The Paper Rush

I just happened to be looking at my Facebook newsfeed, and it seems to me that there is an ongoing "paper rush." Status updates such as "Done page 3 of 12," and "Only 300 more words" have filled my newsfeed. It makes me wonder, though--has school allowed us to view writing assignments as simply the amount of pages we have to fill with words, or the amount of words we have to place on paper to hand in to a professor?

What happened to writing something that you were passionate about--something that you viewed as a work, not as a countdown of pages? At this time in the semester, most writing assignments have become the opposite.

Then, we have issues of academic bullshit that arise once again--writing fluffy, imaginative ideas that are really too far-fetched to be truly taken seriously by anyone, but are accepted in the world of academia. So many issues arise in writing at this point of the year that I wonder if it is even meaningful for teachers to assign works to be due at the end of the semester, because the level of effort is usually devoted to fulfilling a word count or a page quota.

Anyone Recall "Academic Bullshit?"

First-Year Students and the Writing Center - What Challenges Might They Face?

In short order, I will soon find myself among the ranks of the University of Richmond Writing Consultants. This is a university experience, and therefore there are no boundaries or limits to what I can face during my time as a consultant. During the semester, we discussed the kinds of writers we can encounter as consultants, and these ranged anywhere from older students, to students whose primary language is not English, to students of disciplines that we are not familiar with. Perhaps the most interesting, yet probably the highest population who seek out consultation sessions, are first-year college students. They are usually the ones with the most apprehension towards college-level work, and are usually unsure as to what is expected of them as a writer at an institution of higher learning.

Earlier in the semester, I blogged about my perceptions of writing as a high school student (think the 5 paragraph essay) and how quickly those were shut down through my first few college writing assignments. Thus, as I writing consultant, it's important to be able to help a first-year student through this transformation. The question is, though, how exactly to we do that?

There was a study conducted by Velda McCune on the "Development of First-Year Students' Conceptions of Essay Writing." She investigated how first-year students perceptions of the process that goes into writing an essay and what a finished essay product should be like (the students involved were all first-year psychology students, but the concept can be applied to students of all disciplines). The method of assessment was through interviews, and students all gave different responses. Some faced trouble in focusing and putting effort into their writing; some even cited fear of negative feedback from professors and TA's. 

As I'm only a sophomore and can clearly remember my days as a freshman and some of the challenges I faced. Some of them were:

1. What my professor truly wanted from me.

A lot of times it is difficult for first-year students to truly understand what a professor expects of them, especially coming from a high school system which is usually more straightforward.

2. How to fulfill the prompt but maintain my individuality.

In college, a lot of times writing is not very "creative," but tend to involve arguing a point. Sometimes students (largely first-years) feel inclined to argue a point that they feel their professor is in favor of.

3. How to properly organize a paper.

Organization seems to be the number one cry of anyone faced with a writing assignment...First-year college students are no different.

As I continue the process of completing my final project for the ENGL 383 class, I am able to use my experiences in the writing center and my own observations to develop more detailed answers to these questions.

Cited Works:

McCune, Velda. "Development of First-year Students' Conceptions of Essay Writing." Higher Education 47.3 (2004): 257-82. JSTOR. Web. 30 Nov. 2010.

What is unpreparedness?

On Monday, we once again worked with Amy from the Boys and Girls Club. This week she seemed a bit more excited, but she once again did not bring her materials...so we were not able to accomplish much.

Because she is so young, we were inclined to excuse her lack of preparedness, but this made me ponder the following situations: What about in the case of college students who we may encounter in the Writing Center? Also, in an institution that is conducive to freedom and learning, what exactly is unpreparedness? 

I thought back on one of my shadowing sessions where a freshman young man (I'll call him Sam) came in to with nothing but a prompt and half a page of jotted down ideas. One would think, at first, that he came unprepared for his consultation, as he had nothing of substance. However, that session turned out to be one of the most productive that I've ever seen, simply through the development of ideas and a clear structure and plan that he used to later write the paper.

