I love to write. No wait, I hate to write. No, I do love it....ugh, what am I trying to say?
Writing is frustrating, and cumbersome. Yet liberating and encouraging. Writing helps you organize your thoughts but not before you actually think you've lost your mind. It helps you communicate effectively but not before you think you are a nut case. It is gut wrenching when you hit the publish button. And reassuring when you get that first comment back.
I emphasis with my students that writing is for everyone and is an essential skill required in many areas of life. But how can they believe me? They are taking college freshman English because it is a requirement to graduate.
I often begin class by showing them this writing process animation video. It emphasizes that writing is a skill, not an inherent ability, that can be improved. The video also highlights that writing is needed in everyday life and in many fields.
I was excited when I recently read STEM and Writing: A Super Combination, an interview with Dr. Spyridon Michalakis, Physicist from Caltech. Michalakis says, "As a quantum physicist, maintaining the public's interest while discussing quantum mechanics requires the use of every genre of writing I can think of."..."Writing affords me an exquisite freedom in both style and subject matter." Wow, writing is needed outside of English Composition class? Now that's a thought for my students!
Oh, how I love for my students to hear this from someone else. I'm not torturing them! I'm helping them succeed in their chosen field.
And check this out...From Blog to Book Deal: How 6 Authors Did It. 6 examples of online work successfully turned into a book; one short blog at a time.
My school is currently looking for a writing curriculum. We have been doing a mishmash of things and even tried creating our own. I don't want my students to fall behind as we look at something new again so I am doing what I feel is educationally appropriate and what works for us.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings on writing are exactly like yours. I have a love/hate relationship with writing. Writing enables me to tell/share/expound/illustrate/explain or just simply say what is on my mind. But yes, that gut-wrenching feeling with the publish button does create great anxiety even with the comment since one never knows what someone else might say and then the debate of commenting in return.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the resources! I definitely will pass them on to my staff, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the love of writing!
ReplyDelete