I stumbled upon another article by Muriel Harris in Google scholars addressing the most effective techniques a writing tutor can employ. The article, "The Roles a Tutor Plays: Effective Tutoring Techniques" categorizes the tutor as a coach, a commentator, and a counselor. Naturally the section the tutor as a counselor stood out most to me because it is precisely the direction I am going in for my final project. Harris writes that tutors "need to look at the student as a person, to offer advice, to be aware of outside interference which may be hindering learning, to search for ways to establish a successful working relationship," (64). Often the inability to communicate the words onto the page are manifested from internal barriers. Whether it be writer's block or something stressful going on in the student's life, it is important to establish a comfortable enough environment for the tutee. After all, the whole reason (in a lot of cases) they are seeing a consultant in the first place is because they are having trouble with a certain aspect of their writing. I'm a firm believer however that that problem or insecurity can be rooted in an emotional or stress aspect of their life.
This leads me to the question of how we find the balance of facilitative and friendly relationship. In my first blog paper I explored the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a facilitative versus directive role in a session. I have now established that the facilitator is the most ideal role to assume, but now I am faced with another role to choose from: the counselor. Harris puts it perfectly:
"We need to remind ourselves as tutors that we must be concerned with students and all of their human complexities in order to find ways to bring about improvement in a subject or skill," and keeping that in mind, "we should not assume that what worked for one student will automatically work for the next one," (65).
Humans are indeed complex beings, and college students are among the most complex. We are constantly rivaling our school life with our personal life on an everyday basis. As a tutor, it is important that we are respectful of any problems writer's are having because it may just be they had an off day, are stressed out, or are genuinely just having trouble with the assignment. Regardless, we should possess the capabilities of helping a student with not only concerns about their writing but their concerns regarding the class and school in general.
Click HERE to view the article
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The best kind of tutor
I have begun to investigate further how writing tutors take on different roles in various consulting situations. What I have noticed in most of the articles I have read is the insistence that tutors have to be able to adapt to any situation they are put in. Every consulting session is like walking in the dark (of course unless they have worked with them before). In "The Writing Center and Tutoring in WAC Programs", an article by Muriel Harris, the benefits of having well-trained and adaptable tutors in writing centers is explored. She describes the most ideal setting in which tutors function as a "non-evaluative, supportive environment, offering writers the opportunity to write, think, and talk with someone who through this collaborative talk and questioning helps the writer use language to develop ideas, to test possibilities, to re-see and rethink in the light of feedback from the tutor," (110). A word that you don't often see describing the type of thinking exhibited in a session that she uses is heuristic. I think that is the perfect word to describe an ideal session because it truly is about the writer doing the thinking on their own and us not doing it for them.
Something that Harris delves into quite a bit is this idea of a "supportive" environment. This is essential to yielding heuristic thinking and learning. It allows writers to feel comfortable to ask honest questions about their writing that they may or may not feel comfortable asking their own teacher. It is no coincidence that in a tutoring session you will hear a plethora of colloquial language. Students who come into the writing center should feel comfortable expressing their concerns with their writing no matter the stage that they are at.
To me, this all seems like second nature. I have always prided myself on being a thoughtful and insightful listener. However, not everyone can say the same (I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but it's true). Classes such as the one we are in right now give us the best mechanical training a tutor can have but it is a writing pedagogy class, not therapy pedagogy. Granted, I am not implying that writing tutors should be someone that provides a shoulder to cry on, but they have to have the ability to comfort a writer who is in serious need of some uplifting words of wisdom. Therefore, how do we teach this to potential tutors?
Click HERE for the link to the article.
Something that Harris delves into quite a bit is this idea of a "supportive" environment. This is essential to yielding heuristic thinking and learning. It allows writers to feel comfortable to ask honest questions about their writing that they may or may not feel comfortable asking their own teacher. It is no coincidence that in a tutoring session you will hear a plethora of colloquial language. Students who come into the writing center should feel comfortable expressing their concerns with their writing no matter the stage that they are at.
To me, this all seems like second nature. I have always prided myself on being a thoughtful and insightful listener. However, not everyone can say the same (I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, but it's true). Classes such as the one we are in right now give us the best mechanical training a tutor can have but it is a writing pedagogy class, not therapy pedagogy. Granted, I am not implying that writing tutors should be someone that provides a shoulder to cry on, but they have to have the ability to comfort a writer who is in serious need of some uplifting words of wisdom. Therefore, how do we teach this to potential tutors?
Click HERE for the link to the article.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Possible Ideas
I have decided to dedicate this blog post to possible ideas for my FAQ final project because I do not want to forget them by the time I have to start writing it (this will also serve as a sort of introduction to my blog paper). After consulting with Professor Dolson this afternoon about possible ideas I have decided that I would like to make my FAQ page about the emotional side of consulting. I have not completely narrowed down what specifically I will focus on because I have not explored enough readings quite yet but I feel that it it something that is often overlooked. Most of the readings and articles we have read in class have to do with the conventions and guidelines to running successful sessions. There is limited information on what to do when the student is stressed out, highly emotional or concerned. Some ideas I've had so far are:
1. How to deal with someone who is working close to the deadline
2. How to console someone who is having a particularly difficult time
3. How to motivate someone who has lost all hope in their writing
Although these are a few extreme situations, they are ones that should not be overlooked. I know from my own experience going to a friend or consultant for help, often all I need is a restoration of confidence. If our job as consultants is not to blatantly change elements of people's essays and instead guide them in the right direction, most people have the ability to be a good writer in the first place. Let's be honest, the students at this school for the most part have the same caliber of writing. Therefore, when UR students are having issues with their writing, often it can be because of added stress from an overbearing workload or other homework assignment. I feel that a short FAQ or Wiki addressing some of these emotional issues could seriously improve the impact consultants have on students in need.
1. How to deal with someone who is working close to the deadline
2. How to console someone who is having a particularly difficult time
3. How to motivate someone who has lost all hope in their writing
Although these are a few extreme situations, they are ones that should not be overlooked. I know from my own experience going to a friend or consultant for help, often all I need is a restoration of confidence. If our job as consultants is not to blatantly change elements of people's essays and instead guide them in the right direction, most people have the ability to be a good writer in the first place. Let's be honest, the students at this school for the most part have the same caliber of writing. Therefore, when UR students are having issues with their writing, often it can be because of added stress from an overbearing workload or other homework assignment. I feel that a short FAQ or Wiki addressing some of these emotional issues could seriously improve the impact consultants have on students in need.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
The Do's and Dont's
In my experience with the Writing Center so far, I have discovered that the style of each tutor is based on the "do's" and "dont's" that most Centers employ. I have collectively worked with three separate tutors so far this semester and each one employs a different approach when it comes to running a session. The first tutor I had a session with told me that he never used a red pen because of how harsh it appeared on the page. He told me the last thing any writer needs is to see their ideas covered in red ink. The second tutor I worked with told me to overlook all grammatical errors. Unless the student was in dire need for assistance, grammatical errors were something only the writer had the authority to change. The last tutor I worked with took a completely opposite approach to that of the second tutor, telling me that grammatical errors should always be amended. She told me that by correcting this area of the writing, it would only improve on the writer's mechanics which is completely independent from their style. She said there is no right or wrong style, but there is such a thing as a right or wrong sentence.