At the same time, it's possible for a student to come into the Writing Center with a nearly finished product and not get as much from a session as Sam did. So really, what is unpreparedness?

College Mentoring Project - Take 2

I conveniently had my second experience tutoring for the College Mentoring Project one day after conducting my classmate consultation session. It allowed me to incorporate some of the ideas I used to create my plan for the classmate consultation session into my time with my high school student, who I'll call Lisa.

Last time we met, she simply had an outline of what she desired to talk about in one of her college essays. This time, 2 months later, she gave me a partially finished product that we worked through and managed to complete. The most fulfilling thing for me was giving her tips and allowing her to make her own decisions on the changes she would make to her writing--and watching her face light up when she thought of a better idea (whether a better word or more effective phrase).

I also noticed my own self-progression as a writing consultant as well. I've changed from a proofreader into one who helps generate ideas and facilitate good writing. That, I would say, is definitely invaluable.

How would I like to be treated?

At the moment, as I formulate my plan for my consultation with my fellow student on her work, I've asked myself, "How would I like to be treated?" Well, that's pretty easy.

1. I'd want my work and creative expression to be respected, regardless of its quality.

2. I would appreciate positive comments, but I would value constructive criticism even more as it would directly benefit my paper and my future written works.

3. I would want to feel like I have a good portion (if not the majority) of control over the session.

4. At the same time, I would want to feel guided by my consultant as to which direction the consultation should take.

What do you think? What would be your idea of the "perfect consultation?"

"Pearls of Wisdom"

For the past month or so, we've worked on two occasions with the kids at the Boys & Girls Club on their digital story project under the theme "Pearls of Wisdom."

The little girl that myself and another one of my classmates has been working with (I'll call her Amy) appeared to be slightly disinterested during our first meeting together. She had not yet began the interview process, but was still in the very basic stages of formulating suitable questions in order to get the information she desired from her interviewee. At the end of that first session, we managed to get her moderately interested and more excited to begin the interview process.

Fast forward to two weeks later.

Amy, for some reason, seemed even more disinterested than she was when she had not even started her interviews. As she had brought none of her materials with her to the session, we tried to prompt her to brainstorm ideas for her script, first verbally, then in written format. However, she blatantly told us she no longer wanted to do the project, as it did not excite her very much and she felt pigeonholed into asking a few generic questions that had been set in place (or recommended, I don't know for sure) by the lady supervising the project.

Once again, we, with the aid of Professor Dolson, had to try and motivate her, which was even less successful that it was previously.

This made me realize that, as a writing consultant, I'm probably going to be faced with students who didn't come to the consultations of their own free will, but did so through the prompting of a professor (some of whom make writing center consultations mandatory for their students). It is always a challenge to motivate people to be excited about their own work, but is the destruction of the creative mind (something Amy felt she was suffering from) a huge killer of the writer's soul and drive?

Digital Stories - Boys & Girls Club

I am faced with the realization that, tomorrow, I could face very different situations. We will be working with kids who are all at different points in the process of developing their digital stories; some will have already interviewed their selected persons, and some will not have even started that part of the process. So, the question has to be asked--how am I prepared to address this?


In her email to us, Professor Dolson asked the following questions:
1. What helped you the most [in the development of your digital story]?
2. Did you choose sort of a central message you wanted to get across and then choose key facts that you needed to put into the story to make the message make sense and have impact?

I felt these questions are the most crucial to our session tomorrow with the kids. For me, the one thing that helped me the most in the development of my digital story was simply the interview. Before interviewing Dr. Datta, I had no idea what direction I would try to take with my DS. However, after speaking with him, I instantly knew where I wanted to carry my story and the message that I would try to get across.

Thus, for me, I would emphasize the importance of the interview first and foremost to the development of a great digital story. It carries so much weight, and no matter how much planning goes into the digital story beforehand, the interview can completely alter that. For those who have not conducted their interviews, I recommend them brainstorm what they want to ask their interviewee, and for those who have already conducted this part of the DS development process, I would ask them to listen to their interviews as much as possible to pick out something they find interesting enough to talk about in their digital story.

