, when students want to focus more on friendships than on the lesson at hand. She will easily point out when students cross the line, but feels bad sometimes when she does this, as it does take classtime away from teaching, which "impedes their learning." She does contact parents if a student has a recurring problem.
Ms. Beale makes it clear that a good relationship doesn't mean become a student's friend. "They have plenty of friends" she says. But she tries to know them, ask about their lives, or what they do in their free time, and try to joke with them.
*How do communicate, both verbally and nonverbally?
Ms. Beale wasn't sure how to answer this question, and I probably wasn't much help. She described the importance of proximity and gaining attention of the student before speaking to them.
*How do you describe a "good" Englsih teacher?
Ms. Beale doesn't think that there is one perfect type of English teacher. The keys to being a good one are a love of the subject and the key concepts, and the ability to work with the school district and handle multiple disciplines. She beleives that she is not just teaching a vague "creativity" skill, but multiple, concrete tools to help students.
She also emphasizes that there are many good teacheers at her school, and they are good because of their passion and ability to work together.
*How do you teaching methods align with your values?
This was a interesting question. Ms. Beale said that she tries to be nuetral in her classroom, that, "like most teachers, I'm Liberal" but that she is also sensitive to other viewpoints, and wishes them to not feel ostracized in her classroom.
Overall, she tries not to be too political in her classroom, but believes it is more important to teach a value of respect for multiple viewpoints. Specifically, she says that her AP classes focus on looking at multiple perspectives, and in her basic classes she teaches persuasion, in order to instill this value. Through this, she also plays a devil's advocate role, as she calls it, "raising the natural next question," in order to refine her students views and opinions.
*How do you interact with students' families?
Ms. Beale bemaons the lack of contact that she sometimes experiences. "I wish there were an easier way to contact them, especially for good things," she says. Most of the time, she admits, when talking to parents, it's bad news. She does send home something at the start of the trimester with information about the class for a parent to look over, but that's usually about it until conferences for most parents. Ms. Beale tries to solve most issues with students by themselves first, before calling parents. It's takes a lot to call home, she says. She does communicate by email with many parents, and she does think this is a good method, but she is very carefull about tone in her email. She relates a story about a past student teacher who wrote emails in a tone similar to his speaking voice, and it didn't translate, and it made some parents upset.
As an aside, she cautions that her school does have some litigious parents, and dealing with them "can be tricky." I feel weird writing that. Like it's a journalistic scoop or something.
*How would you describe your calssroom environment?
One word? Structured.
"For me, structure works." Ms. Beale says. She and her students know what to expect and where to begin. She also hopes that this structure is safe and helpfull for her students.
*What subjects and content areas do you "love" to teach?
"Writing." She says immediately. Literature is hard for her, because so much of it is discussion, and she is, after all, an introvert. She doesn't think creative writing is her strength; she has taught it in the past, but more as experimenting with different established forms and styles than anything else. She does enjoy teaching expository writing, however. She talked of teaching exigence -- which, if she hadn't of spelled for me, I would have had to look up-- or the purpose for writing, and how she enjoys having students brainstorm dillemas and freewrite in order to choose interesting topics. She hopes to teach them to notice details in arguements, and thinks this will lead to improvements in driscussion and writing. She talks of helping students figure out ways to be better writers. She likes freedom in topic choice, but does monitor and limit them where necessary, she isn't afraid to say "for this assignment, it's not going to be [a] good [topic]" and guide them towards something else.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about my substituting experience, along with some notes on the Classroom community. And maybe something else. We'll see.
MadS
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Classroom Ethnography, Part the first
I have to do a class ethnography of my cooperating teacher, Ms. Beale, and her high school classroom. I've chosen to focus on her 4th period class, 11th grade English, although I may draw observations from her other classes as well. I will use pseudonyms where applicable, and not mention the school's name, in order to preserve anonymity. The first aspect of the class I am going to focus on is the literate community.
My cooperative teacher is nothing if not a very organized teacher. The students sit at rows of large tables, two students per table, with an aisle down the middle. At the front of the room, she writes the agenda for each of her three or four classes that day on the whiteboard, along with notes that she will refer to throughout the day during class. If you face the front of the room, there are homework buckets lined up on the right hand side, and underneath those are cabinets, clearly labeled with a purple index card of what books are inside, including the Norton Reader. On the left, the blackboard is covered with magnetic poetry, which the students occaisionally play with. Also, there are a few postings and posters for writing contests which the students can enter. The back wall, made up of a large row of windows, is blanketed with posters and colleges, some student made, of various literary and writing devices, terms and advice. Posters are posted around the room as well, two extolling the wisdom of Star Wars, one the TV show Lost, along with a number of comic strips and inspirational posters and quotes that say things such as "Stand up for what is right, even if you stand alone" or "Power is the ability to do good things for others."
