tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.comments2009-04-19T09:18:01.754-07:00deborahcrosleyhollandDebbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01876070220530278294noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-66798719750142864852009-04-19T09:18:00.000-07:002009-04-19T09:18:00.000-07:00That is interesting. I was going to start with som...That <I>is</I> interesting. I was going to start with some kind of discussion about English and the state of the language or something, talk about hos protective the French are of their official language and how our own has evolved and has plenty of room for words like "texted" despite some people's objections. As far as irregular word use in essays goes, as long as the word is used correctly and with purpose, I'm all for it. Rhetorical flexibility and all that...Nellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02006026922416983261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-23299149930773511612009-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:002009-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:00Thanks Nell, I appreciate the link and will visit ...Thanks Nell, I appreciate the link and will visit it, as I'm curious to read what he says.Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01876070220530278294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-86952065934017399902009-04-14T14:32:00.000-07:002009-04-14T14:32:00.000-07:00I will definitely check out that book, but the rea...I will definitely check out that book, but the real reason I'm commenting is to give you the link to that article about Elements of Style that I mentioned. It was interesting. I've loved Strunk and White's book for many years now, but I thought the article did make some good points. <br /><br />http://www.aldaily.com/<br /><br />The link goes to Arts & Letters Daily (a lovely site), and the article is in the right hand column.Nellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02006026922416983261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-69243977006941035732009-04-06T18:35:00.000-07:002009-04-06T18:35:00.000-07:00You are right, Nell--a wide range of abilities is ...You are right, Nell--a wide range of abilities is tricky. The more advanced folk deserve to be challenged and need to work with others of their ilk--so I'd pair similarly talented writing partners, but also think they should mix it up and share their understanding of writing with class members with different abilities, so would use larger groups for some of the projects. Individually chosen projects may work best with a class of high/low learners; requirements and expectations could be individually adjusted. I know this sounds like more work--it is! Success may also hinge on the mix of students--an excellent classroom community requires less regulation, even with mixed abilities, because the students will "take care" of each other--make sure that everyone feels a part of the group and understands what is required. I know several ways to promote a cohesive group--I have guidelines for small groups, which may need to be followed by a demonstration of small group participation. I also recommend bringing food to the class. Townsend Hall has a seemingly perpetual smorgasboard--students sign up to bring snacks to class, and we also bring food whenever we meet. (If you are ever in Tate Hall and feel peckish, come next door; we have chocolate, caffeine, and probably cake in the icebox. It is a big shock to take classes elsewhere on campus and discover that no snacks are being served! <BR/><BR/>I tend to hover more over my "sinker" group, but check on all the groups when they work to make sure they are headed in the right direction. The struggling students may need individual intervention/suggestions, and if the whole class is struggling, we'll need to slow down a bit. I may need to extend office hours, as well as make sure students are aware that help is available. As long as they are trying their best to swim, I will not let them drown.Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01876070220530278294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-31344218702435692442009-04-06T09:06:00.000-07:002009-04-06T09:06:00.000-07:00Wow, Debbie! This reads almost like a manifesto, I...Wow, Debbie! This reads almost like a manifesto, I love it. You touch on so many important things here that I almost don't know where to begin. I'll try to keep this brief.<BR/><BR/>How do you manage adjusting your approach to student ability if you have a wide range in one classroom? As a student who has excelled in traditional classrooms, I can clearly remember being bored to the point of apathy in classes that proceeded at a rate that I found unstimulating, and of course the opposite is equally problematic - if you go too fast and some students can't keep up, what then? I'm not asking you for answers here, just wondering if you, and/or others, have thoughts or strategies for dealing with a range of student abilities in (and outside of) the classroom.Nellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02006026922416983261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-67178443494873161232009-03-05T08:25:00.000-08:002009-03-05T08:25:00.000-08:00I wonder if renaming meditation would help? Breat...I wonder if renaming meditation would help? Breathing practice?<BR/>Deep thinking? Deep relaxation? <BR/>Stress relief? Meditation really is beneficial--mentally and physically--and my intention was for teachers to have less, not more stress at the end of class. I think you are right about the need for multiple sessions. I was just disconcerted--last year's much larger group got into the spirit of meditation and then wrote, drew, painted and glued until past time to go.Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01876070220530278294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-71746886534721009272009-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:002009-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00You might be on to something about small towns. I...You might be on to something about small towns. I grew up in a town of about 2000 people in Nebraska, and I suspect the vast majority of people in that community would be skeptical at best of meditation/mindfulness exercises. I've had some similar discomfort with these exercises, but have been working through it. This is a real cultural problem that should be taken into account when planning to work with rural people. Anything that seems "new age"-ish or hippie-like or from outside the Christian-American mainstream will be met with a certain amount of distrust in communities like this. I'm not sure how you can overcome this in a short session. If you had repeated sessions, I would expect eventual progress with some participants--but some people just won't open up and try new things.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14929509747377952532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-65904145478233807412009-02-23T08:39:00.000-08:002009-02-23T08:39:00.000-08:00Hi, Debbie, your reflection over your own writing ...Hi, Debbie, your reflection over your own writing process just rang a bell in me, especially the point your mentioned that we need to do a lot of other things to support our writing. <BR/>I also had this experience that when I got stuck in my writing, I would rather to resort to other housework, like cooking and doing laundry, but inevitably, I just found that I was still writing in my head although my hands were folding clothes or bringing the tray out of the oven. <BR/>I think that was because our thinking process was still dwelling on the writing that we were so worried about and so focused on.Yang Guohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04770677564716826628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390898268402236462.post-53851017278073283462009-02-16T16:41:00.000-08:002009-02-16T16:41:00.000-08:00It's hard to find the perfect writing space. I jus...It's hard to find the perfect writing space. I just wrote a post about something similar, but different. I don't have any pets, but my daughters pull me up out of my writing when I work at home, this is one of the reasons why I am looking for office space. I need, to quote Virginia Woolf, a room of my own.Nellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02006026922416983261noreply@blogger.com