Evaluation of Writing
Works Cited Missing
"We need to recognize that composition is probably going to remain the stepchild of rather unwilling English departments, that research in teaching and learning to write will continue to scrape by on the edges of several disciplines, and that few of those who will teach writing in American schools and universities will get much training or background as part of their regular education."
-E. White (Teaching and Assessing Writing)
In retrospect, I fail to remember consistent writing practices or writing assignments in English class (or otherwise) as a student in middle or secondary school. Luckily my love for and skill at creative and critical writing was encouraged by my parents and has remained at the heart of what I have chosen to pursue as a career. However, students whose writing is not only discouraged but is not treated fairly and properly in terms of evaluation have few options: to begin to regard writing as frivolous and unimportant; to remain underdeveloped in the areas of mechanics let alone harnessing of creativity and stylistic technique.
Evaluation, as does actual instruction of writing, remains underdeveloped as well. Tension lingers between teachers who either are intimidated by evaluation processes or reject too rigidly structured models and the necessary aspect of not only teaching students how to write but teaching writing as a process which, in the end, requires assessment. Ultimately what has been absent in the past and is lacking still is agreed upon (by teachers, administrators, and test practitioners) theory and practice of sound writing programs and evaluation measures. Two major components, whose relationships fuel the tension that inhibits a consensus, are the contrasts between holistic and analytic approaches to evaluation and hence writing as process or a mix of isolated skills. It is with interest that I research what has historically been found to work and not work with regards to practical and purposeful evaluation procedures that, in and of themselves, should reflect thoroughness but also serve as an integral component of good writing.
The Whole Picture versus Isolated Elements
Surely on opposite ends of the English education spectrum are the camps who advocate subjectivity and overall quality of writing and those who approach writing with analytic reductionism. Holistic proponents value writing in terms of its ultimate expression while reductionists believe that the whole is merely a sum of its parts (White, 18). Holistic assessment contradicts the notions of not only evaluating writing as a series of independent skills but also multiple choice testing as a means of determining writing ability (testing which requires the labeling of sentence components).
The roots of the profession have the perfect fundamentals for me to succeed in the field; the intricacy of the human body, the social diversity of each working day and the practical based environment. Coupled with promoting good ocular health, enabling a patient to continuously leave with self-confidence in their vision would be extremely satisfying.
“Tentacles” by Roland Smith is the second novel in the “Cryptid Hunters” series and was released in 2009. Uncle Wolfe 's latest project is to go to New Zealand to find a giant squid, and the gigantic freighter he has rented for the trip may just be haunted. Someone on the trip is determined to sabotage their trip. Grace and Marty may just be the next victims, if they keep poking their noses into things.
...ical and close together. This dance involved a lot of spinning and pelvic motion, which added to the flirtatious mood; all of these movements were done in sync with the tempo of the music. Furthermore, Rhoden did a wonderful job of conveying trust in the relationships. Rhoden did this by having the danseurs catch the ballerinas in motion while in the air. The female dancers did a lot of leaps and sashays, which also added to the happy mood.
Oedipus the King conveys many lessons that are relevant to people living today despite the fact that it was written by Sophocles twenty four centuries ago. Oedipus is a child destined to kill his father and marry his mother. During his life, he makes many mistakes trying to avoid his fate. These mistakes teach us about the nature of humans under certain circumstances. Oedipus possesses personality traits which causes him to make wrong decisions. Attributes like arrogance and his inability to make calm decisions in certain scenarios due to his anger causes his downfall. Oedipus’ excessive pride, like many people today, was an important factor that brought him grief. Oedipus’ lack of patience caused him to make hasty decisions which lead him to his greatest agony. Oedipus’ massive ego turned into excessive vanity, this was the first step to his downfall. Oedipus talks to Creon about the murderer of Laius. He declares, “Then I’ll go back and drag that shadowed past to light… but by myself and for myself I’ll break this plague” (Sophocles, 11). Oedipus is saying that he will be the on...
In his essay, "Teach Writing as a Process not a Product," Donald Murray outlines the major difference between the traditional pedagogy that directed the teaching of writing in the past and his newly hailed model. Traditionally, Murray explains, English teachers were taught to teach and evaluate students' writing as if it was a finished product of literature when, as he has discovered, students learn better if they're taught that writing is a process. For Murray, once teachers regard writing as a process, a student-centered, or writer-centered, curriculum falls into place. Rules for writing fall by the way side as writers work at their own pace to see what works best for them.