It is impossible to completely plan out a session such as this, because it can be very unpredictable, especially dealing with young children. However, I am confident that we'll have great success, and assist the kids in making progress with their digital stories.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7z5k4B6rxs
http://www.urctlt.org/nmn/

A Semester Without Writing?...But What Have I learned?

It's rather interesting how this semester my academic life has been more bogged down with logic, calculations and chemical reactions than writing. Last semester, all but one of my classes were heavily focused on the writing process and its importance to academia. This semester, with a course load featuring mathematical, chemical and biological sciences, I have had less writing assignments, and the ones I do get usually are science related and formatted completely to explain test results and reactions.

Thus, I've felt really detached from the traditional writing process that I had been previously used to. However, this semester, despite the fact that I am writing a lot less than in previous semesters, I find that I am learning more about writing simply through the ENGL 383 class and shadowing in the writing center.

For example, I have experienced consultation sessions where the writer came in with a nearly complete piece of writing, and simply required a review of their final draft. In contrast, I've also seen consultation sessions where the writer simply came in with the essay prompt, the text needed for the class, and one single piece of paper with brainstormed ideas. There are so many levels and stages of the writing process, and at each stage, peer review is very beneficial.                      

I've learned just how important it is to let the writer take charge, and the importance of simply being the extra voice needed to go towards a finished piece of writing. So, while I may not have written much this semester, I have contributed to many pieces of writing, and I find that just as fulfilling.

Writing Under The Influence.

This morning I came into my chemistry class early (a rarity, indeed) and overheard one of my classmates telling our professor that she had just came from handing in a heavily weighted mid-term paper for one of her classes. She highlighted what the prompt was, and described the stance she took in her paper. The only problem was, as she described, "It's not really my opinion, but my professor made it clear once that that is how she feels about the whole issue, and I probably will get in her good graces for supporting her stance."

My chemistry professor proceeded to advise her that, usually, that is not the best approach towards a writing assignment. However, listening to their verbal exchange made me remember how, for some time now, I have been wondering if there is really such thing as an authentic "writer's voice" in academia.

I must admit, many times when I sit down to write a paper, I think of what my professor wants to hear and they way they want to hear it. A lot of times, it is not my opinion that I am arguing, but the one that I think will garner the best feedback and the best grade. However, this idea has sometimes backfired on me. This is because I came to realize that you cannot truly argue a point wholeheartedly in a piece of writing if you simply don't agree with that stance. And also, many readers can tell if a person does not truly "believe" what they are writing.

So, as a writing consultant, what if I pick up on this same trend in a student's writing? I wonder if it would be appropriate for me to ask their personal opinion in regards to the essay prompt, and encourage them to write about their true stance, instead of writing "under the influence."

Last Minute-Men

[Names have been changed for privacy reasons.]

A large amount of my course load consists of science courses, which then translates to a large amount of my writing assignments being laboratory reports. For the last lab report we had due this morning at 9am, we had 2 weeks (from the conclusion of the experiment until the due date) to write a detailed lab report, roughly 8 - 10 pages. Naturally, when given an assignment of this magnitude, one would probably think that planning ahead and getting an advanced start would be in his or her's best interest. However, Aly did not agree.

Aly is a good friend of mine. She's a smart girl, and she usually gets good grades. However, she has a major procrastination problem, and this time, she decided to wait until Monday night, at 10:00 pm, to start her lab report.

The same lab report that was due Tuesday morning at 9am.

I watched Aly go through the stresses of research, rushed writing, and tear-filled eyes laced with the regret that she was undoubtedly feeling. A few hours, and several angrily-uttered expletives later, Aly submitted--what I could only imagine to be--a poorly written paper that lacked any proofreading or revision.

Through all of this, I wondered, how many "last minute-men" do you think we will end up with as writing consultants? Just because a student may make a writing center appointment does not mean that they are essentially "planning ahead." I wondered, what would I have done if a student in Aly's position walked into the writing center for a consultation on a major paper due the next day with barely an outline?

How can you possibly help one sort out their ideas and express them in 6 or more pages when there has been no previous thought on the part of the writer himself?

