Polishing Students' Skills for Polished Writing

Much of what we have discussed in class and read about has centered on writing to learn. This normally includes short, spontaneous, and unrefined writing pieces whose purpose lies in sparking a feeling of competency regarding writing and providing a less intimidating atmosphere for writing assignments. However, this week's assignments focused on something deeper and more refined - public writing. Chapter 5 in Content Area Writing emphasized public writing while Chapter 2 in Content Area Reading honed in on the importance of knowing how to navigate electronic sources as well as implement them into a classroom. The two chapter really go hand in hand. Here's why:

Public writing is different from writing to learn because it should not be a quick, one time, informal, personal, exploratory, unpolished piece of writing. Public writing is substantial, planned, authoritative, composed, and edited. It is a highly polished composition. It clearly states that the author has investigated the topic and lays out the facts in an appropriate manner (according to the genre of the piece itself). Many students are overwhelmed by the idea of "big essays." They give up before they even begin to write because they feel that they do not have the tools, strategies, or experience to competently compose a strong essay. That is where educators' jobs come in to play.

It is our duty to stress that we have high standards for public writing pieces. After all, public writing is an essential skill for advancing in the world of education as well as in life. There are a few key steps to consider in order to ensure that students will be interested enough to begin writing with confidence and motivation. If students can choose their topic (the choices can be narrowed down, but need not be a specific statement provided by the teacher), are given time to write in class (accompanied by scaffolding that walks them through the writing process), and are provided with feedback before they turn in their final draft, they are much more likely to succeed and produce a polished writing piece. However, they must be familiar with enough strategies in order to proceed confidently.

Another aspect of public writing to consider, which spills over into other areas of classroom life, is the use of the internet. Students are very familiar with the internet - it pervades their everyday interactions and consumes an enormous portion of their free time and their social lives. That does not mean, however, that our students are aware of how to use the internet properly in an academic sense. Most students are unaware how to know if a website is valid - if it has a bias, if it's reliable. Also, many internet sources are nonlinear. Students must be taught how to properly tap into internet resources. If not, the vast quantity of information that lies just beyond the touch of the "enter" key can be nearly unnavigable. Our students need effective tools to be able to utilize that information and to find sources that are appropriate for public writing, small assignments, and simply background knowledge.

Although media is a "new literacy" there is a large gap between in-school and out-of-school literacy. Therefore, it is important for teachers to incorporate technology into our classrooms. Doing so automatically connects the students' lives outside of school to academic material which can boost motivation and engagement. It would be foolish to ignore the fact that our students live in a technologically-based world. We cannot exclude such a large portion of their lives from our classrooms. We must guide them to use the internet in ways that are appropriate for academic contexts so our students can successfully apply media to assignments and their classroom lives.