Print is used constantly and consistently in the class environment. Handouts and overheads are in great supply. Ms. Beale takes the time to explain many of them in class, although sometimes she leaves students responsible for comprehension. For example, she passed out a handout on how to turn in a persuasive letter, and told the students that they needed to read it completely, or "you will miss a bonus oppurtunity." Students would receive bonus points by assembling his or her letter ahead of time.
Student interaction is largely limited to independent worktime activities. Students are often able to choose topics for writing, for example, they got to choose their topic of the persuasive letter, while they read the same literature, with a set reading schedule. During reading and writing activites, they are expected to monitor their progress, and come to the teacher with any questions. At the end of class, they hand in a half-sheet of paper that lists what they did, and what they plan to do next. During reading the students do annotations of the text, or compose journal entries.
Most teacher questions during work time boil down to "Am I doing this correctly?" Ms. Beale is viewed as the authority in the classroom, and there seems to be little cross-checking between students except for socialization, etc.
My cooperative teacher is nothing if not a very organized teacher. The students sit at rows of large tables, two students per table, with an aisle down the middle. At the front of the room, she writes the agenda for each of her three or four classes that day on the whiteboard, along with notes that she will refer to throughout the day during class. If you face the front of the room, there are homework buckets lined up on the right hand side, and underneath those are cabinets, clearly labeled with a purple index card of what books are inside, including the Norton Reader. On the left, the blackboard is covered with magnetic poetry, which the students occaisionally play with. Also, there are a few postings and posters for writing contests which the students can enter. The back wall, made up of a large row of windows, is blanketed with posters and colleges, some student made, of various literary and writing devices, terms and advice. Posters are posted around the room as well, two extolling the wisdom of Star Wars, one the TV show Lost, along with a number of comic strips and inspirational posters and quotes that say things such as "Stand up for what is right, even if you stand alone" or "Power is the ability to do good things for others."
Print is used constantly and consistently in the class environment. Handouts and overheads are in great supply. Ms. Beale takes the time to explain many of them in class, although sometimes she leaves students responsible for comprehension. For example, she passed out a handout on how to turn in a persuasive letter, and told the students that they needed to read it completely, or "you will miss a bonus oppurtunity." Students would receive bonus points by assembling his or her letter ahead of time.
Student interaction is largely limited to independent worktime activities. Students are often able to choose topics for writing, for example, they got to choose their topic of the persuasive letter, while they read the same literature, with a set reading schedule. During reading and writing activites, they are expected to monitor their progress, and come to the teacher with any questions. At the end of class, they hand in a half-sheet of paper that lists what they did, and what they plan to do next. During reading the students do annotations of the text, or compose journal entries.
Most teacher questions during work time boil down to "Am I doing this correctly?" Ms. Beale is viewed as the authority in the classroom, and there seems to be little cross-checking between students except for socialization, etc.
Quotes that scare me about portfolios
"A portfolio system that promotes self-assessment and self-confidence in students as readers and writers, for example, will look very different from a portfolio that provides a valid and reliable basis for a statewide evaluation of student performance in literacy."
"A portfolio is [...] a collection of information gathered for specific purposes" and "The aim of a portfolio is to advance student learning."
"The accountability portfolio [...] is tightly constrained so that student performance can be more fairly, efficiently, and reliably evaluated on a large scale."
"Portfolios are only as good as the curriculum and instructional opportunities afforded to students"
1st quote. This is a fact of reality. Assessment is different than teaching, yet we require our teachers to be both teachers and assessors. Our assessments already focus what we teach, teachers "teach to the test" willingly and often. Why is that going to change when they can "teach to the portfolio?"
2nd quote. Again, assessing is different from teaching. These sentences seems to suggest that they can and should be combined. Are portfolios the best way to do this?
3rd quote. Be making portfolios more "standardized" how do we avoid the pitfalls of standardized tests?
