Blog 7: Bouquet and North

Bouquet's Writing Center Philosophy
     -writing is a process
     -administration structure: collaborative
     -more student centered
     -coaching style in the middle between minimalist and therapist

North 1's Writing Center Philosophy
     -writing is a process
     -administration structure: hierarchal
     -in the middle between student centered and institution centered
     -coaching style in the middle between minimalist and therapist

North 2's Writing Center Philosophy
     -writing is a process
     -administration structure: hierarchal
     -more student centered
     -coaching style in the middle between minimalist and therapist

Blog 6: Writing Cultures Essay

focus:

     how the writing center helps students with the transition from high school to college writing.

identity:

     generally freshmen and sophomores in college

values/expectations:

     -get a good grade on the paper

     -pass the class

     -learn what the professors expect from you

     -learn what's wrong with their writing

academic writing is:

     just a means to get a decent grade.

problem:

     students who are experiencing difficulty understanding professors' expectations for their writing.

what they want:

     "fix my paper" (which he or she usually believes is due to grammatical or other mechanical errors in the writing)

what they need:

     to work on focus, organization, and content. (which is not stressed in high school writing)

Blog 5: Draft.. which is more of a collection of points

topic:
       how the writing center aids in the transition between high school writing and college writing.

  -expectations
  -difficulties
  -culture contrasts
  -grammatical focus vs writing as a whole

references:
       text book theory (p.316)
       kean's theory of writing
       high school syllabus

comparison:

high school
-main concentration is the mechanics of writing
-the grammar
-the organization
-they don't stress the importance of focus and content

college
-focus & content come first. your organization doesn't matter if you don't know what you're talking about
-they expect you to know the mechanics

Blog 4: Thoughts

We have a paper for class due where we are focusing on an aspect of the writing center. I thought about writing about the difference between coaches writing the papers in writing centers and the students learning to write their own papers.  I have pretty much settled on how writing centers help the transition from high school to college writing. I could touch on my own experiences during this transition and the students I have mentored who have done the same (including freshman).

Blog #3 The Culture of Writing

       I would love to say that the culture of writing at Kean is all about expression of the student's thoughts and individual advances in the classroom setting, however, I have found that this is not the case.

       Most of the classes I have sat through (with some wonderful exceptions) students have focused on validating the teacher's ideas and worrying about the grammatical errors throughout so that they each get the best grade possible. It has not always been the teacher's fault (though sometimes I feel as if I'm sitting through 7th grade all over again with the lessons on comma usage and run-on sentences). That is just how students learn to write in high school. They know the basics and they know what teachers have always expected of them and that usually doesn't include stating their own views in their writing. They often just want to get through this "major requirement" to move onto the classes that interest them more or to graduate and get out of here so they can support the family they plan on having or the lifestyle that suits their interest.

       It's really kind of sad, thinking about it. Writing has always been an expression of who I am. I use it to convey my innermost thoughts and to work through my problems. I use it to make points to my colleagues and encourage my friends. If others saw writing as an outlet instead of a requirement, the environment in the classroom (and daily life) would be much happier and relaxed.

Blog #2: My Writing Process

Regardless of whether I write for classes or for pleasure, I follow the same writing process. I still pre-write, write, then rewrite every time.

During my "pre-write", I usually just jot down thoughts I am having about the topic. I think about who I am writing to and why I'm writing before moving onto the next stage.

My original writing, I always do on lined paper. Regardless of if I'm writing a letter to my best friend, a research paper, or a journal entry, I like getting all of my thoughts written down on a scrap piece of paper before launching into my final project. That way, I can move everything around if I need to and change my wording if I don't like how my words flow together.

Then, I write my final draft. If it's a research paper, I type it. I always handwrite journal entries and letters, but my letters are done on unlined paper that reminds me of the person I'm writing to. My journal entries are in a leather-bound notebook that I bought earlier this year.

Each of my writing stages have been refined through years of teachers, mentors, and friends critiquing my writing.

Blog #1: Chapters 1-3

First we set up our blogs. tada! Then, Professor Chandler wrote...


The Question:
What did chapters 1-3 talk about that would be important for the writing center?"




My Answer:


One area discussed in chapters 1-3 is one on one discussion about what is written and anything that is difficult about it to understand (part of the Reader Response section). This is crucial to the process of writing because you are able to formulate your ideas and discuss them with someone else, bouncing ideas back and forth.
Another area discussed is Peer Tutoring. Here students learn by reaching their peers. Again, each student will discuss his or her writing and together they have the potential to come up with new ideas which they could not have thought up alone.
One point mentioned that I believed was important was this, a tutor doesn't offer the writer therapy, but advice on his or her writing. As a caring individual, I've always found this a hard line not to cross. Often, the writer is expressing his or her feelings through writing and it's important for a tutor to remind himself or herself of that often.


Group Answers:


We broke up into groups and discussed our answers. This helped me grasp a better understanding of the chapters because Benito, Angela, and I each had different important information to contribute.




Thoughts Into Words (know what's best for them)
     Writing versus Talking


     Writing                                                                                           Talking
     jog memory                                                                                    quiet - forced awkwardness
     increase understanding                                                             public
     find language                                                                                creates rivalry
     organize thoughts                                                                        confirmation - when someone shares your idea
     make connections (see titles)                                                   give & get - create new ideas
     ownership of ideas (in your own words)                               fluid
     limits what you can say
     actualizes ideas
     private