Potential ideas for IRW

I really like the idea of starting with strategies such as self literacy narratives. It seems like a great way to get students engaged while gauging their abilities. Developmental writers can benefit from sentencing combing, imitation exercises, and Christensen rhetoric. They all seem useful but balance is key. While some approaches are more applicable than others, I don't think there is one particular method that is best. It would be wise to cover a bit of everything; each approach has its strengths and weaknesses that complement each other. Grammar could be covered through interactive  exercises like the examples we tried in class. For essay writing and organization, I would want to cover strategies like PIE format, outlining, and reverse outlining would be great.

My main concern is that I don't really know what kind of reading material to assign. I have to admit that it is a huge roadblock for me. I can't think of anything that would be relevant for an IRW course. All I can think of is American literary figures like Hemingway, Hawthorne, and Poe. How do you know what is a good related reading?

Themes that can hold students' attention would be ideal. I think students would find practical themes the most engaging. In my experience, students will lose focus and motivation if school is the only purpose of the activity/concept. I'm not sure how I can design and implement such themes, but I would like to emphasize practicality and usefulness. A theme like "Transitioning into the Digital Age" seems like it would be something engaging and useful. The teacher could assign related readings while the draw of new technology could keep students interested. The readings and materials in class could give students something to look forward or talk about. Additionally, it is a relevant topic that students can take into the "real world." They will likely find more applications for technology centered themes than the five paragraph essay.

McCormick reading

Here are some thoughts I thought were important. I tried to only include what I thought was a key point. I will most likely revisit the text to see if I missed anything

• Cognitive
• Readers must actively draw on their prior knowledge to be able to process texts
• "The heart of reading is the access of word representations, the central recurring process of reading."
• There is an assumption that comprehension is something that occurs as a result of a reader's purely "mental" capacities, and that it has nothing to do with the reader as a social being
• Schemata affects comprehension: music students reading a passage vs. weight lifting students

• Expressivist
• Privileges the reader and the reader's life experience in the reading process
• Many teachers perceive this as a viable alternative to the cognitive model, but it cannot seriously challenge it since it lacks a theory of the text
• "reading requires children to make sense, explore possible worlds, invent, sort out what is not said."
• Reading is primarily an activity in which readers create their own 'personal' or 'subjective' meanings from the texts they read
• 'close reading' - developed by Leavis and the Scrutineers was a method of reading literary texts that involved detailed analytical interpretation as if the words on the page spoke directly and profoundly to the reader
• There is a difference between 'aesthetic' and 'efferent' reading in which 'the reader's selective attention during the reading is focused mainly on the public referents of the words; the literary text is no less a product of a particular cultural formation than any other kind of text
• The primary danger of treating the literary as a separate kind of reading is that insights about the ways readers construct literary texts will not be seen as potentially relevant to other kinds of texts

• Socio-cultural
• It privileges the cultural context in which reading occurs
• Reading is not seen as a narrow task performed in school to learn, but something done all the time and in all kinds of rich contexts
• The view of the reader or spectator as balanced between autonomy and social determination is one that has gained validity in part due to the difficulties researchers within cultural studies have had predicting the ways audiences would negotiate a text on the basis of their class, gender, or race.
• Re-theorizing discursive positions of audiences could have significant impact on education practices
• It is possible to pursue a pedagogy within which students are treated as recipients of pre-ordained information and ideas, rather than active markers of meaning
• The differences between a student's response story and the original do not indicate 'wrong' readings, but readings from a different cultural perspective.

About our blogs

I want my postings to have something other than a simple summary. If the blog posting is meant to be a response to a reading assignment, I want to add my own thoughts to it. It would be nice if my commentary included some original idea or concept that was mind-boggling or thought-provoking. Of course, realistically, that doesn't happen. I think a good post should have a basic summary and commentary that raises more questions and answers.
 
