While reading chapter 10, Promoting Motivation, in Best Practices in Writing Instruction, a quote on page 206 stayed with me: “…a student’s involvement in a task is not only a consequence of positive beliefs, but also of the attractiveness of the writing task.” I liked how the word ‘attractive’ was used in defining writing. Any assignment, especially writing, should appeal to the student. They want to feel like they are writing for a purpose and a meaning. Students should feel involved and interested in authentic material; otherwise they will not see a point to writing other than just for the sake of getting another grade. Also stated in this chapter, authentic literacy tasks are for enjoyment and communication for the students.
In my teaching a foreign language, I always try to incorporate authentic material into my lessons. For example, I had my middle school students act out a café scene during the food and drink unit. They were in groups of three, a waiter and then two guests. They had fun with this project because I told them when they actually get to travel to France, they can use the learned vocabulary to communicate in this real-life situation. I also have my students read real menus, brochures, signs, and magazines from France so they are involved with more than just a textbook. Any time teachers can get students, in all subjects, to see the point of the assignment is very important. If they don’t understand the reason for completing it, their motivation and will to do well will decrease greatly.
I also read chapter 12, Teaching Writing to Adolescents, because I am certified 5-12, as of now. One of the recommendations that I thought was very important was that of “Peer Assistance.” I believe students benefit from collaborating with others, in all different types of assignments. The quality of work students produce is often higher as opposed to when they work individually. I think working with peers is especially important in the writing process. Sometimes students have trouble coming up with ideas to brainstorm and if they talk to their peers, they can help spark a few thoughts. When students complete their rough drafts, revising and editing is important—not only on their own, but for others to look at because a lot of the time, it is easier to catch other’s mistakes. Lastly, students work really hard on their assignments but no one ever gets to see them, except the teacher. If students present or even share their work, they feel like other people get the chance to acknowledge what they have accomplished.
Lastly, I chose to read the article, I Hear America Writing: NCTE’s National Day on Writing.” I enjoyed this article because it invited students to share any type of writing that they have accomplished. For example, interviews, sports-related pieces, poems, blogs, journals, essays, letters, tweets, videos, and comic strips. There are so many different forms of writing and students have to see that writing can be fun and they should be creative during the process. The diversity of genres and emotions put into writing is very interesting and students should have a chance to share it with others.
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