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So, just in case this ends up being late, I would like everyone to know that it's not because of my procrastinating this assignment so much as it is my unwillingness to pay for something that I can generally get for free.
Anyhow, on to the (rather extensive) reading we did for this week. I must say that it is interesting to observe a creative writing teacher while reading these books/articles and taking this class. I think that witnessing the implentation of the 6+1 traits really colors whether I agree with the philosophy or not. On Monday, I again witnessed one of my potential cooperating teachers try to teach the first trait (Ideas) to her junior and senior creative writing class. She used overheads of pages she had copied directly out of the book, even using the writing examples that the book gives, and then instructed her students to come up with a "fascinating idea". The students, at this vague instruction, took out their cell phones and began to text. I wandered up to the teacher's desk and asked to see her lesson plan, thinking perhaps I had missed something. Her lesson plan consisted of a heading ("Monday"), and below it, three bullet points (1. Diction Worksheet, 2. Ideas Lecture, 3. Kids come up with fascinating ideas). So, my problem with the Culham text then is that it allows teachers to think that they are teaching. Even though the text does give some great ideas for lesson plans to develop these traits, the traits themselves are so unwieldy that to teach the "system" and the actual essence of the traits seems impossible, especially when you have to give kids class time to write.
Also, I was given this address today by a student who says that she uses it to help her find names and things...I'm not sure if it's a good thing, but it is interesting to see what the kids are doing these days. www.seventhsanctum.com
Post #8B
15 years ago
3 comments:
Ahh, Emily I enjoyed your post, a bit of humor, a bit of class. I had a hard time reading about the "ideas" trait being taught as is. Does your creative writing teacher usually come up with something better? I guess what I am trying to say is that there are hundreds, thousands of ways to engage students creative sides without resorting to a one-size-fits-all-kinda-for-fourth-graders-though
solution. Do you get the idea that the teacher is obligated to teach this material and is going through the motions? As Culham uninspired her to the point of apathy? At any rate I enjoyed the story.
emily, i agree with your idea about the traits being a bit unwieldy. i guess you never know until you try, but the traits are definitely something that i plan on trying out, which leads me to another point in your post about how having this information makes some teachers think that they are teaching, while they are not. so maybe it's all in the delivery and support. blah, blah... glad you got your stuff done...
No theoretical framework, no matter how great, will overcome the awesome power of dreadful teaching.
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