Reading Response 6

Resources Used:

• Making the Journey , Chapter 8
• Kixmiller, Lori A. S. "Standards without Sacrifice: The Case for Authentic Writing." The English Journal 94.1 (2004): 29. Web.

My Response

Grammar is one of the building blocks of writing that is taught in everyday classrooms. Whether in a structured manner or in a form that engages the students into writing, grammar is a tool that needs to be taught in some way or another. The way it is taught, though, shows the true nature of the educator and the environment they want to create for their students. While E.B. White’s quote highlights the nature of writing as a habit and not a formal structure of grammar, I still believe grammar will have control on the product produced. As a teacher, it is our job to make sure students are leaving with tools they can use in the real world. One of these tools is understanding and implementing in some degree grammar.

Authentic Writing is a gateway to introduce the real world in the classroom and have students use the tools given to them in class to use it for these assignments. Grammar can be used alongside writing to have students express topics they are passionate about. In Kixmiller’s article, she addresses how a student of hers was unresponsive to any writing activities in class. When she introduced authentic writing to the students, however, the girl was interested in having freedom in the topic she could write on. Here, Kixmiller states “teachers must carefully consider the design of the assignment, various learning standards, and school curriculum” while also being mindful of the purposes and audiences students might be interested in (30). Educators must find a balance between the objectives of the school system and the needs of the students. With incorporating topics students would be inclined to write about, a teacher can open up a world of expressionism for their class. The presence of standardized testing leads many instructors to feel as if they don’t have power over the information taught in class. With authentic writing, a teacher can include techniques in the grading of the work while also using an individualized technique in the activity of the writing. Kixmiller points out that a classroom should include an “authentic writing [that] is student-centered, interest-based, and meaning-driven instead of assessment-centered, score-based, and accountability-driven (31). This mentality illuminates the growing trend of authentic writing and how its use in a classroom can be worthwhile for students.

In Making the Journey, the concept of authentic writing and grammar are heated discussions in school districts across the country. Both Lindbloom and Christenbury push for the importance of the place of correctness in student's works and the use of authentic writing to intrigue students into writing about topic they want to discuss. First off, They state that “what students say is paramount” in the writing activity and that an educator should step back and read the text for what it is and not penalize the written work for little problems found in it (315). Instead of pointing out errors, instructors should get students to grapple ideas and concepts as analyzing and expressing themselves is more important than the structure of it in the beginning. As they dive into the power of positive feedback and how to encourage writers, both Lindbloom and Christenbury explains the power of conversation and understanding the students and their perspective in their writing. As a future teacher, I cannot wait to enforce positive comments and feedback to my students as I believe this is a fundamental tool and skill that all educators should use to help students become stronger writers. I hope that the use of this form of correctness will help inspire my students to write about things and topics they are passionate about. With the use of authentic writing, I am a believer in the power of it getting students to write and begin their journey in explaining themselves in different forms. I am, however, afraid of authentic writing in the classroom as a tool that could bring up topics that might not be suitable in the school. Here, I will need to address some of the limitations when introducing the assignment to my students. Overall, though, I feel as if authentic writing can be a great way to move forward in our way of teaching writing and grammar to students in the classroom setting.