Meta Writing
As a writer I have had very few positive experiences in meta writing or in reflection about my writing. That may be due to the fact that I have little opportunity for reflection on the writing process. Meta writing would have been an educational opportunity after the 10th grade first large term paper in a leading up to the 11th grade paper. If I could have clearly defined what I learned about writing and the process that is behind it I may have seen the following high school papers as journeys and not destinations. Many students look forward to “ The End.” That end may be a certain word count or a page number. They miss the bulk of the work in a blind rage to hurry through and get done and get something on the page. There should be a time to reflect on the work in the sense that we ask ourselves “OK self, I just wrote that but what does it say? What am i saying? Reflecting on the writing even now as I write this has given me time to let the discussions from earlier this week soak in and percolate in my mind. In class the idea of reflection seemed like a pipe dream but now in actually trying it I feel it does have a place in our work . In Zebrowski asking students there theory of writing. He walks a fine line from pushing students away and reaffirming those already engaged. An important part is the framing of this question of theory is important it depends on the instructor to pose the question in a way that can be engaging and not threatening to the student. As we discussed in our small groups, Garth suggested that the initial meta writing assignment can serve as a reinforcement of already good writers and a deterrent to the weaker ones. This can be daunting even to skilled writers. But given this opportunity a student may learn why they have had trouble with the skill. I think and important idea to share with students is that writing is a a skill and we all have varying degrees of it but we can always get better and we can all get to a level of comfort with it. In my writing courses I have never felt that I was learning a skill. More often I was being assessed on the skills I had earlier gained from other sources. And that the class time was not as important as the works produced no matter how they were produced. Now in my hyper awareness of writing I can see that I had shortcut a lot of my lessons and short changed my self in not working through the slow stuff and leveling up correctly.
Writing as a Process
Using a wide sweeping theme in instruction, as Zebrowski discusses, can begin to show students that writing is a process that involves many small and large steps and not just the outcome, or the final written product. Other disciplines do not grade so heavily on what is the final project with out looking into the work that went into it. Rarely do we get graded on the end result with out seeing the working or the learning involved in it. Tests usually follow quizzes and regular assignments or home work. Writing should follow this same strategy where the homework can be directly involved with the final product that is to be graded by the instructor. Using the wide reaching theme in the class room can lead to this. Working in small steps towards small and large goals can be an encouraging and rewarding-process of both student and instructor.
Group Work
Group work has rarely ever been an enriching engaging experience for me as a student. In most group work the learning is overshadowed by the stress of having to be produced in a group. The work is overshadowed be the group. Emails, calls, and problems (there is always a broken printer, a group member out of town or the illusive invisible group member who may or may not even exist in the plane of time and space). The work seems to be just a a means to an ends to get the project over not something that is a shared learning experience among peers. Zebrowski's idea of class discussion and creating an environment where students can learn and be comfortable with each other and the instructor and the work is a noble one. But I am not sure group work is the facilitator of these successes as much as a capable instructor. Group work in other fields can have more tangible results. Writing is always a solitary event even if surrounded by group members only one person at a time is doing the work of writing and putting the words to the page. Ideas can be shared and editing can be done. But in regards to writing as a group, I find it hard to believe that it can be possible let alone successful. Zebrwoski quotes Vygotsky“ What the student can do in cooperation with others leads what she will in the near future be able to do individually.” The close proximity to the work can lead to success in the work? The author has surely seen the phenomenon in his teaching I find it hard to believe. That being near good writing can lead to it in another. I do though hope it is true. Otherwise we may only be leading horses to water.
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