The past couple of weeks feel like a blur. I have been busy watching kids, painting kitchen cabinets, and grading papers. In an age of so much technology, is there a way to get out of grading papers? I would be all about that. How many times have I written, "vague," "show don't tell," or "this is not a thesis statement"? A lot...And this is only my third year of teaching.
It has been an interesting day. The students were given their papers back yesterday and now have a chance to do rewrites. Typically, students whine about their grades, but today was a little different. I had a student come in after school to talk about her paper. We had an interesting discussion about her paper, but it left me thinking. What and how is the best way to help the students in their writing skills. How can I explain to the students that, "I don't want crap." I feel like I have tried so many different ways of teaching writing. Over the past couple of days we have been looking at examples of writings that need work. I think this is a powerful tool. Students are always amazed by the mistakes they see on screen. But I keep coming back to this question, "What is the best way?"
A few ideas have been floating around my nogan. 1. The netbooks will allow more in-class writing. 2. Using programs in which students can collaborate together on their writing. 3. Introducing websites that can actually help them with grammar, structure, etc.
The problem: How much of this comes down to the effort a student decides to put into their paper.
I know this is raw...but I'm kinda a raw person.
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Here are my initial thoughts to your question, "How much of this comes down to the effort a student decides to put into their paper?"
ReplyDeleteDo the students "own" the learning? Are they writing for authentic purposes? Who is the audience? One of the greatest things to come out of all this technology is the ability to write for authentic purposes. I deeply believe that expanded a writers' audience will help to engage students in their writing.
Think about the times that you have enjoyed learning outside of school. What made it enjoyable? Did you tend to do a better job at the task? I know I am more fully engaged in my learning when I am enjoying myself. I know...I know...we can't expect to enjoy everything in life. But you know what? That doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to give students more personal choice in their learning.
The other piece that seemed to be missing in my education was relevance. What is the connection to my life? Why should I care about the character in this book? What does it have to do with me? With my life? Sometimes, we have to help students make that personal connection.
These are just a few thoughts, David. I don't have thee answer...just some thoughts.