As a reader, I am drawn to posts that are easily readable. I tend to grow bored with blog posts that sound overly academic because I am not expecting to read an online essay. I want a good sense of voice (one that doesn't detract from the main idea) that can talk about the given topic in a conversational tone. I'm not sure how I feel about the author explicitly raising questions in the blog.
 
I think comments that challenge or agree with the ideas posted in your blog would be helpful as long as there is some evidence. For example, somebody could say "I agree and I like these ideas" or they could disagree and bring up opposing evidence. Such responses would force the writer to analyze what the commenter wrote and revisit his or her original idea. Revisiting the idea could lead to more support to reinforce the idea or the writer could realize that the original thought was flawed. I would look for comments like this because they are the type of comments I would try to give to others.

I think commenting can be a tricky subject to manage. On one hand, if there is no requirement, blogging almost becomes pointless because students' posts won't be read by other students. But there is also the risk that commenting becomes a chore; students will comment out of necessity rather than genuine interest. The comments they leave might not be very helpful. I think commenting largely depends on the blog topic. If it's something particularly engaging or controversial in some way, students will naturally peruse other blogs out of curiosity. If they come across something that piques their interest, they just may leave "good" comment. Maybe it's something that teachers just have to trust students to do it on their own, but who knows how much will actually get done. 
 
I don't want this to sound like I'm looking for an easy grade, but I think blogs should be graded with a "you did it or you didn't" approach. Since our blogs are not literature response posts, there usually isn't a right or wrong answer. A blog entry should count as long as the main point is sufficiently developed and laid out. I think there should be some requirement in regards to length, but at the same time not all blog posts need to be several hundred words in length. I think some can be shorter and still be considered a complete blog.

Here's a potential course

Here's a rough outline of what I thought could help under prepared students adjust. I still want to shift some ideas around but I couldn't quite decide on what to move where. I wanted to keep the reading strategies relatively close together so students retain as much information as possible, but then I felt like the grammar exercises were too spread apart. I think it's a relatively good balance focusing on both reading and writing.

Week 1: Self-narrative and assessment
              Cover general study skills needed to succeed in college

Week 2: Grammar!
              Practice Christensen rhetoric

Week 3: Reading strategies (pre-reading)
              In-class reading to practice


Week 4: Topic sentences
              Paragraphs

Week 5: Reading strategies (during reading)
              In-class reading and practice annotating

Week 6: Simple Writing Assignment Due
              In-class reading and discussion

Week 7: Reading strategies (post reading)
              Assigned reading and respond

Week 8: Thesis statements
              Read an argumentative piece and take a position

Week 9: Grammar
              Imitation writing exercises

Week 10: Essay 1 Due
                In-class reading and discussion

Week 11: Incorporating textual evidence
                Citing evidence

Week 12: Grammar
                Sentence combining exercises

Week 13: Assigned reading
                Respond to the reading

Week 14: Peer review essays


Week 15: Essay 2 Due
                In-class reading and response


Week 16: Self-reflective piece in class

The reading and a thought

The first Goen article that I read, “Critiquing the need to Eliminate Remediation,” discussed how maximize the efficiency of remedial programs while working to improve the readiness of incoming college freshman. The article mentions the Integrated Reading/Writing program as an alternate method of remediation. The program was formed on the basis that if the link between instruction in reading and writing is as crucial as thought, students would reap greater benefits by integrating the two. Originally, students who were scored in the lowest quartile on the English Placement Test started with a 3-unit basic writing course concurrently with a 1-unit reading course. In the following semester, they took another 3-unit basic writing course with another 1-unit reading course. During this time, students had two different writ­ing instructors, two different reading instructors, and four different groups of classmates by the time they entered their first-year composition course. The curriculum of the reading and writing courses was mostly separate. The texts students read in the reading course, and the strategies they learned to guide their reading, were rarely used in the writing course. The IRW program sought to increase the efficiency and practicality of this process. The course tries to break down the barrier between text reception and text production by inviting students to look at a text they read for clues to its production, and a text they produce for clues to how it might be received. An important strategy Goen mentions is K-W-L+ based on what students know (K), what they would like to know (W), what they have learned (L), and pose additional questions (+). The IRW program showed a remarkable retention rates and remediation pass rates. Goen also mentions initiation taken to improve the overall readiness of current high school students through measures such as the Early Assessment Program and the Expository Reading and Writing Course.