4th quote. This can be said about any strategy, anywhere. We need teachers to teach better, it's true. If portfolios don't help teachers teach better, what good are they?
MadS
"A portfolio is [...] a collection of information gathered for specific purposes" and "The aim of a portfolio is to advance student learning."
"The accountability portfolio [...] is tightly constrained so that student performance can be more fairly, efficiently, and reliably evaluated on a large scale."
"Portfolios are only as good as the curriculum and instructional opportunities afforded to students"
1st quote. This is a fact of reality. Assessment is different than teaching, yet we require our teachers to be both teachers and assessors. Our assessments already focus what we teach, teachers "teach to the test" willingly and often. Why is that going to change when they can "teach to the portfolio?"
2nd quote. Again, assessing is different from teaching. These sentences seems to suggest that they can and should be combined. Are portfolios the best way to do this?
3rd quote. Be making portfolios more "standardized" how do we avoid the pitfalls of standardized tests?
4th quote. This can be said about any strategy, anywhere. We need teachers to teach better, it's true. If portfolios don't help teachers teach better, what good are they?
MadS
On Revising
I love revising.
I love reworking my own work, I love reworking other's work. I went to school to be an editor. I could revise stuff for hours. I'm the reason that there is a publishing stage in the writing process. Otherwise, nothing would get done. Revisions would recur endlessly.
I actually get upset, for example, if people don't have any comments, or say some hyperbole such as "I wouldn't change a word!" Because, if you wouldn't change a word, you might as well have written it.
I love the discourse that happens in revision, the relationship between the author and audience, whether it is internal or external. The tug and pull. The compromises, the mutual understandings.
A lot of satirists have lampooned workshopping. We got a handout in class that did so, showing how one of Emily Dickinson's poems would be torn to shreds. While they definitely have a point, I think they miss something as well.
Would Dickinson say that that poem was perfect? If yes, you're lying. Simply from the fact that she wrote additional poems, you know the poem isn't perfect. It may have been publishable, it may have been complete in itself, it may even be great, but it wasn't perfect.
If no, what's the harm in workshopping it?
Of course, in school classrooms, workshopping and revising have a different feel. They are a neccesary part of the writing process in the real world (rarely do you not get a chance to revise, and rarely, if you're resourceful, do you not get another pair of eyes on something before it's published), but in the academic world, with it's essay tests and SATs and so on, it's lacking. We have to teach students not just to revise, but to revise while they write. This is one reason why I do not like handing in drafting, especially at once, with the final draft. The teacher should be part of the process, in this case, not just the evaluator of it.
MadS
I love reworking my own work, I love reworking other's work. I went to school to be an editor. I could revise stuff for hours. I'm the reason that there is a publishing stage in the writing process. Otherwise, nothing would get done. Revisions would recur endlessly.
I actually get upset, for example, if people don't have any comments, or say some hyperbole such as "I wouldn't change a word!" Because, if you wouldn't change a word, you might as well have written it.
I love the discourse that happens in revision, the relationship between the author and audience, whether it is internal or external. The tug and pull. The compromises, the mutual understandings.
A lot of satirists have lampooned workshopping. We got a handout in class that did so, showing how one of Emily Dickinson's poems would be torn to shreds. While they definitely have a point, I think they miss something as well.
Would Dickinson say that that poem was perfect? If yes, you're lying. Simply from the fact that she wrote additional poems, you know the poem isn't perfect. It may have been publishable, it may have been complete in itself, it may even be great, but it wasn't perfect.
If no, what's the harm in workshopping it?
Of course, in school classrooms, workshopping and revising have a different feel. They are a neccesary part of the writing process in the real world (rarely do you not get a chance to revise, and rarely, if you're resourceful, do you not get another pair of eyes on something before it's published), but in the academic world, with it's essay tests and SATs and so on, it's lacking. We have to teach students not just to revise, but to revise while they write. This is one reason why I do not like handing in drafting, especially at once, with the final draft. The teacher should be part of the process, in this case, not just the evaluator of it.
MadS
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
On the 5 paragraph essay
What a mess...
Plaid coats ripped to shreds, old denim jeans torn and sundered, corncob pipes splintered and shattered. The horizon is thick with old cloth hats and cotton undershirts, full of holes and unfit for man or scarecrow.
And the straw, my God, the straw...it's knee-deep in places, the air filled with allergens and grass seed.
