This article has made me question my past - big time. All of the writing evaluations such as the checklist and the reading log were not really used when I was younger. I have always believed that the more writing assignments a child is given the better the writer he or she will be. I have also heard the following saying a thousand times: "Practice makes perfect". But, does it really? The problem with this statement is that it is not entirely true. If you practice a bad habit over and over again it becomes natural. So, practicing something COULD end up in a perfecting the perfect wrong? Hmm...
I agreed with what the article said that, "Sometimes, the prospect of grading an avalanche of papers prevents teachers from encouraging extensive student writing." From personal experience, I never remember having problems with my writing in my early education. Like I said, we did not use the reading logs and checklists; we had a prompt or topic and were told to write. Thinking about all of this has made me wonder a few things.
1. Was I really a good writer when I was younger? (or)
2. Did my teacher overlook many of mistakes/faults because of lack of time and / or laziness?
If number 1 is right, then why throughout highschool, college, and present time did/do I HATE writing papers?
If number 2 is right, then is that the reason I have struggled in writing throughout my years, and in sequence, HATE writing papers?
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I really like your perception and thoughts on the assignment. As I think back to high school I wonder if my teachers didn't express the need to write more because of the lack of time during the class period or if they didn't want to have to grade extra papers for being lazy. I believe that if I was encouraged to write earlier in life then I would have a passion for it now and not hate writing papers so much. Great Points!!!
ReplyDeleteKari, I completely understand what you are saying about wondering if you were a good writer when you were younger and if your teachers overlooked your writing. I also wonder the same things. I really like how you said practice does not make perfect if you practice the wrong thing over and over again. This is so true. I know you will remember these things once you become a teacher and try your hardest to help your students become the best readers and writers they can be. Love how you are always so honest in class and in your writings. Great job!!
ReplyDeleteReally like that you open thinking about your past experiences, "This article has made me question my past - big time. All of the writing evaluations such as the checklist and the reading log were not really used when I was younger."
ReplyDeleteAnd then you pointed to a specific part of the reading to focus on and gave your views, "I agreed with what the article said that, 'Sometimes, the prospect of grading an avalanche of papers prevents teachers from encouraging extensive student writing.' From personal experience, I never remember having problems with my writing in my early education. Like I said, we did not use the reading logs and checklists; we had a prompt or topic and were told to write." And then, sincere questions; very concise posting with all the elements I'm looking for--excellent. About your questions, could be a combination of all and I'll tell you firsthand, reading a lot of student writing is time-consuming. That's a reality. But feedback is important, especially personal feedback, and perhaps it is a key element in whether or not a student enjoys or "hates" writing. That may also be due to the way writing is taught commonly in schools--the 5 paragraph essay, which is what I grew up with, and it wasn't until college that I enjoyed writing. Same for reading honestly. Dr B