Writing about...Writing?

I'm now faced with an entirely new task: writing about my own writing.

For our English 383 class, I am required to write 2 short essays based on previous blog posts that I have made in the past 6 weeks. When Professor Dolson first introduced this assignment to us, I remember thinking: "How do I write about my own writing?" She quoted something to us (and I, apologetically do not remember the exact wording or the author of the quote) that basically said that "learning is not through experience, but through reflection on that experience."

Therefore, I've determined that if I can dig deep down into my old blog posts, I can probably trace some sort of internal development through which I transformed from a regular student to one who is halfway through the journey to becoming a writing consultant. Hopefully, I will be able to note how my ideas about writing and the writing process changed from the beginning of the semester to the half-term mark.

And now, I begin to conquer what I previously deemed an unconquerable task...

Thinking Like [gasp!] a Writing Consultant

Last week, I was able to sit in during an actual writing consultation. As it was my first time, I decided to be less vocal, and truly fulfill my role as a "shadow." The consultant (I'll call her Rachel) read the student's (I'll call her Lisa) writing aloud and made suggestions as she went along, and none of her suggestions surprised me. However, what did surprise me was that, as she was reading, I was thinking like a writing consultant. Most of the advice Rachel gave to Lisa was the similar to the ideas I had in my head as well.

It is amazing how quickly a transformation take place.

How quick was that? I've only been in ENG 383 for little over a month, and already, I'm thinking like a writing consultant.

But what does it mean to "think like a writing consultant?"

Well, for me it meant not picking up on solitary grammatical mistakes, but recurring error patterns and point them out to the writer. It also meant paying more attention to the organization and presentation of the writer's ideas as opposed to just making sure the grammar was correct.

As I move forward in the shadowing process, I can only further look forward to more transformation in the way I read the writing of others and the way that I help them improve their own writing.

In-class Blog: Where I'm at.

So, we've been asked to blog about where we think we're at. To be honest, I'm not sure if this means where we're at in this class or for the semester in general. I've been very negligent in my blog posts, simply because during the past few weeks I spent all my time studying very rigid subjects--Calculus, Organic Chemistry, and Genetics--that all required right or wrong answers. Thus, I lacked inspiration.


However, in between study sessions and problem sets, I somehow found time to interview my choice professor for my digital story (who will, for now, remain nameless). I came into the interview with a page of questions that I intended to ask, all in perfect order, but I found that the interview carried itself. Hearing what it means to write from a professor, author and a former college student was fascinating to me. He humorously suffered from many of my freshman year writing "diseases" (such as procrastination) and his description of his writing style and process throughout the years was definitely rewarding. I left his office with a new energy and excitement for the development of my digital story.


Now the real question is, how do I approach this digital story? How does one compress 20 minutes of recorded dialogue into 3 minutes of meaningful, spoken information? 


This is where I'm at.

Distorted Perceptions of the Writing Center

A few days ago, I was in the line at the salad bar at D-hall. I was in a rush to eat before my 1:30 class, and was periodically--and by periodically, I mean in 30 second intervals-- checking my cell phone to monitor the time. I somehow managed to tune in to the conversation of the two girls in front of me. It went something like this:

Girl 1: "I can't eat dinner with you tonight because I have to go to the writing center for one of my papers. My professor is forcing us all to go."

Girl 2: "Wow, that sucks. So, what are they going to do? Proofread it for you?"

Girl 1: "See, that's what I don't get. The only tutor I could get that fit in with my schedule isn't even majoring in the subject area of my class. I don't understand how she's supposed to help me at all."

So, naturally, as a prospective writing consultant currently taking the ENG 383 class, I so gladly (but politely) interjected. 

"It's not about proofreading--the writing consultants mainly check for your style and how you formulate and organize your ideas. They basically help you out with the writing process itself regardless of the assignment or its subject area."

And thus, the day was saved. I felt like I had enlightened those fellow Richmond students to go out into campus and enlighten others. If only the world was so perfect.

