Gilmore Chapter 7

I am so glad that we are done with this book. I have read far too many chapters about revision. If we are constantly revising, then when will we have time to write something new? And, will we ever really finish anything?

How can you expect students to revise and give them deadlines? How can you grade them on a piece of writing that they could potentially revise for decades to come? Okay, so I am getting a little carried away. I am just a little sick of revision.

I like that Gilmore gave us a separate chapter for revising creative writing. It is nice to know that there are different methods of revision depending on the genre. Actually, the bulleted list on page 136, under the heading "Tips for Revising Creative Writing" will be useful. These are lessons that I have learned before, forgotten, and now are printed in this book that I will keep on a shelf in my future classroom. Thank you Mr. Gilmore, and good night.

Gilmore Chapter 6

Speaking of technology.... Okay, so Gilmore was writing this chapter for teachers who have never used a computer. Maybe I am being to hard on him. I think that technology should be used as a tool in the writing classroom.

I know that students need to understand how to utilize computers, because technology is continuing to rise and will probably never go away. It seems like today, if you can't use a computer, then you better learn how to do something else. You just can't seem to make it today without one.... Take my blogs for instance. Without them, I will not pass this class!

Obviously, students can write faster, write more, and check their spelling on a computer. And it is great that teachers can now project lessons in front of the classroom using a computer. But, I still think that students need to read more in order to become better writers.

Gilmore Chapter 5

I must be getting old, because I can't remember ever having to write an on-demand essay during class. It seems like even when we had to write an essay as part of an exam, the teachers always gave us the question ahead of time. In fact, I remember being able to write the essay ahead of time, and then bringing it to class on the day of the exam.

I really like the idea of replicating an on-demand testing center in the school. I think that it is important not to "trick" students. By that, I mean, why not just tell students what is expected of them? Aren't teachers allowed to tell students what the SAT readers are going to be looking for in their essays? I love the idea of sharing the test standards with the students, and then having the students actually read and practice grading fifty to sixty of their peers' essays.

I know that it sounds like a lot of reading, but so what? I had a professor tell our class the other day that generations in America are becoming less and less literate. Part of that is due to our increasingly visual society and T.V., and the obsession with getting things faster. I love technology, but I think that students (including myself) need to practice reading more!

Gilmore Chapter 4

I keep reading about the color marking strategy of revision. I have never actually done this before. Although Gilmore explains the ways in which students can go about highlighting their essays, my question remains unanswered: What do the students do after they are done color marking their paper?

Are the students supposed to be looking for patterns? For example, should students count the number of yellow verbs they have in their essay? If the students are highlighting "good writing" in one color, and "bad writing" in another color, then do they just go back and revise the "bad writing." I would like to know more about the process of color marking. Besides decorating an essay, what is it?

Again, I like peer editing for the most part. I still think that the stronger writers are at a disadvantage in the benefits of peer editing, but it is helpful to teach students several techniques and then let them practice on each other's and their own papers.

Gilmore Chapter 3

I appreciate the stylistic tools Gilmore provides in this chapter, especially "Barrel 1: Rhetorical Devices Students Can--and Will--Actually Use. Gilmore provides simple definitions of common rhetorical devices and easy-to-understand examples of each. I would consider dedicating an entire day to teaching these devices to my students. I would have the students come up with their own examples that like Gilmore's, were not too serious, but are easy to remember.

I think part of the reason this chapter was so long is because of all of the examples Gilmore provides. Although it took me nearly a decade to finish reading this chapter, I can see myself frequently referring back to it in the future. Gilmore provides common mistakes as well as stylistic remedies that even the best writers need a refresher course in every now and then. Overall, I can appreciate the tools that come out of a chapter such as this.

Christensen Chapter 7

I think portfolios are a great way for students to physically see how their work has progressed over the course of a year. I agree with Christensen -- if you do portolios too early, they won't be as strong. I think that students need time to play around with their writing, and I was glad that Christensen mentioned this.

I also think it is very important to actually teach students how to evaluate their portfolios. I know when someone asks me to do something, I can usually figure out how to do it. However, if it is something they want done in a specific way, then they need to tell me the specific way! We need to tell our students what we are looking for, and then give them the tools to do it.

