Learning Log Entry #7

Lately, this is what I’ve been thinking about:

·        Now that we have read and learned about the journal, narrative, and poetry genres, and looking ahead to the biographical genre, I am wondering how to expose students to all these genres.

·        I am thinking even more about the connections between reading and writing, and how reading is a model for writing.

·        I am also thinking about new literacies, as discussed in chapter 4 and 5 of Hicks (2009), and how they will fit into the traditional genres.

·        Are new literacies their own category of genres?

·        How do we change the audience for students when writing in different genres?

I think exposing students to different genres must include meaningful activities as described in Tompkins (2008). Because of the time restraints put on teachers and students with the amount of material to cover, engaging activities are essential. According to Tompkins, it isn’t enough to just tell students about a genre. Students must analyze genre examples through reading, but also compose pieces in those genres. Some of the activities I think would accomplish this are simulated journal entries, writing narratives, writing poems in different forms, and creating “Me” Quilts (Tompkins).

When thinking about the connections between reading and writing in a particular genre, I think back to Eckhoff’s (1983) study. This study showed that students use their reading as a model for their writing. Tompkins (2008) stated students use their concept of story in both reading and writing. Furr (2003) also discussed the connections between reading and writing in his article about struggling writers. Furr found students are more comfortable writing expository text because of their experience with guided reading. In this case, the expository genre acts as a model for students to draw specific grammar usage and spelling from. It also gives students a bank of vocabulary words to draw from. If students are given a certain type of genre repeatedly, it makes sense to me that students would feel most comfortable writing in that specific genre. Based on Eckhoff, Tompkins, and Furr, I believe struggling writers require more exposure and opportunities to analyze texts in different genres.

I wonder what happens when students are not exposed to multiple genres. It seems as though many students I work with only read narrative and expository texts. I wonder how this affects their writing skills when asked to write in genres they don’t have experience with. Actually, now that I am thinking and writing about this, I realize that students are typically asked to write in a limited number of genres, too. Most students at my school write in the expository genre, and sometimes, the narrative genre. On the state exam students are usually asked to write in the persuasive genre.

I do believe new literacies fit into their own genres. What genre is a podcast considered? What genre is a photo-essay? Is it “really” an essay? These are questions and ideas that will be explored and debated for years to come by educators.

Hicks (2009) discussed how teachers have tried to change the audience for students are writing for introducing activities like author’s chair, pen pals, and class anthologies. Hicks continued students increase their ability to share with the world when they are engaged with newer technology. I believe the audience has changed somewhat, however, in the end the audience is still the teacher. The teacher designs the rubric and grades the final project.  Ultimately, no matter how removed the teacher is from the grading, he or she is still the final audience. I am not sure how to change this or if it’s possible. I wonder if implementing peer reviews and online comments into the grade would possibly change how students view the audience. 

Eckhoff, B. (1983).  How reading affects children’s writing.  Language Arts, 60(5), 607-616.

Furr, D. (2003). Struggling readers get hooked on writing.  The Reading Teacher, 56(6),  518-525.