Looking back on all of these experiences I find myself asking the question "What are the the ethics that all Centers should employ and how do we decide what those are?" To look into this further, I discovered an article by Irene Lurkis Clark entitled "Collaboration and Ethics in Writing Center Pedagogy". Click here for PDF
Clark's article explores the controversial issue of plagiarism in Writing Centers. In the beginning of the article she recalls times where she asked for assistance and opinions from her colleagues on papers and never once thought about the implications of doing so. She goes on to say, however, that "In writing labs and centers, though, the kind of assistance which occurs regularly among colleagues might raise questions, if not eyebrows, over issues of ethics." It seems there is a big difference between reading over a colleagues paper and providing suggestions and being a writing tutor and doing those things. I believe a lot of this lies in the formal nature of writing centers and their desire to be academic institutions that play by the rules. "The humanities tradition" says that the text should be produced by the sole effort of an individual, not a collaboration. Because of this, Clark explains that the founders of writing centers are constantly on the defensive when explaining the roles of the institutions in universities. She goes on further to explain that because tutors are so concerned with issues of plagiarism and students taking their advice too far can disengage the tutor from the writing and keep them at a distance from both the text and the writer.
Clark concludes her article with a plea to have tutors become more active roles in the writing of tutees. She brings up the idea of imitation, saying that this approach has a bad reputation amongst people in the world academia. They say that writing is about self discovery and is a process that students must undergo themselves through their experience in academic institutions. However, there is much to be said about the advantages of imitation. When we correct spelling or grammar in papers, it is informing and reminding writers of the rules of writing. It is training those writers to not make careless mistakes again and instead focus on larger issues having to do with context and structure. Isn't our initial approach to learning a form of imitation? We learn to speak when we are very young simply by imitating the sounds and noises we hear around us. Clark writes that similarly our style in writing did not appear out of thin air. We are constantly prompted and pushed in different directions due to the influences around us. She writes, "Sometimes the suggestion of a phrase or two can e wonderfully instructive...often a timely suggestion of a phrase can result in the student's adoption of that phrase as his or her own". Granted, tutors should always be aware that they are there to assist writers and not make direct change without any input from the writer themselves. However, when tutors take a more hands on approach and explain to their tutees why they are making such changes, it will help to train them not to make careless mistakes and employ the same correctional style.
Click here for PDF
Looking back on all of these experiences I find myself asking the question "What are the the ethics that all Centers should employ and how do we decide what those are?" To look into this further, I discovered an article by Irene Lurkis Clark entitled "Collaboration and Ethics in Writing Center Pedagogy". Click here for PDF
Clark's article explores the controversial issue of plagiarism in Writing Centers. In the beginning of the article she recalls times where she asked for assistance and opinions from her colleagues on papers and never once thought about the implications of doing so. She goes on to say, however, that "In writing labs and centers, though, the kind of assistance which occurs regularly among colleagues might raise questions, if not eyebrows, over issues of ethics." It seems there is a big difference between reading over a colleagues paper and providing suggestions and being a writing tutor and doing those things. I believe a lot of this lies in the formal nature of writing centers and their desire to be academic institutions that play by the rules. "The humanities tradition" says that the text should be produced by the sole effort of an individual, not a collaboration. Because of this, Clark explains that the founders of writing centers are constantly on the defensive when explaining the roles of the institutions in universities. She goes on further to explain that because tutors are so concerned with issues of plagiarism and students taking their advice too far can disengage the tutor from the writing and keep them at a distance from both the text and the writer.
Clark concludes her article with a plea to have tutors become more active roles in the writing of tutees. She brings up the idea of imitation, saying that this approach has a bad reputation amongst people in the world academia. They say that writing is about self discovery and is a process that students must undergo themselves through their experience in academic institutions. However, there is much to be said about the advantages of imitation. When we correct spelling or grammar in papers, it is informing and reminding writers of the rules of writing. It is training those writers to not make careless mistakes again and instead focus on larger issues having to do with context and structure. Isn't our initial approach to learning a form of imitation? We learn to speak when we are very young simply by imitating the sounds and noises we hear around us. Clark writes that similarly our style in writing did not appear out of thin air. We are constantly prompted and pushed in different directions due to the influences around us. She writes, "Sometimes the suggestion of a phrase or two can e wonderfully instructive...often a timely suggestion of a phrase can result in the student's adoption of that phrase as his or her own". Granted, tutors should always be aware that they are there to assist writers and not make direct change without any input from the writer themselves. However, when tutors take a more hands on approach and explain to their tutees why they are making such changes, it will help to train them not to make careless mistakes and employ the same correctional style.
Click here for PDF
Friday, November 19, 2010
The one's who can't be helped..
I had a very interesting session today shadowing my friend who is a fellow for a FYS this semester. She showed the paper before the student came in and I was appalled to say the least. There were endless grammatical errors and incoherent moments in the paper (not to mention a plethora of colloquial language). We could not help but laugh at some of the errors the student was making, despite how bad we felt about it.
Eventually the student arrived and I immediately felt guilty about what we had been amused by moments before. He walked in looking nervous, frazzled, and overall confused. I especially felt bad for my friend because she did not even know where to begin with editing; there was so much to be done yet she did not want to overwhelm him and make it seem like she was writing the paper herself. She took a very good approach by first making him read the paper aloud and pause every time he noticed something wrong. By just reading the paper out loud he noticed how many careless errors he had made. Granted, she had to intervene quite often to add additional points and suggestions but he was doing a lot of the work himself.
This experience taught me that even though as consultants we will be presented with students who seem like they cannot be helped, there is always a way to help them no matter how lost they are. Even if in the session you only get one point across or change one thing in their paper, it is the fact that they will most likely never make that mistake again that counts.
Eventually the student arrived and I immediately felt guilty about what we had been amused by moments before. He walked in looking nervous, frazzled, and overall confused. I especially felt bad for my friend because she did not even know where to begin with editing; there was so much to be done yet she did not want to overwhelm him and make it seem like she was writing the paper herself. She took a very good approach by first making him read the paper aloud and pause every time he noticed something wrong. By just reading the paper out loud he noticed how many careless errors he had made. Granted, she had to intervene quite often to add additional points and suggestions but he was doing a lot of the work himself.
This experience taught me that even though as consultants we will be presented with students who seem like they cannot be helped, there is always a way to help them no matter how lost they are. Even if in the session you only get one point across or change one thing in their paper, it is the fact that they will most likely never make that mistake again that counts.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Second Visit to B&G Club
I am very pleased to say that my second visit with the Boys and Girls club was much more successful than the last. The last girl I worked with, Latia, decided to withdraw from the program which discouraged me in the beginning. However I was assigned to work with another girl, Star, and she was much more enthusiastic about the whole project.
Star and I went into the computer lab to go over her interview and begin assembling a script. I nearly jumped with excitement when I found out that she had not only completed the interview, but she also had a detailed biography given to her by the woman she interviewed. This made my job much easier. We read through the notes and biography together and decided the most important points to include in the script. What surprised me was how much of the interview Star recalled off of the top her head. She was able to recite to me most of the information that was on the sheet which let me know that she was interested and genuinely cared about writing about the woman.
When we got to writing the script it was a piece of cake. I had Star read over the notes I had written and pick out the key points. She had a good sense of how to write the script, going in chronological order and finding a general theme. There were 4 "pearls of wisdom" given to Star from the woman that she got to choose from. I told her that she should read over all of them and tell me which one stood out to her the most from the interview. She picked the one about God and we talked about the importance of God in not only the woman's life, but in her life. This gave us ample thing to talk about in the rest of the script and gave it a nice overall tone.
