Multi Genre Paper Final For Take 1

Debbie Doe Multi-Genre Paper-Take 1 Dr. Melinda Dobson-Engl 4790 July 16, 2009

Wednesday Morning, March 18, 2009 REMEMBRANCE OF A MORNING PAST Snap ! Clock radio comes on, the station, oldies 99.3; the song, The Young Rascals, “ A Beautiful Morning” blares out through my outdated phone/alarm combo. Lyrics crackle through the sole, working speaker. It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh, I think I'll go outside a while, An jus' smile. Just take in some clean fresh air, boy! Ain't no sense in stayin' inside If the weather's fine an' you got the time. It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day. Either way, It's a beautiful mornin', Ahhh, Each bird keeps singin' his own song. So long! I've got to be on my way, now.

I lie there for a moment, blinking the sleep away, thinking, Aahh, it is a beautiful morning, and then, panic strikes! Why I am still in tucked cozily in bed, and why is the sun already casting a blinding, reflective sliver off of my dresser mirror? I am a high school, teacher; I am supposed to be up before the butt crack of dawn (as my students would say), 5:15 to be specific, and here it is 7:15. Oh crap! I musta hit snooze. What time is it??? What time is it??? As the fog of sleep begins to clear, I remember, I don’t have to go to school today! I am going to the St. Joseph County Intermediate School District (sjcisd) for a workshop! Oh yes…reality. I remember the words on the flyer: “With growing disappointment about the writing ability of high school graduates, writing instruction can no longer be confined to the English classroom.” …and then my principal’s words: “Do you think you could help me start up Writing across the Curriculum Program?” I am flattered at the thought of his thinking that I could possibly do this, but equally overwhelmed and challenged with the thought of how in the world could I possibly do this? Nevertheless, I agreed to go; after all, it will be a day away, a time to collaborate with my peers! I am hope to bring back from this, what I assume will be a prosaic workshop, insight that will help me. I think again of the Workshop and its title: Journal Writing across the Curriculum (a way to begin cross-curriculum writing)

Oops, I will be late! As the song goes… I've got to be on my way, now. Friday Afternoon, February 26, 2009

QUESTIONS…WHY ME…I DON’T TEACH ENGLISH ANYMORE???

From the desk of Lynn Brand, SHS English Department…..

Hey Debbie, Would you be interested in attending this workshop for me? None of us from the English Dept. can attend…we are all swamped!! School will pay! I know you have always had your students write journals and don’t mind attending these. Rusty is on me to get someone to go! Please let me know ASAP! XXOO Lynnie

Monday Morning, March 2, 2009 REASONS WHY NOT ME…ALWAYS SEEKING…NEVER QUITTING

Hey Lynnie,

I can go to the workshop. Your are right, I do enjoy that kind of stuff!! I will register today. Who knows, maybe I can get information that I can give to other teachers, so they can get going with journal writing! Lord knows our ACT Writing scores could use some help! Even though I am not teaching English anymore, I still know it’s important to work on writing. Too bad everybody thinks just English teachers teach writing! Talk to ya later!

Debbie

HOPES I HAVE...ALL TEACHERS AND ALL WRITING CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

JOURNAL WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM (a way to begin a cross-curriculum writing)

ATTEND THIS ISD WORKSHOP TO LEARN HOW YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS CAN BENEFIT FROM JOURNAL WRITING!

************

Presenter: Judith Langer Where: St. Joseph ISD When: Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Time: 8:30 a.m. 12 p.m.

With growing disappointment about the writing ability of high school graduates, writing instruction can no longer be confined to the English classroom.

************* MANAGING JOURNAL WRITING IN All CLASSROOMS DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF JOURNAL WRITING…

Teacher: • Gives you a tool to access for prior knowledge • Provides you a way to uncover gaps in individual student’s learning • Allows you to access gaps in all students’ learning • Helps you provide fast feedback to students • Establishes a personal contact between you and your students

Students: • Motivates them to prepare for class • Creates an anxiety-free questioning opportunity • Helps them process, and interpret information • Helps them discover their own answers through synthesizing information and writing it down • Allows students to write with confidence and emotions, not fearing criticism • Allows students to recognize personal growth (Journals) in writing and learning

Don’t know how to teach writing? We’ll show you how!  Discover methods for using and grading journals, so they won’t be a time drain!  Walk away with tools and prompts to get journal writing started in your classroom! 

