Entry 2

Fifth-grader Noah as he discussed writing as “Wicked Cool”, is a great way to describe how I also feel about writing. (Tompkins and Jones, 2019) We as people have the ability to write and express ourselves, and this ability is so incredibly powerful. The elements of author’s craft help each writer find their voice and way with writing that works best for them.

I don’t recall learning a lot about author’s craft when I was younger in elementary school, I am sure it was taught but I can’t recall moments in time that we were explicitly taught about author’s craft. My senior year in high school I took an English class that required us to write several different pieces throughout the semester. This teacher challenged our ability to write and to write with author’s craft in mind. Up until that point, I never considered some of the different elements of author’s craft. I LOVED the challenge to play with words and finding my voice as a writer.

As I sit here thinking about myself as a writer, I notice at least one very distinct way that I write and that’s academically. I struggle with certain elements of author’s craft when I write academically. Out often seven elements of author's craft that Tompkins and Jones (2019) discuss, I have the hardest time with voice. When writing academically it is sometimes hard for me to write passionately, especially if it is not a topic I am extremely passionate about. However, when writing academically I am fairly well off at writing while keeping in mind the other six elements: ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation. (Tompkins and Jones 2019) I personally love coming with ideas and organizing my thoughts in a way that best supports my thinking. I am always very satisfied when I have a final writing piece that has a variety of sentences, correct spelling and grammar, and I especially feel satisfied when the presentation of the final looks perfect.

While I am writing this, I am consciously making decisions about how I am writing this blog entry. However, I think that is because I am writing about the elements of author’s craft that Tompkins and Jones (2019) discussed. Typically, when I am writing I do not consciously think about all of the elements of author’s craft. The elements of author’s craft that I do consciously think about are voice, ideas, organization, and presentation. During writing, I typically do not actively thinking about word choice, sentence fluency, and convention. These are elements that I will dedicate time to focusing on after my initial writing piece. When I am writing my main focus is getting my thoughts down on paper. After my thoughts are down on paper I can go back and play with what I initially wrote.

Hicks & Lehman (2013) suggests starting thinking about author’s craft through the lens of the reader as if you were the one writing the piece. I have heard this idea before, but reading the ideas in the context of discussing the author’s craft made me reflect on what it really meant. When I am reading, I have to consider the choices the writer made. The choices centered around author’s craft that a writer makes when composing a piece can truly change a piece depending on the choices. It’s important to be a critical reader, it will help me become a better writer. Now that I have this background knowledge, and I have started recognizing when I notice different elements of author’s craft in whatever I am reading.

References

Hicks, T., & Lehman, C. (2013). Crafting digital writing: Composing texts across media and genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Tompkins, G.E., & Jones, P. D. (2019). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product (7th ed.). NY, NY: Pearson.

Entry 1

I have always had a high interest in reading/writing workshop, but I was not too familiar with the layout and day-to-day style of the workshop. The only background knowledge that I had was that all students were going to be at different stages while working on their writing. I think that this is very powerful, especially for students. They are given the independence to work at a speed that is right for them and focus on areas that they can grow in as writers.

Out of the four components of writing workshop that I have read about, I believe that students sharing their writing is one of the most critical components. (Tompkins and Jones, 2019) When students are given a space to share their writing, they are being celebrated by their peers about what they have accomplished. In schools, we do not give students many opportunities to be celebrated for the work that they have accomplished. During writing workshop, there is time dedicated to celebrating what students have accomplished, and that is awesome! When a student feels that they have done a great job and that their peers recognized the hard work put into the writing piece, hopefully, they will become more motivated to write more, and that way they can be celebrated again for their work. I also think minilessons given by the teacher can truly add to a student's writing. (Tompkins and Jones, 2019) When minilessons are planned during writers workshop, teachers have the opportunity to provide the writers with "explanations and demonstrations" with a focus on different strategies that students can use during writing and writer's craft (Tompkins and Jones, 2019). Minilessons can help students take their writing pieces to a new level. I personally love minilessons because they can be tailored to student's needs. They can be given in small groups if there are a handful of kids who need help on a topic, or they can be given whole group if it is a new strategy or skill being taught that will help all writers.

I am 100% on board with using technology in the classroom, especially when it is available to students daily. However, I wasn't sure of others way to do this other than have students type their writing pieces until Bogard and Mcmackin (2012) introduced the Smartpen to me. The Smartpen is a functional pen, but with a twist. There is a camera that captures what students are drawing and writing, and a microphone that records what students are saying during their writing and drawing process. This piece of technology is a great idea, especially for students who tend to think and speak faster than they can write. This device allows students to listen back to what they have said when given this power students would be able to add so much more detail to their writing pieces. I think incorporating technology into a student's writing process could really help those kids in the classroom who do not like writing. This technology could serve as a bridge for these kids and act as a way to motivate students to write.

I never considered that students need to take time planning and brainstorming before they begin writing. Bogard and Mcmackin (2012) provided me with a quote that really stuck out to me and suggested the importance of prewriting and brainstorming, "... by collecting 'kernels' of ideas in their notebooks, knowing that some of these kernels would be 'popped' into detailed stories".  I LOVE this quote, and I think this quote would be a fantastic visual to help students who are in the planning stage of their writing. This visual could help students who do not see their ideas as turning into great stories, just like Ralph from the children's book "Ralph tells a story" by Abby Hanlon. I now think that taking time to plan and brainstorm writing topics is a critical aspect to children's writing, and the visual of popcorn kernels popping could add to student's willingness and personal desire to write.

As a new teacher, who has yet to teach in her own classroom, I get extremely anxious thinking about giving students the freedom and independence to move freely through a reader's or writer's workshop block. When I think of giving students that independence I immediately think of chaos, and that SCARES me! I am worried that I won't have a good behavior management system in place to make for a true reader's or writer's workshop. Tompkins and Jones (2019) remind me that it is okay for there to be noise and discussion because that is a part of writing workshop, students are supposed to collaborate with other students. As a teacher, I have to accept that students need to take responsibility for their work and their learning process. When I do have my own classroom, I may look for an opportunity to observe a classroom who has a writer's workshop that has been effective for their classroom.

I love the idea of having a writer's workshop in my future classroom one day. This would be a time in our day that students could take control and own responsibility for their learning. Students would be given time to grow and develop into a writer, and then be celebrated for what they have accomplished!

References

Bogard, J. M., & Mcmackin, M. C. (2012). Combining traditional and new literacies in a 21st-century writing workshop. The Reading Teacher,65(5), 313-323. doi:10.1002/trtr.01048

Tompkins, G. E., & Jones, P. D. (2019). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product(7th ed.). NY, NY: Pearson.