Question, Research, Experiment, and Write

What is the importance of writing a history paper or science paper or even better yet, a math paper?  Isn’t it the job of the English teacher to educate students on writing?  So why do all teachers need to implement writing now?  To put it plain and simple, writing matters.  Students are required to write an essay when applying to a college.  Potential employees are asked to fill out an application in which they describe themselves and their work ethic.  Even getting your license requires some basic knowledge of our written language.  A recent survey done by the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicates that only half of students in grades 4,8, and 12 can write adequate responses to informative, persuasive, and narrative writing tasks.  So why is it that we have identified the problem and yet still are trying to find means to address the problem?  Both Street and Stang write:

Research suggests that teachers‘ histories as writers greatly affect whether they feel confident enough to use writing with their students. Even though many teachers believe in the value of using writing for instructional purposes, they report significant challenges–namely, a lack of professional preparation and time.  – Chris Street, Kristin Stang

Therefore according to this study many teachers feel inadequate to teach writing.  Whether it be from bad writing experiences in the past or a lack of knowledge, writing is scary to them.  In all honesty I can’t agree more.  Even though I enjoy writing and expressing myself, there is nothing more terrifying than being judged on that piece of writing.  Whether I misused a comma, accidentally spelled a word wrong, or even worse being unable to clearly express my own ideas.  I become so wrapped up in failure before I even begin that I don’t even have motivation to start.  However, as a future educator that is something I quickly need to overcome.

Simon & Ken

www.ctd.net

Together, Street and Strang collaborated on an idea to create a graduate level course that solely addresses these problems.  They engulfed the curriculum in building writing confidence in future and current educators.  The class was designed for teachers to come together and collaborate on ideas, share their own writings and to encourage and reassure one another of their competence.  After students took a survey analyzing the class, most reported that it was beneficial.  If teachers and students alike can build their confidence then implementing WAC (writing across the curriculum) will be easy.  Therefore rather than identifying the problem Educator’s can now address the issue of illiteracy in America.

Sponsored Article:

Street, Chris & Kristin Strang.  Improving the Teaching of Writing Across the Curriculum: A Model forTeaching In-Service Secondary Teachers to Write.  SouthernIllinoisUniversity.edu, Oct. 18, 2008.