I got to thinking that perhaps that is the general perception of many University of Richmond students. Many think that it's a proofread headquarters, where we thoroughly check their grammar and spelling and make sure full stops and commas are exactly where they need to be.

How many of these people are shocked when they come for their first Writing Center Appointment and find that this perception is wrong?

How can we prevent this from being the assumption of UR students?

The "Aha!" Moment

Growing up, I always swore against the teaching profession. I didn't want to have to deal with unruly children, or students who just didn't care about their work. However, I once asked my older cousin, a history/geography teacher, what she found so rewarding about her profession. She told me she loved those moments when a student finally understood a concept, or finally figured something out that they had been struggling with. "The 'aha' moment, you mean," I said, in an attempt to clarify. She responded, "Yes. The 'aha' moment, and the fact that I could help steer my students towards the 'aha' moments--it makes everything worthwhile."


For the first time, I experienced leading someone to their "Aha" moment. On Saturday I had my first experience as a writing consultant through the College Mentoring Project. I won't disclose my tutee's real name in interest of privacy, but I will refer to her as Lisa during this post. Deeply in preparation for the college application process, Lisa was obviously facing trepidation when presenting her ideas for her college admissions essay. She had a full page of bullet points describing a summer experience that she felt was relevant to the essay prompt provided. After listening to her present her ideas, I only had one thought.


Lisa already had an entire essay. It was simply spread out between her mind, her lips, and the words she had already laid out on paper.


Through out the consultation process, I helped her narrow down her ideas and expand on them, but it occurred to me that I wasn't really doing anything remarkable. While she looked at me as if I were an all-knowing writing genius, I couldn't help but realize that being a writing consultant is not what I previously thought it was. It's not just proofreading papers, and looking out for grammar and spelling mistakes. It's about turning on the mind's "faucet" and letting the writer's ideas flow freely. When I managed to turn on Lisa's faucet, I saw that "Aha" moment manifested on her face, and I must admit: my cousin was right.

1 + 3 + 1 = 5 Paragraphs! [Spoken in the words of a shocked first-year college student)

[Based on Chapter 6 of Keith Hjortshoj’s “The Transition to College Writing”]

During my first year of high school, the most life-altering, dynamic phenomenon of my academic career was introduced to me: the magical Five Paragraph Writing Formula. For those of you who weren't so privileged as to have this explained to you in high school, that involved the introduction, three body paragraphs, and, to top it off, the conclusion. Always remember:

1 + 3 + 1 = 5 Paragraphs!

This meant that, no matter what the essay topic was, I would construct an introduction carefully including the three points that my body paragraphs would outline. Then, I would meticulously craft my three body paragraphs—no more, no less, mind you—in the exact order I dictated in my introduction (lest the reader mistake me for a disorganized writer). I would top off my creation with a neatly formed conclusion that basically summed up everything I said in my introduction and three body paragraphs. Thus, the following formula was true for me:

1 + 3 + 1 = 5 Paragraphs = Guaranteed well-organized “A+” worthy essay.

Really!

Now, how about going back and altering this formula for a shocked first-year college student?

1 + 3 + 1 = 5 Paragraphs = Boring essay that rarely catches the attention of a college professor and yields an astonishing C+.

Really?

Back to the basics.

Based on the ideas discussed in my first English 383 class, I’ve realized that one of the things that brings people the most pleasure, comfort and relief can simply be wrapped up in one word: familiarity.

I consider John Rives, the spoken word artist who so nostalgically recounted “Op talk,” a common language he shared with his sister. I consider how he discussed that, even to this day, the strength of the bond he and his sister share when speaking in their simple, yet profound language. Or, I think of myself, a native Bahamian, whose accent dims when on foreign shores, but, when at home or amongst her own people, can’t help but bask in the simplicity yet comfort of her own native dialect.

Then I apply this concept to the idea of writing. A piece of writing, to me, does not always have to involve complex, thesaurus-inspired diction. Sometimes it’s simply the familiarity of the words, phrases and subject matter that provides a simple comfort to the audience. Sometimes, it’s simply the basics.

Leonardo da Vinci most likely said it best: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”