Part II - September Blues Continued............

WRITING to LEARN: STRATEGIES for ASSIGNING and RESPONDING to WRITING ACROSS the DISCIPLINES

Elbow: "In fact, many teachers require some low stakes writing that they don't even read. Students can appreciate and benefit from the freedom of this private writing." (9)

Sloven: In all of my English classes, the students are required to keep a journal. The journal stays in the classroom and several times a week the students are required to write at least half a page in their journal. Most days I assign the topic for the journal entry but there are occasions when I permit the students to free write and they can pick anything they want to write about. No one sees these journals except myself and, if they write something that is so private that they do not want me to read it,I tell them to fold the paper in half. I respect their privacy and, when I check to see if the assignment was done, I pass over the folded papers (truly, without reading it) and just mark my grade book to note that they did do the assignment. The writing is very informal and I believe it is important for the students to have the freedom of this private writing.

WHAT VIDEO GAMES HAVE TO TEACH US ABOUT LEARNING AND LITERACY

Gee: "If learning is to be active, it must involve experiencing the world in new ways." (31).

Sloven: I am okay with this statement from Gee. In order to learn, you have to be open to different experiences and look at things in a new light. Therefore, I am trying, with difficulty, to read his book with an open mind and try to understand his way of thinking that video games can be used in teaching literacy. However, as a mother of three, who battled for years with her children to stop playing their video games and do their homework and chores, I still view these "games" as "meaningless play ". So, Mr. Gee, I challenge you to convince me that video games are teaching tools truly worthwhile and not just a waste of time. Also, that the games are not a means of torture that parents must endure in finding and buying these games for their children.