As I read this article, I could easily place myself in the shoes of high school students, anxiously awaiting the return of their first drafts from their teachers. All too often after patiently waiting for a paper, I have received commentary that includes very little suggestions on content and purpose. Rather, grammatical errors are circled and sentence structure is noted. As author Nancy Sommers states in her article, Responding to Student Writing, “we want to know if our writing has communicated our intended meaning and, if not, what questions or discrepancies our readers see that we writers, are blind to” (p373). I realize that providing commentary on a student’s writing is quite times consuming, however, students need appropriate and helpful commentaries in order to further develop their writing skills.
Sommers states that “without comments from their teachers or from their peers, student writers will revise ain a consistently narrow and predicatbale way” (p373). I hate to admit but I know there have been (very few!) times when I have only written a draft of a paper, turned it in for critiquing, and turned in the same paper without making any changes. The most unfortunate part about this sometimes my grade on the same exact paper has improved!
Just as the text suggests, I have seen much improvement in my pieces of writing that have had a direct, genuine revision of the piece as a whole. Comments such as these help me (and other students) to not take comments too literally, ultimately allowing me to be detailed and organized rather than narrow and dull.
Not to suck up to the liking of Professor Martin, but I very much appreciate the commentary she has provided me on my writing. I have visited her several times to edit and revise pieces of writing and it is easy to see that her commenting style emulates what the author dictates as good writing commentary and revision.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Rubrics: Holistic vs. Analytic
When creating the elementary writing assignment for class Tuesday, I found difficulty in developing a quality rubric. I had an idea in mind for the activity and was proud of the assignment I created. Any teacher hopes that upon completing the assigned writing task, all students will have a concrete understanding of the assignment’s concepts and objectives; however, this can be a rarity in the classroom.
Rubrics, both holistic and analytical, help convey to the student whether or not they have mastered the important ideas and concepts within the assignment. In order to create a rubric that delivers this crucial information, a teacher must first identify the purpose and objectives of the assignment. If an assessment of the overall product is preferred, a holistic rubric is more appropriate. Holistic rubrics are used when “performance tasks require students to create some sort of response and where there is no definitive correct answer” (Mertler). Comparatively, analytical rubrics are used when the assignment requires a focused response in performance tasks where there may be one or two acceptable responses (Mertler). This type of rubric also involves many scores accumulated to one total sum, representing assessment on a multidimensional level (Mertler).
As a student, I have always appreciated rubrics. Rubrics present a system of guidelines that help me direct my written work, almost serving as a checklist. Rubrics also help me determine what the teacher is looking for. I feel an analytic grading style is more effective in upper elementary and secondary grade levels; a holistic grading style is more effective for lower elementary. In the lower elementary grades, students are learning basic concepts that serve as the foundation of their knowledge. Students in the upper elementary grades have the ability to focus on more details, and teachers can view their work in a more analytic manner.
That is not to say that either type of rubric should be specifically dedicated to one grade level. However, I’m interested to see which of the two rubrics mentioned appear to be more effective in the classroom?
Rubrics, both holistic and analytical, help convey to the student whether or not they have mastered the important ideas and concepts within the assignment. In order to create a rubric that delivers this crucial information, a teacher must first identify the purpose and objectives of the assignment. If an assessment of the overall product is preferred, a holistic rubric is more appropriate. Holistic rubrics are used when “performance tasks require students to create some sort of response and where there is no definitive correct answer” (Mertler). Comparatively, analytical rubrics are used when the assignment requires a focused response in performance tasks where there may be one or two acceptable responses (Mertler). This type of rubric also involves many scores accumulated to one total sum, representing assessment on a multidimensional level (Mertler).
As a student, I have always appreciated rubrics. Rubrics present a system of guidelines that help me direct my written work, almost serving as a checklist. Rubrics also help me determine what the teacher is looking for. I feel an analytic grading style is more effective in upper elementary and secondary grade levels; a holistic grading style is more effective for lower elementary. In the lower elementary grades, students are learning basic concepts that serve as the foundation of their knowledge. Students in the upper elementary grades have the ability to focus on more details, and teachers can view their work in a more analytic manner.
That is not to say that either type of rubric should be specifically dedicated to one grade level. However, I’m interested to see which of the two rubrics mentioned appear to be more effective in the classroom?
