Surpassing Mere “Exercises in Technique”: The Meaningful Teaching of Writing and Representing
“It would be comic to suppose that all that is required to make music and drawing a part of the course study is to have the school board legislate that a certain amount of time of the pupil, covering a certain prescribed ground, shall be given to work with pencil and paper and musical exercises. There is no magic by which these things can pass over from the printed page of the school manual to the child’s consciousness. If the teacher has no standard of value in relation to them, no intimate personal response of feeling to them, no conceptions of the methods of art which alone bring the child to a corresponding intellectual and emotional attitude, these studies will remain precisely what they so often are- passing recreations, modes of showing off or exercises in technique”
-John Dewey from The Education Situation as it Concerns Elementary School
When John Dewey sat down to write this passage, he did so in a year which saw the first movie theater open in the U.S, the downfall of Butch Cassidy’s posse of western outlaws and birth of John Steinbeck- it was nineteen hundred and two. Yet despite the vast expanse of time that has passed between this historic year and that of the present, Dewey’s message could not be more relevant to the contemporary education community. When a teacher enters a classroom they do with the class of students in front of them and a “certain prescribed ground” (i.e PLO’s) in the back of their mind. As Dewey implies, true teaching can only take place when an educator considers not only what to teach but also how to meaningfully convey the subject that is being taught. Just as this principle applies to music and drawing so to does it apply to other arts such as writing and representing. According to researchers like Pat D’Arcy, the art of writing and representing can be considered to comprise four key elements: process (thinking and planning), products (the pieces of formatted writing), codes (aspects like spelling and grammar) and media (hand writing, word processing, drawing etc) (Constructing Meaning, 262). Due to the global perspective that D’Arcy’s model presents, we will be able to use it as a guide in our consideration of the important teachable aspects of writing and representing at the grade three level. However in doing so, we will also attempt to qualify these considerations with a contemplative look at the methods an educator can use in order to breathe life into these learning outcomes and goals, and thereby transcend the realm of teaching mere “passing recreations, modes of showing off or exercises in technique”.
Process
“With an understanding of the process associated with writing, teachers begin to teach about what writers do” -Teaching Writing in a Time of Reform, Strickland et al.
Within the PLO’s of British Colombia’s IRP for ELA, of integral importance of prewriting strategies do not go unnoticed. During grade three it is expected that students will be able to generate, develop and organize their ideas (PLO C4). In considering the methods by which a student may reach this goal it is interesting to note the high degree of agreement that exists within educational literature. For example group discussion, brain-storming and the use of graphic organizers appear nearly ubiquitously within educational texts as integral strategies for students to use during the prewriting stage (Launching the Writing Workshop, 3, Constructing Meaning 251, IRP, 223). While group discussion and personal brainstorming may often be used interchangeably in order to generate ideas, the use of graphic tools like story frames and webs offer an arguably irreplaceable method by which students may organize their writing. As graphic organizers provide a built in degree of structure and organization (Constructing meaning 251), they allow students to plan out a composition from its beginning to its end- an ability which greatly facilitates the overall coherency and flow of a piece.
Just as the means of effective prewriting are generally agreed upon, so too is one method by which students may produce compositions which transcend being mere “exercises in technique” and instead may become relevant and meaningful. This method is namely the use of personal experiences and ideas in one’s writing or representing. While this idea is a central tenant of the PLO C1, it is also endorsed by educators like Calkins and Mermelstein- “our goal is to offer children the opportunity to bring their lives to school and put their lives on the page” as well as by writers like Robin Stevenson who believe that children should learn to value their own experience as source material for writing (Launching the Writing Workshop, 1 and Robin Stevenson from a talk given at UVIC, October 2011). This principle also forms the basis of the book Love That Dog, in which a child begins to view his own experiential writing as authentic poetry (Love That Dog, Sharon Creech). However, despite the apparent utility of drawing upon one’s personal experience, it is interesting to note how this approach goes unemphasized within the IRP’s focus on imaginative writing in the PLO C3. While this PLO recognizes the importance of teaching students to use sensory detail and mood in their imaginative writing, it seems to fail to recognize that one’s personal experience provides a ready source of sensory and emotional experiences which can be drawn upon when writing fiction.
