Aaron Liebo CI5641

II wrote this whole entire blog and then my computer freaked out and it is lost. My original entry was witty, forward, and relevant, but because this situation has pissed me off (as I'm sure you all know it does), this blog will be direct and humorless. I hate computers and hope I do not set off an alarm with the steam that is shooting out of my ears. Grammar and grammar lessons are unneeded and irrelevant. I was never taught grammar in school, and found that by reading and going through editing processes as a class, I learned to write just fine. In fact, I find myself enjoying the writing, which I could not guarantee would have been the results if I would have had diagramed sentences shoved down my throats in the process. Who needs to know the mechanics of a microwave in order to heat your food? No one wants to know all the cogs or bolts of anything (unless you are an IT kid, and look how they all interact.) Writing needs to be fun and inventive. The students need to see it as an outlet for conveying a story, creating an argument, evoking or displaying emotions, or discovering a deeper context to an issue. When you force mechanics over ideas, students will lose their creativities, adventurism, or even care for writing. Sure, Williams opted to let us know how Latin evolved into the grammar for that we use in today's world, but who really cares.
If you are all for grammar, more power to you, but when you are busy trying to explain what a predicate nominative is, and how to understand the pompous and overblown definitions provided by grammarians; I will be helping the students take chances in their writings and allowing them to fail in their first couple drafts as a means for them to understand what works and what does not. I want the students to want to write, and I want them to read because with reading comes better writing, I could care less if grammar is taught to them at all. I think I turned out pretty well.

Here is a web site full of fun grammar things, cause if you do intend to teach it, you should at least make it fun
http://www.wolinskyweb.com/word.htm

Posted by Aaron Liebo at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Is anyone else getting sick of hearing about assessments. I feel as though I am again trapped in Caroline's class. Do not get me wrong, I understand the importance of making valid and reliable assessment. I understand the benifits and varieties of formative assessments, but I am sick of hearing hacks like Williams discussing their inexperienced opinions of what an assessment should cover, or where an assessment derives from. I am sick of the government's propaganda about the importance of "THE TEST" and teaching to "THE TEST." I mean, give me a break. I do, however, think Spandel is on to something. How could you rightfully disagree with someone who acknowledges how "THE TEST" wastes the teacher's time (six weeks), and that such tests need to change to fit the learners.
Out of all the gold that comes from Spandel's Midas like fingertips, I thought that the best portion was her three things that must be included to be assessed in the world of writing (94-96). She claims that the three components are as follows: the assessment must be perspective, the assessment must be compassionate, and the assessment must be usefull. Sure, your first response is, "NO DUH!?!" yet, these three practices are not often taught directly to us, nor are they practiced in the world. As for perspective, she claims that not all answers have a definate correct response, thus the teacher needs to closely and open-mindedly read a piece of writing in order to derive what the writer is trying to convey. As for the compassionate assessments, this I found to be the most widely forgotten principle. The assessment is there to help the students, and to help the lesson. They are not to point out or create failure, but rather to motivate and focus on all of the students' success. The final, and most important is that the assessment should be useful to the students, therefore lets make tests that are relevant and help identify the students needs to help advance their abilities.
OK, there is all I have left to say about assessments, now feel free to eityher grade this with a check, rubric, or include it on the final exam to assess me!!! ;-)

here is a web site that is drowning in rubric formats that can easily be used or addapted.
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html

Posted by Aaron Liebo at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Vicki Spandel is onto something much more monumental than just "a Guide for Teachers." Spandel is writing a guide for life in general. In this week's readings, we get to venture into the rights to writer badly, see others write, and find your own voice. Yes, these rights are extremely important for the classroom, but they should be added as metaphors for everyone to embrace in life.

The idea of being able to write badly is, simply put, the rights to make mistakes; the right to work your way to a goal; the right to not be perfect. Let's face it, we are not going to do everything perfect in life (unless you think like Eugene, but who else stumbled across reading the Illiad while still in diapers ;-) Just messing with you Eugene!), this right as told by Spandel acknowledges that students need not feel that they need to produce gold the second their pen hits the page (or finger's hit the key board; for you more modern types [no pun intended]). She explains that if you do not guide the students through their efforts of writing, and embrace when they produce even their worst first drafts, students will not feel comfortable writing, taking risks, or consequently doing drafts. I like how she suggests that teachers should model their own drafts as a means to show that all people go through the process of revision.

This example leads into the student's rights to see others write. This is very important, because without examples, how are the students supposed to know what to do. I love, love, love Spandel's metaphors, especially the one about the swimming teacher, but I feel in this chapter that the teacher needs to work as the true model for writing. Anytime a teacher allows themselves to be viewed through a process, it not only allows the students to have a model for their own works, but it further allows the teacher to be seen as more human. I don't ever want the students to feel like it is them and me, rather I want the class to work as a whole, and by being viewed doing their types of assignments (even when modeling), I feel that the students' understand that mindset even more.

lastly, Spandel says that students need the opportunity to find their own voice. This makes you understand that there is no right answer to every question, and that sometimes the act of getting them to write is an accomplishment within itself. Yes, prescribed English is more widely used and appreciated in the greater good of life, but that does not mean they cannot use their own voice to get there. Me, personally, I sound completely different on paper than when I speak (except of course for blogs), but does that mean I speak wrong? Or is it that by speaking "normally" it guides me towards becoming a better writer with a more unique voice.

Check out this website for ideas about finding a writer's voice. Includes suggested activities.
http://www.csusm.edu/diekman/vsar309f05/chpt6.html

Posted by Aaron Liebo at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Just when you thinj teaching has become redundant, along comes a great mind like Romano!!! Seriously, though, Romano has some fantastic ideas and exercised that would be very easy to add into any classroom format. I love his section on poetry (especially the multiple vouice poem). He has some strong ideas that create very relevant, personal, and powerful pieces. I think that poetry does need to be a bigger part of the class, so it does not intimidate the students as much. Does this mean I intend to start every class out with a reading of a poem? I can't say that I like the sound of my own voice that much, but I might allow that option for the students if they would like to bring in a favorite poem or lyric. I also enjoyed how he broke down the Haiku's. I feel like stressing on the conventions of a poem take away the importance of the feelings and meanings of a poem. Call me Bohemian (which I am), but it should all be about the raw emotion, because raw emotion is what encourages students to be excited to write.
This ties into the next set of readings. Yes I love creative writing and raw emotion that destroys all formulas, but I totally side with the teachers that support the five-part essay. I believe teaching the elements of such a writing form allows the students to learn the importances of structure and cohesion, but I do not agree that such a formulqa should be taught as the endall of writing. I too struggled the first time I had to write a paper with more than three points. It was on that day that my father sat me down and said, "Son (as he was opt to call me), life does not fit within the means of a mandatory structure. All rules are meant to be stretched all black and white contain a grey, and not every paper will fit in the five part essay structure."
I answered, "But dad, the five-part essay is all I know. Without it I am lost! Sinking deeper and deeper into this quicksand of vulnerability. Have my teacher's led me astray? left me alone in a wolf's den wearing T-bone steaks? How could I have been so misguided. I trusted them, and they have betrayed me!"
To which my father said, " Aaron, quit being so melodramatic."
Such is the story, but it did teach me that there need to be multple methods taught, but without the five-part essay being taught to me, my papers would be as well structured as... this blog and it's ramblings. Therefore, go five-part essays, but go also creativity and Romano

Who would have known that there is so many poetry styles. I recommend checking out this web site to learn more about the style you could teach.
http://www.poetry-online.org/poetry-terms.htm

Posted by Aaron Liebo at 7:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)