I really enjoyed the ideas shared in the Berkenkotter article because it showed how challenging writing is. Many students struggle with writing and writing well and it takes time to learn how to write well. The case study on the student Nate taught me that writing is a skill that is constantly being improved every time a student writes. When I become a teacher I will encourage my students to always write and that every time they write they will become a better writer. I liked the Young article because it gave examples of how teachers can improve their student's writing with letters and other teaching strategies. This article gave me useful tips on activities that I could use in the classroom to promote writing and keep my students engaged while learning how to become better writers. I also enjoyed the Kress article because if gave me some insight on how the way the world views print is changing and how implementing media and other technology to teach students is very necessary. We live in a day and time where students do not even have to read anymore, they can listen to a whole novel on their ipod so we need to keep students learning without boring them. Smart boards and computer based technology is taking over and our students must be both book and computer savvy to function in today's society. Information is at everyone's fingertips so students have the necessary tools to learn but they are not using them for academic purposes, but for entertainment. There are many students who do not read or write on their grade level so there is a lot of work for teachers to do to help students become better writers. I think students should read more even if it is a comic book they need to get into the habit of reading and analyzing what they read to build critical thinking. They need to be engaged with stuff they like to talk about because plays like Shakespeare is outdated and most likely something they will not read anyway if they do not major in english. I believe they should be exposed to all types of literature but time are changing where students are in more control of their own lives so we need to include them in lesson planning. I understand that the teacher is the head of the class but students are the consumers so the product(education) should be catered to their needs and what they like. It is our responsibility to make sure all students get the information we are teaching or has the necessary help to ensure they can do what is asked of them. I believe when the the students fail the teachers fail in a way. From experience, I have had teachers in high school that didn't care if I passed or failed and it was my responsibility to try to understand. I worked hard and went to tutoring if I struggled with a subject, because I wanted to get it. Not many students are like that now because time are changing and failing is an option for some students. We need to be enforcers of education and teach students that it will only benefit them in life to do well at school. School is the foundation to the rest of their lives it not only teaches them academics but discipline.

Blog # 6 Response and reflection

Scarpa,

I kind of understand what David means regarding every classroom having separate rules to make the grade. From experience as a student and observing classrooms each teacher expects different things from their students and they also have different expectations from each individual student. If a teacher has a disruptive class and is constantly dealing with behavior management she may have little time to actually teach the class and has lower standard regarding the quality of work and is probably struggling to get the students to turn the work in. If that teacher has a senior class she may expect their writing to be on a higher level than her freshman class and grade their papers differently. I agree that writing should be judged the same but teachers of other subjects may only be concerned with content and ignore major errors in student's writing. I agree with her because I think you do have to adapt to college level writing ant that is why colleges make students who do not pass their English regents with a certain score take a placement exam. We as students and teachers assume that everyone can write and read just as we could growing up and excelled just as we did but many students despise writing and reading and do not do it on their level. I do believe you should be able to tell the difference between a college student's paper and a high school student's paper because they have been trained on what college professor excepts and colleges generally us MLA format which college students follow as a guidelines

I agree with Bean stating that students writing problem and difficulties should be addressed in grades 1 through 12. Students are taught the fundamentals of writing in elementary schools and in the upper grades they learn how to content write and how to write different types of essays. The English regents in graded on content and clarity and gramme errors are not considered in the final score. I think students have to read college essays and use MLA format in high school and modeling is the key the more they see these types of essays and their expectations they will improve drastically. I also believe students need a guide book so they can refer to when they are not sure of what to do. This is what college students do to improve their writing and is something that is lacking on the high school level. Overall, the key to improving students writing is using a reference book on writing and researching different types of essay formats.

Reflection

I really enjoyed using this form of journeying because I had to focus on what my partner wanted to address and we got feedback from each other. I felt like I didn't have to rely on what the author's in the articles and books were saying and I could add my own opinion and thoughts and bring them to my partner's attention. It helped me to get to know my classmate better and understand her thoughts about the reading and I realized we have similar and opposing ideas regarding the reading materials. This journeying was very interesting and the simplest for me and I feel I got a lot out of this activity.

Blog #5 Letter

Dear Scarpa,

Young

A simple definition of WAC is that students use written

language to develop and communicate knowledge in

every discipline and across disciplines. In practice, it often assumes an

interdisciplinary effort in which teachers from different disciplines work

together to develop a comprehensive program that might include coordi-

nation among first-year composition courses, general education courses,

writing-intensive courses in the major, and senior capstone courses (3).

