I’m recording an occasional Curiosity Journal. Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.
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Some of you have mentioned that you may begin posting a Curiosity Journal, as well. Be sure to let me know if you do.Reading: Sophie’s World has been set aside during this spring season filled with school programs, paper-grading, projects, open houses, graduations, showers, soccer matches, and mulch.
In the mornings, I manage to read the selection from the One-Year Bible (the translation I’m using this year is ESV), My Utmost for His Highest, and often a small chapter in The Imitation of Christ. From MUFHH today:
Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God…The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and “the lilies of the field”— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us. (May 18, My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers)
Playing: While grading papers and organizing my desk today, I’m playing music: Pandora Radio’s Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart channel.Learning: Tuesday evening, I sat in on my daughters’ debate club, a low-key weekly meeting led by an accomplished high school debate student who speaks a mile a minute. The training is in policy debate and its format is explained well at this blog post. The young man’s debate experience has been through an organization that sets the topic for the year. This school year’s debate policy resolution: “Resolved: That the United States Federal Government should significantly reform its policy toward Russia.”Given that I know nothing about debate procedure and very little about U.S. policies toward Russia, I was lost. But I was proud of my daughters for attending week after week. They learned the basics of debate and a little bit about Russia. I’m sure it helped that the instructor’s mother brought pizza each week. I mean, wouldn’t you be willing to research the New START Treaty if you were promised free pizza?Reacting: I’m relieved I don’t have to practice debate. And that’s all I have to say about that.
Writing: When I’m not slinging mulch, I’m planning a high school composition class for the 2011-12 school year that will focus on essay and research writing. We only meet once a week, so the students need instructive materials to refer to as they work on assignments at home—and I need an organized teacher’s manual. I’m researching, reading, writing, and piecing it all together.I’m curious to hear what valuable writing skills you learned (or wish you’d learned) to prepare you both for high school and college writing assignments? Care to offer some advice and inspiration as I prep?There you have it: A Curiosity Journal that reveals what I’m reading, playing, learning, reacting to and writing.
Can I take your class? Honestly, I don’t ever remember being taught how to write. I remember writing assignments–English compositions, creative writing projects, and research papers–but I don’t remember anyone ever walking me through the steps of “this is how you do it.” It probably shows in my writing–I just sort of make things up as I go. And I hardly ever know where the commas go!
Same here, Nancy. I suppose my English teacher would have provided some input and instruction–she was a fine teacher–but I don’t remember any step-by-step instruction or practice. I do remember being taught grammar, however, which was helpful. In college, I limped along and did my best, but I’m sure my papers were disorganized, illogical and surface level much of the time.
And people still debate comma placement. Many would argue that a serial comma is needed after the word “illogical” in the sequence of predicate adjectives found in the last sentence of the previous paragraph.
It’s a tough world out there; believe me, you are not alone in your comma confusion.
Ann,
Nice to get a peak into our life.
We use the ESV currently as well. Wonderful translation.
I love your curiosity journal idea. May I use it on my blog if I so choose? Please feel free to say no. Of course, I will give you credit.
My husband is an English Prof. You are an excellent writer, but he teaches plenty of composition (for better or for worse). If you really want some thoughts, let me know.
I need to learn about bed right now. Good night.
I took the idea from Monica of Paper Bridges, who hasn’t kept up with her Curiosity Journals, so I can’t take credit for them (though I thought about asking Monica if I could host a linky by that name).
I think it would be fun if people started keeping Curiosity Journals. I might ask my daughter to create a bloggy button. She loves doing that kind of thing.
And yes, I would love to consult with your English prof husband! How to prepare students in high school so that they can mature into college-ready writers? Many of these students have had very little formal training…this class may be their first. I spoke with my sister-in-law, who teaches philosophy, and she said some skills that would help the students are to learn summarizing to apply to their essays and research papers, along with direct quotes, indirect quotes and paraphrases.
What would your husband recommend?
Ann,
I don’t have advice, but I will share a recollection and trust that you can draw from it any appropriate ideas:
When I was in high school, the standard teacher’s expectation for an essay project was to first turn in an outline, then a rough draft, then a final draft.
My brain doesn’t go that way. To turn in a rough draft, I had to write the entire paper, then go back and create an outline from what I’d written.
Later, in college, when I took a course called “The Writing Process,” I learned that I wrote whole papers in my head before I ever put a pen to paper. Now, I must admit this made writing big stuff, like a dissertation, challenging!
So I guess my suggestion/advice is to be tuned in that your students may have very different approaches. But I bet you knew that.
Your story reminds me of how I took creative writing classes in college that taught us to use freewriting as a regular method for getting going, priming the pump and all that.
Then several few years ago someone had been to a writing retreat/workshop led by Madeleine L’Engle, and she instructed the retreat attendees to think. Think as long as they like, and then, when they have thought all that they need to, and only then, to begin writing. And when they begin the writing after all that thinking, they were told not to stop–keep writing.
It seems to me Madeleine’s workshop would have been perfect for writers like you, Sheila! Think it out, plan it out, write it all out in your head, and THEN write.
Thanks so much for the story, the reminder, to respect different processes in different people.
Ann, I did a Curiosity Journal on my most recent post on my blog for moms, combined with my Friday Favorites web links series.
http://comewearymoms.blogspot.com/2011/05/friday-favorites-6-and-curiosity.html
I did lump a couple of the categories together. And I even linked to your blog on it!
I am preparing to teach a middle school English class in a home school co-op starting in the fall. Writing assignments are always a challenge, and I think especially so this coming year since most of my students are on the young end of the spectrum, and because we took a year off from co-op and did very little
*formal* writing at home. Their two main projects are a creative story in the fall and a biographical research report in the spring (see here for questions: http://continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/christian-biography-report-questions.html), but they will also have small assignments like responding to fine art, writing letters, etc.
Virginia Knowles
I really enjoyed your curiosity journal, Virginia, and thanks for these writing thoughts. For younger writers and remediation for any inexperienced writer, I like starting out with principles from the Institutes for Excellence in Writing, by Andrew Pudewa. As a homeschooler, you’ve likely heard of him. I think his checklists for sentence openers and dress-ups help people who have no idea how to vary their sentences to improve fluency. I hope your class goes well!
As to commas, the only question in the real world is, “What stylebook does your publisher use?” If it’s AP, it’s one way; if it’s Chicago, it’s another.
And as a homeschooler, you have so much flexibility. I get annoyed that my son’s high school teachers have no idea how to use the internet for research. Some of them still think it’s all Wikipedia. You can really help your students learn how to use the internet to enhance their research.
Good reminder, Megan, to find out what a publisher or editor needs. Same with a college prof, I suppose…find out how he or she will base the style preference.
And I agree with you about Internet research! This past school year–the year we’re finishing up–I took my class to a local library where a librarian in the youth department did a fantastic explanation about quality research. She explained how to get into the database for scholarly reports and articles. She told them what to watch out for and what are more reliable, less biased sources. I was impressed. I’m taking next year’s class to hear her presentation early in the school year this fall. And I’m going to make them take notes and quiz them on the information…it’s that valuable.
I AM that high school English teacher, Ann! Lots of emphasis in my class on writing, research, composition. Our kids write a research paper all four years of high school, so they go off to college well-prepared for writing. Planning this class sounds like fun to me! (Yes, I am that high school English teacher…)
Laura, just you wait. I’m about to pester you…I mean, pick your brain. 🙂