After reading Author to Author: How Text Influences Young Writers, share a quote from the article that stuck out in your mind. Feel free to elaborate and tell everyone why it was interesting to you. Remember to include your name on your comment.
Please comment by: 9/14/11
Lindsay and Deborah
On page 12, the author quotes Zemelman and Daniels, who say, "Of course, reading provides specific data and topics for immediate writing projects, but it can do much more than that. At a deeper level, immersion in certain kinds of reading helps all writers assimilate the tone, flavor, structure, norms, and rhetorical strategies of particular genres of writing, . . . Further, reading helps students identify themselves as fellow writers." Though I have used mentor texts to teach particular skills and literature elements in my high school English classes, I have not thought of the rich possibilities of intentional modeling of an author's style, nor of the insights I might gain by tracking students' reading WITH their writing to look for growing similarities and possibly subconscious modeling. I, like the author, may have unintentionally discouraged modeling with my incessant warnings against plagiarism. Hmmm . . .
ReplyDeleteThis quote stood out to me-- ..."When writing workshop commenced, I did not require students to write on the topic of death and loss." However, she goes on to say that several students chose to write about their own experiences with loss. This was interesting to me, because I am writing about the death of my own son. I believe it is therapeutic for me and part of the healing process. Perhaps some students will need to write about very emotional topics and should not be discouraged if it is their choice to do so. For some students writing may be easier than talking about emotionally charged subjects.
ReplyDelete-Patsy
"Finally, if writing is so strongly influenced by what students read and by the stories they hear, surrounding children with quality literature should be our first objective."
ReplyDeleteImportance of quality literature. I like that. -Jenny
"The children were being influence not only by the professional writers they were reading but also by the writing of their classmates."
ReplyDeleteJen G.
It's a toss up between two.
ReplyDeletepg. 11- "I did not teach Sam how a fragment can, in fact, become an effective structure. Gary Paulsen did."
pg. 12- "Finally, if writing is so strongly influenced by what students read and by the stories they hear, surrounding children with quality literature should be our first objective."
The quality literature that we should surround our students with is directly affecting our students' work.
-Amee Merkle
“Students need to call upon their own internalized sense of what good writing is and to recall those works that have affected them as readers. They need to form mentor relationships with the writers they admire, trying to do what these writers have done.”
ReplyDelete~ Mari
"When students are immersed in a literature-rich environment, they are exposed to many teachers of writing: the authors I read to them, those they select to read on their own, and the student authors in our classroom."
ReplyDeleteAlso:
"'That's playgerrisum.'"
"This class is like 'Choose your Own Adventure!'" p. 9
ReplyDelete*I loved this quote and could only hope that one day my own students will feel this way about writing. I know that when I was told that it was writing time, I was always like UGH! However, in this class they enjoy and look forward to this special time. Amazing!
Not a quote..but a question asked in the article.....Why do some students appear to make connections between reading and writing whole others do not?
*This is such an excellent question and one that I often ask myself. I would like to make writing more meaningful in my own classroom and assist my students in being able to make connections to what they are reading and then write about it.
~Melissa
There were two quotes that really stood out to me & both were by Donald Graves, an author I have a great deal of respect for. They quote him from his book Writing: Teachers and Children at Work as saying, "no distinctions are made between the reading of children's writing and the writing of professionals. Both are treated as important writing." One of my instructors at UT, Dr. Deborah Wooten, wrote a book entitled Valued Voices: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Teaching & Learning. In it she describes the writing process she uses with elementary students that she calls Writing & Sharing Connections. In this process, all students' voices are valued & she comments again & again how much they borrow from & learn from each other during their sharing time - each student is a valued author. I implemented this same process with my adult ELLs in my reading & writing class at MTC last night with great success.
ReplyDelete~Lynn
I forgot to mention the other quote by Graves that I like, "All children need literature. Children who are authors need it even more." I'm a strong believer in children reading & listening to good literature & I totally agree that it helps them become better writers.
ReplyDelete~Lynn
Page 12-- "While I strongly believe that students should choose their own writing topics, I wonder if their topics are just as likely to choose them."
ReplyDeleteHeather
"Students need to call upon their own internalized sense of what good writing is and to recall those works that have affected them as readers. They need to form mentor relationships with the writers they admire, trying to do what these writers have done."
ReplyDeleteLast year when I was trying to help my students use figurative language, our school had Laura Robb come by. She gave me a great handout that goes well with this article. I'll bring copies Thursday to share.
Kathy B.
I found both of these quotes to be really inspiring and got me thinking about how important setting up the "literacy based" classroom is:
ReplyDelete"When students are immersed in a literature-rich environment, they are exposed to many teachers of writing: the authors I read to them, those they select to read on their own, and the student authors in our classroom." pg. 12
Also...
..."if writing is so strongly influenced by what students read and by the stories they hear, surrounding children with quality literature should be our first objective." p.12
Oops...that was Tonya Roshi:)
ReplyDeleteFrom Harwayne: "They need to form mentor relationships with the writers they admire, trying to do what these writers have done" What a supportive comment for using mentor texts as craft-lessons with our children! And how much I'd love for my students to feel like they have a RELATIONSHIP with a published author...that's intense, but it's what keeps us, as adults, reading!
ReplyDeleteFrom Graves: "Surrounding children with quality literature should be our first objective." Couldn't say it better than that...it's what school is all about!
~Katie
I have two quotes I really like.
ReplyDelete"Writing workshop for me is about choice, and I know my studetns appreciate this crucial element of our writing environment. ("This class is like 'Choose your Own Adventure!' Dylan Blurted out one day.)
I love that! It would be wonderful if each of our students viewed writing as an adventure.
The other one I really liked was "no distinctions are made between the reading of children's writing and the writing of professionals. Both are treated as important writing."
I believe this would build their confidence and encourage them to see themselves as good writers.
Kim