I am very pleased with the experience I had today and I am look forward to going back on Monday to do the recording with Star!
Star and I went into the computer lab to go over her interview and begin assembling a script. I nearly jumped with excitement when I found out that she had not only completed the interview, but she also had a detailed biography given to her by the woman she interviewed. This made my job much easier. We read through the notes and biography together and decided the most important points to include in the script. What surprised me was how much of the interview Star recalled off of the top her head. She was able to recite to me most of the information that was on the sheet which let me know that she was interested and genuinely cared about writing about the woman.
When we got to writing the script it was a piece of cake. I had Star read over the notes I had written and pick out the key points. She had a good sense of how to write the script, going in chronological order and finding a general theme. There were 4 "pearls of wisdom" given to Star from the woman that she got to choose from. I told her that she should read over all of them and tell me which one stood out to her the most from the interview. She picked the one about God and we talked about the importance of God in not only the woman's life, but in her life. This gave us ample thing to talk about in the rest of the script and gave it a nice overall tone.
I am very pleased with the experience I had today and I am look forward to going back on Monday to do the recording with Star!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Literacy: It's not just about reading and writing
Christie Johnson's thesis on literate awareness is one of the most interesting pieces of writing I have read in awhile. She explores so many different types of literacy in the attempt to answer the question, what does it mean to be literate? She does this by examining a student named Tina that she tutors at a local high school. Something I found very interesting that she did after reading a paper by Tina was finding the places of understanding, or literate awareness. She also had her write reflections and notes down about an interview she had with a carptentar.
What I found to be by far the most compelling element of this paper was how different our definition of literacy is compared to people who come from a different socio-economic background. Johnson read a paper written by Tina before meeting her that had ample grammatical errors, poor word choice and a heap of other problems. She was then surprised to see that the paper received a "B". She then thought to herself that a "B" was not the correct grade for the paper and seemed confused. However, she began to realize that the standard for students in her high school was probably significantly lower than that of her own high school. Johnson grew up in an affluent neighborhood and received constant support through out her education. Not only that, but she always knew that the end goal was to attend college. It was never a question whether or not she would receive a higher education: it was understood. This naturally made me think of my own experience of high school.
I also grew up in an affluent family and received a far above par private education throughout my entire life. Even though I grew up in London, I still was presented with the same end goals: to graduate high school with a good GPA and attend an established university. For a second, I imagined what it would be like to not have those goals. What if going to high school was the end goal? What if actually graduating, despite the level of grades, was considered to be the best accomplishment?
The point of all of this reflection is this: literacy is defined as being able to read and write, but the reality is that it has a much deeper meaning for those of different backgrounds. Literacy, like Johnson says, is defined by those people who read TIME and The New Yorker and spend their days having intellectual conversations. The standards of what it means to be "educated" are in fact defined by those who are educated. Although I do agree with the importance of having our country's (and my other country's) citizens be well educated, the experiences we have in our lifetime are much more important. There is something to be said about those whose biggest dilemmas are what they will choose to wear in the morning and those whose issues are more serious. People who grow up in a rough neighborhood or with less money have a level of experience that most white-collar families cannot even come close to (and no, doing 'service' trips does not count).
What I mean by all of this (I am aware I went on a rant for a bit) is that to be literate is not just about reading and writing. In order to be literate, you have to be able to communicate those ideas not only by writing, but by speaking. Tina could talk about the issues behind teen pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, and many other things because they are issues she sees first hand. She is not hesitant to put her opinion out there and make what she thinks known. We at Richmond spend most of our time writing essays, research papers, lab reports, and tend to avoid these somewhat controversial issues. Keeping all of that in mind, who is more literate?
What I found to be by far the most compelling element of this paper was how different our definition of literacy is compared to people who come from a different socio-economic background. Johnson read a paper written by Tina before meeting her that had ample grammatical errors, poor word choice and a heap of other problems. She was then surprised to see that the paper received a "B". She then thought to herself that a "B" was not the correct grade for the paper and seemed confused. However, she began to realize that the standard for students in her high school was probably significantly lower than that of her own high school. Johnson grew up in an affluent neighborhood and received constant support through out her education. Not only that, but she always knew that the end goal was to attend college. It was never a question whether or not she would receive a higher education: it was understood. This naturally made me think of my own experience of high school.
I also grew up in an affluent family and received a far above par private education throughout my entire life. Even though I grew up in London, I still was presented with the same end goals: to graduate high school with a good GPA and attend an established university. For a second, I imagined what it would be like to not have those goals. What if going to high school was the end goal? What if actually graduating, despite the level of grades, was considered to be the best accomplishment?
The point of all of this reflection is this: literacy is defined as being able to read and write, but the reality is that it has a much deeper meaning for those of different backgrounds. Literacy, like Johnson says, is defined by those people who read TIME and The New Yorker and spend their days having intellectual conversations. The standards of what it means to be "educated" are in fact defined by those who are educated. Although I do agree with the importance of having our country's (and my other country's) citizens be well educated, the experiences we have in our lifetime are much more important. There is something to be said about those whose biggest dilemmas are what they will choose to wear in the morning and those whose issues are more serious. People who grow up in a rough neighborhood or with less money have a level of experience that most white-collar families cannot even come close to (and no, doing 'service' trips does not count).
What I mean by all of this (I am aware I went on a rant for a bit) is that to be literate is not just about reading and writing. In order to be literate, you have to be able to communicate those ideas not only by writing, but by speaking. Tina could talk about the issues behind teen pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, and many other things because they are issues she sees first hand. She is not hesitant to put her opinion out there and make what she thinks known. We at Richmond spend most of our time writing essays, research papers, lab reports, and tend to avoid these somewhat controversial issues. Keeping all of that in mind, who is more literate?
What is the point?
After going to the BGC on Monday, reading the most recent blog post on Professor Dolson's blog, and discussing our visit in class, the same question has been hovering around in my mind: what is the point of our visit?
In a most basic sense you could say that the point is to help the students make a digital story. On Monday I met with a girl named Latia who was timid at first but opened up to Fed and I towards the end of the hour. Unfortunately for us (and her), she had yet to do an interview with someone in the community and had not even chosen someone to work with. Because of the lack of information to work with, we ended up watching YouTube videos of her older brother for most of the session. Her brother is a student at VCU and is very interested in the arts. He has a YouTube account and uploads music videos and videos of him singing on a regular basis. Although I did not realize it until class today, her brother would be a perfect candidate for this project. She would be perfectly comfortable interviewing her own brother and already has a ton of admiration for his vocal and dance abilities. Isn't that what this project is about anyways?
This all got me thinking about why we are even visiting the kids at the BCG. Yes, on the surface, the original plan was to help them make a digital story but as of today, we are not doing that anymore (definitely the right decision). Now, our job is to get them to take the notes from their interview and turn it into a script, a video, or in my opinion, any medium through which they can express their opinion. Because..isn't that what all of this is about? It's not about spending 10 hours teaching them how to use Flickr, avoid copyright issues, or edit their voice in Audacity. This project is about establishing a common ground with the kids and helping them understand that they do have an opinion and no matter how they express it, it's worth hearing.
In a most basic sense you could say that the point is to help the students make a digital story. On Monday I met with a girl named Latia who was timid at first but opened up to Fed and I towards the end of the hour. Unfortunately for us (and her), she had yet to do an interview with someone in the community and had not even chosen someone to work with. Because of the lack of information to work with, we ended up watching YouTube videos of her older brother for most of the session. Her brother is a student at VCU and is very interested in the arts. He has a YouTube account and uploads music videos and videos of him singing on a regular basis. Although I did not realize it until class today, her brother would be a perfect candidate for this project. She would be perfectly comfortable interviewing her own brother and already has a ton of admiration for his vocal and dance abilities. Isn't that what this project is about anyways?