Oedipus tries to uncover the truth about his past, but it is only obscured from his vision by his beliefs, this further demonstrates that he, along with the reader, do not have the ability or knowledge to reveal any infallible answers. An example of this is when Oedipus discovers the fate of King Laius. Oedipus swears to vindicate the cities prior king, saying, “I forbid that man, whoever he be, my land, my land where I hold sovereignty and throne… Upon the murderer I invoke this curse – whether he is one man and all unknown, or one of many – may he wear out his life in misery to miserable doom” (Sophocles 1565). W...
“What is Good Enough Writing, Anyway?” by Lynn Bloom and published in 2006, questions the standards professors hold their students writing to. Bloom asks the questions, “is good enough writing great?” and “is it reasonable to want better than good enough?” At first glance, Bloom’s writing seems to reach out to students, motivating them to reach above average and to become great writers. However, she is reaching out to teachers, imploring them to enhance their teaching styles, and to inspire their students to want more from their writing.
Several people have trouble writing college level essays and believe that they are unable to improve their writing skills. In “the Inspired Writer vs. The Real Writer,” Sarah Allen argues how no one is born naturally good at writing. Sarah Allen also states how even professional writers have trouble with the task of writing. Others, such as Lennie Irvin, agree. In Irvin’s article “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?” states how there are misconceptions about writing. Furthermore, Mike Bunn’s article “How to Read Like a Writer” shows ways on how one can improve their writing skills. Allen, Bunn, and Irvin are correct to say how no one is born naturally good writers. Now that we know this, we should find ways to help improve our writing skills, and
While the difficulties in teaching students not only to be good writers, but also to enjoy writing are easy to complain about, they are not immediately changeable. Consequently, as a teacher of young writers, one must find a way to make the system work. Ross Borden found a way with me, and I feel I have found a way with many of my students, but not all of them. So I continue to read, and I continue to write, and I continue to teach, though I also continue to struggle with the many problems surrounding the field.
I will preface this literacy narrative by a warning: this is not, in any way, an essay about my positive academic experiences with reading and writing. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE reading, but this fondness was not rooted in me because of school. Writing, on the other hand, has been the bane of my scholastic journey since the start of my high school years. This could explain why I waited until my very last quarter at university to take my required writing class.
The purpose of Baker’s essay and its placement in The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers is to encourage young writers to realize that writing truly is a privilege. It is also placed in the book to show college English students that writing does not have to be a grim task and that thinking of it in that manner will only make the student average.
About 80 percent of the Earth is covered in water. With the majority of life on this planet residing in the liquid we like to call the essence of life, we as humans represent a minority on this planet. Much of the underwater world remains a mystery to us, with the giant squid being one of the greatest mysteries of them all. How close are we to actually solving the mystery of this deep water giant?
It has been my experience that young student writers can be very vulnerable to harsh criticism from a teacher or person in authority. And in my own case, that criticism didn’t disappear at the end of the semester but in fact, stayed with me for many years. I still have to push that ghost of criticism out of my head when I sometimes have difficulty with my writing. For the most part, the wounds from the red pen have healed and the scaring has been greatly reduced. Since the process of writing is difficult enough without discouraging words from teachers, it is imperative that harsh criticism be chased out of the writing classroom for the good of all students.
I can remember the first day of school when I walked into Mrs. Mary Doe´s room and I wondered, “What am I going to learn this year?” Well, the answer to that question is a lot of information that will help me in the future, especially, how to make a great essay. This valuable information will take me into high school and beyond. This information is the roots of my writing that has made me greatly improved as a writer. This year I learned what kind of writing I like, how I write efficiently and fluently, and how I changed as a writer.
The ability to write well is not a naturally acquired skill; it is usually learned or culturally transmitted as a set of practices in formal instructional settings or other environments. Writing skills must be practiced and learned through experience. Writing also involves composing, which implies the ability either to tell or retell pieces of information in the form of narratives or description, or to transform information into new texts, as in expository or argumentative writing. Perhaps it is best viewed as a continuum of activities that range from the more mechanical or formal aspects of “writing down” on the one end, to the more complex act of composing on the other end (Omaggio Hadley, 1993). It is undoubtedly the act of