Shifting Perspective About Grammar: Changing What And How We Teach

Deborah Dean's writing on Shifting Perspective About Grammar is one of the sincere revelation of the
 evolution of teaching language and grammar. I find this writing quite liberating in the sense that it reveal the
fact that teaching is not meant to be stereotype, fixed or maintain a statue-quo, but that there will always be a
 continuous progression that help us in what and how we teach language and grammar.
In stating that language is connected to who and what we are and everything we do, it is for this reason that we cannot just see language as a matter of right or wrong though most teachers have been trained in this way.  Some of those who see language issue as right or wrong, according to Dean, they "look at issue of language in stark contrast instead of in relation to context. Although Dean was expected to feed her students this same information she was taught regarding grammar. Flexibility played a major role in the process of her development as her perspectives to teaching began to shift through her years of teaching. She noted that shifting perspective s is one of the first challenges to seeing language instruction from a more effective position.
The writing was divided into three parts, The Past Tense, The present Tense and The Future Tense.
In The Past grammar was regarded as terminology unrelated to writing; grammar as right or wrong and language as answer in the textbook - totally removed from what the students wrote or spoke. what they were learning does not improve their writing or speaking. The introduction of the idea of imitation and sentence combining brought about a shift in perspective as the students are taught to match language  practices or instructions to genre as much as possible.
In The Present, she made the progress in her teaching as she moved the students to match the sentences they are imitating and combining with the genre they are writing. At this stage, grammar is taught in the context of reading and writing, in which case they were also learning how grammar can be more intimately connected to meaning. Grammar is no longer a single construction and is bigger than identifying parts of speech but rather students are beginning to see that language is like most life, just as we make the best choice out of options available in our particular situation. Worthy of note is the fact that the writing in relation to situation and genre will require the skill of code-switching and the need to adjust their language for different genres.

EF'S VISIT TO A SMALL PLANET

Elinor Fuchs Visit To A Small Planet

This piece of writing is unique and it takes the reader into certain understanding of what drama should be all about as it awakes in us the need to access a world in our world where we can explore and raise questions that can help us understand better the world we stepped into and all that it is made up of. We are called to make assumption that there is a world of play, in other word a play is a world that is created by the writer, and that in the world of play there are no accident; nothing occurs by chance not even chance. There is nothing in the play without significance. We are to focus on it a total awareness, no selective interpretation is expected rather we are to pay attention and be curious; ask questions before making judgement. We are called to live through the play.
In a classroom setting, I will love to apply this strategy to the study of a play with students as we examine a piece of work beginning with the world of the play as we observe the space, time, climate, mood, plot, tone, sound and music. from this point we will look into the social world and the examine if there are changes in the play from the first point to the last point and then examine the character that makes up the play.
I tried to figure out what in this play or the world of the play that I can relate to as I am expected to shut out my known world to explore the world of play, a new planet as it is. The concept that the play should not be subjected to our censorship of selective interpretation but rather be view with attention and curiosity; questions needed to be asked always before judgement.