This all got me thinking about why we are even visiting the kids at the BCG. Yes, on the surface, the original plan was to help them make a digital story but as of today, we are not doing that anymore (definitely the right decision). Now, our job is to get them to take the notes from their interview and turn it into a script, a video, or in my opinion, any medium through which they can express their opinion. Because..isn't that what all of this is about? It's not about spending 10 hours teaching them how to use Flickr, avoid copyright issues, or edit their voice in Audacity. This project is about establishing a common ground with the kids and helping them understand that they do have an opinion and no matter how they express it, it's worth hearing.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Boys & Girls Club: Pre-Session
Before going downtown to the Boys & Girls club we were prompted with a few questions by Professor Dolson. They were as follows:
1. What helped you the most in the making of your digital story?
2. What makes a story?
What helped me the most in the making of my digital story was mainly the fact that I had done it before. This project was much easier to accomplish because of the experience I had from doing it last year. The way I went about doing my digital story this year was not much different from the previous time except I knew exactly what needed to get done in order for the story to come out well. For example, I knew this time around that having a plethora of photos to choose from is essential before putting the whole story together. It can be difficult and frustrating to have every element of your story completed in iMovie or Photostage and to still have to go back onto the Creative Commons to find photos. In order for things to run smoothly it's imperative to have everything in the pre-production stage to be done before moving on to the production stage.
In terms of writing the script, what helped me most was the way I decided to conduct the interview. I chose broad questions to ask my professor and wrote down meticulous notes during the interview. I knew that if I had specific questions and answers at the stage it would be difficult to come up with a good script in the writing stage. What I mean by this is that when you're conducting your interview, you have no idea how it will go and what your professor will say. Therefor it is unclear what direction you will take your story in at that point in the process. After the interview I was able to go through all of my notes and pick out the ideas and points that would be cohesive in a story.
This leads into the last question: what makes a story? There are a lot of elements that can be found in a traditional story. From plot, characters, themes, there are a ton of things that make up a story. A digital story on the other hand has elements that are not as straightforward. In this story in particular we had a protagonist or "main character", but in most digital stories, they are more conceptual. It's more important to know exactly what the theme is before the direction of the story because that is what you are trying to convey.
Below I have posted my digital story along with a couple of links to different photo websites and tutorials.
My story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF9-yF5VxCE
Digital Storytelling Concepts
http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html
Creative Commons
http://www.creativecommons.com
Flickr
http://www.flickr.com
Flickr Storm
http://www.zoo‐m.com/flickr‐storm/
Audacity Download
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
1. What helped you the most in the making of your digital story?
2. What makes a story?
What helped me the most in the making of my digital story was mainly the fact that I had done it before. This project was much easier to accomplish because of the experience I had from doing it last year. The way I went about doing my digital story this year was not much different from the previous time except I knew exactly what needed to get done in order for the story to come out well. For example, I knew this time around that having a plethora of photos to choose from is essential before putting the whole story together. It can be difficult and frustrating to have every element of your story completed in iMovie or Photostage and to still have to go back onto the Creative Commons to find photos. In order for things to run smoothly it's imperative to have everything in the pre-production stage to be done before moving on to the production stage.
In terms of writing the script, what helped me most was the way I decided to conduct the interview. I chose broad questions to ask my professor and wrote down meticulous notes during the interview. I knew that if I had specific questions and answers at the stage it would be difficult to come up with a good script in the writing stage. What I mean by this is that when you're conducting your interview, you have no idea how it will go and what your professor will say. Therefor it is unclear what direction you will take your story in at that point in the process. After the interview I was able to go through all of my notes and pick out the ideas and points that would be cohesive in a story.
This leads into the last question: what makes a story? There are a lot of elements that can be found in a traditional story. From plot, characters, themes, there are a ton of things that make up a story. A digital story on the other hand has elements that are not as straightforward. In this story in particular we had a protagonist or "main character", but in most digital stories, they are more conceptual. It's more important to know exactly what the theme is before the direction of the story because that is what you are trying to convey.
Below I have posted my digital story along with a couple of links to different photo websites and tutorials.
My story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF9-yF5VxCE
Digital Storytelling Concepts
http://www.storycenter.org/index1.html
Creative Commons
http://www.creativecommons.com
Flickr
http://www.flickr.com
Flickr Storm
http://www.zoo‐m.com/flickr‐storm/
Audacity Download
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
High school consultation
I know I am very far behind in the high school student consultation but due to logistical issues (5 hour time difference) with the person I was consulting with, it was not until last weekend that we were able to Skype. I was given her college essay a few weeks prior to the session so I had ample time to review it. Her essay was for her common application and in case you don't remember writing that essay, basically you can write about anything. She chose to write about her most important experiences in life by examining the different shoes she wore while experiencing them. For example, her dance shoes for all of the dance teams she was on, her wellies which she wears around London, and her hiking boots from her trip to South Africa.
Fortunately for her she had no problem with her concept. Often with college essays the most difficult part is the beginning stage: figuring out what to write about. However, the essay lacked cohesiveness. She was able to talk about each shoe and the experience that when with it, but it almost seemed like 3 separate stories. In the Skype session I brought this up and had her talk to me about what the overall point was that she wanted to convey. After talking through it for a couple of minutes she was able to come up with a common theme that arose from all 3 experiences. While she was talking I wrote some notes down and relayed them back to her at the end of the sessions so she could have a copy.
I found this experience to be very beneficial to me as a writing consultant. Considering it was the first time I had ever properly consulted with someone I thought it went very well. Even though we consulted from two different continents, the session went just how I expected any normal consultation would go. It was nice to be able to put into practice all of the things we have been talking about in class in terms of how to run a good session. I made sure that she was talking for most of the time and I was listening, taking notes, and synthesizing her ideas. I did notice however that I had to do a bit more for the student than I would in a normal session. The reasons for this are 2-fold--she was probably very nervous to be meeting with me and she is still in high school. There is a big difference between high school and college level writing and it was quite evident in her essay. However, I noticed that the same theories applied in terms of how to be a good consultant so it did not matter either way. The experience altogether made me realize that our roles as writing consultants are not just to help college students but can really be used on anyone.
Fortunately for her she had no problem with her concept. Often with college essays the most difficult part is the beginning stage: figuring out what to write about. However, the essay lacked cohesiveness. She was able to talk about each shoe and the experience that when with it, but it almost seemed like 3 separate stories. In the Skype session I brought this up and had her talk to me about what the overall point was that she wanted to convey. After talking through it for a couple of minutes she was able to come up with a common theme that arose from all 3 experiences. While she was talking I wrote some notes down and relayed them back to her at the end of the sessions so she could have a copy.