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Williams' Ch. 9 "Writing Assignments"
In his chapter titled “Writing Assignments”, Williams asserts that while a student’s writing may read as boring and insufficient; the problem may actually lie in the assignment. Poorly constructed assignments may lead to dry, lackluster writing, however, assignments can be improved significantly by following certain guidelines.
Williams’ outlines these guidelines throughout the chapter. Some of these guidelines include preparation, sequencing, and specific features included in assignments. Williams affirms that “All writing assignments have objectives that are linked to broader goals and objectives defined by the course and by the series of courses in which writing instruction occurs” (p279). It is important to set realistic goals and therefore, teachers must outline specific objectives for the assignment. Sadly, many teachers do not recognize that students must be able to “do something that demonstrates what they learned” (p280) in the course. I have observed this in many of my personal classroom experiences. I have had a few teachers at the secondary level who seemed to throw assignments, simply so we could receive a grade. The learning would go no further than the graded assignment and it is that material I cannot retain.
Guidelines included in these poor writing assignments often cause students to repeat the same outcome objectives for every assignment. Williams states “often writing assignments in high school rarely call for the kind of writing students are expected to produce in college” (280). As a result, students produce many personal-experience essays and plot summaries which do not help them to master writing skills necessary at the college level.
While this chapter addresses writing mostly at the secondary level, I find this information to be useful for prospective elementary level teachers as well. Elementary school creates the foundation of learning for students. It is important to expose students to all different forms of writing, even if they are in elementary school because this breaks up the repetition of simply writing about personal experiences. When using the top-down pedagogy, students can move beyond narrative and descriptive writing. Students begin to interact with people at an early age and in doing so, develop more extensive language skills. I agree with Williams in that teachers must allow students to further develop these skills in their writing.
I think more often than not, we underestimate the potential skills children have. Children are capable of doing far more than we think and this chapter demonstrates just that.
Williams’ outlines these guidelines throughout the chapter. Some of these guidelines include preparation, sequencing, and specific features included in assignments. Williams affirms that “All writing assignments have objectives that are linked to broader goals and objectives defined by the course and by the series of courses in which writing instruction occurs” (p279). It is important to set realistic goals and therefore, teachers must outline specific objectives for the assignment. Sadly, many teachers do not recognize that students must be able to “do something that demonstrates what they learned” (p280) in the course. I have observed this in many of my personal classroom experiences. I have had a few teachers at the secondary level who seemed to throw assignments, simply so we could receive a grade. The learning would go no further than the graded assignment and it is that material I cannot retain.
Guidelines included in these poor writing assignments often cause students to repeat the same outcome objectives for every assignment. Williams states “often writing assignments in high school rarely call for the kind of writing students are expected to produce in college” (280). As a result, students produce many personal-experience essays and plot summaries which do not help them to master writing skills necessary at the college level.
While this chapter addresses writing mostly at the secondary level, I find this information to be useful for prospective elementary level teachers as well. Elementary school creates the foundation of learning for students. It is important to expose students to all different forms of writing, even if they are in elementary school because this breaks up the repetition of simply writing about personal experiences. When using the top-down pedagogy, students can move beyond narrative and descriptive writing. Students begin to interact with people at an early age and in doing so, develop more extensive language skills. I agree with Williams in that teachers must allow students to further develop these skills in their writing.
I think more often than not, we underestimate the potential skills children have. Children are capable of doing far more than we think and this chapter demonstrates just that.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Friendly City Reading Series presentation provided audience members with the opportunity to engage in an adult read aloud – an activity I have not experienced in quite some time. Published authors Mary Beth Keane and Gina Welch each read excerpts from their writing and also offered their opinions and perspectives of the writing process. While Mary Beth Keane’s excerpt described the life of an Irish immigrant family, Gina Welch’s excerpt described her experience in the Evangelical Church where she concealed her identity as a nonbeliever for an extended period of time.
As Keane shared her excerpt, I wanted to crawl into bed, drink some hot tea, and hold my teddy bear. This reading brought me back to the days in which my parents would read to me before I fell asleep. Keane’s writing is descriptive and smooth. While she read, I could picture myself in the hills of Ireland, smell the fish being caught and hear the Irish accent we PS I Love You movie viewers adore. The details she incorporates into her writing create a vivid illustration of the setting as well as the emotions felt by the different characters within the story. I’ve always enjoyed being read to and it was a pleasure to listen to Keane’ soft, calm voice activate some of the childhood memories I hold dear.