This is the gruesome consequence of strawman after strawman after strawman being constructed, propped up, and destroyed by both those in favor of, and against, the Five Paragraph Theme (FPT).
What exactly are the two sides of the issue, here? No one, I hope, is saying that the five paragraph theme is completely without merit, that it "must be thrown away entirely" (as Novick states in her letter to English Journal). Instead, the rhetoric seems to focus on how formulaic writing stiffles creative minds. In his critique of the Schaeffer method (essentially a FPT on steriods, with eight-sentence paragraphs and two (no more, no less) comments for every citation), Wiley states "Nevertheless, writing formulas are attractive, precisely because they render the "messy" more manageable. But at what cost?"
At what cost?
A good question. What are we losing, by teaching our students? Surely, Math and Science teachers must ask that question all the time: "If only we hadn't of taught them Euclidian geometry, they might have discovered Non-Euclidian on their own!"
It's the same for Music and Art teachers as well, I'm sure: "Why are we bothering teaching fugues? How droll and repeptitive!"
This idea that we are harming our students by teaching is part of many of the arguments presented agains the FPT and it boggles my mind a little. Why is the student complaint "how can I write a seven page paper in five paragraphs?" alarming, and not, as in my view, funny? Is the student incapable of writing a seven-page paper? Probably not, although she might think she is. Will the teacher have to correct that misconception? Sure, but that's the teacher's job. Will it be hard work? Well, yes. But why are you assigning a seven page paper, when your students have only done FPTs? Where's the 3-5 page paper first, or just the free form essay? Or was it "someone else's" job to develop those skills in your students?
The truth is, "At what cost?" is the wrong question, unless we're no longer concerned about the benefits of teaching the FPT. And the benefits are clear: it helps non-writers become writers. It helps students learn how to organize and construct an argument effectively without relying on the student's intuitive sense of rhetoric, which is not inherent, but needs to develop. In Nunnelly's article, he demonstrated how the FPT helped raise the standardized scores of students in his state. He also showed that other schools caught up, and that the FPT isn't the be-all, end-all of student writing. But that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be taught.
Student literacy, especially in urban schools, is not a rosy picture right now. Students need a guide to help them along their way, and the FPT is a very effective guide. Do students need to learn to write without it? Definitely. But they need to learn to write with it (or with something like it) first. Nunnally compares the FPT to training wheels. This is apt. And it's a definition that both sides should be able to agree with.
Plaid coats ripped to shreds, old denim jeans torn and sundered, corncob pipes splintered and shattered. The horizon is thick with old cloth hats and cotton undershirts, full of holes and unfit for man or scarecrow.
And the straw, my God, the straw...it's knee-deep in places, the air filled with allergens and grass seed.
This is the gruesome consequence of strawman after strawman after strawman being constructed, propped up, and destroyed by both those in favor of, and against, the Five Paragraph Theme (FPT).
What exactly are the two sides of the issue, here? No one, I hope, is saying that the five paragraph theme is completely without merit, that it "must be thrown away entirely" (as Novick states in her letter to English Journal). Instead, the rhetoric seems to focus on how formulaic writing stiffles creative minds. In his critique of the Schaeffer method (essentially a FPT on steriods, with eight-sentence paragraphs and two (no more, no less) comments for every citation), Wiley states "Nevertheless, writing formulas are attractive, precisely because they render the "messy" more manageable. But at what cost?"
At what cost?
A good question. What are we losing, by teaching our students? Surely, Math and Science teachers must ask that question all the time: "If only we hadn't of taught them Euclidian geometry, they might have discovered Non-Euclidian on their own!"
It's the same for Music and Art teachers as well, I'm sure: "Why are we bothering teaching fugues? How droll and repeptitive!"
This idea that we are harming our students by teaching is part of many of the arguments presented agains the FPT and it boggles my mind a little. Why is the student complaint "how can I write a seven page paper in five paragraphs?" alarming, and not, as in my view, funny? Is the student incapable of writing a seven-page paper? Probably not, although she might think she is. Will the teacher have to correct that misconception? Sure, but that's the teacher's job. Will it be hard work? Well, yes. But why are you assigning a seven page paper, when your students have only done FPTs? Where's the 3-5 page paper first, or just the free form essay? Or was it "someone else's" job to develop those skills in your students?
