Entry #5 - Wow! You Have to Try Kucer and Rhodes (1986) Card Strategy

When first reading Kucer and Rhodes (1986) article about the Card Strategy, I remember having a hard time visualizing how this lesson would work. But, having the opportunity to engage in this strategy during class allowed me to put the pieces together. When reflecting on the way I brainstorm in the past, I have a hard time putting my finger on a specific strategy I use. Although I am very much a planner, I do not follow a specific guideline for brainstorming; I usually begin by writing my thoughts down on paper and then, organizing this information based on how I want my message to be conveyed.

But, it may come to no surprise, I am an overwriter - Condensing my thoughts? What's that mean! Therefore, I found the Card Strategy to be a very useful way to approach the brainstorming process and thus, I absolutely would use this lesson again to assist in my own writing process. For example, for my Genre Pieces Project, I am focusing on the topic Mental Health and specifically, I am hoping to bring awareness to this topic. However, Mental Health is a broad topic and so, before engaging in the Card Strategy, I had a hard time focusing on my different purposes for writing. 

When engaging in the Card Strategy, I enjoyed having the opportunity to write down the "major ideas" related to Mental Health (Kucer and Rhodes, 1986, p. 190). I used this part of the lesson almost as a word vomit, for a lack of a better term, writing down all the keywords that were related to my topic. Then, once we were instructed to organize our cards, this is where I had an 'aha' moment. Suddenly I could envision some of these keywords working together to discuss a specific purpose for my topic. 

As my partner organized my cards in a way that made sense to them, I began to develop an understanding that there is "flexibility within the writing process" (Kucer and Rhodes, 1986, p. 191). Through this lesson, I was able to recognize how my key ideas may be interpreted differently based on the perspective of reader. Also, as a writer, I came to recognize that I love to talk things through and therefore, collaboration is something I value. As a result, step 6 of Kucer and Rhodes (1986) Card Strategy was one of my favorite parts. When working with my partner, I liked having the opportunity to observe and listen to them go through my cards, explaining how they interpreted my keywords. 

Based on the keywords I wrote, my partner believed that my topic may be self-care which essentially led me to the idea that one purpose I could write about is strategies to support your own Mental Health. As Tompkins (2012) states, "students talk with partners to generate and elaborate ideas" (p. 38). Having the opportunity to talk to my partner was essential in assisting me in my own writing process. Through this lesson, I was able to identify potential purposes for my Genre Pieces Project including: feelings and emotions, ways to support your own Mental Health, and identifying ways to advocate for those in need or in other words, bringing awareness to this topic. Not only did this lesson help me to condense my thoughts, but I felt as if it gave me a boost of motivation and thus, I left eager to begin writing (Sandman, 2006). 

I believe the Card Strategy was a useful tool in my own writing process as it allowed me to organize my thoughts in a meaningful way, focusing on a specific purpose; this is essential for an overwriter like myself. Therefore, I will absolutely continue using this strategy through my journey as a writer. 

References:

Kucer, S. B. & Rhodes, L. K. (1986). Counterpart strategies: Fine tuning language with 

language. The Reading Teacher, 40(2),186-193.

Sandmann, A. (2006). Nurturing thoughtful revision using the focused question card

            strategy: Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy, 50(1), 20-28.