blog 5

Blog 5

            Clear and meaningful writing should be the goal for all writers. It should not matter if the document is formal or informal. One of the main purposes for writing in the field of education is to refer to the data at a later time. If the information on the document is not comprehensible for the writer and or reader, creating documents such as short lists, notes or essays is useless.

           

When educating, teachers face a distinct challenge that the traditional western education has assisted to create. Students don’t write from their own perspective much. They are not encouraged to include their feelings into the writing they are assigned. During my student teaching, I had the opportunity to observe different teachers and I can recall some teachers just wanted writing assignments that consist of summaries. Other than “supporting details” no other aspect of a solid framework of writing were being conveyed to these 7^th graders.

When exposing students to the many uses of writing, teachers have to evaluate themselves just as much as they have to evaluate their students. Students have to be sure what the teacher wants the piece of writing to contain. I have had classes in the past where the entire class received a poor grade and the educator didn't take into account that he/she did not explain the assignment correctly. Accountability in education is something that needs to be prevalent but from what I have experienced and observed, blaming students or the culture of the facility is more common.

When Teachers stress the length of writing it tends to affect the effectiveness of the writing as well. I’m sure I have padded writing assignments in the past due to page or word requirements. Brief “half short, twice strong” writing is the result of a solid understanding of the assignment. A well written piece can adhere to restrictions but a certain amount of freedom needs to exist within the assignment for opportunities for growth and development.

Mastering elements such as; the main idea, focus questions/statements, specifics about the setting i.e. (5 W’s and H) are elements a good writer should seek to master. The text says writing can’t be meaningful without a focus question or statement. Students also need to pay close attention to language. Each industry has lingo/jargon/tech terms that will separate a writer from an expert in a particular field if they are used correctly. The language in writing dictates the point of view the reader is reading from, it also creates a tone for the reader.