Goen’s next article also mentions the IRW. It also goes into more detail concerning the six principles based on the research on basic reading and writing. Integration, where instructors sought to combine strategies and texts used for teaching reading and writing; time, the program’s yearlong course creates time and space for students to develop a sense of community; development, the program allows teachers to quickly identify groups or single students that need closer attention and work with them over the year; academic membership, the program’s inherent design allows students to meet the freshman composition requirement that will count towards graduation; sophistication, teachers can help students become adept at sophisticated literate activities; and purposeful communication, the program doesn’t solely focus on grammatical clarity and essayist forms. Goen also laid out the objectives for the curriculum: 

Understand ways that readers read and writers write in and beyond the university across a range of tasks. 
Develop a metacognitive understanding of the processes involving reading and writing
Understand the rhetorical properties of reading and writing, including purpose, audience, and stance. Understand and engage in reading and writing as a way to make sense of the world; to experience literacy as problem solving, reasoning, and reflecting 
Develop enjoyment, satisfaction, and confidence in reading and writing

The only thing I really questioned was the reluctance of universities to start programs like the IRW. Obviously, it takes funding to do so, but all evidence seems to suggest that the IRW course is a much more efficient way to bring students up to speed. I can understand the universities’ reluctance to implement such programs because I also assumed that prospective college students should be able to read and write proficiently. But I also started at my local community college. It could have been vastly different for me if I had gone straight to a four year college. Although it makes sense that students admitted into a four year university should be able to read and write at the expected level, there are always exceptions. A maximum of a year’s worth of remedial classes seems like a fair chance worth pursuing.

For prospective college students

These skills focus on reading and writing.

College bound students will need skills such as reading strategies, critical thinking, and time management. The most obvious but somewhat unimportant change from high school is that students are no longer going to class every day. They are expected to be able to plan and schedule their tasks accordingly, and for students who went through high school with a significant amount of hand-holding, they may lack the ability to plan for themselves. Students have to be able to plan ahead so that they will have enough time to complete assignments on time. They should be able to read, understand, and retain more than just a plot summary. Their writing skills will have to grow beyond superficial text summary but also incorporate ideas such as themes and character analysis which is supported by textual evidence. Their note taking and organization skills should allow them to revisit and study material discussed in class in order to prepare for exams.

In a society that champions equal opportunity, students will never have to worry about being denied their chance to go to school. It’s always the logistical problems that complicate matters. Plus, it’s just morally wrong and a brutally blunt way to telling students they don’t have what it takes. I suppose, even if a student were to fail spectacularly, he or she should at least to given that chance.

Starting out at a community college may help them groom the skills they need because a community college often feels, for a lack of a better term, like “high school 2.0” while offering lower division college level courses. While still inherently different from high school, the expectations are not as rigorous and instruction is not as fast paced. There is, however, an element of risk; the transfer rate from community colleges to four year universities is alarmingly low. For students who do not attend a community college, four year universities could help them adjust by offering remedial courses for a semester or two at most. The student would then be expected to assimilate into regular classes. Universities shouldn’t prohibit students from take other courses while they work on their “deficiencies,” but they should prioritize their remedial studies first.

A brief summary of sorts

The era of conditioned learning (1950 - 1965)
This is when people first began to identify reading "problems." The primary approach was very straightforward and somewhat barbaric in a sense. The text mentions an example where a student is taught that C-A-T spells cat while encouraging little to no cognitive involvement. Students learned through rote memorization of visual cues that were translated into sounds and later assembled into words/phrases. If the student struggled it was because he or she wasn't able to acquire the necessary skills.