An additional advantage to using personal experience when writing is that it allows students to share specialized knowledge. For example, just as a student who knows a lot about buses could write a book about them, a class that has been researching the water quality in their community could write a report (EDCI 302, class discussion). By engaging in projects like these, students learn that their writing and representing can be relevant not only to themselves but also to the larger community. Additionally as Casey and Hemenway note, writing for authentic audiences allows students to consider themselves as equally authentic writers (Structure and Freedom, 69).
Just as writing and representing can be a means of expressing our experience and identity, it can also be a means of extending our thinking and learning about ourselves (PLO C8). One way to achieve this is through what James Moffet termed “the revision of inner speech” (Constructing Meaning, 264). Primarily, this concept refers to the idea that the act of writing or representing helps one’s thinking to become both more elaborate and precise. An interesting point raised by Moffat was that if we have students write too much for the purpose of exhibition, we may discount or deny this exploratory component of the process (Constructing Meaning, 265). Another means by which writing may extend our thinking is through the use of journals. As Bainbridge, Heydon and Malicky note, using journals “provides a record of where we have journeyed in our thinking and points to where we might travel next” (Constructing Meaning, 241). As such, journals (as well as other methods like KWHL charts), allow students to identify both strengths in their knowledge of a topic as well as areas that would be benefitted by further research.
Codes
The ability of a student to effectively employ codes like grammar and spelling remains one of the central instructional functions of the elementary ELA program. Although the explicit instruction of such codes has become unpopular in modern language arts pedagogy (Constructing Meaning 334), an integrated approach to disseminating this knowledge remains the focal point of PLO’s like C10. While the value of teaching these codes is generally agreed upon, opinions as to how they should be taught vary widely. For example Bainbridge, Heydon and Malicky conceive of spelling as a task which is learned solely through visual memory (Constructing Meaning, 333). While this conception ignores that certain children may have different learning styles (like auditory, for example), it also fails to recognize the utility of other spelling strategies. For example rhythm can used as a mnemonic as in the spelling of ‘Mississippi’ (miss-iss-ipp-i). Another debatable subject is the extent to which students should rely on phonetic spelling techniques. Although this method is now strongly emphasized from kindergarten to grade three (Constructing Meaning, 322), it is not without certain drawbacks. While some languages like Spanish use a spelling system which is highly phonetic, most phonemes in English can be spelled in more than one way. For example the /k/ sound may be achieved by a ‘k’ in the word ‘kitten’ or by a ‘c’ in the word ‘cat’. Due to such ambiguities, the utility of explicitly teaching phonetic spelling remains a topic of debate within the education community. In considering the benefits and drawbacks of using different methods to teach linguistic codes, it perhaps seems most important that students are taught a variety of techniques, allowing them to select those that are most useful to their own writing and representing.
As teacher Jennifer Savage notes, another teachable aspect of spelling and grammar involves conferring upon students the ability to be able to work with these codes in a self reliant way. As Savage points out, the use of think pads, word walls and student dictionaries are all effective ways of helping primary students sustain and enhance their own learning (How Can I Effectively Use the First Steps Writing Program in My Classroom? 41).
Media
In this month’s edition of the journal Language Arts, researcher Carol Bedard remarks that within the spectrum of ELA “we have seen the emergence of a multimodal perspective- an eclectic approach which acknowledges the role of multiple modes (talk, gesture, image, sound, movement) in making meaning” (Writing for the Big Screen, 113). Due to the nearly paradigmatic shift in the way in which media is now being experienced (ex. Youtube, video games etc), it may be argued that “visual literacy plays a more critical role in literacy education than ever before” (Constructing Meaning, 263). Therefore, if educators are going to approach writing and representing in a truly constructivist sense, they need to begin by acknowledging the advanced literacies that many students may have with respect to means of representing like video and animation. In doing so, we can teach our students that writing and representing are multifaceted means of communicating. For example in working within the media of Podcasts, students may apply writing and representing skills in creating: music programs, radio plays, news reports, soundscapes, talk radio programs, video webisodes etc. (EDCI 302 class discussion). In doing so, students are given the opportunity to communicate via culturally relevant forms of media while also gaining skills in communications technology which are becoming increasingly important in our society (IRP, 13). As speech pathologist Kathleen Bulloch points out, utilizing diverse forms of representational media can also be an excellent way to involve special needs students who aren’t as interested in conventional methods of representing (Adopting Materials and Strategies for Special Needs Students). Through media like 3D showcase exhibits and photo essays, these students may be given an alternative way to describe and communicate their thoughts, feelings and life experience.
