Statements to Consider....

Statements to Consider…

Made by: Mary Ryan

“Writing is a social performance: young people write to communicate, to get things done, to negotiate relationships with others, to portray themselves in particular ways, and to influence thinking about social issues.”  (Ryan, 2014, p. 130)

            We write for all kinds of purposes, and those purposes can have various influences on our lives.

“Writing is a complex and learned activity in that it requires us to shape our thoughts into words and texts that are appropriate for the purpose, audience, and medium of communication.” (Ryan, 2014, p. 130)

            Writing is a form of expression.  The way in which our writing is expressed can be shaped for different purposes and audiences.

“Students whose writing decisions are heavily mediated by the contextual structures expected by the education system, the school and the teacher, can often regurgitate genres and produce formulaic paragraphs and texts.” (Ryan, 2014, p. 130)

            When students are restricted to certain writing structures, their writing will often seem unoriginal and repetitive.

“Building a relationship with the reader is part of the identity work that the writer does.” (p. 132, Ryan)

            Writers should keep the targeted audience in mind when writing, as their writing can be a bridge that connects them to their readers.

                                                                       
                            

“When students follow recipes for writing they are less likely to engage in a creative process of reflexivity and testing of new ideas.” (Ryan, 2014, p. 133)

            Students need to be allowed to discover themselves as writers.  They shouldn’t be confined to a set of rigid structures and writing rules that will hinder their creativity and voice.

“…students need a reason, other than standardized testing, to invest in writing.” (Ryan, 2014, p. 145)

            Teachers need to help develop the students’ passion and engagement for writing.  Students need to develop an understanding that writing isn’t just for passing a test, but that writing can have many purposes.

Made by: Grant Wiggins

“The point of writing is to have something to say and to make a difference in saying it.” (Wiggins, 2009, p. 29)

            Writing can have a major impact on the lives of others.  It can be used as a tool that can bring about change in the world.

“Rarely, however, is impact the focus in writing instruction in English class.  Rather, typical rubrics stress organization and mechanics; typical prompts are academic exercises of no genuine consequence; instruction typically makes the “process” formulaic rather than purposeful.” (Wiggins, 2009, p. 29)

            Unfortunately, writing instruction is mostly focused on organization and mechanics.  The students usually are given a writing prompt that has little purpose besides receiving a grade.

“Real writers are trying to make a difference, find their true audience, and cause some result in that readership.” (Wiggins, 2009, p. 30)

              Writers write to have an impact on the lives of those who read their writing.


 

“In real-world writing “audience” and “purpose” are not mere buzzwords; they are task-defining: the consequences of your writing matters for a specific audience in a specific situation.” (Wiggins, 2009, p. 31)

            If your writing is authentic, it will also have consequences of some sort for you and your intended audience.  Real, authentic writing can impact the lives of others and the situations that it is written for.

“There is no such thing as a vast monolithic audience.” (Wiggins, 2009, p. 33)

            In any given audience, you will find variants that can determine how your writing will be perceived.  Not everyone that is exposed to your writing will read it the same way.

“The best writing- regardless of content- is always ‘fresh and fearless.’ But such writing is only possible when we teach from the start that the Purpose is to touch real Audiences and create some alteration of the world- whether we are writing jokes or the great American novel.” (Wiggins, 2009, p. 35)

            No matter what you are writing, it’s important that your writing have a genuine purpose and that you are writing for a genuine audience.

Ryan, M. (2014). Writers as performers: Developing reflexive and creative writing identities. English Teaching: Practices and Critique, 13 (3), 130-148.

Wiggins, G. (2009). Real-World writing: Making purpose and audience matter.  English Journal, 98 (5), 29-37.