I agree with Young's definition on writing across the curriculum because the goal is to get students fluent in written language by implementing writing skills in every academic subject. My question to you is does it necessarily need to be coordinated amongst all teachers just like Young states? Does this coordination make it harder for teachers or create more work? Would it be better for teachers to implement WAC in their own way or form a comprehensive program like Young states? Young also believes that WAC programs should focus on "teaching and learning not on curriculum and assessment" (Young 3). Does this make theory make WAC realistic? How WAC be successful with no curriculum or assessment?

I like the section on writing to learn and writing to communicate (Young 9). What does young mean when he says writing to learn privileges the learner's language and values, and writing to communicate privileges the reader's language and values? (Young 11)

What would you do as a teacher to help the remedial students in your class? Do you thing diagnosing writing problems and then giving device drills and exercises remedy the problem? (Rose 352) Is the solution as simple as Rose makes it seem?

I do not agree that to be literate means to be acquainted with letters or writings which Rose states on page 352. I believe that it is more complicated than that because most are acquainted with writings and letters and some people may actually read but can not read on their level and need remediation. Some people can function all their lives with literacy problems that go undetected. Some students can read but can not understand what they are reading and some people can not read well but use dictionaries and context clues to make meaning of what they are reading. I think be literate is a broad term. What are your views on literacy do you think that being literate means being acquainted with letters or writings.

Response to Letter Blog #4

Dear Scarpa,

I definitely agree with you, but I found the reading more physically difficult than mentally, specifically on my eyes which effected me mentally by giving me a headache. I will make an attempt to respond to your questions to help clarify the authors' thoughts to the best of my ability. I believe Britton was saying that in general verbal messages are dominant or I could even interpret it further by saying that any communication through words is a dominant discourse. "The verbal structure, depends primarily on the dominant function." (Britton 152) I kind of agree with his theory of poetry being a dominant discourse because I believe anything can be considered poetry if you are creating it with the use of language. I think Britton is looking at literature and the use of words as poetic and if you look at it that way words are everywhere and dominate.

Britton states that there are three types of categories which are transactional, expressive and poetic. There seems to be a fine line that defines each category individually and personally I would not separate them as so because communicating is one discourse there are just different levels of communication. Maybe that is what he is trying to say also. I personally do not understand if he is trying to separate the literacy or non literacy discourses but I think he is stating that people use the different discourses for different communicating purposes.

I do not consider writing across the curriculum as an educational reform because teachers use writing and reading in every subject. If they incorporate the fundamentals and importance of writing in the classroom then it will make it a simple transition because in actuality teachers teach more than they think they really are.

I do not agree with Bean because English is not rocket science and no one is really asking the Science teacher to become the English teacher and teach their own subject in 45 minutes. Teachers of other subjects can incorporate short paragraphs as mini in class or homework assignments and just grade them on content first and grammar last, every little bit helps. A teacher should be happy to learn better writing and grammar techniques to help their students, because if writing is the dominant discourse then it will help them in their everyday lives and studies anyway.

I do not think Britton would agree with Bean's belief that all teachers can not teach English because Britton understands the difference of each discourse and since the poetic discourse is dominant teachers will naturally use their training to teach students to "make something with language." (Britton 158)

Most teachers are well rounded because they graduate from college and universities that prepare them with multi subjects. I believe teachers are more prepared to implement writing across the curriculum then spectators give credit. It is not like they are teaching students the new alien language it is just writing across the curriculum.

2x journal based on Pratt, Gee and Falyn

Pratt

Many commentators have pointed out how modern views of language as code and competence assume a unified and homogeneous social world in which language exists as a shared patrimony-- as a device, precisely, for imagining community.

Falyn

I believe language is a vehicle that bridges people together and forms a community. Language is very unique and caters to many different groups of people. language is associated with culture, religion and origin and sets people apart or brings people closer together. I believe Gee would consider people that are second language learners an affinity group because they are a group that is bonded shared endeavors, goals, and practices that are not shared by race, gender, nation, ethnicity, or culture. ESL learners in classrooms are an affinity group because they share the goal to learn English and be able to communicate and learn the new language effectively. Anyone can learn a language in order to communicate with other speakers of the language. People who have difficulty hearing or suffer from complete hearing loss belong to an affinity group that uses sign language. They are like their own community with events, dating sights, and social gathering specifically catered to sign language users. If you take the time to learn a literacy like language you then belong to that imagining community.