I found this experience to be very beneficial to me as a writing consultant. Considering it was the first time I had ever properly consulted with someone I thought it went very well. Even though we consulted from two different continents, the session went just how I expected any normal consultation would go. It was nice to be able to put into practice all of the things we have been talking about in class in terms of how to run a good session. I made sure that she was talking for most of the time and I was listening, taking notes, and synthesizing her ideas. I did notice however that I had to do a bit more for the student than I would in a normal session. The reasons for this are 2-fold--she was probably very nervous to be meeting with me and she is still in high school. There is a big difference between high school and college level writing and it was quite evident in her essay. However, I noticed that the same theories applied in terms of how to be a good consultant so it did not matter either way. The experience altogether made me realize that our roles as writing consultants are not just to help college students but can really be used on anyone.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Shadowing
Yesterday I shadowed with one of my friends who is a writing consultant at the Writing Center. We met with a freshman who needed help with one of her essays for her FYS. Before she came I read through the student's paper to see the marks that the consultant wrote. I noticed that there were a few grammatical errors that she underlined but for the most part there were just questions written in the margins. I asked her if she did this for all of the papers that she edited and she replied that when she notices that there are a lot of structural errors then she simply writes questions down to ask the writer.
Eventually the student showed up and she seemed very flustered. The consultant asked her to explain what her thesis was and she struggled to do so. The consultant did a very good job calming her down and helping her voice her points. She established a friendly relationship from the beginning which set a nice mood for the session. It seemed like the student really didn't have a sense of what her thesis was so the consultant listed out the 3 main points that were in the paper. Once the student saw her points listed out clearly and concisely it was much easier for her to come to conclusions about her paper.
I drew a lot of good things from this session. First of all, I always knew that it was important to establish a comfortable setting for the student but to see it in practice was very beneficial. The consultant noticed how flustered the student was about her essay so before they even began talking about the paper she reassured the student that they would work through the problematic bits and come up with a proper thesis. Overall it was a very beneficial experience and I was glad that I was able to draw so many good things from it.
Eventually the student showed up and she seemed very flustered. The consultant asked her to explain what her thesis was and she struggled to do so. The consultant did a very good job calming her down and helping her voice her points. She established a friendly relationship from the beginning which set a nice mood for the session. It seemed like the student really didn't have a sense of what her thesis was so the consultant listed out the 3 main points that were in the paper. Once the student saw her points listed out clearly and concisely it was much easier for her to come to conclusions about her paper.
I drew a lot of good things from this session. First of all, I always knew that it was important to establish a comfortable setting for the student but to see it in practice was very beneficial. The consultant noticed how flustered the student was about her essay so before they even began talking about the paper she reassured the student that they would work through the problematic bits and come up with a proper thesis. Overall it was a very beneficial experience and I was glad that I was able to draw so many good things from it.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Response to today's digital stories
Today we watched the first 8 digital stories in class and I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were. Not to say that I was expecting mediocre work from my classmates, but in the past I was particularly unimpressed by students' ability to make digital stories for the first time. Last spring I took English 103 and most of the stories we watched in the class were good but a lot of them lacked depth.
Some things I found very interesting while watching the digital stories were the similarities between student's and professor's writing process. For example, one of the stories brought up procrastination. That particular professor found it all too easy to put off the writing process altogether rather than sit down in focus. I found this to be very intriguing because I often forget that professors are not perfect writers. Yes, most of them have PhD's and have written dissertations that would make my head spin, but everyone struggles in writing.
Another similarity I saw between students and professors was the idea that writing is a process. This is something I focused on in my digital story because I think it is crucial in understanding what writing is. To be a good writer is not something tangible or reachable. Writing is an everlasting process that will continue to change as we mature and develop intellectually. Not only do we learn different methods of writing in general but a lot changes within our subconscious. Analyzing and contextualizing information becomes increasingly easier as we continue to read and write and that is the case no matter how skilled you are. All in all I was very pleased with the stories we watched in class and look forward to watching the rest to see what other similarities rise to the surface.
Some things I found very interesting while watching the digital stories were the similarities between student's and professor's writing process. For example, one of the stories brought up procrastination. That particular professor found it all too easy to put off the writing process altogether rather than sit down in focus. I found this to be very intriguing because I often forget that professors are not perfect writers. Yes, most of them have PhD's and have written dissertations that would make my head spin, but everyone struggles in writing.
Another similarity I saw between students and professors was the idea that writing is a process. This is something I focused on in my digital story because I think it is crucial in understanding what writing is. To be a good writer is not something tangible or reachable. Writing is an everlasting process that will continue to change as we mature and develop intellectually. Not only do we learn different methods of writing in general but a lot changes within our subconscious. Analyzing and contextualizing information becomes increasingly easier as we continue to read and write and that is the case no matter how skilled you are. All in all I was very pleased with the stories we watched in class and look forward to watching the rest to see what other similarities rise to the surface.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Comments=Identity
For class on Wednesday I wrote an essay in response to Richard Straub's article "The Concept of Control in Teacher Response: Defining the Varieties of 'Directive' and 'Facilitative' Commentary". I addressed several points in my 2-page paper but something I decided to leave out and save for my blog is his point about the sense of identity teachers have over their comments. The exact quote is as follows:
"Teacher response is still dominated by the concept of control-largely, I think, because it goes to the heart of our teaching and our identity as teacher"
After reading the quote I underlined it because I knew I would want to write about it on my blog. The reason I picked it out specifically is because it made me think of teacher comments in a way I never have before. As a student, when I read over comments that my teacher makes I usually imagine the teacher themselves being there. That is not meant to sound creepy, but in my head I am able to understand the comments in the context of the class. What's weird is that I never realized that by doing that, I was interpreting them in the way they are meant to be interpreted. In addition to this, I came to realize how important a teacher's commenting style is. Most professors tend to have a specific style and stick with it for every piece of writing they comment on. It is a style in itself just as much as the way that they write essays or any other piece of writing. I then began to think about my style of commenting and how it has not changed in a very long time. My writing has improved and so has my ability to read but the way that I approach and asses other people's writing has ceased to change.
Overall, Straub lead me to many different conclusions about the role of teacher commentary in students' writing but what I found to be one of the most interesting points was its direct reflection of the teacher's identity.
"Teacher response is still dominated by the concept of control-largely, I think, because it goes to the heart of our teaching and our identity as teacher"
After reading the quote I underlined it because I knew I would want to write about it on my blog. The reason I picked it out specifically is because it made me think of teacher comments in a way I never have before. As a student, when I read over comments that my teacher makes I usually imagine the teacher themselves being there. That is not meant to sound creepy, but in my head I am able to understand the comments in the context of the class. What's weird is that I never realized that by doing that, I was interpreting them in the way they are meant to be interpreted. In addition to this, I came to realize how important a teacher's commenting style is. Most professors tend to have a specific style and stick with it for every piece of writing they comment on. It is a style in itself just as much as the way that they write essays or any other piece of writing. I then began to think about my style of commenting and how it has not changed in a very long time. My writing has improved and so has my ability to read but the way that I approach and asses other people's writing has ceased to change.
Overall, Straub lead me to many different conclusions about the role of teacher commentary in students' writing but what I found to be one of the most interesting points was its direct reflection of the teacher's identity.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Writing: It's a Collaboration
Last night I went to a friend's apartment in the hopes of getting help on my Jepson Leadership School application. By that point I had about 2/3 completed but needed a lot of help. My friend Carly, who is currently in the Leadership School, read through the first question and my response. At first I was nervous to have her read my writing because I tend to be rather sensitive when it comes to criticism (no matter how constructive it may be). Like any good consultant, Carly went over all of the positives in my answer. This helped to build my confidence and made it a lot easier to hear some of the suggestions she had. She could tell I had a few insecurities about my answer and decided to have me read it out loud. After reading through it I could see exactly what I wanted to change and what didn't work. We talked through the problems and without even going back to the writing, I had a much better understanding about what I wanted to write.
