Blog #11 Keeping a Blog is Essential

While creating a blog each week for this class based on Tompkins and Hicks ideas that they discuss in greater detail about reading and writing, these blogs have helped me to self-question, use background knowledge, self-reflect, and think more critically while reading the different chapters. Also, it helped me become more aware of the Learning Outcomes for this course and what I should take away from it. After I finish this class, I will be able to use my blogs for a future reference when I become an elementary teacher, because these blogs will be with me forever. Therefore, I will use the strategies or ideas that I enjoyed practicing in this class in my own classroom. I have spent a great amount of time creating these blogs each week, and was extremely excited to share what I have learned from both Tompkins and Hicks text relating to the teaching of writing and the use of digital technology. 

 
Making a blog each week helped me to notice which ideas I enjoyed reading that was explained by Tompkins, or Hicks, which encouraged me to reflect back on my student placement and observation experiences. I was able to connect the ideas I learned from my personal teaching experiences with the ideas that Tompkins illustrates on the teaching of reading and writing. Furthermore, I was able to gain knowledge of how reading and writing processes are similar and different to one another. Especially, while creating my genre project, I was able to look more closely at which genres I knew a little information and wanted to know more of, and which genres I had a pretty good idea of what it consists of with the features included. For instance, the genres that I did not have background knowledge on was argumentative, biographical, as well as the letter genre. I learned multiple strategies pertaining to each genre that I can teach to my students in my own classroom someday. 

While looking back at my childhood school experiences, I remember learning about some aspects of these different genres, but not in great depth like they taught us about poetry, narrative, non-fiction, and descriptive genre. However, I never realized that they were different types of poems within the poetry genre. For example, Tompkins states, "there are formula poems, color poems, I am...poems, preposition poems..etc"(Tompkins, p. 191). Therefore, it was fun to learn about the different poems that I could have my students create using their own imagination and creativity.

Moreover, I was able to decide which strategies I would teach and consider using in the classroom to help my students reach success in both reading and writing. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to dig deeper into the content I was learning, and be able to analyze some of the quotes that Tompkins included. Relating to author's craft, I never really thought about the word "author's craft" before reading Tompkins, I always considered them as "elements or traits" to use in my writing pieces. I am glad I now know that teachers call it author's craft. I will consider to teach the word "author's craft" to my students, therefore they can keep in mind of the different elements that should be incorporated while writing different compositions. For example, using organization, ideas, word choice, sentence fluency, as well as voice while having a purpose and audience in mind" (Tompkins, p. 84). While looking back at my first entry, I realized that I did not know about the different habits of mind that Hicks explains in his text. Now that I have read the chapter on this specific topic, I will encourage myself to be open-minded, curious, and be creative in my own work while I am writing my different pieces.

While looking at the Syllabus, I realized that"how to create a community of writers" that Tompkins explains was not one of the 6 components on the Learning outcomes. I think this the most important aspect in a classroom because you want your students to feel comfortable sharing their writing pieces to their classmates without hesitation. For example, I learned that it is important to allow students to engage with others either in partners, or in a small group while writing, therefore they can gain insight from their classmates. Also, while they peer review together, the students can determine not only what their strengths and weaknesses are, but also what they have become successful in, and which ideas need to be developed still. Not only should the students be looking other people's writing, but a teacher should evaluate the students writing as well, therefore they are receiving constructive feedback from a professional. Sometimes, depending on who is evaluating the students work, it may not be as effective as if a teacher was grading it. 

Furthermore, choice is a great motivator for students, especially allowing students to choose what they want to write about depending on their interests. Students tend to become more active learners, and appreciate writing more when they are writing something that has impacted or been meaningful to them. Most importantly, it is essential that students accept all students writing, and does not negatively judge other people's opinions. A classroom should be a place where the students are respectful and supportive to one another.  


I am excited to use most of these strategies during reading and writing instruction. Also, depending on what grade I end up teaching, I am happy I have the chance to introduce different reading genres to my students and incorporate engaging activities to implement to my class when I become a teacher to help support their comprehension skills. 

Tompkins, G. E.  (2019).  Teaching writing:  Balancing process and product (7^th ed.).  Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Merrill.

Hicks, T. (2013).  Crafting digital writing.  Portsmouth, NH:  Heinemann.