The era of natural learning (1966 - 1975)
People began to think that reading was perhaps a skill better taught and retained through discreet instruction and practice. There was an underlying idea that humans were innately born with the capacity for language regardless of their environment; reading was an inherent ability rather than the product of a particular skills. Researchers placed a bigger emphasis on how readers would come to different conclusions. Some were particularly interested in how to decode that process because they wished to translate that mechanism onto machines.

The era of information processing (1976 - 1985)
Federal funding began to increase. Researchers were interested in the relationship between our system of symbols and the mind. This was also when schema theory began to gain momentum. There was a shift in focus towards the individual as opposed to the bigger group. It was later determined that students' knowledge could be modified through direct intervention, training, or explicit instruction.

The era of sociocultural learning (1986 - 1995)
Literacy research shifted towards a holistic and aesthetic stance. There was an underlying tone of distrust towards formal knowledge and the traditional mode of scientific inquiry. Learning was about creating a mutual understanding amongst a group of individuals in a specific place and time; it was meant to be a sociocultural, collaborative experience. Instructional procedures were also modified so that they focused on the social interchanges in the classroom.

The era of engaged learning (1996 - present)
Learning factors were studied in relation to a student's knowledge, strategic abilities, sociocultural background, and the features of the learning context. Reading is no longer limited to print; it now encompasses audio and visual material as well. This range of materials should also be reflected in their immediate learning environments. Engaged learning pertains directly to the students' meaningful and goal-directed participation. It reinforces the idea that learners are more than passive receptacles absorbing information.

Some other important information:
Membership within the reading community is flexible and it alters the basic identity of a particular community and its stance towards research and practice. Prevailing trends within the research literature reflect the influences of sociopolitical forces outside the community. The history of reading research shows a shifting emphasis on physiological, psychological, and sociological factors. These factors are always present but each era will weigh them differently. Lastly, the field is becoming progressively more sophisticated and inclusive.

Being an active reader

I’m not sure if this is an entirely correct metaphor, but this is how I interpreted the reading. I would like to begin describing the concept by telling students to pretend that they are the characters from their favorite movie or TV show. Rather than approaching the text like an audience passively watching a film, I would tell students to imagine that the ideas are the setting and they are the characters. I would ask them to reflect on the reading and try to apply to them. Students should consider how they would be affected by the text. A short, written response should be enough to for students to practice this concept. If the reading material was related to the war on drugs, for example, students could try and think about how it would affect them. Whether they imagine themselves as the cops looking for that big bust or criminals taking advantage of the system, it would stimulate them to reflect on the ideas in the text. Follow up discussions could take place in class or online on a forum/discussion board. These conversations could become fun and engaging because each person would likely create a different scenario: some would launch into a carefully worded lecture explaining the dangers and risks involving drug use and other would likely counter with diatribes against the government’s dimwittedness and inefficiency. Assuming the arguments are substantiated with some form of evidence, such discussions are likely to prompt both sides of the argument to think critically and garner interest in the assigned topic. Of course, this “method,” if you could call it one, isn’t foolproof and it certainly has its limitations, but I was hoping it would at least serve as a catalyst for more ideas. Some students tend to groan whenever they are told they will be learning a new concept. I think this would counter that by subtly encouraging students to practice active reading; it would force them to focus and reflect. Some ideas may even challenge their previous assumptions.

I’ve been rereading my post and I fear that it could be a good idea but I didn’t explain it very well. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

A literacy narrative...

I remember being in elementary school and trying to write a story. My story was going to be the adventures of a courageous tiger cub which would inevitably become a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough. I had the perfect story in my head: an abandoned tiger cub dodging dangers and prowling through the undergrowth in search of food. I never realized that I had the story, but lacked the means to vividly tell the story. My climactic moment of triumph was nothing but “then he jumped on a rabbit.”