Welch’s excerpt provoked quite different emotions in me. I certainly believe in the power of individuality – Welch can maintain her opinions and beliefs just as I can maintain my own. However, I was a bit astonished at hearing her blatantly laugh at the face of God and the members of the Evangelical Church. She lied to those people, made them believe she herself was a believer and even “prayed” with a little girl to bring her to Christ. During her membership in the church, Welch develops relationships with many members. Eventually she has to confront the reality of having lied to them. Although this reality is confronted, Welch feels no shame for her actions. In fact, upon returning to the church after her memoir is published, she does not ask for forgiveness but merely proves her accountability. In her discussion, Welch stated she did not undergo and transformation in her experience her perception of evangelical Christians remains nearly the same – obsessive with self reflection and their faith being merely a “chamber of imagination”. From a moral standpoint, I don’t exactly agree with the premise of the novel.
Despite my personal reaction to the content of Welch’s story, I did enjoy her writing. I could easily sense her emotions throughout both excerpts. From a publishing standpoint, I can understand the interest this story could perk in others because I was interested as I listened. This is a different topic to read and interesting at that.
At the end of the read aloud, both authors answered questions from the audience. Both authors discussed the tediousness of the publication process and Keane even shared that at one point, she threw away one-hundred pages of writing and started over! I myself cannot imagine putting one-hundred pages of effort into a piece and throwing it all away and I admire Keane for continuing her writing. The authors also described how writing published novels has shaped their teaching of writing in the classroom. Although I am unable to recall their exact responses, I know I would enjoy taking a class from Mary Beth Keane so as to better my detailed descriptions of settings and emotions. I was interested in hearing the responses each author provided and also impressed by the amount of questions posed by the audience members.
As Keane shared her excerpt, I wanted to crawl into bed, drink some hot tea, and hold my teddy bear. This reading brought me back to the days in which my parents would read to me before I fell asleep. Keane’s writing is descriptive and smooth. While she read, I could picture myself in the hills of Ireland, smell the fish being caught and hear the Irish accent we PS I Love You movie viewers adore. The details she incorporates into her writing create a vivid illustration of the setting as well as the emotions felt by the different characters within the story. I’ve always enjoyed being read to and it was a pleasure to listen to Keane’ soft, calm voice activate some of the childhood memories I hold dear.
Welch’s excerpt provoked quite different emotions in me. I certainly believe in the power of individuality – Welch can maintain her opinions and beliefs just as I can maintain my own. However, I was a bit astonished at hearing her blatantly laugh at the face of God and the members of the Evangelical Church. She lied to those people, made them believe she herself was a believer and even “prayed” with a little girl to bring her to Christ. During her membership in the church, Welch develops relationships with many members. Eventually she has to confront the reality of having lied to them. Although this reality is confronted, Welch feels no shame for her actions. In fact, upon returning to the church after her memoir is published, she does not ask for forgiveness but merely proves her accountability. In her discussion, Welch stated she did not undergo and transformation in her experience her perception of evangelical Christians remains nearly the same – obsessive with self reflection and their faith being merely a “chamber of imagination”. From a moral standpoint, I don’t exactly agree with the premise of the novel.
Despite my personal reaction to the content of Welch’s story, I did enjoy her writing. I could easily sense her emotions throughout both excerpts. From a publishing standpoint, I can understand the interest this story could perk in others because I was interested as I listened. This is a different topic to read and interesting at that.
At the end of the read aloud, both authors answered questions from the audience. Both authors discussed the tediousness of the publication process and Keane even shared that at one point, she threw away one-hundred pages of writing and started over! I myself cannot imagine putting one-hundred pages of effort into a piece and throwing it all away and I admire Keane for continuing her writing. The authors also described how writing published novels has shaped their teaching of writing in the classroom. Although I am unable to recall their exact responses, I know I would enjoy taking a class from Mary Beth Keane so as to better my detailed descriptions of settings and emotions. I was interested in hearing the responses each author provided and also impressed by the amount of questions posed by the audience members.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
I am a Pencil, by Sam Swope
Passage Analysis
“But Mrs. Scalise dismissed that as a red herring, pointing out the extra time wouldn’t help a poor teacher improve test scores. ‘A good teacher, a teacher like Mrs. Duncan, can cover everything,’ she said. ‘Besides, you have to realize that assembly programs include language arts, visual art, planning, public speaking. All of which are terribly important. And I’m a firm believer that talent’s innate. Unless you give it a chance to show itself, you’ll waste it. So you want to grab it. You have to expose children to everything because we don’t know who might respond” (Swope, p147).