TO REGISTER: Contact Laura Howe, 269-467-5940 or go to www.//sjcisd/home

Friday Afternoon, March 20, 2009 FOLLOW-UP, IDEAS AND HOPES TO SHARE

Friday, March 27, 2009 REALITY CHECK…EVERYONG IS NOT ON THE SAME PAGE...

Conversation Between a Math-Head and English-Head MH EH

Hey, Debbie what’s this journal wri-ting thing you English teachers are Presen-ting at the next PD? (is that a sarcastic tone I sense?)I’m not English anymore remember???

MH Oh yeah, that’s right…why are you presen-ting and what are you presen-ting? (he always clearly articulates second syllable t’s I note; this makes his tone seem even more sarcasm-tic!) EH

OH, I went to a workshop last week about students’ writing and how beneficial it is to get students to write in all classrooms! Not just in English! I wanted to share some of the information with you guys! Rusty thought it would be less intimidating coming from a non-English teacher!

MH OH jeeze…let’s just leave it at that…sharing the information; I’ve got enough to do! No time to do anything else! Her Her Her EH

(Oh, the laugh; the kids try to imitate it, but none can duplicate it!) Oh ha ha! I think you guys will be surprised though; it really made me think about the writing we all could have students do in classes, not just English teachers!

MH EH

I need ‘em to learn to write numbers not words! Well, I’m gonna tell you guys about a few things we did at the workshop and hopefully, we can start a school-wide journal writing program. MH Oh grea-t! Didn’t we do that John Collins thing about 10 years ago? That really worked! NOT! Her Her Her! I don’t think I had the students write one time. EH

(Continuing to try to present my case, I concede) Yeah, we did, (then justify why it did not work), but I think there was too much thrown at everyone! We received the books and that presenter showed us the Five Types of Writing chart, examples, and that was about it!

MH

I think that chart is still hanging in my back room! Does that count for trying it?

EH

(ewww…he’s trying to get to me) Noooo--wa! It’s too bad though. The writing part is really a good concept! The staff needed some modeling on how to implement it, and then some follow up. You know, a couple of more sessions for questions and more help in actually doing it! (Collins)

MH Uck…I’m a math teacher, I don’t teach wri-ting!!! (He sticks his pencil behind his right ear as he checks his mailbox) Her Her Her EH

(OMG that her her her gets to me me me!) Well, you could! Have them write for five to ten minutes after they have worked on a math assignment then have them jot down a sentence or two that would complete

sentences like : What I know about so far is; What I’m still not sure about is; What I’d like to know more about is (Math Journals), that kind of thing. It doesn’t have to be paragraphs!

MH Yeah, yeah, that all sounds good, but if they don’t know the material after we have worked on it, what’s the point of wri-ting about it? EH Well…example… if you math heads had them journal how they thought through a problem, the process they used to get an answer, then by reading what they wrote, you evaluate what they might be missing. MH (Pulling the pencil from behind his ear) Too, complicated Debbie; they should just ask! EH

Oh, you know as well as I that they don’t wanna Look stupid!

MH Her

Well, they are stupid if they don’t ask! No, I’m just kidding! Her Her

EH

Ugh…they’re probably afraid of you! Seriously, if you have them write, you can evaluate Specific things they still need help on, that they might not Be able to express in front of everyone else!

MH Aw, I just don’t think it’s efficient use of time in a mathematics classroom. EH

Well, hear me out at least! I think you will be surprised! You will get more at Thursday’s PD!

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 PRACTICE WHAT I WILL BE PREACHING; TEACHER/STUDENT I listen why I write

I explain why I write

for you to see for them to see thoughts and questions I may still have how it looks to process thoughts I write I write The Prompt/The Date The Prompt/The Date across the top line of my paper across the top of the overhead 10 minutes 10 minutes I write for you I write for them It helps you recognize to show them the process, what I don’t know how journaling works It helps me process to reveal their thoughts that need be to developed questions I may still have to process concepts not yet cemented I think, this is stupid! I wonder, will this work? 5 minutes 5 minutes I am writing for you! They are writing for me! My thoughts Their thoughts! I discover… I discover… I am writing for me! They are writing for themselves I do have questions still to ask They are processing! It works! Keep writing for them. Finish my last sentence? Finish your last sentence. I am not finished! Time is up!