Pratt

In keeping with autonomous, fraternal models of community, analyses of language use commonly assume that principles of cooperation and shared understanding are normally in effect.

Falyn

I agree that the use of language determines a certain cooperation and shared understanding amongst its users. Language is a literacy and when you have grasp this semiotic domain you will use it with other speakers assuming that you have the knowledge to effectively communicate and they have the knowledge to effectively understand. The principles of cooperation for learning a new language have to do with understanding words, sentence structure and pronunciation which are key in communicating.

Every semiotic domain has a language or jargon that is used to communicate within its community. I believe language sets communities apart and is the core of a semiotic domain. Every semiotic domain has a language that is used for communicating that can be verbally used with the English language, other speaking languages, physical gestures, sounds, sports gestures, sign language and the list can go on. People who who learn the language of a semiotic domain uphold the principles and rules that are associated with it.

Gee

Why am I discussing concepts and the mind? Because such a discussion leads us to an important paradox: If the human mind is a powerful pattern recognizer--and the evidence very much suggests it is--then what is most important about thinking is not that it is "mental," something happening inside our heads, but rather that it is social, something attuned to and normed by the social groups to which we belong or seek to belong.

Falyn

I do believe that thinking is part mental but how you think and reason is predominately due to how you were nurtured to think from society and your immediate environment. Drinkers tend to bread drinkers because that is the social norm in their society they tend to subconsciously or consciously prepare their children to be drinkers and it become a continuous cycle. As humans we do think in patterns which can be a good characteristic for new learners like children or people gaining literacy in a semiotic domain, but if you become a perpetual pattern thinker you will be forced into a stereotypical box unable to see the logic of things outside of the patterns.

That is why it is important for parents and adults in general to set an example children through words, and behavior to encourage learning and positive thinking. Children will mimic and assimilate what they see and if they do not receive positive images of learning, and education the will not have positive thoughts regard school and education. Children should be encouraged to read, write and have desire to learn. Adults should also surround themselves with positive thinkers and people that they wish to aspire to be.

Gee

So, thinking and reasoning are inherently social. But they are also inherently distributed, and more and more so in our modern technological world. By this I mean that each of us lets other people and various tools and technologies do some of out thinking for us.

Falyn

To be an effective learner and researcher which are key elements for someone with a zest for knowledge you have to use other people's ideas and various tools and technologies to guide you through learning. Most ideologies are developed through societies and just passed down so we are constantly recycling ideas, myths and facts to develop our own unique sense of thinking. Technology and tools are a great way to learn new things and should be used as help when needed. As much as humans like to give themselves credit everyone is not going to be competent in every area equally. Sometimes using technology and tools saves us time by thinking for us so that we can be productive in a more significant area in life. Again, someone with a significant genius developed theories, practices, tools and technologies to make life easier for the less genius. Knowing when you are incapable, and the ability to use another person's capabilities to help you effectively is genius in itself.

Reflection

This writing assignment has taught me how to use a different style of journaling that includes multiple authors sharing similar thoughts. The double entry journal is good for students when they read two works of literature that compliment one another and is also a good way to jot down notes for the future. I learned several things in the reading and using this style of journaling helped me to get my thoughts on paper and express my views on different learning strategies. This is a good assignment for keeping track of what I did through the semester also, because after I read the informations tends to evaporate by the time class is over, but I can always refer back to my journal entries.

Blog #2

Gee

Thus, in video games like Deus Ex, stories are embodied in the player's own choices and actions in a way they cannot be in books and movies. When I use the term "embodied," I mean to include the mind as a part of the body. So "embodied" means, for me, "in the body" and "in the mind."

Falyn

I believe that books and movies are also "embodied" "in the body" and "in the mind" contrary to Gee's opinion. I think when you read, you are using full concentration to analyze and take in information to retain it in the body oppose to when you play a game and the game saves the information that was needed to complete a board. Information can be embodied no matter the semiotic domain, and just depends how much the movie, book, or game affects its audience. Video games as a tool that takes an alternative approach to learning that benefits more than books and movies can work in some cases but is not effective amongst all. I believe some genres of novels like erotica is catered to trigger physical as well as emotional senses and depending on the person some things can be embodied no matter what the source is.