I believe that success is achieved when a person has faith in themselves (which often comes from the faith others have in them). As a teacher, I must have faith in my students and believe they can be successful, despite their environment or obstacles they may face. Mrs. Scalise has unconditional faith in her students. She knows that by providing them with the proper tools and resources, her students will thrive. Mrs. Scalise believes that “a good teacher can cover everything” (Swope, p147). In our education classes we have learned that as educators, we must be interdisciplinary and infuse different subjects together. We’ve been taught to essentially “cover everything”. I think this is an important tool to help students succeed. Throughout the book, Mr. Swope is excited when he is able to incorporate numerous subjects into one lesson as he did in the Island Project.
Covering an array of subjects in one lesson, Mrs. Scalise believes, displays the opportunity for talent to arise. She states, “Talent is innate, unless you give it a chance to show itself, you’ll waste it” She believes assembly programs include many important topics, such as visual art, planning, public speaking and language arts. (Swope, p147). If I have mastered the tools for teaching, I must help my students recognize their creativity and imagination by furnishing them with the tools for success. Providing students with the tools for creativity and imagination will allow for a variety of unique ideas and will demonstrate the innate talents of each individual student.
Imagination is the foundation of the assembly programs the students work on. The students utilize their imagination to its fullest potential when constructing the plays, acting out parts and creating sets. I think Mrs. Scalise recognizes the power of imagination and has faith in the thoughts, feelings and ideas of her students because when she observes the programs, she sees perfection.
Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” This is what I believe to be the purpose of education; to excite the mind and enhance creativity, to spur the imagination, inspire change and most importantly, enable others to fulfill their dreams. And this is what I believe Mrs. Scalise and Mr. Swope embody as educators.
Discussion Questions
Analysis
Compare the teaching philosophies, strategies and attitudes of the students’ three teachers throughout the story. How does Mr. Swope’s relationship differ between each teacher?
Mrs. Duncan smiled at her students. She taught them the importance of doing their duty, living up to their responsibilities, and treating their classmates decently. She had faith in her students and believed everyone to be smart, talented, well-adjusted and sweet. Mr. Swope adored Mrs. Duncan! Mrs. Melvern did not believe in her students. She did try to inspire them and she disliked many of her students. Mr. Swop could not stand her! Mrs. Hinton was gentle, steady, unflappable and inscrutable. She adored her students and provided them with love and care. Although Mr. Swope like Mrs. Hinton, he felt she kept a distance from him.
Application
Throughout the story, Mr. Swope is surprised to discover concealed personality traits of his students. Looking at Mr. Swope’s experience in getting to know his students, what are ways in which you feel can you truly know your students as a teacher?
Mr. Swope eventually discovers that Su Jung has a passion for music, which explains why she would constantly glance at the clock during their conferences (she was anxious to attend band class). As a teacher, I think it is important to truly listen to your students in an empathic manner. Write down things the say, record their conversations and seek to discover the reasons for why the behave in the way the do, rather than simply labeling them.
Evaluation
In what ways did Mr. Swope shape Fatma’s perception of him? How could he have changed his relationship with Fatma?
Mr. Swope recognized his dislike of Fatma’s writing and Fatma recognized this as well. I think Mr. Swop should have tried to perceive Fatma’s personality and writing in a more positive light. Doing so could have drastically changed his relationship with Fatma; perhaps she would’ve been more willing to open up to him if she knew he liked her!
“But Mrs. Scalise dismissed that as a red herring, pointing out the extra time wouldn’t help a poor teacher improve test scores. ‘A good teacher, a teacher like Mrs. Duncan, can cover everything,’ she said. ‘Besides, you have to realize that assembly programs include language arts, visual art, planning, public speaking. All of which are terribly important. And I’m a firm believer that talent’s innate. Unless you give it a chance to show itself, you’ll waste it. So you want to grab it. You have to expose children to everything because we don’t know who might respond” (Swope, p147).
