Thursday's Articles

Beethovians and Mozartians...
Wow! What a great article. Throughout the article, I found myself going "Yeah- I do that!" or "Someone else does that, too?" and even, "Why would they do that?" It really struck me at how much writing is a unique and individual craft. We may share methods, but noone can write exactly like us. So, why do we use cookie cutter writing methods? This really sunk home to me.

Skeletons in the closet-
Another great article. I can't wait to use the skeleton technique in the classroom. (And, I think it would be quite fun to do this with the fellow bluebonnets, too!) Not only does it teach how to be a more descriptive writing, it also reinforces the other article by giving each writer a unique voice. I'm getting so excited about teaching writing next year- I know my students will be so much more successful.

The Parallel Universes of Theory and Practice
This article was an interesting tale of one teachers' journeys and struggles through teaching the writing process. I love the way she talks about overcoming and abandoning the traditional "sit and get" method of teachign and moving towards a more community of learners style. It was inspiring to read about her transformation. She sounds like an amazing teacher with a passion for her students, teaching, and writing.

Getting Real- Authenticity in Writing Prompts-
Oooh! I love this. It's not a new concept, but it fills me with excitement and ideas as I read through this article. I've seen how much more attention students pay to their writing when they know it's going to be seen by someone other than me or their classmates. It's as if it makes it more "real". I love the examples of her studnets' writing in response to the potential bannign of the Tale of Two Cities. I would bet that many of those students would not have had that same passion of writing had they been writing a two page paper analyzing the character!