I had yet to start the last question which asked: "pick a book that we have read in a previous class and describe why it would be beneficial to implement it into the leadership curriculum". After initially reading the question I had no idea what I would write about. I had only taken a few classes where we read full books and I couldn't really remember what most of them were about. Carly had the suggestion that I go through the essays I wrote from last year to get ideas and refresh my memory. I read over an essay that I wrote in my Anthropology 101 course last fall and was pleasantly surprised. I forgot about an ethnography I read and wrote a paper on about the drug trade in East Harlem, New York. I was able to form a great answer to the question and ended up feeling very positive about my writing.
Overall, the whole experience of working with someone else on my writing was very beneficial. I don't normally have other people read over my work but I felt like if I want to be a good writing consultant, I have to understand what it is like to be in the writer's shoes. I now know the kind of sensitivity writer's harbor over their writing and how to help them simply by getting them to talk about their writing. Now I am very excited about being able to help someone else in the same way Carly helped me!
I had yet to start the last question which asked: "pick a book that we have read in a previous class and describe why it would be beneficial to implement it into the leadership curriculum". After initially reading the question I had no idea what I would write about. I had only taken a few classes where we read full books and I couldn't really remember what most of them were about. Carly had the suggestion that I go through the essays I wrote from last year to get ideas and refresh my memory. I read over an essay that I wrote in my Anthropology 101 course last fall and was pleasantly surprised. I forgot about an ethnography I read and wrote a paper on about the drug trade in East Harlem, New York. I was able to form a great answer to the question and ended up feeling very positive about my writing.
Overall, the whole experience of working with someone else on my writing was very beneficial. I don't normally have other people read over my work but I felt like if I want to be a good writing consultant, I have to understand what it is like to be in the writer's shoes. I now know the kind of sensitivity writer's harbor over their writing and how to help them simply by getting them to talk about their writing. Now I am very excited about being able to help someone else in the same way Carly helped me!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
My most common mistake
For homework over the weekend we were assigned to read "Under the Grammar Hammer" by Douglas Cazort. He mentions all different kinds of common grammatical errors but focuses on the 25 most common. After class we were told to pick the error that we make the most in writing and I picked out two that are quite common in my writing. The first one that I am guilty of making is the "unnecessary shift in tense" which happens all to often. A technique that I learned in high school that helps me avoid this mistake is to read through an essay and underline all of the forms of the verb "to be". At the end of the essay I go back and look at all of the underlines verbs and make sure the tense is consistent. The seconds mistake that I tend to make is the "unnecessary shift in pronoun". This is by far my most common mistake because it is fairly easy to skip over in proofreading. It usually happens when halfway through my writing, I realize I have been saying you, or one, and I decide to change it and don't go back to change them all.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Right on Track
Last night while Michael and I were waiting in the Writing Center for our consultants I tallied up how many points I have so far. I have racked up about 50 points so far which I feel is at the right pace to get the full 80 by next week. I am trying to space out my comments and posts in order to not save too many for the last few days of the mid term or too many at the beginning. I feel like this is important because even though the posts are about points, they are also about free thinking. I think of my blog for this class as being more than just an assignment but rather a portal through which I can express any thought about writing that comes to mind. For instance, I just had a mini panic attack thinking about all of the essays I have to write by mid-October, and I would be happy to write an entire post about it. I hope it doesn't sound like my blog is my therapist but rather a place where I can relay any thought that comes to mind without the fear of being shut down.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
What writing center?
It's currently 8:20 in the Writing Center and I am sitting with Michael anxiously waiting the arrival of our consultants. Unfortunately, I have the feeling that neither are going to show up and we will be left empty handed. Fortunately, we did not spend those 20 minutes twiddling our thumbs, but instead talking about the Writing Center's role on Richmond's campus.
Michael told me that when he asked his friends about the location of the Writing Center on campus, most of them were not sure. However with my friends, almost all of them knew where the Writing Center was but only because most of them happen to be writing consultants. Then we began to speak about the different options writing consultants have in terms of who the consult with. My friend Molly is a consultant and was assigned at the beginning of the semester a freshmen seminar. This seemed rather advantageous because 1. she has definite times where she consults with students and is never left wondering if she will have a consultation that day and 2. she has a sense of that curriculum of the course that she is assigned.
Going back to Michael's point, it seems to me that assigning consultants to freshmen seminars is a great way to promote the value of the Writing Center. Too often students come onto campus as first year students and assume that they can coast by writing the same way they did in high school. By assigning a class to a consultant, it gives students who may be too timid or reluctant to seek help an opportunity to do so. Also, given that they leave the Writing Center having acquired knowledge about writing that they did not have previously, the promotion will be done inevitably.
But alas, it is 8:30 and our consultants have still yet to show up. Perhaps there is another Writing Center on campus that Michael and I are not aware of, but it's getting late and I have a lot of work to do. At least I had Michael here to keep me company and chat about the possibilities in our future as writing consultants.
Michael told me that when he asked his friends about the location of the Writing Center on campus, most of them were not sure. However with my friends, almost all of them knew where the Writing Center was but only because most of them happen to be writing consultants. Then we began to speak about the different options writing consultants have in terms of who the consult with. My friend Molly is a consultant and was assigned at the beginning of the semester a freshmen seminar. This seemed rather advantageous because 1. she has definite times where she consults with students and is never left wondering if she will have a consultation that day and 2. she has a sense of that curriculum of the course that she is assigned.
Going back to Michael's point, it seems to me that assigning consultants to freshmen seminars is a great way to promote the value of the Writing Center. Too often students come onto campus as first year students and assume that they can coast by writing the same way they did in high school. By assigning a class to a consultant, it gives students who may be too timid or reluctant to seek help an opportunity to do so. Also, given that they leave the Writing Center having acquired knowledge about writing that they did not have previously, the promotion will be done inevitably.
But alas, it is 8:30 and our consultants have still yet to show up. Perhaps there is another Writing Center on campus that Michael and I are not aware of, but it's getting late and I have a lot of work to do. At least I had Michael here to keep me company and chat about the possibilities in our future as writing consultants.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
How to define literacy
In class today we read Rachel's paper on the article on the literacy in
digital storytelling and the following question was posed: What is
literacy?
I decided to write a blog post about it after class today so I did not
forget my initial thoughts on the subject. While discussing the meaning of
literacy, someone mentioned the idea of being literate in different forms
of media. For example, being computer literate means having an understand
of how to use technology in a productive manner. Also, being music
literate means being able to read notes and understand them in a musical
sense that is conducive to a language.
After giving those ideas some thought, I feel that being literate in any
field means having a good understanding of that particular subject. Also,
it is having the ability to interpret the given message in the way it was
intended. Being literate in a academic sense means being able to read the
words on a page and synthesize them in your mind to formulate ideas. In
regards to the article, the author presents the idea of being "media
literate" in the present day. To better understand this point, let's go
back 50 years.
50 years ago, to be literate simply meant to be able to read. Now, in
2010, that meaning stays the same, but another layer is added. Being
literate nowadays is having the ability to communicate not only through
spoken word and writing, but through digital media. Digital storytelling
is a perfect medium through which students are able to write in the
traditional sense, but also incorporate the technologies that are
prevalent today. This technique helps students to become literate in the
modern sense, rather than just the traditional.
digital storytelling and the following question was posed: What is
literacy?