I believe that success is achieved when a person has faith in themselves (which often comes from the faith others have in them). As a teacher, I must have faith in my students and believe they can be successful, despite their environment or obstacles they may face. Mrs. Scalise has unconditional faith in her students. She knows that by providing them with the proper tools and resources, her students will thrive. Mrs. Scalise believes that “a good teacher can cover everything” (Swope, p147). In our education classes we have learned that as educators, we must be interdisciplinary and infuse different subjects together. We’ve been taught to essentially “cover everything”. I think this is an important tool to help students succeed. Throughout the book, Mr. Swope is excited when he is able to incorporate numerous subjects into one lesson as he did in the Island Project.
Covering an array of subjects in one lesson, Mrs. Scalise believes, displays the opportunity for talent to arise. She states, “Talent is innate, unless you give it a chance to show itself, you’ll waste it” She believes assembly programs include many important topics, such as visual art, planning, public speaking and language arts. (Swope, p147). If I have mastered the tools for teaching, I must help my students recognize their creativity and imagination by furnishing them with the tools for success. Providing students with the tools for creativity and imagination will allow for a variety of unique ideas and will demonstrate the innate talents of each individual student.
Imagination is the foundation of the assembly programs the students work on. The students utilize their imagination to its fullest potential when constructing the plays, acting out parts and creating sets. I think Mrs. Scalise recognizes the power of imagination and has faith in the thoughts, feelings and ideas of her students because when she observes the programs, she sees perfection.
Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” This is what I believe to be the purpose of education; to excite the mind and enhance creativity, to spur the imagination, inspire change and most importantly, enable others to fulfill their dreams. And this is what I believe Mrs. Scalise and Mr. Swope embody as educators.
Discussion Questions
Analysis
Compare the teaching philosophies, strategies and attitudes of the students’ three teachers throughout the story. How does Mr. Swope’s relationship differ between each teacher?
Mrs. Duncan smiled at her students. She taught them the importance of doing their duty, living up to their responsibilities, and treating their classmates decently. She had faith in her students and believed everyone to be smart, talented, well-adjusted and sweet. Mr. Swope adored Mrs. Duncan! Mrs. Melvern did not believe in her students. She did try to inspire them and she disliked many of her students. Mr. Swop could not stand her! Mrs. Hinton was gentle, steady, unflappable and inscrutable. She adored her students and provided them with love and care. Although Mr. Swope like Mrs. Hinton, he felt she kept a distance from him.
Application
Throughout the story, Mr. Swope is surprised to discover concealed personality traits of his students. Looking at Mr. Swope’s experience in getting to know his students, what are ways in which you feel can you truly know your students as a teacher?
Mr. Swope eventually discovers that Su Jung has a passion for music, which explains why she would constantly glance at the clock during their conferences (she was anxious to attend band class). As a teacher, I think it is important to truly listen to your students in an empathic manner. Write down things the say, record their conversations and seek to discover the reasons for why the behave in the way the do, rather than simply labeling them.
Evaluation
In what ways did Mr. Swope shape Fatma’s perception of him? How could he have changed his relationship with Fatma?
Mr. Swope recognized his dislike of Fatma’s writing and Fatma recognized this as well. I think Mr. Swop should have tried to perceive Fatma’s personality and writing in a more positive light. Doing so could have drastically changed his relationship with Fatma; perhaps she would’ve been more willing to open up to him if she knew he liked her!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Blogging!
It's early morning, the sun just rising over the horizon and I'm rocking on my porch chair, sipping a hot cup of tea. Fesh air and a cool breeze surround me with the lovely song of daybreak; until horribly interrupted by loud music, blaring from the teenage neighbor's car. "Get out of her!" I say. My eighty-two year old self simply can't handle those hoodlums and their new music, new iPods, new technology!
Seeing as how the term "blog" isn't quite music to my ears, I'm beginning to fear this cranky old fogy is the woman I am to become. Will I be THAT old lady who despises new technology? I hope not, for who in their right mind wants to be THAT person, the one every young person declares they will never grow up to be? More importantly, I also recognize the quite fantastic and mind boggling advantages technology has brought to the lives of so many, myself included.
In his article titled "Blogs as a Tool for Teaching", Steven D. Krause describes three lessons he has learned over the years from using blogs in the classroom. First, he notes that the idea of blogging for classroom purposes is not always well received by students. I;'m happy to know that I can connect with these students; I'm not alone! He remarks that his students have often complained that the task of blogging is vague because the target audience is often unclear. I seem to have difficulty with this concept as well. Back in the days of Xenga and MySpace in middle and high school, I often wondered why people thought it necessary to post their personal feelings for all the world to see - were they writing for themselves or writing for the sympathy of others? Who was their audience? Krause has found students are more willing to use online tools such as blackboard for a means of discussion. I find this to be true for myself because I know that I am writing to state an opinion that will be evaluated by the teacher and if I want to comment on another student's post, I can.
