A mentally disabled but diligent female high school student attends a tutoring session at the learning center to work on a classroom writing assignment. Despite encouragement and prompts from the tutor, the student is unable to write. She states that she hates writing and declares that she will take a zero for the grade rather than complete the assignment.
Literature Review
Such frustrating scenarios are not uncommon in the learning center. Developing and practicing effective personal writing skills is crucial for recording individual expression and communication, logging personal experiences and preserving a culture’s civilization (Powell, Harms and Barry, 2006). Successful Americans in all walks of life depend on producing clear oral and written communication. A survey of one hundred and twenty major American corporations (Powell, Harms and Barry, 2006) finds that approximately eight million employees must demonstrate strong writing skills for employee retention and promotion. Two-thirds of salaried employees in large American companies have some writing responsibility; effective communications via e-mail and PowerPoint are often job requirements (Needles & Knapp, 2004).
Although adequate writing skills are indispensable for life, leisure, and employment, quite a few students do not learn how to write effectively. Since writing is an exercise in thinking, it is important to balance the process of writing with the mechanics of writing. The areas of the brain involved in the writing task are varied yet interrelated; therefore, a student’s individual needs will determine the method of instruction they receive. Many students who have low expectations for their own academic success will not make even minimal efforts to complete a...
... middle of paper ...
...survey, field notes of observations, documents and interviews. Using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding will allow for the interpretation of the results. Threats to the quality of the study were monitored by the using three strategies: (1) triangulation, (2) member checking and (3) peer debriefing.
References
Bartleby, S. (2003). Dysgraphia students face challenges.
Hudson, K., Jones, P., and Salvatore, R. (2005). Mechanics and the dysgraphic child. Writing Strategies, 15(4), 364–396.
Needles C., & Knapp, K. (2004). Communication Strategies in a Technical Age. Boston. Little, Brown.
Powell, Cheryl, Harms, Susan, & Barry, Thomas. (2006). The process of writing. New York: St. Andrews.
Quinlan, Q., Harrison, B., Darin, V., & Charles, T. (2004). Time on task: A challenge of writing. Journal of Reading and Writing, vol. 18, no. 2, 135–150.
According to Runciman, there are many plausible reasons that students and other people don’t enjoy writing. Evidence, assumptions, and language and tone are the basis for which Runciman makes his argument. Overall, this argument is effective because reliable and well known sources are used in a logical fashion. Also, the assumptions made about the audience are accurate and believable. Runciman used his assumptions wisely when writing his claim and in turn created a compelling, attention capturing argument. The article was written so that students and teachers at any level could understand and easily read it. This argument is interesting, captivating, relevant through its age, and can relate to students and teachers at almost every academic level.
Sam Dillion wrote “What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence” for an audience of college students, employees and corporate people. In his article, Sam points out that companies are spending a lot of money annually on remedial training. According to Sam, the writing problem appears in e-mails, reports and texts. He is informing his audience to brush up on writing skills before entering the corporate world, in order to avoid remedial training. Companies like to hire employees with excellent writing skills but many of employees and applicants fall short of that standard.
As the first semester of my sophomore year wraps up, I begin to realize that I have learned a lot in all of my classes. The class that I learned the most from has definitely been my English 111 course. This class have given me so many opportunities to improve my writing skills. With all of the success I’ve had in this class, I believe I will do just fine with writing later in my life.
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
...eading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2008. 709. Print
Learning to read and write are both considered to be fundamental human skills, that we begin to learn from the day we start school. As time advances, as do our minds, and we are expected to evolve in our reading and writing skills. Finishing high school is a large milestone for the lives of young adults; however, there is so much to learn in order to reach the next big milestone. To be a writer in college can challenge our preconceived thoughts on how we write. Although some skills remain unchanged, high school graduates are faced with overcoming new ways of doing a skill that seems so simple that it is practically innate. The definition of writing skills for college students is much different than high school. However, considering we have come so far it is time to go over the information we already know and challenge ourselves with ideas that we are yet to learn more about.
For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed writing. Writing is an opportunity for me to express my thoughts and feelings while helping me grow to understand who I am as an individual, a student and furthermore, a future teacher. Yet, if someone were to ask me how I do it, I am afraid I could not give him or her a clear and precise answer. Trying to find that answer almost seems harder for me than the actual writing process itself. However, after having done my student teaching last semester, I have learned that modeling my own writing for the students not only helps them to see more clearly how I write, but helps me understand how I write as well.
Hybels, Saundra, and Richard L. Weaver. Communicating effectively. 4. ed. New York [u.a.: McGraw-Hill, 1995. Print.
Writing can be a very difficult process for those who do not know how to go about constructing
and writing. Ed. X. J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 32-37
Writing is an important part of everyone’s life, whether we use it in school, in the workplace, as a hobby or in personal communication. It is important to have this skill because it helps us as writers to express feelings and thoughts to other people in a reasonably permanent form. Formal writing forms like essays, research papers, and articles stimulates critically thinking. This helps the writer to learn how to interpret the world around him/her in a meaningful way. In college, professors motivate students to write in a formal, coherent manner, without losing their own voice in the process. Improving your writing skills is important, in every English class that’s the main teaching point; to help students improve their writing skills. Throughout my college experience I have acknowledge that
Kessler, L. and MnDonald, D. (1989). Mastering Writing with Substance and Style. USA: Wadsworth, Inc.
Writing and Learning Disabilities International: Overcoming Learning Difficulties 6.3 (2006): 347-67. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.
As a result, students may write too quickly without revising or considering their words [21][23]. This can lead to errors and less thoughtful writing [24].
Teaching Writing is an ongoing process, which Time for Learning facilitates in a number of ways. When writing is taught in schools, writing instruction often takes a backseat to phonics, handwriting skills, and reading