One of the most useful chapters I’ve read this year is Spandel’s chapter on the Right to Write Badly. So many students (me included) feel that a masterpiece has to flow out of us in one draft. By telling, permitting, encouraging students to write badly, we open the door to finding great ideas and start the process of revision. Freewrite is a fancy way of saying, “write something, don’t judge yourself, and see what happens.” In other words, allow yourself to write badly. Once you’ve got your bad writing – and the good kernel of an idea that’s hidden in all the crap, it’s time to bring out Harper’s tool kit. I like the visual of a tool belt better than a tool kit because a tool belt is something you wear and is handy all the time. A tool kit can be set down, lost, or ignored too easily. I love the 5 main tools in the tool belt and their symbols. This is an article I will print out and put into use student teaching this spring. I think student writers will find using the tools and their symbols a way to work on revision that cuts right to what a student needs to think about revising. It’s easy to learn, easy to implement, and easy to use. I like it! I also like some of Tsudi’s ideas about revision, like have students write two introductions conclusions, write from a different character’s point of view, etc. to get the student thinking about opening up their first draft to different possibilities. I don’t like to call them unsettling because, to me, that has a negative connotation.
Barron and Spandel are into the modeling, which I think is cool. In a way, I think my inexperience as a writer is a good thing because I’m struggling with many of the same issues as the students and can model how to move from phase to phase of writing. Spandel’s idea of modeling the entire process of writing, including sharing and revision is spot on. You’re either in it for the long haul or you’re not! I did chuckle at Barron’s telling us that 4 is the right number for a group. Let’s get Williams and Barron in a cage match over group number!
I don’t agree with Spandel’s that you can teach voice. Our class discussion on voice was interesting –and got me thinking about it. I think voice can be manipulated by asking students to write from different character’s point of view – like Jeff and Jacob writing from their student’s pov. But voice is such a soulful, personal, beautiful part of a person that just can’t be taught. What I do really like in the chapter is Spandel’s suggestion to open students’ ears to the wide range of voices in literature and in our lives.
Barron and Spandel are into the modeling, which I think is cool. In a way, I think my inexperience as a writer is a good thing because I’m struggling with many of the same issues as the students and can model how to move from phase to phase of writing. Spandel’s idea of modeling the entire process of writing, including sharing and revision is spot on. You’re either in it for the long haul or you’re not! I did chuckle at Barron’s telling us that 4 is the right number for a group. Let’s get Williams and Barron in a cage match over group number!
I don’t agree with Spandel’s that you can teach voice. Our class discussion on voice was interesting –and got me thinking about it. I think voice can be manipulated by asking students to write from different character’s point of view – like Jeff and Jacob writing from their student’s pov. But voice is such a soulful, personal, beautiful part of a person that just can’t be taught. What I do really like in the chapter is Spandel’s suggestion to open students’ ears to the wide range of voices in literature and in our lives.
Please check out Teen Space - Internet Public Library for Teens. It's a fantastic site with tons of resources for you and your student. I've bookmarked the page that lists A+ links for revising and editing papers.
5 comments:
I'm glad you pointed to your inexperience as a writer being useful - I have similar feelings so it's nice to put a positive spin on it, Shiny Penny. I agree with you that this week's reading was some of the most beneficial thus far. I love the toolbox idea, it's so simple.
You are fantastic! I loved your focus on the tool belt being more important than the tool kit. It makes total sense to me. But the best part of you blog was your metaphor, "good kernel of an idea that’s hidden in all the crap." I couldn't have put it better myself. I often find almost a full ear of corn in my crap, it might come from the fact that i felt I had to write a perfect paper until my dad taught me the beauty in "crap."
I really agreed with what you had to say about Spandel. I wrote most of my post on her and I found it useful to think about how she encourages us to treat writing as a process with a perfect work being the last thing we should think about. I also thought about Doering when I read her stuff. The way he encouraged us to take our time and learn the programs instead of putting emphasis on final products really helped me to relax and do well in that course. Hopefully, we can have the same types of calming effects on our own students...if not shiny pennies for all of them!
I also wrote my post about Spandel but on her right to see others write which I think can also tie into the right to write badly. I think that it is benificial for our students to see us, their teachers, write. We are not all perfect and I think that by demonstrating our own way of writing our students might begin to realize that nobody is an excellent writer the first time around and that it is okay to struggle with writing. That is what revision is for....
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