I decided to write a blog post about it after class today so I did not
forget my initial thoughts on the subject. While discussing the meaning of
literacy, someone mentioned the idea of being literate in different forms
of media. For example, being computer literate means having an understand
of how to use technology in a productive manner. Also, being music
literate means being able to read notes and understand them in a musical
sense that is conducive to a language.
After giving those ideas some thought, I feel that being literate in any
field means having a good understanding of that particular subject. Also,
it is having the ability to interpret the given message in the way it was
intended. Being literate in a academic sense means being able to read the
words on a page and synthesize them in your mind to formulate ideas. In
regards to the article, the author presents the idea of being "media
literate" in the present day. To better understand this point, let's go
back 50 years.
50 years ago, to be literate simply meant to be able to read. Now, in
2010, that meaning stays the same, but another layer is added. Being
literate nowadays is having the ability to communicate not only through
spoken word and writing, but through digital media. Digital storytelling
is a perfect medium through which students are able to write in the
traditional sense, but also incorporate the technologies that are
prevalent today. This technique helps students to become literate in the
modern sense, rather than just the traditional.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Digital stories in a digital world
In reading the article, "At Last: Youth Culture and Digital Media: New Literacies for New Times", the question was posed in my mind about what the role of digital storytelling is in modern education. The article addresses the different forms of representing a story. It addresses the use of sound and word in a story and what it projects onto the audience.
Having made a digital story before, I can speak from experience in saying that the use of a digital story is much more than a different medium through which one can tell a story. The juxtaposition between audio and images evokes a whole different kind of emotion within the audience. When one reads an essay, often the voice of the writer is not fully understood or recognized. There is something about actually hearing the voice of the author that makes it different for the viewer. Also, often the intentions of certain words or remarks in writing are fuzzy so when they are presented in a digital story, it is much more clear as to what their point was.
The point that I drew the most from in the article was the following, "we can helpfully draw on interdisciplinary insights from fields such as communications theory, film studies, visual culture, semiotics, and the ethnography of media," (331). Writing can often be two dimensional; there are words on a page and the reader is reading those words. In a digital story, so many more themes and elements can be brought to light that it brings a whole new idea to the story.
Having made a digital story before, I can speak from experience in saying that the use of a digital story is much more than a different medium through which one can tell a story. The juxtaposition between audio and images evokes a whole different kind of emotion within the audience. When one reads an essay, often the voice of the writer is not fully understood or recognized. There is something about actually hearing the voice of the author that makes it different for the viewer. Also, often the intentions of certain words or remarks in writing are fuzzy so when they are presented in a digital story, it is much more clear as to what their point was.
The point that I drew the most from in the article was the following, "we can helpfully draw on interdisciplinary insights from fields such as communications theory, film studies, visual culture, semiotics, and the ethnography of media," (331). Writing can often be two dimensional; there are words on a page and the reader is reading those words. In a digital story, so many more themes and elements can be brought to light that it brings a whole new idea to the story.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
More than just an "A"
At the end of last class, Professor Dolson posed a very interesting question. She said,
"If most people are coming into the writing center in order to get an A on their paper, what is our role as consultants?"
After she asked this question, I wrote it down and thought about it for awhile before actually writing this post. The following day I asked a friend of mine who works in the writing center what she thought the answer to the question was. She said that all too often students come in who are somewhat reluctant to be there and could not care less about how their writing changes but more about the grade they receive. She did say though that there are students out there who go to the writing center in the hopes of achieving more than just a grade, and that's what makes working the writing center worthwhile.
Once I heard her say that, I was brought back to my initial thoughts in class on Wednesday. For me, as a writing consultant, I will always try and help the writer as much as possible. The way I think of it, the paper that we edit is merely a medium through which we change the writer. Those kind of changes make it worthwhile for people to visit the writing center not only because of the grade they receive but also because of the improvement in the actual process of writing.
"If most people are coming into the writing center in order to get an A on their paper, what is our role as consultants?"
After she asked this question, I wrote it down and thought about it for awhile before actually writing this post. The following day I asked a friend of mine who works in the writing center what she thought the answer to the question was. She said that all too often students come in who are somewhat reluctant to be there and could not care less about how their writing changes but more about the grade they receive. She did say though that there are students out there who go to the writing center in the hopes of achieving more than just a grade, and that's what makes working the writing center worthwhile.
Once I heard her say that, I was brought back to my initial thoughts in class on Wednesday. For me, as a writing consultant, I will always try and help the writer as much as possible. The way I think of it, the paper that we edit is merely a medium through which we change the writer. Those kind of changes make it worthwhile for people to visit the writing center not only because of the grade they receive but also because of the improvement in the actual process of writing.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Writing center: it's not a fix-it shop!
After reading Stephen M. North's article on the role of writing centers in students' academic lives entitled "The Idea of a Writing Center", I realized the importance of understanding what they are really about. North begins his article discussing the common misconceptions of writing centers which are:
1. Writing centers should only be used by those with "special problems".
2. They are meant to be "fix-it shops" for writers looking for a fine tuning in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
He states that these misconceptions would not be a problem if they weren't a widespread view held by Universities around the country. He brings forth several articles written by respected professionals who note that the role of a writing center is to help those who need it most. I agree that this view is extremely problematic because it spreads the idea that only those who are desperate need help. The reality is that all writers should have others proofread their work in order to facilitate different perspectives. Everyone has the capacity to become a better writer not matter how skilled he or she is in the classroom.
The most important point I believe North made in his article was about the real role of a writing center. He writes, "in a writing center the object is to make sure that writers, and not necessarily their texts, are what get changed by instruction," (North 38). This is one of the better points that North makes in his article because it clarifies his view that it is not about the physical writing that a writer brings into the center, but the writer themselves that is being amended. He goes on further to explain that in the process of a tutor working with a writer, the talking is of the utmost importance. It gives the writer a chance to communicate their problems or ideas in a way that is much more direct and personal than in a piece of writing. If a writer comes by and drops of his or her work expecting for it to be modified for the better without any input from themselves, not much can actually be done. Writing centers give students the chance to go about writing from a different angle and in turn is very beneficial to those who take advantage of it.
1. Writing centers should only be used by those with "special problems".
2. They are meant to be "fix-it shops" for writers looking for a fine tuning in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.
He states that these misconceptions would not be a problem if they weren't a widespread view held by Universities around the country. He brings forth several articles written by respected professionals who note that the role of a writing center is to help those who need it most. I agree that this view is extremely problematic because it spreads the idea that only those who are desperate need help. The reality is that all writers should have others proofread their work in order to facilitate different perspectives. Everyone has the capacity to become a better writer not matter how skilled he or she is in the classroom.
The most important point I believe North made in his article was about the real role of a writing center. He writes, "in a writing center the object is to make sure that writers, and not necessarily their texts, are what get changed by instruction," (North 38). This is one of the better points that North makes in his article because it clarifies his view that it is not about the physical writing that a writer brings into the center, but the writer themselves that is being amended. He goes on further to explain that in the process of a tutor working with a writer, the talking is of the utmost importance. It gives the writer a chance to communicate their problems or ideas in a way that is much more direct and personal than in a piece of writing. If a writer comes by and drops of his or her work expecting for it to be modified for the better without any input from themselves, not much can actually be done. Writing centers give students the chance to go about writing from a different angle and in turn is very beneficial to those who take advantage of it.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Not just a writing tutor..
After reading Chapter 2 in The Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors entitled "Inside The Tutoring Session", I got to thinking about the importance of a writing tutor. At first while reading the chapter I thought about the basic purpose of a writing tutor: to help a writer with his or her writing. Sounds simple enough.
