English Updates April 2, 2007 Archive

Archive
Writing….. Process….. How resolve a problem with your writing? Writer goes to the movies when having a problem writing a short story or novel to watch how the screenwriter or director builds story and character. EM Abbe. Wrt (Dec. 04), 6.

Writing….. Process….. Does the quality of successive students’ first drafts improve as a result of teacher feedback? [In my experience, the quality of students’ ten-minute writings did improve as a result of my correcting their expression in successive ten-minute writings, which are really first drafts, if not completed essays. Ray.] GB Patthey-Chavez, et al. RTE (Nov. 04), 206-207. (abs.)

Writing….. Process….. How learn from other people’s writing? Mary Higgins Clark summarized the first and last paragraphs of each chapter of duMaurier’s Rebecca to see how she created terror or suspense. EM Abbe. Wrt (Dec. 04), 6.

Writing….. Publishing….. What is the hardest job in having your book published? “When I held the completed manuscript in my hands, little did I know that the hardest jobs—getting the book published and getting it noticed—were still ahead of me.” L Borders [Author of Cloud Cuckoo Land]. Wrt (May 05), 14.

Writing….. Publishing….. How publicize the written work of our students? We need somehow to post our students’ written ideas in markets and everywhere else the public gathers. What our students write should not remain enclosed in the classroom. N Welch. CCC (Feb. 05), 470-492. [Reactions: Interesting idea, but much would depend on how these written words are displayed. People who are in public places are there for a reason and will not be tempted to deviate from their purposes by spending time reading students’ writing.]

Writing….. Publishing….. How prepare book proposals? In submitting book proposals, you need to summarize your competition, other books written on your topic, and state why your book is different. Begin with Amazon.com. M Allen. Wrt (Nov. 04), 15-16.

Writing….. Research….. How organize a research project? Students reflect on their personal experience with the subject; see a multi-modal presentation on the subject; consult children’s books on the subject; YA books on the subject; adult books on the subject; knowledgeable people on the subject; Internet info on the subject; prepare a Q &A on the subject; Produce unanswered questions about the subject. Ray (2004), suggested by Sr. P Randle. EE (Jan. 70), 156.

Writing….. Spelling….. What is “spelling consciousness”? Proposes the concept of “spelling consciousness,” whether students recognize that they have misspelled words. WJ Valmont. “Spelling Consciousness: A Long Neglected Area.” 1219-1221. [File]

Writing….. Spelling….. Do teachers understand how to teach spelling? Even though they use standard spelling basals, most teachers do not understand how to teach spelling. MT Fresch. RTE (Nov. 04), 189. (abs.)

Writing….. Spelling….. How predict spellings that end in “-er” and “-or”? Concrete nouns (water, slipper) tend to end in “-er,” while abstract nouns tend to end in “-or” (humor, flavor), but exceptions are “sugar” and “cellar.” JW Bloodgood & LC Pacifici. RT (Nov. 04), 261.

Writing….. Spelling….. What do we know about having difficulties with spelling? 85% of our words are spelled regularly. The difficulty has risen because the 15% that are spelled irregularly are used 85% of the time. GL Jackson & AM Guber. “The Way Out of the Spelling Labyrinth,” 94.

Writing….. Teaching….. How teach students to deal with controversial issues in writing? Motivate students to write by raising emotional, controversial issues, but show students how to control their emotions when discussing them and writing about them. J Lindquist. CE (Nov. 04), 187-209.

Writing….. Technical….. How help students write for a purpose? Set up writing situations for businesses that students complete. Example: Write “a document on tsunamis in light of current science and recent events so that a museum in Hawaii can hand it out to tourists.” B Devet. TRTYC (May 05), 411.

Writing….. Technical….. How prepare students for technical writing? Students research and choose companies for whom they are going to write technical information: name of company; products and services; divisions; size and location; Web site; why you chose this company. B Devet. TETYC (May 05), 411.

Writing….. Technical….. How help students write to accomplish some purpose? Sample assignments: instructions for elementary school teachers on how to bring their classes to the South Carolina Aquarium for a field trip; instructions for a director at Miramax on how to cast extras for a large scene; instructions for a new employee in a Starbucks located in a Barnes and Noble book store on how to troubleshoot a malfunctioning Utopia coffee brewer; a description for JIB (kayak manufacturer) safety inspector on innovations found in the company’s kayaks; a description for Love-Them-Mousies sales representatives of a young child’s oversized computer mouse; a definition of animation for newly hired tour guides at Disney World; a definition of aspirin which Pfizer representatives can present when they are invited to speak to a class of seven-year-olds.” B Devet. TETYC (May 05), 411-412.

TETYC = Teaching English in the Two-Year College. CE = College English. RTE = Research in the Teaching of English. EE = Elementary English. CCC = College Composition and Communication. Wrt = The Writer.