The knowledge and skills of writing are extremely useful and significant for many reasons. Not just having the “basic skills” but also being able to put your own thoughts down on a piece of paper or even typing it on a computer, as we do presently. "Together with handwriting, spelling and punctuation shift speech from an oral to a visual medium, and because they are basic to literacy are misleadingly call “basic skills” (276). It all begins with the language of an individual. Writing is its physical form of communicating because it consists of the person tracing words or characters on paper with a writing utensil (such as pencil, pen, etc.).
"It is impossible to understand the teaching of writing in America if one does not realize that, in one form or another, from first grade through graduate school, it serves mostly to test reading” (276). Writing is used to test if a student can read and to what extent they can do this. The ability to do this can further your success in education and also future careers that you decide to pursue. Writing can be defined in different ways and have importance in different levels. This all depends on the person and educator.
As a future English teacher, I don’t see writing as just being a tester to a student’s reading ability. In my experience it has helped me express thoughts that I could not do verbally and honestly, in a more professional matter. I also find it as a stress reliever when my mind is scrambled with thoughts and in a sense it helps organization of them. Of course the ability to read is important and what the mind can intake from the reading one does. Writing can take you places; better colleges/universities, admirable professions such as journalist or anything that has to do with a person using their writing skills.
Language is a major factor to this because the higher your knowledge of your language, the more you have to write since it is your speech you are expressing. James Moffett makes it
"It is impossible to understand the teaching of writing in America if one does not realize that, in one form or another, from first grade through graduate school, it serves mostly to test reading” (276). Writing is used to test if a student can read and to what extent they can do this. The ability to do this can further your success in education and also future careers that you decide to pursue. Writing can be defined in different ways and have importance in different levels. This all depends on the person and educator.
As a future English teacher, I don’t see writing as just being a tester to a student’s reading ability. In my experience it has helped me express thoughts that I could not do verbally and honestly, in a more professional matter. I also find it as a stress reliever when my mind is scrambled with thoughts and in a sense it helps organization of them. Of course the ability to read is important and what the mind can intake from the reading one does. Writing can take you places; better colleges/universities, admirable professions such as journalist or anything that has to do with a person using their writing skills.
Language is a major factor to this because the higher your knowledge of your language, the more you have to write since it is your speech you are expressing. James Moffett makes it
known that inner speech is a significant part of teaching writing, amongst other things that can contribute to better teaching it. Moffett does not belittle any of the factors to teaching writing instead suggest improvement, so that we as educators can assist students to progress their writing skills. He focuses on what is critical to teaching writing and at what level they are to be placed without trying to correct anyone’s way of teaching. James Moffett sought to make a positive difference in how writing should be taught.
He focused on his main ideas which he had experience and evidence to support his suggestions to make such improvements. In my research, Moffett’s attention was inner speech because that is the where writing comes from. “Most of all, keeping inner speech as the matrix of all writing keeps teaching of writing centered on authentic writing” (234). It is easy for a student to paraphrase from another's work. Moffett thought that if an educator emphasize on a student's own inner speech and how to practice it, they wouldn't have to copy as often as they do.
Most educators find that drawing or "scribble scrabble" as many call it, is nonsense. They can believe that there is absolutely no use and nothing can come of it. This should be encouraged often because “drawing is one aspect of writing. Because it bridges between the invisible world of spirit and the visible world of matter … “(276). It is a student’s beginning to the literature world and what it has to offer. From there the educator should follow up with assisting the student in authoring their drawings.
Moffett insist on what approaches can make writing for students a smoother process. In regards to inner speech, “the crafting approach to writing can help a student see alternative and better ways to say what he has in his mind…” (277). This approach simply advices the student on how to construct acceptable sentences which turn into paragraphs and the organization of
During my research, I noticed that Moffett loves and encourages the idea of being honest to ones work. “True authoring occurs naturally to the extent that the writer is composing with raw material” (278). Raw material is based on one’s own feelings, memories, and experiences. If the student is given a good topic as to where he can write using his own ideas, there would be no need to use outside material. This can also give the student a sense of accomplishment because of not having to copy from someone else’s ideas.
James Moffett is looked at as a motivator and positive figure in educating students how to write. He not only made educators revise their way of teaching but also made change throughout curriculum that was a must. “In any case, wouldn’t educators do well asking constantly how much authoring their writing program honestly calls for and how much it truly aims to teach writing for the sake of writing” (277). He was not trying to question any of the educator’s methods but simply making progress towards becoming better educators. “Let’s direct discourse toward its own self-transformation and self-transcendence. In doing so we will also accomplish better the traditional curriculum goals.” (246). Once in a while, educators need to be guided to make better decisions, which can help the development skills of their students.
He focused on his main ideas which he had experience and evidence to support his suggestions to make such improvements. In my research, Moffett’s attention was inner speech because that is the where writing comes from. “Most of all, keeping inner speech as the matrix of all writing keeps teaching of writing centered on authentic writing” (234). It is easy for a student to paraphrase from another's work. Moffett thought that if an educator emphasize on a student's own inner speech and how to practice it, they wouldn't have to copy as often as they do.
Most educators find that drawing or "scribble scrabble" as many call it, is nonsense. They can believe that there is absolutely no use and nothing can come of it. This should be encouraged often because “drawing is one aspect of writing. Because it bridges between the invisible world of spirit and the visible world of matter … “(276). It is a student’s beginning to the literature world and what it has to offer. From there the educator should follow up with assisting the student in authoring their drawings.
Moffett insist on what approaches can make writing for students a smoother process. In regards to inner speech, “the crafting approach to writing can help a student see alternative and better ways to say what he has in his mind…” (277). This approach simply advices the student on how to construct acceptable sentences which turn into paragraphs and the organization of
During my research, I noticed that Moffett loves and encourages the idea of being honest to ones work. “True authoring occurs naturally to the extent that the writer is composing with raw material” (278). Raw material is based on one’s own feelings, memories, and experiences. If the student is given a good topic as to where he can write using his own ideas, there would be no need to use outside material. This can also give the student a sense of accomplishment because of not having to copy from someone else’s ideas.
James Moffett is looked at as a motivator and positive figure in educating students how to write. He not only made educators revise their way of teaching but also made change throughout curriculum that was a must. “In any case, wouldn’t educators do well asking constantly how much authoring their writing program honestly calls for and how much it truly aims to teach writing for the sake of writing” (277). He was not trying to question any of the educator’s methods but simply making progress towards becoming better educators. “Let’s direct discourse toward its own self-transformation and self-transcendence. In doing so we will also accomplish better the traditional curriculum goals.” (246). Once in a while, educators need to be guided to make better decisions, which can help the development skills of their students.
“It is important that educators try to hold this trend to the highest conception of writing, the one that has the most educational value and the one that works because it stems from meaning and motive.” (279).
Works Cited:
Moffett, James. “Integrity in the Teaching of Writing.” The Phi Delta Kappan. 61.4 (1979): 276-279. Print.
Moffett, James. “Writing, Inner Speech and Meditation.” College English. 44.3 (1982): 231-246. Print.
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