Reflection on reading of chapters 1-5 of Write Beside Them

Reflections on Readings of Chapters 1-5 of Write Beside Them by Penny Kittle

I appreciate reading the book "Write Beside Them" by Penny Kittle, it reveals to me a way to teach writing to get result. Her positive outlook on life as a teacher supports the stand point she maintain as a teacher of writing. As a start off. she wakes up in the morning looking forward to her writing class with her students for the day. She said and I agree "If you want better writers, all of the power lies within you. It's all about teaching". It is true that many factors influence the lives of these students but according to Kittle statement and which I strongly support "The factor that had a greater impact than all of the other combined was the effectiveness of the classroom teacher". therefore according to this teacher of writing "Teachers make the difference, not test", Indeed I can boldly echo along with her, what Power - what opportunity lies in our hands.
In 'This I Believe' , I understand that when we are set to teach writing, our focus must be to write along side our students because this will make us more real and human to them that just one distant 'being' called teacher. This method of teaching is like being a guide to our students and I consider it one trusted way to help students become participants in the process of learning to write. I enjoy the transparency involve in this writing, when she express the process she went through as she grew from one point to another as a teacher of writing, particularly from being all 'tell' and no 'show' teacher, when she expected her student to produce product in their writers notebooks without teaching them the process. She said, It is not enough to merely generate ideas, we must develop and teach our students processes, strategies, and techniques for developing their ideas. She makes me see the value of showing students what we go through when we write, so that they can understand that their struggles are similar to ours and they can be conquered.
In her view, students need to write everyday and continuously improve their writing, practice of writing is what is require of everyone who wants to learn to write and it does not matter what level they are. I admire her viewpoint when she said, "I teach students to read like writers, to study model texts and to experiment with forms of imitation", it is like encouraging them to see everything around them from the perspective of a writer.
Kittle also focus on the importance of writers notebook in the writing process and students development, she stated that, students free-writing in a notebook help them find their voice because when they are not bound up by what the writing is supposed to be, voice appears effortlessly. according to her, just as it is important for them to find their voice, they have to move on to controlling their voice which according to her is the beginning of learning to write well.
Having introduced us to the concept of writers notebook, she equally provides us with examples of how to fill it with quick writes. There are only three rules to her quick write and these are,
 Write the entire time, write quickly without letting the critic in your head censor you and relax, have fun, play.

Reflection on My Multi-Modal Video and that of others

Reflection on my multi-modal video and that of others.

The process of creating this piece of work was a little bit elaborate for me being the first attempt on my part, but at the same time very interesting and rewarding. I had to put my thoughts together to decide on the images that will represent the thought in my mind about the poem. I wanted something  simple and at the same time intriguing, that can help convey this idea in a most entertaining way. The use of pictures that represents these words like exercise (as you practice your literary work), drama, song, poem, music and then the need to pursue to the end, are all captured in the video. there is also this piece of a lecturer dancing on the podium where he is to give a lecture, just to show that reading, writing and learning is fun. The words were written to help viewers flow along as they watch and the music is quiet relaxing, this will help keep the mind focus on what is before them.
The use of technology in the classroom is rewarding for it helps us enjoy learning in a new way. Creating and watching these video show how we can take learning to a new level with the use of technology, hearing music, seeing images,and reading words all in one block presents a positive and more flexible side to learning.
Viewing the works of my classmates and observing the variety in our presentation makes me appreciate the diversity in our thought as a class. Every one expressing themselves the best way they can and using the images that sought them the most. They help us walk down their thoughts lane and see their world from their perspectives.       

This video help to express my poem titled You Must be a writer

Poem

                                    Found Poem

                               YOU MUST BE A WRITER

           

  This lingering thought

           You are consider a writer

       you must be a writer

               I laugh

                 get exercise in literary work

              Engage in poem, song, drama,prose

             pursue the base

               express

                communicate

                write, re-write

              ponder

      you must be a writer

A writer

Who am I as a writer? This question linger in my thought for some days. Do you consider yourself a writer? I kept asking myself again and again. Sometimes I laugh out loud and other times I tell myself 'Dele, you must be a writer. Though writing in one exercise I have been involve in for many years both as a teacher and one involve in literary work, writing my introduction has always consumed more of my time than any other part in my writing.

My engagement in literary work has not been pronounced but I have tried my hand on few works , this includes poems, songs, drama piece and some article mostly religious. I like to be true to myself in writing, it is this pursuit that has set the base for writing.

Writing is one way by which thoughts can be expressed, since thoughts are unspoken words. I consider this to be very important that my writing should communicate thought to my reader in a way that they can grasp the exact information I am trying to pass across to them. I see this as the core of writing.
Writing most times set me thinking a lot before I commence on the exercise because I always consider my readers. I want to be sure they understand and enjoy as well are engaged in what they are reading.This makes me write and re-write many times before coming to accept the one that i think acceptable at the last minutes

As I write, I ponder over what to write and often write on paper, note or jotter my thoughts. The use of multi-modals in writing has not been a part of me except for my class work, but now I am willing to try my hands in this.