Entry #12 - Continue Learning, Continue Growing

Throughout the semester, I truly enjoyed the Genre Expert Workshops; all of my classmates created meaningful presentations and thus, deepened my understanding of the different genres. However, prior to the start of the semester, I believed I had an understanding of the Descriptive, Biography, and Poetry Genres but through the Genre Expert activities, I now have a more principled understanding. As I have engaged in these presentations, I was able to recognize the importance of mentor texts. As MacKay, Hicks and Young (2017) highlight, teachers can use mentor texts to "help students develop 'the eyes of the writer' by pointing out ways authors use various writing techniques to achieve their purposes" (p. 177). Through examining mentor texts from different genres, I believe I was able to develop my own writer's craft.

Specifically, when reflecting on my understanding of the Descriptive Genre prior to my classmates presentation, I believed this genre to be all about the use of expressive and vivid language. However, during my peers' presentation, I learned the importance of this genre, as it helps writers "paint a picture" with their words; descriptive language makes a story come to life. During this presentation, my classmates shared that the descriptive genre includes specific information, word choice, sensory images, figurative language, and dialogue. To take this one step further, my classmates focused on the importance of word choice. Using the mentor text, My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook and Carrie Hartman, I used one illustration from the story and listed attribute words that came to mind. Then, I engaged in a quickwrite activity where I described the picture using these attributes I listed. Following this activity, I had the opportunity to find one rich sentence from the same mentor text and then, take out the descriptive words in order to make the sentence bland. Through these meaningful activities, I was able to recognize the power of word choice.

In addition, I believe I have a more principled understanding of the Biography Genre. Prior to this presentation, I understood that biographical writing consisted of accounts from real peoples lives and I often associated the biography genre with exceptional historical figures. But, during my classmates presentation, I had the opportunity to explore the mentor text A Thousand White Butterflies by Jessica Betancourt-Perez and Karen Lynn Williams and as I was considering the form of this personal narrative, I found myself captivated by the descriptive language. For example, to convey the sense of loneliness the main character felt, the authors wrote, "Outside the window, the United States is cold and gray. The trees without leaves are lonely. Like me." As I read through this book, I was able to recognize how descriptive language is important to every genre. Throughout the presentation, I appreciated that my classmates brought awareness to the concept of multigenre biographies as they each introduced themselves differently (Diary, Poem, Descriptive Language) - I had never recognized how biographical writing can encompass a variety of other genres. Also, as I discussed in my Blog Entry #11, I learned the importance of moving beyond the "script" and therefore, using the biography genre as a resource for students to see themselves within the literature. 

Lastly, when I reflect on the Poetry Genre, my immediate sense is intimidation; this may stem from my challenges learning about Edgar Allen Poe or simply, my own misconceptions around this genre. I believed that poetry had strict rules to follow and thus, when I attempted to write poetry, I was nervous I was not following these "rules." However, as I engaged in my classmates' presentation, I began to understand that there is nothing to fear about poetry. Specifically, for my peers' presentation, I had the opportunity to explore the mentor text My Thoughts Are Clouds by Georgia Heard. As I read through this text, I found a poem that made me feel a sense of calmness; this poem reminded me of the warmth of my grandmother's hug. Afterwards, my classmates provided us an opportunity to write our own poem, using the five senses. For my poem, I decided to focus on my love for The Thousand Islands. During the drafting stage, I wrote very brief descriptions (smells like laughter, feels like childhood memories), but once I began putting the poem together, I found myself using descriptive language in order to convey the joy that The Thousand Islands brings me - again, descriptive language is so important! Once I had finished writing my poem, I noticed that I was 'at ah' with how much I enjoyed it; plus, writing this poem came naturally. I really appreciated this activity and also, I loved the poetry coffee house. 

As I write this blog, I notice that I could go on and on about how I have gained a more principled understanding of the different genres. In this course, I truly enjoyed having the opportunity to engage in the Genre Expert Presentations and through the use of mentor texts, I have learned different writing techniques. Throughout each of my peers' presentations, I believe they all "...made explicit connections between reading and writing by focusing on components of the author's craft" (Rickards & Hawes, 2006, p. 370). In my future classroom, I will use what I learned from these presentations in order to develop a balanced-literacy approach to learning.

References:

MacKay, K.L., Ricks, P.H., & Young, T.A. (2017). Supporting young writers with award-

            winning books. The Reading Teacher, 71(2), 177-187.

Rickards, D. & Hawes, S. (2006). Connecting reading and writing through author's

            craft. The Reading Teacher, 60(4), 370-373.