The Elements of Writing
I’ve been thinking about how to structure my English 1000 syllabus, and have the idea of designing a table much like the Periodic Table to assemble the elements of writing, suggesting that writing is like chemistry in that both writers and chemists combine elements with an expected reaction in mind, and that the subtraction or addition of elements will impact the outcome of their work. I don’t know if students will embrace the idea of the writer as a scientist, but it might appeal to them on a subliminal mad-scientist level, and spark their interest and enthusiasm for writing, reframed as an experiment with changing elements. I do know that many students may not enjoy writing, and that 13 years of public education and repeated pressure to produce a five paragraph essay have crushed most creative impulses and ground them into dust. My mission, as I see it, is to convince them that communication has multiple forms and purposes--and that the ability to use “written, visual, and oral communication that works in specific contexts for specific audiences through the process of composing and designing” will give them the power to advocate, to make their communication meaningful and effective in our diverse, increasingly digital world.
I like the idea of centering the first paper on an exploration of the student’s life prior to English 1000. The course guide states that the typical 19 year old Freshman is egocentric, and so they should find writing about themselves quite pleasurable, even as it challenges their media assemblage, information gathering, and expository writing skills. I’d start with the “Where I’m From” poem to lure them into beginning the larger assignment--and at the end of introductions, would confide that they’ve already finished one element of this assignment! Students like to believe that their work has a purpose, so this should get the writing ball rolling. The text: compose, design, advocate would be a valuable resource in this process and throughout the rest of the course.
Since I also know about Ohio State’s Digital Archive for Literacy Narrative, and have offered to help Dr. Patton with this worthwhile project on our own campus, I’d ask students to structure their work so that it could be shared, if they wish, with others on this network. (Information pasted below this text.)
Info below is from Ohio State's Digital Archive for Literacy Narratives
(DALN) site: http://daln.osu.edu/
What is a Literacy Narrative?
A literacy narrative is simply a collection of items that describe how you
learned to read, write, and compose. This collection might include a story
about learning to read cereal boxes and a story about learning to write
plays. Some people will want to record their memories about the bedtime
stories their parents read to them, the comics they looked at in the
newspaper, or their first library card. Others will want to tell a story
about writing a memorable letter, leaning how to write on a computer or
taking a photograph; reading the Bible, publishing a 'zine', or sending an
e-mail message.
Your literacy narrative can have many smaller parts, but they will all be
identified with your name. For instance, you might want to provide a story
about learning to read a as a child, a digitized image of one of your old
report cards, a story about writing a letter as a teenager, a photograph of
you as a young child; a song you learned when you were in school).
Step 1: Compose/Tell your story
Decide what stories you want to tell and what items you want to include in
your literacy narrative. You can tell these stories in many forms: words,
images, videos, audio clips, photographs.
You can include as many of these items as you’d like in your literacy
narrative. They will all appear under your name.
Some of the following prompts may remind you of stories you want to tell:
Early experiences at home
* Tell a story about how you first learned to read when you were a
child.
* Tell a story about how you first learned to write when you were a
child.
* Tell about the kinds of reading and writing that were done around your
hose when you were little or when you were growing up. Were there books in
your house? Comics? Music?
* Tell a story about what your parents/grandparents read (example:
newspapers, books, religious materials, computer games, etc.).
* Tell a story about what your parents/grandparents wrote (example:
newspapers, books, religious materials, computer games, etc.).
* What kinds of stories did your parents/grandparents tell you about how
they learned to read and write?
* Tell a story about how you first learned to use a computer. Who
helped? Where was it? What did you use it for? (examples: chatrooms, email,
gaming)
Experiences during your school years
* Tell a story about reading in elementary/secondary school.
* Tell a story about writing in elementary/secondary school.
* Tell a story about using a computer for reading or writing of any kind
(examples: chatrooms, email, gaming, writing papers, creating music)
* Tell a story about using other kinds of technology for reading and
writing and communicating when you were in school (examples: cell phones,
hearing aids, computers, PDAs). Why dis you use each device? How often? In
what circumstances?
Later experiences:
* Tell a story about reading as an adult. What kinds of things do you
read for work? For fun? For education? With friends or family?
* Tell a story about writing as an adult. What kinds of things do you
read for work? For fun? For education? With friends or family?
* Tell a story about using a computer for reading or writing of any kind
(examples: chatrooms, email, gaming, writing papers, creating music).
* Tell a story about the kinds of technology you unow se for reading and
writing and communicating as an adult (examples: cell phones, hearing aids,
computers, PDAs). Why do you use each device? How often? In what
circumstances?
Additional Materials
We also encourage you to add as many other items as you’d like to your
literacy narrative. Each item you submit should help illustrate or explain
your literacy narrative:
* scanned photographs of you as a child or your family, or snapshots you
have taken;
* scanned images of old report cards, maps you made, drawings you have
created;
* recorded music you have composed or sounds you have recorded
* digitized clips from home movies that show your literacy practices;
* short stories, letters, or other materials you have written.
* essays, 'zines', newsletters, e-mail messages you have written or
contributed to;
I’d help students focus on the details of this assignment through a series of mini-lessons, then I’d group them up and turn them loose, using the once/week model to keep track of their progress. Stay tuned for further developments.
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