I wanted to be the next David Attenborough. My favorite shows were on National Geographic or Wild America. My reading material mainly consisted of books on the animal kingdom and the Berenstain Bears. This would often start an argument with my mother; I wanted to read for fun whereas she wanted me to read something more “educational” – like the dictionary. She would give me books to read and have me write a summary and a response. We were living in Korea at the time, so I think she was concerned that I might forget English.

Sometime after that I started writing for myself. It was mostly nonsense. These periods of doodling never lasted very long because I eventually grew bored or didn’t have very good material. Nevertheless, I wrote a few journal entries and even a poem. At one point, I even tried being my own version of Harriet the Spy. I thoroughly enjoyed having a notebook with secrets. It was empowering. Best of all, since I was living in Korea at the time, I didn’t have to worry about my notebook being discovered. I don’t think it had much of an effect on my voice as a writer, but it’s always amusing when I come across a dusty notebook half filled with the grandiose wisdom of a fifteen year old.

When I came back to the United States, high school writing began with “a topic sentence, a concrete detail, and two sentences of commentary.” English was never a subject that I prioritized. It was always about getting good grades in biology, chemistry, or math. So, I never gave it much thought when I had the highest grade in my freshman English class, or when my sophomore English teacher wanted to read my essay aloud to the class as an example of good writing. My junior year certainly did not encourage me; I enrolled in AP English and struggled. The red ink on my essay never seemed to say anything useful and I couldn’t figure out how to improve my writing. I think the best essay I ever wrote in that class was a B-. I didn’t even pass the AP exam. Oddly enough, writing became easier after that class. My teacher must have subtly taught me how to refine my writing because I never felt like I had learned anything in her class.

She must have done something right because I never struggled with an essay again. My writing was the only thing that kept my GPA up when I was getting D’s and F’s in Zoology and Calculus at Las Positas College. It took much longer than it should have, but I eventually switched majors from Biology to English. I like to think that it was my pursuit of writing that reignited a thirst for reading. Upon transferring to CSU East Bay, I noticed that their English department didn’t have a very wide selection of classes; even the core requirements for my option hadn’t been offered in years. Their literature classes, however, were excellent. It is where I found a new appreciation for American, medieval, and classical literature. I even got to taste American drama with Death of a Salesman and A Streetcar Named Desire but my personal favorite was A Long Day’s Journey into Night.

I like where I am now as a writer; I feel comfortable with what I’ve learned and what I have managed to achieve so far. I really should thank Mrs. Smith for helping me become the writer I am today, but I still think she could have done a better job explaining what I was doing wrong. Then again, it’s entirely possible that she did and I never paid attention.

An introduction

Hello,

My name is Raymond and I am a first year grad student at SFSU. I am very excited to be a part of the MA Composition program.

My journey thus far has been an interesting one. I started out at a community college as a Biology major but quickly flunked Calculus and barely passed Chemistry and Zoology. Although I can’t quite remember how I transitioned to English, it was a good choice. After the initial switch, I began to notice that English was no longer just an easy way to earn better grades. My best moment was when I submitted a poem that was later published in the college’s anthology. I was becoming genuinely interested. I started my undergraduate studies as a creative writing option, but I eventually decided that it wasn’t my type of writing. Instead, I studied “language and discourse,” which was East Bay’s linguistic approach.

I haven’t yet had the opportunity to tutor. I’ve had classmates ask me to help them with their essay 

but that’s about it. Luckily for me, my parents ran their own tutoring center in Korea teaching English, and they are always eager to give me advice on the matter. They constantly remind me that teaching English in Korea is a lucrative job market. I’m still not entirely sure if I want to teach for a career, but it’s certainly logical step to take as an English major.

I love English because it is unlike any other language. It’s often irregular, confusing, and just a hodgepodge of vocabulary.  But that is precisely why I like to think that its communicative abilities are unparalleled. Apart from school, I enjoy listening to music (country in particular), snowboarding, video games, and martial arts.