Reading Becoming Writing Rather than Writing about Reading - An Example from the Classroom

By Kyle Bjorem

necessary. The standard research paper or argumentative essay is simply not broad enough. The second sense in which I understand process is on the micro-level. Here the focus goes to the experience of the subjective individual the singular student and how they learn. It is an abject waste of time to present our students with a reading/writing duality, in which the two are basically turned into abstract entities. Reading and texts will then become for students a garbage heap of facts and other peoples thoughts a standing reserve thats purpose is to be dug through for bits and pieces to be shoved into a writing assignment. The writing assignment itself thus becomes simply an exercise in organizing these facts not actually writing at all, but some sort of Tetris inspired punishment that students rightfully complain about as being pointless.

One of the greatest difficulties that teachers of English often face is how to seamlessly transition from the reading of a text to the writing about that text. Too often I have witnessed (and participated in as a student) a unit in which the class spends a large chunk of time working our way through The Grapes of Wrath or The Hunger Games only to have a rather arbitrary writing assignment tacked on at the end . Usually, this is that threadbare vestige of a past pedagogical age the five paragraph argumentative essay.

What is the alternative? you may ask. One must read a text and then write about that text, youre over-thinking the whole ordeal, surely. Use some common sense! The first thing I would say is that my goal is to have my students be able to transcend the bounds of common sense and see things a little bit We are now in an era in which the more critically than that, but more to the point is that interdependence of the vast network of global reading is a part of the writing process. One does not processes is becoming more and more apparent. The read a text and then write about that text. When one skills that were once necessary for the autonomous reads a text it is not a matter of picking up person to navigate the complexities of civilization information from an outside source and then placing have changed drastically. it within the mind it is an active No longer should the process of co-creating meaning. The locus of education, and We are now in an era in which the text and the subject are ultimately a specifically reading and synthesis, not a duality. The text is interdependence of the vast writing instruction, be nothing but ink and paper until this network of global processes is about picking out synthesis occurs with a subjective isolated facts and consciousness. It is then refined via becoming more and more stringing them together contemplation, brainstorming apparent. The skills that were once towards some end activities, drafting, and finally piece of product that now solidly writing that can be read by another necessary for the autonomous exists as an (thus continuing the perpetual process). person to navigate the complexities unchangeable, objective entity. I have utilized this of civilization have changed understanding of reading and writing drastically. Rather, what is with several projects and activities in becoming more and my own classroom and one recent more important is process and process as example was working with the short story Good Old understood in two ways. The first sense that I mean is Neon by David Foster Wallace. If you are familiar what could be called the macro-level. The way we with the story or at least the author you may know understand society has evolved the zeitgeist ebbs that it is not an easy text. Most adolescents, if thrown and the zeitgeist flows, it does not operate via a into this sea flippantly, are going to be swimming formal progression of logical steps. The successful over their heads which is why I devote an entire individual in the 21st century is going to be one who week to the reading of the story out loud in class, is able to comprehend and be aware of and open to scaffolding them the entire way through. slight shifts coming from every direction. The ability to receive and be critical of multitudes of media, styles, rhetorical forms, and so on, is absolutely

Diagramming the story visually is incredibly helpful, delving deeply into point of view and voice as well as keeping awareness up are necessities, giving the students adequate background knowledge on meta-fictional devices and connecting the experiences of the protagonist to experiences that the students live daily is a must.

The writing process has already begun theoretically and concretely. During this time I have students write responses to prompts, brainstorm The students, in addition to crafting their scenarios they have experienced or they have own first person narrative, work within groups of five. witnessed or seen in the media that mirror the story, The other four students characters must all either and begin to craft their character show up or be mentioned in with input and collaboration with the narrative. So, in the end When one reads a text it is not a each student in a group will the other students. matter of picking up information have a narrative in which Wait, what do you mean each other person in the from an outside source and then character? Let me explain. As I groups character also plays placing it within the mind it is an have stated, the seamless flow some part, the subject in one from reading into writing is a large story becomes an object in active process of co-creating part of what makes activities like another. Its less complex meaning. The text and the subject this successful. Therefore, that it may seem, and the whenever I can, I try to have the are ultimately a synthesis, not a students generally have a lot students mirror the techniques, of fun with this. duality. style, devices, and themes they have just immersed themselves in Finally, when all with their writing assignment. That may even make the groups have completed their narratives, they are more common sense than having students write the collected and published either on-line or using selfsame type of thing no matter what kind of text they publishing site lulu.com to print actual copies (about read especially if you cover a broad array of five to eight dollars) to be put in the school library, classroom, or to keep personally. Each groups different types of writing in your class (which I do). interconnected cluster of narratives are marked as So, what the project basically entails is that different chapters. the student will write a first person narrative using the story not only as a groundswell for investigating This seems like a lot of work. Well, I suggest themes and arguments (the traditional use), but also you look into the wonderful world of insurance sales. for the act of writing itself. The students narrative In order to prepare our students for a global (mostly interior monologue) can be autobiographical community that is more competitive and complex to if the student so pleases. The student can also the nth degree than it was just a generation ago, and imagine a fictional person and attempt to inhabit their in order to reach students that addresses the way that consciousness. One rule is that all of the characters cognition actually works rather than forcing them live in the same city we, as class, decide on certain through worksheets, rote memorization, and essays landmarks and traits of the city (which we also name) completely disconnected from reality, these types of multifaceted, processional projects are a necessity. that everyone can use in their story. All the while trying as much as we can to smooth out The main theme that we work with the seams between areas of study and necessary skills, concerning Good Old Neon is the difference attempting to form an organic unity that allows for a between ones interior life and ones objective image more malleable and adaptable student who is able to that they project to the world (or that the world inhabit as many perspectives as possible. invents about them). Adolescents, since they are generally quite self-conscious and are just entering About the Author into having a public persona are particularly adept Kyle Bjorem, a teacher, has a background in English, at analyzing this sort of theme. Are you who you Philosophy, Communication, and publishing. His think you are or are you who other people see you as? other passions include nature and baseball. How can they be drastically different? Which one is

the real you? What kinds of problems can pop up when there is a dissonance between these two yous? This theme is looked at in class before even beginning to read the story by looking at the phenomenon of online personal profiles such as Facebook and the dichotomy that exists between that objective presentation of yourself and your subjective self as experienced every waking moment of your life.