Re: what's a paragraph; was: Active versus passive (WAS Displays vers us Appears-Which One?)

[Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>]

Michael West wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "RUBOTTOM, AL" <ARUBOTTOM -at- SENSORMATIC -dot- COM>
> 
> who claims to have been a teacher of writing and
> composition, writes:
> 
> > the use of "Free writes" is much more productive in getting students
> > comfortable with and competent at the toolkit of wordsmithing than
> > emphasizing strict topic-sentence/paragraphing/outlining as the only way to
> > make sense in words.
> 
> My own view, I'm sorry to say, is that this is the sort
> of woolly thinking and haphazard writing that has
> cheated many youngsters out of a decent education.
> 

I don't know exactly what the original poster had in mind. However,
I found that "free writes" do have one useful purpose: they make
writing a familiar activity. For many students, writing is such an
alien activity that they have serious mental blocks and fears.
Before they can learn how to write correctly or how to structure an
essay, they need to become comfortable with the act and the idea of
writing. This situation is, in itself, a sign of the low state of
literacy. However, it does need to be dealt with as a pre-requisite
to more serious study. It's only a problem if the lessons stop
there.

If I remember correctly, the idea of "free writes" was based on
studies of professional writers. The problem is that not all
professional writers have a clear idea of how they achieved
competence. In addition, many like to romanticize the process and
talk as if they are inspired amateurs. 

In addition, professional writers are, by definition, an unusual
class. Even if a large percentage of them do learn their craft via
"free writes," their aptitude and interest sets them apart from the
average student.

Finally, while the idea that you learn to write by writing is
logical, like any tautology, it doesn't take you very far. Yes,
professional writers learn by writing. But they also learn by
analyzing other writers, imitating what they admire, and talking and
thinking about the process, too. In the average classroom, there
simply aren't the resources to give all this background to each
student. 

For example, at local community colleges five years ago, the average
teacher had four or five classes of 30 to 35 students, or from 120
to 175 students each semester. Each student usually had to do five
marked writing assignments in a composition class, for a total of
580 to 875 assignments. If the unfortunate teacher had a load of
nothing but composition classes (which wasn't uncommon, especially
if you were new), just getting the assignments back on time took
most of the effort. There simply wasn't enough time, inside classes
or out of them, to provide the environment to undue the general
neglect of the previous twelve years of education.

Come to think of it, that's another reason why I no longer teach.
Sisyphus and Tantalus, I concluded, had nothing on modern teachers.

-- 
Bruce Byfield, Outlaw Communications
Contributing Editor, Maximum Linux
604.421.7189 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"When Laertes heard his Dad has been stabbed in the arras,
He came racing back to Elsinore tout suite, hotfoot from Paris,
And Ophelia, with her Dad killed by the man she wished to marry,
After saying it with flowers, committed hari-kari."
- Adam McNaughton, "Our Hamlet" ("The Three Minute Hamlet")

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver! (STC Discount.)
**NEW DATE/LOCATION!** January 16-17, 2001, New York, NY.
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Take XML and Tech Writing courses online!  Our instructor-led courses
(4-6 hrs/wk) give you "hands on" experience at your convenience. STC members
get 20% off!  http://www.online-learning.com/index.html.
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot-  Visit 
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.