post 6

The aspect of academic writing culture that my paper will focus on is “How student need to write to their Professor, each instructor wants something different”.
The Professor :
• Facts on paper and instructor expectations:
1. begins researching looking for evidence and facts, supporting points; it gives the researcher all the information he needs to have a clear picture of the problem(hand-out on topic).
2. investigate all necessary materials the writer may begin to shape his own ideas(how many references needed).
• What most instructors are looking for: Terms instructors use that students need to know!
1. The introduction (the part where the problems are presented, the thesis statement is introduced);
What is a thesis statement?
 tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
 is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
 directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
 makes a claim that others might dispute.
 is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader.
2. The body (the writer develops the thesis statement, states his\her main points, builds arguments, organizes all the claims in logical relations to the thesis, provides sufficient facts to support his\her position in the paper. It is very important for the writer to be persuasive here);
What is persuasive?
 Persuasive writing is a form of writing in which someone tries to get readers to agree with a position. This type of writing is very common in advertising copy, which is written in an attempt to get consumers to purchase specific products, and persuasive essays are commonly assigned in school to get people to use critical thinking skills. Learning to recognize persuasive writing can be a valuable skill, as can mastering the art of persuasive writing for yourself.

What is critical thinking skills?

 Critical thinking is that mode of thinking - about any subject, content, or
 problem - in which the thinker improves the quality of his or her thinking
 by skillfully taking charge of the structures inherent in thinking and
 imposing intellectual standards upon them.
3. The conclusion (the author summarizes all the arguments based on the evidence stated in the body and presents the results of the research).
 How to tie it all together.
• What if this isn’t what the instructor wants and how can the instructor help?
 First the instructor is not a mind reader talk to them after class or during office hours. All instructors have office hours.
 Find a classroom buddy, someone that can help you when you don’t understand.
 Go to the writing center, and ask for clarity
The Student:
• Who are you?
• What kind of writer?
• Where are your strong points in writing?
• Where do you need help?
• What would happen if you talked to the instructor? (They can’t kill you)!
What kind of writer are you?
 Ask yourself questions
 Talk to someone you trust can be critical of your work
 When you write do you plan using index carts, outlines, web, etc. or do you just write and then re-write
What Type of Writer Should You Be?
 This is a question only you as the writer can answer.
 Do you like how you write?
 Do you want to improve?
 The grade you received, is it to your standers, should you re-write it.


How do they clash Instructor/ Student
• Office hours are during students other classes
• Student is too shy to ask questions
• Instructors can’t stay after class
• Language communication problems
Who can HELP?
• The writing center…
How can they help?
 Though communication
 Through direction
 Through support
 Through experience

My paper idea...?...

I idea is more about writing to your Instructor....
When I break down the problem with writing in a school enviorment, the main focus is who are you writing for. Most of the time students write because they have to. Which is what I also do, but I may have insite on how to make your writing experiance a little less painfull.

Ask yourself the question...

First the writer has to understand the writing topic...

* find out expectations from instructor
* Know your instuctors style what they are looking for.
* Ask questions in class or after

Second the writer has to know themself...

* Who is the studend
* What experiances can they draw from
* Strong and weak points of their writing style

These thoughts and tools are great but what happens when it doesn't work

THE CLASH...

* students views are diffrent from instructor (personal)
* students fear of the instructor
* Language miss understanding
* instructor is closed minded
* no feedback to help improve
* misunderstanding...miscommunication...just a miss


THE "MAKE IT BETTER FOR EVERYONE"

* unsure yet still working on this part...to be continued...

P.S. info for the class...
Our instuctor asked for three ref. for this paper... now in my past writing classes that means three different books but after talking to the instructor after class, I found out that we can use the same book but diffrent chapters or stories. example I will be using pg. 296 dealing with family and pg.350 on thinking of self.. all I need is one more. Yeah me!