Products
Although the outcome of one’s work may be viewed as finished product, students often stand to learn the most from their compositions when they view them critically. Within this metacognitive process, students may set goals for improvement on future pieces or identify strategies they could use to better the piece they are presently working on (PLO’s C9 and C6 respectively). However as writers like Stevenson have addressed, it is not enough to tell students to revise their work, we also must help them understand what to look for during the revision process (Robin Stevenson, Talk Given at UVIC, October 2011). While topics suggested by the IRP like sentence fluency, word choice and organization may indeed be necessary for effective communication, other topics of revision, like those suggested by Nancie Atwell in her article “In the Middle” may be considered to be somewhat more controversial. For example, in revising imaginative writing Atwell treats features like sudden endings and the use of sparse dialogue within a narrative as weaknesses to be addressed (Atwell, 226). One problem with focusing on such features is that it inhibits children’s ability to have fun with language. For example, “obscure cliff hanger endings” and other abnormal narrative features may often provide students with an important sense of enjoyment and inspiration (EDCI 302 class discussion). Additionally, having students follow prescriptive narrative patterns which allocate set amounts of narration and dialogue may further limit students’ creativity. It is also important to consider that many professional writers do not abide by such conventions anyways, for example, consider the near absence of dialogue in the fiction of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Nonetheless, despite the fact that individual educators may have varying conceptions of what to revise, the revision process remains an integral component of writing and representing. By engaging in this process students rethink, revise and re-imagine their work in ever evolving ways. As the IRP notes, the creation and revision of original texts “helps us appreciate the artistry of language” (IRP, 214).
Final Thoughts
In reflecting on his work, the Dutch kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen states that “the walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_Jansen -also check out this link for a breathtaking look at Jansen’s work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcR7U2tuNoY). Regardless of the perspective that we take, in the teaching of writing and representing we will inevitably transmit both useful information as well as information which may build “walls” within our students’ minds and thereby limit what they think is possible. As such, our job as educators is to constantly be balancing these two products of our teaching. Only in doing so can we hope to instill the mastery of craft and imaginative freedom that will open the door to a world alive with possibility.
Works Cited:
Adapting Materials and Strategies for Special Needs Students. Kathleen Bulloch. www.educationoasis.com/resources/Articles/adapting_materials.htm
Constructing Meaning. Bainbridge, Heydon and Malicky. Nelson Education, 2009.
English Language Arts K-7, Integrated Resource Package, British Columbia Ministry of Education
How Can I Effectively Use the First Steps Writing Program in My Classroom? Jennifer Savage. http://schools.gedsb.net/ar/passion/piv/Literacy/Savage.pdf
In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading and Learning. Nancie Atwell.
Launching the Writing Workshop. Calkins and Mermelstein.
Love That Dog. Sharon Creech. HarperCollins, 2001.
Robin Stevenson, writer. Talk Given at UVIC, October 2011
Structure and Freedom: Achieving a Balanced Writing Curriculum. Mara Casey and Stephan Hemenway. English Journal, July 2001.
Teaching Writing in a Time of Reform. Strickland et al. The Elementary School Journal. March, 2001.
The Educational Situation as it Concerns Elementary School. John Dewey. Reprinted in the Journal of Curriculum Studies, July 2001.
Writing for the Big Screen: Literary Experiences in a Movie Making Project. Carol Bedard and Charles Fuhrken. Language Arts, November 2011.
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