Video games do provide player's with choices unlike movies and books and allows students to visualize and manipulate different possible outcomes. Movies and books allow students to imagine the possibilities and foreshadow beyond the book or movie. I believe video games offers an alternative to learning because you can see that your actions result in an immediate reaction, and kids are impatient and like to see things manifest. Books, video games, and movies alone may not be as effective as if they were incorporated as a unit to teach students.

Video games would be a great addition to the academic world and probably increase the amount of returned homework assignments.

Gee

There really is no other way to make sense. If all you know in any domain-are general meanings, then you really don't know anything that makes sense to you.

Falyn

I believe this statement is very valid. The educational system is geared to teaching general meanings which are necessary to pass standardized tests and once the tests are over students forget most of what they learned. The cliche use it or loose is very true, if something does not make sense to you outside of its meaning you really do not understand it, and you will forget it. I believe that is one of the major faults with the educational system because students are not taught to learn for everyday use and application to the real world but just to retain and regurgitate general principals for exams.

Gee

Unfortunately, such children are often the ones who get literacy in school completely detached from anything otherwise meaningful to them, as they are skilled and drilled to death.

Falyn

Reading or literacy is one of those academic areas that should apply more to your daily life than school because literacy is important in all aspects of life. A grasp of literacy will make you an effective listener, communicator, learner, and just build your overall quality of life. A person who can read and write will be able to compete both in their academics and in the real world. Literacy is apart of every academic subject and most of the time when students can not read and write well they suffer in more than one subject. Students often avoid reading books because most of the ones used in school are long and do not relate to their personal lives. Students are drilled with lessons on reading, writing, and comprehension that the essence of literature and creativity with writing is taken out of most lessons. Readings should pull students in and relate to exactly what they are going through and will face once in the "real world." But again academics is geared to follow a system that evolves on passing standardized tests rather than evoking embodied learning.

2X journal "The Writing as a Process Not a Product" by Donald M. Murray

Murray: What is the process we should teach? It is the process of discovery through language. It is the process of exploitation of what we know and what we feel about what we know through language. It is the process of using language to learn about our world, to evaluate what we learn about out world, to communicate what we learn about our world.

Falyn: Students often feel disconnected with academics because it shares no relation to their daily lives. If a teacher can inspire students to use writing as a channel to connect not only with academics but their personal and daily lives the battle is half won. Teaching writing as a process of discovery rather than a product to be graded is a great way to engage students. Writing and all learning should be discovery based, where the student is in control of how far they are growing. Writing is very interesting to teach because generally many people have a lot to say in a normal conversation, but when asked to write may draw a blank. Allowing students to use writing to simply communicate with no expectations is very liberating and takes some of the pressure off of a beginning writer.

Murray: Instead of teaching finished writing, we should teach unfinished writing, and glory in its unfinishedness. We work with language in action. We share with our students the continual excitement of choosing one word instead of another, or searching for the one true word.

Falyn: Teaching unfinished writing can be just as productive as teaching finished writing because a student has no pressure or deadlines and can just let their creativity takeover. They can play around with different words and endings; they will be able to see their writing truly manifest with no limitations. Unfinished writing just breeds new ideas and creativity. I often write song lyrics that I do not finish and I come back to it at a later time or I never ever finish the song. I think it is better to write something than nothing at all. Students can also challenge themselves to complete an assignment that they had difficulty writing in the past.

Murray: This is not a question of correct or incorrect, of etiquette or custom. This is a matter of far higher importance. The writer, as he writes, is making ethical decisions. He doesn't test his words by a rule book, but by life. He uses language to reveal the truth to himself s that he can tell it to to others. it is an exciting, eventful, evolving process.

Falyn: I believe a teacher can teach rules, correct and incorrect writing, but it is extremely difficult to evoke imagination, creativity and passion for writing. Getting a student to dig deep and connect with something in their life and put it in writing with no limitations is what writing is all about. It is a form of expression and can be stunted if rules on writing etiquette are implemented to soon. Teachers get caught up with teaching and seeing the results of what they taught, rather than eliciting and letting the students build their own standards. Writing is like painting, no matter how many painters paint the same picture the end product will look different. That is why writing should not be criticized on a correct or incorrect basis.

Falyn: The idea of teaching writing as a process rather than a product is a great way to engage students to become better writers and work on their craft. I think there are many dimensions to being a good writer and it begins with having something to say and using words to say it. Writing is used in all aspects of daily living and a venue for communication especially with the new sensation with blogging and text messaging. When teachers can get students to understand the importance of writing and how writing poetry, lyrics, and other styles can be both liberating and fun then the writing process is born.