But as I kept reading I thought more about what a writing tutor does that is not as concrete as correcting someone's paper. In Chapter 2 there is a mock conversation between a frazzled writer and a well-trained tutor. The writer comes into the the Writing Center unsure of his assignment and confused as to how he should approach the essay. The tutor does something known as "active listening" which I found to be quite interesting. She uses phrases like, "What I'm hearing you say is...," "I can hear that...", and other types of feedback that show the writer that she is truly listening to his concerns. In addition to these remarks, the book mentions how she uses body language as a way of showing "friendliness and approval".
The reason this part of the Chapter grasped my attention is because I realized that the role of the writing tutor is not just one of mechanical value where they are presented a problem and in turn fix it. Instead, they are meant to be there as a sense of comfort and understanding. Most of the time tutors are confronted with worried writers who have nowhere to begin and have to find a way to calm them down. By being an active listener, using reassuring body language, and helping them work through the problem, it makes the whole process of writing move more smoothly.
But as I kept reading I thought more about what a writing tutor does that is not as concrete as correcting someone's paper. In Chapter 2 there is a mock conversation between a frazzled writer and a well-trained tutor. The writer comes into the the Writing Center unsure of his assignment and confused as to how he should approach the essay. The tutor does something known as "active listening" which I found to be quite interesting. She uses phrases like, "What I'm hearing you say is...," "I can hear that...", and other types of feedback that show the writer that she is truly listening to his concerns. In addition to these remarks, the book mentions how she uses body language as a way of showing "friendliness and approval".
The reason this part of the Chapter grasped my attention is because I realized that the role of the writing tutor is not just one of mechanical value where they are presented a problem and in turn fix it. Instead, they are meant to be there as a sense of comfort and understanding. Most of the time tutors are confronted with worried writers who have nowhere to begin and have to find a way to calm them down. By being an active listener, using reassuring body language, and helping them work through the problem, it makes the whole process of writing move more smoothly.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What are the liberal arts, anyways?
Today in class we got to talking about liberal arts and what they really mean. Various people attempted to answer the question but it wasn't until several people spoke that the real meaning of the term rose to the surface.
In the middle of the conversation I began thinking about my Leadership 101 class in which I am currently enrolled. On the second day of class we discussed a commencement speech given by a man named Andrew Abbott. His speech addressed the purpose of education and how often students at liberal arts schools get too caught up with the major and minoring business and forget why they are really there. Abbott discusses how there is no direct correlation between what you major in, and what you pursue in life. Plenty of doctors got their Bachelor's in sociology, anthropology, or even business. Abbott asks in the beginning of the speech, "what is the purpose of education?" and concludes by saying that education has no purpose, but instead education is the purpose.
Being at a liberal arts college is not about remembering every single fact, quote, or equation because quite frankly, a few years from now, we won't remember a thing. Being here is about developing our intellectuality in a way that would not be possible anywhere else. When you come to the University of Richmond, you are required to take a language, first year seminar, and gen-eds among other things. Although you may not be as interested in biology as they are sociology, it gives you a chance to explore and think in a way you may not be used to.
After everyone had pointed out the aims of liberal arts and education in general, it was clear to me that Abbott hit the nail on the head. We are here not to learn a specific trade or skill and use only one part of our brain, but to learn how to think, analyze, and interpret information in a way that is not only beneficial to us in the long run, but to society as a whole.
In the middle of the conversation I began thinking about my Leadership 101 class in which I am currently enrolled. On the second day of class we discussed a commencement speech given by a man named Andrew Abbott. His speech addressed the purpose of education and how often students at liberal arts schools get too caught up with the major and minoring business and forget why they are really there. Abbott discusses how there is no direct correlation between what you major in, and what you pursue in life. Plenty of doctors got their Bachelor's in sociology, anthropology, or even business. Abbott asks in the beginning of the speech, "what is the purpose of education?" and concludes by saying that education has no purpose, but instead education is the purpose.
Being at a liberal arts college is not about remembering every single fact, quote, or equation because quite frankly, a few years from now, we won't remember a thing. Being here is about developing our intellectuality in a way that would not be possible anywhere else. When you come to the University of Richmond, you are required to take a language, first year seminar, and gen-eds among other things. Although you may not be as interested in biology as they are sociology, it gives you a chance to explore and think in a way you may not be used to.
After everyone had pointed out the aims of liberal arts and education in general, it was clear to me that Abbott hit the nail on the head. We are here not to learn a specific trade or skill and use only one part of our brain, but to learn how to think, analyze, and interpret information in a way that is not only beneficial to us in the long run, but to society as a whole.
Monday, August 30, 2010
A New Kind of Bullshit
Before beginning to read the article, "A Kind Word for Bullshit: The Problem of Academic Writing", I knew it would intrigue me. The reason for this is because I have experience in the past at being somewhat of a good bullshitter in academics. Not to say that this is something I have done many times in my life, but when the time comes where I need to fill a page with political or historical jargin and I have interest in expending much energy, this skill comes in handy.
The article, written by Philip Eubanks, brings forth the idea of "academic bullshit," (375). He describes this as being a "reckless disregard for the truth," (375). He goes on further to not simply look at academic bullshitting as a form of lying but rather as a form of prototypical bullshitting. It is essentially the process of creating a persona, or "ethos", that is separate from the individual writing the work. The author does this in order to deceive the reader into believing what he or she is writing. A question that Eubanks brings forth which stuck out to me was how do we differ someone who bullshits to aspire to be an intellectual from someone who bullshits for the sake of bullshitting? This question is something all professors must come across in assessing students' work because in a way aren't we all bullshitting our way through college anyways? Some of us are trying to be smarter and well-educated well the rest of us are just trying to find a way to pass.
The point I find most interesting in this article is when Eubanks hones in on academic bullshit among professors. He refers specifically to the humanities and social sciences and their tendencies to create ethos' in order to boost one's standings in the academic world (383). These professors create thesis' so abstract and complicated that they successfully mislead the reader and enhances "the reputation, the ethos of the writer," (383). Eubanks concludes his article with the plea that we as students and as professors acquire the skills to spot the real bullshit from the fake, the prototypical from the nonprototypical, and all strive for the kind of bullshit that turns us into better writers.
The article, written by Philip Eubanks, brings forth the idea of "academic bullshit," (375). He describes this as being a "reckless disregard for the truth," (375). He goes on further to not simply look at academic bullshitting as a form of lying but rather as a form of prototypical bullshitting. It is essentially the process of creating a persona, or "ethos", that is separate from the individual writing the work. The author does this in order to deceive the reader into believing what he or she is writing. A question that Eubanks brings forth which stuck out to me was how do we differ someone who bullshits to aspire to be an intellectual from someone who bullshits for the sake of bullshitting? This question is something all professors must come across in assessing students' work because in a way aren't we all bullshitting our way through college anyways? Some of us are trying to be smarter and well-educated well the rest of us are just trying to find a way to pass.
The point I find most interesting in this article is when Eubanks hones in on academic bullshit among professors. He refers specifically to the humanities and social sciences and their tendencies to create ethos' in order to boost one's standings in the academic world (383). These professors create thesis' so abstract and complicated that they successfully mislead the reader and enhances "the reputation, the ethos of the writer," (383). Eubanks concludes his article with the plea that we as students and as professors acquire the skills to spot the real bullshit from the fake, the prototypical from the nonprototypical, and all strive for the kind of bullshit that turns us into better writers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)