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.