The truth is, "At what cost?" is the wrong question, unless we're no longer concerned about the benefits of teaching the FPT. And the benefits are clear: it helps non-writers become writers. It helps students learn how to organize and construct an argument effectively without relying on the student's intuitive sense of rhetoric, which is not inherent, but needs to develop. In Nunnelly's article, he demonstrated how the FPT helped raise the standardized scores of students in his state. He also showed that other schools caught up, and that the FPT isn't the be-all, end-all of student writing. But that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be taught.
Student literacy, especially in urban schools, is not a rosy picture right now. Students need a guide to help them along their way, and the FPT is a very effective guide. Do students need to learn to write without it? Definitely. But they need to learn to write with it (or with something like it) first. Nunnally compares the FPT to training wheels. This is apt. And it's a definition that both sides should be able to agree with.
Friday, February 2, 2007
"I look forward to reading multi-genre papers. I hated to read traditional research papers because I had to sit in an uncomfortable chair and literally pinch myself at times to stay focused. Such papers, when well done, revealed the belnding of many sources--except for the most important one--the student's voice. I began to resent spending my precious life reading this lackluster writing." --Sue Amendt, quoted in Blending Genre, Altering Style by Tom Romano, page s 5-6
For some reason, teachers complaining about grading papers is becoming one of my leading pet peeves. In conversations with some of my fellow co-horters, we've come to the conclusion that while Romano does give us a great guide for guiding students in creating multi-genre papers, it doesn't do a very good job of telling us what multi-genre papers actually do. I'm trying to find a way that the reason doesn't lie in the above quote--that we would be doing these papers for some pragmatic, altruistic reason--but instead, I'm left with a feeling of a shortcut, or a concession. "Fine" we seem to be saying, "if you can't write an enganging essay, would you please just write a freaking poem? I'm bored to tears, here!"
Why does expository writing exclude the student's voice? The truth is that it doesn't, it could never hope to, but for some reason, the perception is that the 5-paragraph essay structure comes attached with the idea that we must be as nuetered, as non-prominent, as possible. This is a misconception, especially since high schoolers should begin writing persuasive essays, which better well voice an opinion. And labeling expository writing as inherently boring and factual, while narrative writing is inherently exciting and emotional and interesting, is a huge diservice to both creative writing and expository writing.
Teachers need to find a way to make expository writing engaging for their students (making the writing engaging to read as a result), not just allow students to create engaging projects in the hope that they will include some expository details, such as a 5 year old report on Allosaurs.
Teachers also need to understand, that if you are sick and tired of reading the same boring esays time and time again, then there is something wrong with the method, not the students, and not the genre. I'm sure that I could easily teach creative writing in such a formulaic, stilted way that soon, all student poems would begin to look the same as well, and then I would have to begin pinching myslef to get through it all. In fact, if multi-genre papers become a standard somewhere, it's only a matter of time.
MadS
For some reason, teachers complaining about grading papers is becoming one of my leading pet peeves. In conversations with some of my fellow co-horters, we've come to the conclusion that while Romano does give us a great guide for guiding students in creating multi-genre papers, it doesn't do a very good job of telling us what multi-genre papers actually do. I'm trying to find a way that the reason doesn't lie in the above quote--that we would be doing these papers for some pragmatic, altruistic reason--but instead, I'm left with a feeling of a shortcut, or a concession. "Fine" we seem to be saying, "if you can't write an enganging essay, would you please just write a freaking poem? I'm bored to tears, here!"
Why does expository writing exclude the student's voice? The truth is that it doesn't, it could never hope to, but for some reason, the perception is that the 5-paragraph essay structure comes attached with the idea that we must be as nuetered, as non-prominent, as possible. This is a misconception, especially since high schoolers should begin writing persuasive essays, which better well voice an opinion. And labeling expository writing as inherently boring and factual, while narrative writing is inherently exciting and emotional and interesting, is a huge diservice to both creative writing and expository writing.
Teachers need to find a way to make expository writing engaging for their students (making the writing engaging to read as a result), not just allow students to create engaging projects in the hope that they will include some expository details, such as a 5 year old report on Allosaurs.
Teachers also need to understand, that if you are sick and tired of reading the same boring esays time and time again, then there is something wrong with the method, not the students, and not the genre. I'm sure that I could easily teach creative writing in such a formulaic, stilted way that soon, all student poems would begin to look the same as well, and then I would have to begin pinching myslef to get through it all. In fact, if multi-genre papers become a standard somewhere, it's only a matter of time.
MadS
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)