Christensen Chapter 6

Ugh! Research projects are starting to give me a headache. I think it is great that Christensen challenged her students to challenge history. I think its wonderful that her students gave what she makes it out to be 120% on their projects. I think having students research topics they might care about is fantastic. But, ugh, what a nightmare!

Christensen talks about the research topics that she didn't have much of a background on, or topics on which her students couldn't find comprehendible information . I'm glad she pointed that out, because if I were in her situation, I'd be freaking out and thinking that my lesson plan needed some serious revision. Also, giving students an entire semester for a project is a really long time. I guess she expects a lot out of them though, so their projects had to turn out amazing.

I like that students get to discover untold stories in high school, and don't have to wait until college, as I did. But it is clear that you really have to be prepared to effectively teach this unit. I could just be exhausted, and that may be the reason this chapter seems exhausting.

Gilmore Chapter 2

The Revision Cone on page 9 is useful. You could even do a lesson where you talk about revision, and then have students create a giant revision cone to hang up in class. This might help remind them what to focus on while they are peer editing or even working on their own papers. 

I like that this chapter addressed the issue of the audience in essay writing. I can relate to Aditi's dilemma. For example, in my communications class, I must write an essay for my teacher, as though she doesn't know any of the concepts. But I have to cover ten concepts in three pages using definitions from the book and lecture, and then relate the concepts to specific situations in my life. Three pages! Are you kidding me? I'm at the end of page two right now! 

I had another teacher who told me to make sure that each of my paragraphs had five sentences. Really? I didn't do it. I told him that I didn't want to just make stuff up, and that I thought I could get my point across in three good sentences. But if I was in high school, I would have done it, and I would have been confused about essays. Let's talk to students about essays, and not just assume that they understand the definition just because "essay" is a common word.

Gilmore Chapter 1

Good and short. Chapter 1 reaffirms what we were talking about in class: teachers shouldn't revise for the students. Teachers should give students the tools to revise their own papers. I like the rules that are listed the inside of the book. I have heard some of those rules before. Especially bullet number four: "Good writers read. They read a lot." I think this point can improve writing for any student. 

I like that Gilmore is using humor in this book. While I am a grammar geek, I am NOT a big fan of revision myself, and I get the feeling that revision is the main subject of this book. The reason I am not such a fan is because of this: 

1. I always put a lot of effort into my first drafts. 

2. In order to get a good grade on your paper, you have to make your final draft "better" than your first draft.

3. If your first draft is absolutely terrible, then its easier to show "how much you've improved."

Besides, I was never taught how to revise. I mean, of course we went through the trading papers in class and peer editing, but I was never focused on the content. I did, however, love to look for grammatical errors. Even if I did look at content, nobody is going to help out with my content. I could do all the work for my classmate by telling them about their content, but what does that do for my paper? Maybe it makes me a better writer too, but if I'm a high school student playing three sports, participating in many other extracurricular activities, AND my parents want me to get all A's.... Okay Gilmore, let's see if you can make revision seem worthwhile.

Jago Chapter 6

Wow, there are only three pages in this chapter! I like Jago's core beliefs:

1. In order to learn to write, one must write.
2. Authentic tasks and topics generate the most cohesive student writing.
3. Students need both supportive and critical feedback.
4. There is no cohesive writing without revision.

One of the things I like most about writing is that it still allows students who are more advanced to take their writing to the next level. I think teachers should challenge students to be the best writer he or she can be. And I don't think it hurts anyone to review the rules of grammar, the process of writing an essay, and revision techniques. The point is to practice writing well.

Jago Chapter 5

Again, I like all of the tools that Jago gives us in this chapter: the Grammar Crime Hot Sheet, Peer Response Sheet, Portfolio Checklist, etc. I think that when students have to fill out these charts, it helps them track their progress on projects as well as helps them to see the different stages they go through in their writing. I also agree with Jago that students should be allowed to revise their final papers for a higher grade. I think that this is an excellent way to show how important revision is. Revision takes work, so if the students will put in the time to improve their papers, then you might as well reward them with an improved grade.

I also like the self-assessments Jago talked about at the end of the chapter. If a student is able to think and write about the improvements that they should make on a paper, then they have truely learned something about writing. Diving in and revising a paper is one thing, but if a student can analyze their paper like a teacher, then they are really improving. I like the self-assessment, and it is something that I would use in my classroom.