With all that said, I really am trying to warm up to the world of blogging. While I may sound negative, I am positive that eventually I will find the best in blogging and perhaps use it in the future (this is still up for question)!
Seeing as how the term "blog" isn't quite music to my ears, I'm beginning to fear this cranky old fogy is the woman I am to become. Will I be THAT old lady who despises new technology? I hope not, for who in their right mind wants to be THAT person, the one every young person declares they will never grow up to be? More importantly, I also recognize the quite fantastic and mind boggling advantages technology has brought to the lives of so many, myself included.
In his article titled "Blogs as a Tool for Teaching", Steven D. Krause describes three lessons he has learned over the years from using blogs in the classroom. First, he notes that the idea of blogging for classroom purposes is not always well received by students. I;'m happy to know that I can connect with these students; I'm not alone! He remarks that his students have often complained that the task of blogging is vague because the target audience is often unclear. I seem to have difficulty with this concept as well. Back in the days of Xenga and MySpace in middle and high school, I often wondered why people thought it necessary to post their personal feelings for all the world to see - were they writing for themselves or writing for the sympathy of others? Who was their audience? Krause has found students are more willing to use online tools such as blackboard for a means of discussion. I find this to be true for myself because I know that I am writing to state an opinion that will be evaluated by the teacher and if I want to comment on another student's post, I can.
With all that said, I really am trying to warm up to the world of blogging. While I may sound negative, I am positive that eventually I will find the best in blogging and perhaps use it in the future (this is still up for question)!
Monday, February 8, 2010
In correlation with William Coles and James Vopat's collectino of "good student writing" I too feel that some of my best writing reflects personal experience, ideas, and emotions - my personal truths, or, what I have constructed as reality. Erika Lindemann commented on the collection, stating that "good writing is most effective when we tell the truth about who we are and what we think" (p62). In high school, I wrote notes to a good friend of mine throughout the school day. I was always so fascinated by her writing. It was so raw and vulnerable. She wasn't afraid to put her pen to paper and share her innermost thoughts and feelings. These weren't your typical high school notes, they were stories[- stores exposing the core of who my friend was. I enjoyed her writing because to me, it was real. But then there were times when i questioned what she wrote. I wondered how "real" her writing actually was. Williams explains that confession is the true nature of self-expressive writing (p63). He state4s that "[confession provides the primary means of gaining recognition...people crave confession because they crave recognition" 9p63). This statement reminded me of Corey. Often times, i felt the only reason Corey would write such "real" emotions and experience was because she wanted attention or recognition.
From this experience, I can see how some teachers may be opponents of romantic rhetoric. But who is to judge one person's truth? Our individual life is constructed by our individual perceptions. My perception of my experience may e completely different than someone who has had an experience very similar to my own. So who is to say tat my truth is not real, or for that matter, the truth? And how can a teacher determine though one piece of writing that I am writing a lie or not?
I think I'm getting a little in over my head with this philosophical rambling so I'll continue with this: I agree with Williams in that romantic rhetoric is an essential part of a student's ability to write. While I do believe that students need to learn to think critically and analytically (and write this way as well), I think self-expressive writing is beautiful!
So I pose this question for discussion: As a teacher (elementary or secondary) would you be a proponent of romantic rhetoric? At what point in a student's learning (or grade level) should he or she begin to learn this technique?
From this experience, I can see how some teachers may be opponents of romantic rhetoric. But who is to judge one person's truth? Our individual life is constructed by our individual perceptions. My perception of my experience may e completely different than someone who has had an experience very similar to my own. So who is to say tat my truth is not real, or for that matter, the truth? And how can a teacher determine though one piece of writing that I am writing a lie or not?
I think I'm getting a little in over my head with this philosophical rambling so I'll continue with this: I agree with Williams in that romantic rhetoric is an essential part of a student's ability to write. While I do believe that students need to learn to think critically and analytically (and write this way as well), I think self-expressive writing is beautiful!
So I pose this question for discussion: As a teacher (elementary or secondary) would you be a proponent of romantic rhetoric? At what point in a student's learning (or grade level) should he or she begin to learn this technique?
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