Kean Culture of Writing

I believe that students at Kean are overwhelmed, and boggeled down with reading book after book, and writing because they have to. When you read other students work, after it has been writen it may be informative about the subject but it is a real snore fest. There is no passion or even direction to most papers writen... no personality. However there is a handfull of students that actually pour their heart and soul in to each paper they write. This is something I do and also bring my life experience into everything I write. This a skill I have learned after many years of just spitting out the facts. The problem with this is sometimes you may get the wrong professor and may not want to hear what you think or experience so professors are closed minded. Last semester I had a professor that talked about the health care reform. The students where told that they needed to choose a side and support your beliefs with fact found in books,newpaper articles,and magazines. This was a great topic because it was something current and the students seemed inspired. Well the outcome was horrible. The students that had a diffrent view then the professor, recieved a much lower grade than the deserved. The students were given a chance to re-think their position and re-write their paper. the students that stood their ground and rewrote their paper stayed with the same grade. Students that conformed to the professors belief recieved a B or A-.
So my advice is to write for yourself at home but in class get to know your professor and write for them, once you graduate write for you.

side note: most the professor at Kean are open minded and you should be safe with having your own thoughts as long as you can back them up.

Describe my writing process

To describe my writing style it is better to tell describe what is isn't. I am not a free writer because I never want to write anymore than I have to. I can't use doodling or sketching because I love to draw and I would get to caught up in my drawing and forget about the writing assignment.
Then to even thing about the composing exercise gives me a migraine, way too many steps and very little time. The use of three-by-five index card is a tool I use for studying for major test but never used it for writing a paper. My writing style is horrible, there is no rime or reason to the way I write.  When I get an assignment I usually pick a topic that I understand and just write the paper, then read it, wait two days and read it again if it makes any sense I have someone else read it.  Once this is done and it sounds good to that person I print it and hand it in.  If for any reason I didn't like my paper I would take what I liked from the old paper and rewrite a new one.  If I have a problem picking a topic I would write the topics on a piece of paper fold them up and pick one. I know this isn't the best way but I don't have the time for extra research work.

I would love to say I write for enjoyment but that would be a lie. I don't have time for writing I am a mom of two children a daughter age sixteen and a son age nine. I am married to a wonderful man who works two jobs so I can pursue my dream for becoming a special needs early intervention teacher. The only writing I get a chance to do is Holiday card, thank you cards and the occasional party invite. My best way of communication is talking on my cell phone, and the only writing is texting...LOL or OMG...sad right. I even have a hard time responding to e-mails or facebook posts. I do not understand who has the time to sit there and post how many times their child has gone to the bathroom... I would love the time to sit and talk about nothing,but come on who really wants to hear about your child's bathroom habits. I don't want to know whn my own kids go. Ok I will get off my soapbox now.

I know that my writing style is horrible, since I don't have one. So the best way I would benefit is that I might find a style from coaching someone else. I think that you sould learn somrthing new each day and if you stop, then change what you are doing.

First post is to list and write about the connections between the readings and what you are learning writing centers do...

First post is to list and write about the connections between the readings and what you are learning writing centers do...

In the first chapter you will read about different theories and how to implement these theories to instill confidence and direction. Chapter one touches on five major theoretical theories...

Social constructionism:

use previous knowledge ( things previously read, heard, said, and or written). culture and dialogue illustrate and reinforcement ( this is at the backbone of the writers relationship with writing) Using these tools will allow the student to elaborate on their own thought process and be able to write to their best of their abilities.


Reader response:

covers two related theories subjective criticism and transaction criticism

Subjective criticism (more radical idea)

response to own ideas after reading text understanding that each individual has their own interpretation from the reading interpretation is your own

Transactional criticism (less radical idea)
texts guides, and develops new ideas using both material and structure text and reader become one ( forming a meaning together) how responds to work and real world Talk and writing

people are better talker then readers or writers talking it out is the start of the writing process ( example a web or using an outline). Using a web or outline helps bounce ideas off to improve the writing progress role-playing or reading aloud working together strengthens relationship and both the student and coach learn together The use of these tools helps create a more personal understanding of the students learning style and create a stronger bond of trust.

