These are a could words I am not sure I understand the meaning of in the context of this class:
1. Feminism
2. Errors and expectations
3. Knowledge
4. Making of Knowledge
5. Discipline
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Composition assignment that includes technology
Generally, I really like thinking of lesson plans. However, I had a very
difficult time thinking of something for this week’s blog. Most of my ideas are class activities or group work. I was
having a hard time thinking of a good assignment that included technology. I am
very open to suggestions on how to improve this idea! I got the idea from an undergraduate education
class I took. In that class we talked a
lot about different learning strategies; this is an important concept that
everyone recognizes as necessary for early childhood education, but for some
reason, starting in high school, we all decide that students suddenly learn
best through lecture and note taking. With
a class like composition that is a requirement, and a very large and abstract
topic, I think approaching it from many different angles and many different
modes is not only important, it is necessary.
Towards the end of the semester, I would like to have to
students make a video. The subject of
the video would be their thoughts on composition and the composition course:
what did they learn, how did their thoughts about composition change, what did
they like about the course, what did they not, etc. The video would need to be 6-10 minutes—I realize
this is not long for a video, but I want them to focus on concision and making choices
about what to include. I would like them
to post this video to a website, like YouTube, this will help them think about
a real audience outside of the class and besides the teacher.
I firmly believe that the students need to have choices
within assignments, so they could bring me alternative topics they wanted to do
a video about as well as the points they will cover. There are many different ways that they could
make a video, they could do a voice over with relevant pictures and notes, they
could do a more casual video discussion, there is even potential for them to be
creative with their video. There is lots
video software out there that can appeal to different learners. I hate the sound of my recorded voice, so when
I did a similar project in my education class I used a website called
animoto. It allowed me to put pictures
and text in a video and have a song playing in the background. After doing this project I use animoto
several different times for different projects.
We want to expose students to different ways of thinking about composition,
but if we can do that and help them find materials they can use to be
successful in other classes, all the better!
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Reflection Over Class Discussion
I was really struck by a number of things we talked about in class last Friday, particularly Yancey’s article “Made Not Only in Words: Composition in a New Key.” Although I could clearly see the shift from physical to digital reading material, the notion that it is equivalent to the invention of the printing press was astounding to me. When people gained access to books written in their own language, the entire world changed. Now we are in the midst of a similar change, but, given out understanding of history, we could be prepared for effects and take advantage of this opportunity. I was really fantasied by the need for teacher to use what is natural to the students. This, I think, is one of the most important ideas in education. Teachers are often so wedded to the things they learned, and they way they were taught that they have a hard time adapting. It’s almost like hazing: every year the insanity escalates because the previous generation recalls all the nonsense they had to do deal with, and they will not let the new generation off easy. I know that many people are aghast that spelling tests are multiple choice, but I think that is a reasonable adjustment with the times. Spelling is an important skill, and if students cannot spell simple words without help, then they will struggle, but they will almost never be in a position to handwrite important documents that require complete precision. And if they do, they can look up how to spell a word. Traditional spelling tests are just one example of clinging to outdated learning tools that waste time. Teachers, like any other profession, need to work with the most effective tools at their disposal. If learners are changing, so must the teachers.
I think it is exciting that there is less of a need for memorization in schools. This opens up the time for critical thinking skills. The students are dealing with an endless network of information, and part of composition needs to become teaching them how to deal with all that information. Good readers are good writers, so, as writing teachers, we need to help our students improve their skills as readers. Part of composition is going to shift to become more like research methods: how to recognize credible sources and how to identify weak sources. We already focus on rhetorical choices, now those choices are going to be broadened to include the variety of ways we communicate and the variety of ways students will receive information. I think this explosion of technology is really fascinating and presents the potential to have a well informed general public, but it is up to teachers to help students sift through all that is available to them, and to think critically about it.
I think it is exciting that there is less of a need for memorization in schools. This opens up the time for critical thinking skills. The students are dealing with an endless network of information, and part of composition needs to become teaching them how to deal with all that information. Good readers are good writers, so, as writing teachers, we need to help our students improve their skills as readers. Part of composition is going to shift to become more like research methods: how to recognize credible sources and how to identify weak sources. We already focus on rhetorical choices, now those choices are going to be broadened to include the variety of ways we communicate and the variety of ways students will receive information. I think this explosion of technology is really fascinating and presents the potential to have a well informed general public, but it is up to teachers to help students sift through all that is available to them, and to think critically about it.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Nadhi's Teaching Composition Philosophy!
http://www.faculty.english.ttu.edu/rice/5060/nidhi-extended.docx
There were several points in Nidhi’s paper that I loved! Her teaching philosophy shows serious thought, reflection, and a desire to provide her students with a fruitful learning environment. I’ve read in her blog before that reading is for the mind what exercise is for the body; again, I must point out how heartily I agree with that! There is a lot of really dry material that students are forced to interact with. starting in high school students are told very sternly what to read, and very often the reading is uninteresting to them—personally, I know that I did not completely read a single book that was assigned to me. This does not foster a healthy relationship with reading, and often students experience no Free Voluntary Reading. I think this is a very important thing that Nidhi has pointed out—we need to find ways to encourage students to increase their FVR time, so their minds get as much of a workout as their bodies.
I thought it was very interesting that Nidhi pointed out that a good teacher does not tell students what to do—they tell students what not to do. When I was taking education class, for early childhood so there are some fundamental differences, my professors told me to always speak in positives: do not say to the children, “Don’t run,” because there is that one petulant student that will begin to skip. Instead, you should say, “walk.” I know they taught us this as a safety measure (you always want to be clear with children so know exactly what to do). However, I always felt like congratulating the petulant child that found a creative solution and a way to express themselves. By telling a child “don’t run,” you are giving them the choice to move any other way. This idea is applicable to teaching adults. You can tell them a few things they cannot do, and open up a wider range of things they can do. Nidhi made a very astute observation here, that changed one of the ways I approach teaching.
Nidhi’s ideas about teaching writing in a university were really interesting. First she thought that writing should not be graded. I agree and disagree at the same time. I believe that grading is a bit arbitrary, it can wreck a student’s confidence, and should not be a student’s motivation for writing. However, I think that they do deserve a comprehensive analysis of their progress. I do not think grades are important, but they are how students have always evaluate themselves, and suddenly stopping that may be a difficult transition for them. If we were to do away with grading, there needs to be a replacement system that shows students where they thrive and where they need to practice. I do not have alternative solution to grading, and it is my dearest hope that one day students will be intrinsically motivated. Nidhi also mentioned that we should stop teaching writing. I am inclined to agree with this. Writing is an important skill, but it comes along with becoming a clear thinker. If we teach students to think about problems and carefully research topics, then their writing skills will improve. One thing I loved about my undergraduate college was that writing was a part of every class. I achieved my writing requirement in a political science course. Every teacher was a good writer, and expected good writing from their students—it was like four years of composition classes. I think if writing was more integrated in the subjects the student were interested it, they would gain a deeper respect for writing as well as a understanding of its importance. Nadhi’s teaching philosophy is bold and interesting. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading it! Thank you Nadhi!
There were several points in Nidhi’s paper that I loved! Her teaching philosophy shows serious thought, reflection, and a desire to provide her students with a fruitful learning environment. I’ve read in her blog before that reading is for the mind what exercise is for the body; again, I must point out how heartily I agree with that! There is a lot of really dry material that students are forced to interact with. starting in high school students are told very sternly what to read, and very often the reading is uninteresting to them—personally, I know that I did not completely read a single book that was assigned to me. This does not foster a healthy relationship with reading, and often students experience no Free Voluntary Reading. I think this is a very important thing that Nidhi has pointed out—we need to find ways to encourage students to increase their FVR time, so their minds get as much of a workout as their bodies.
I thought it was very interesting that Nidhi pointed out that a good teacher does not tell students what to do—they tell students what not to do. When I was taking education class, for early childhood so there are some fundamental differences, my professors told me to always speak in positives: do not say to the children, “Don’t run,” because there is that one petulant student that will begin to skip. Instead, you should say, “walk.” I know they taught us this as a safety measure (you always want to be clear with children so know exactly what to do). However, I always felt like congratulating the petulant child that found a creative solution and a way to express themselves. By telling a child “don’t run,” you are giving them the choice to move any other way. This idea is applicable to teaching adults. You can tell them a few things they cannot do, and open up a wider range of things they can do. Nidhi made a very astute observation here, that changed one of the ways I approach teaching.
Nidhi’s ideas about teaching writing in a university were really interesting. First she thought that writing should not be graded. I agree and disagree at the same time. I believe that grading is a bit arbitrary, it can wreck a student’s confidence, and should not be a student’s motivation for writing. However, I think that they do deserve a comprehensive analysis of their progress. I do not think grades are important, but they are how students have always evaluate themselves, and suddenly stopping that may be a difficult transition for them. If we were to do away with grading, there needs to be a replacement system that shows students where they thrive and where they need to practice. I do not have alternative solution to grading, and it is my dearest hope that one day students will be intrinsically motivated. Nidhi also mentioned that we should stop teaching writing. I am inclined to agree with this. Writing is an important skill, but it comes along with becoming a clear thinker. If we teach students to think about problems and carefully research topics, then their writing skills will improve. One thing I loved about my undergraduate college was that writing was a part of every class. I achieved my writing requirement in a political science course. Every teacher was a good writer, and expected good writing from their students—it was like four years of composition classes. I think if writing was more integrated in the subjects the student were interested it, they would gain a deeper respect for writing as well as a understanding of its importance. Nadhi’s teaching philosophy is bold and interesting. If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend reading it! Thank you Nadhi!
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