Collaborative learning

trust and confidence is the main objective while working together to accomplish a goal or task useful for challenging one another with questions and proof of reason chance to evaluate and change ideas if necessary


Feminism

not teacher lead questions more how to respond to the text is more important support and life experience come in to play, increasing knowledge of oneself working to a common goal creating a voice for the student...(there is never a dumb question)

My thoughts:

Chapter one gave some great incite on tutoring and I learned a great deal with some of the standpoints that have been provided above, however I felt a key point in this chapter was overlooked. What I felt wasn't really talked about was learning styles that may be altered do to learning disabilities. A student that may have a processing or sometimes known as a receptive language disorder which is "a type of learning disability affecting the ability to understand spoken, and sometimes written, language. Students with receptive language disorders often have difficulty with speech and organizing their thoughts, which creates problems in communicating verbally with others and in organizing their thoughts on paper" (about.com). There is other students like myself that maybe dyslexic which is "a disorder in children ( and adults) who, despite conventional classroom experience, fail to attain the language skills of reading, writing, and spelling commensurate with their intellectual abilities"(medicineNet.com). There is so many learning disabilities that can be reached and concored with the right tools. I have a perfect example that I would like to share. I am a softball coach and their was a young girl that no one wanted on their team because she had adhd and never could pay attention. We were in a meeting picking girls and the first girl I had chosen was her. All the other coaches reminded me that the girl I chose had problems and she was the "booby prize". I looked at the rest of my peers and told them that by the end of the year they all would wish they had her on their team. They all said I don't think so but good luck. I build a bond with this player and gained her trust then I asked her to put her self out their for me and try a new position on the field, she trusted me so she did it. I placed her at catcher because I knew that she had to pay attention the whole time, she had to be engaged with every play. By the end of the season I had each coach come up to me and complement my coaching skills, but that wasn't it I told them it is the fact that I would never give up on a child and neither should you as I walked away with first place trophy in hand. Learning disabilities cant be changed but there are skill that can be taught to improve learning.



Chapter two topic:

Research on peer groups (what have they found - what does it imply about coaching writing?)

• Peer groups are the key on building self confidence, builds risk- taking and creativity, and also helps with interaction with peers.
• Focuses on development of accuracy while writing
• The ability to to use their judgement and distinguish between major and minor writing problems
• Most importantly encourage questions

This a great way of students to improve their writing skills, help develops leadership and become more careful about their writing

Research on conferences

• The most important part of one to one conferences depends on who is involved
• conferences fail way to often because it is ran by the teacher it follows his or her agenda
• mechanics is the higher focus and not the students weakness

Research on coaching

      Is divided into three categories: Studies of peer coaching in general,  Studies of literacy coaching, and Studies of coaching writing

1. Studies of peer coaching in general

• used to improve skills of the student
• helps develope social development
• it is more cost effective

*** The coach needs to be properly trained ***

   2.   Studies of literacy coaching

• coaching for children during elementary years is the best way to improve reading and writing tools
• best case is when their is a strong parent involement
• literacy coaching is effective for all age groups dealing with interpersonal, management and content skills

  3.   Studies of coaching writing

• Coaching is an effective way for elementry grades to form the proper writing skills
• Improves the quality of the students writing (final paper)
• Improves grades

My thoughts:
Chapter 2 focused more on elementry grades and how earily intervention is the key.  I am in agreement with this aproach, however any age student will gain the proper tools which will established  a greater understanding of reading and writing.

Chapter three topic:

"Mistaken" theories for coaching

• taking over the job at hand and not allowing the student to do his own work
• when work is not up to par giving honest feedback is the best flattery, guidence is the key
• never be over critical, it is not the coaches goal.
• never become the writer you are coaching their therapist the relationship becomes too personal
• always respect the writer don't use your ideas, the student needs to feel welcome to be open with the coach...when yyou put your ideas it make the writer feel wrong
• It ok to not know, be honest, the coach cant know everything...look it up with the student, and dont hide your mistakes
• fix the problem now and dont wait untill its to late

My thoughts:
Chapter three though it was short, I enjoyed the way it was writen.  I like how the reader learned the mistakes first then gave the reasons.  It cemented the concepts for me as the reader.  Three of the pionts really hit home for me because I found fault in myself with my own children.  I try to help them with their writing and sometime change their thoughts in the direction I felt they were trying to go.  I am their cheerleader in their corner and praise their work and at the sametime changing it. My last coaching mistake is responding too late, because if after I have corrected their papers several time and still see the same mistakes I leave it so maybe someone else can deal with correcting their problem.  My thought is their not getting the way I am teaching it so maybe a new approach from their teacher is the best way...I still feel if I cant reach them hopefully someone else can.  Sometime (most of the time) children listen to others before their parents... (after the age of ten).
* bullets and ideas came from the book:  McAndrew, Donald A. and Thomas J. Reigstad. (2001). Tutoring Writing: A Practical Guide for Conferences. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook