Discipline-Specific Writing and Assessment

Throughout my schooling, the social studies have been tested in a variety of ways.  Early on, elementary and early junior high school teachers allowed students to express learning in tangible or creative ways.  Posters, drawings, maps, and plays were just some of the ways knowledge was expressed and assessed.  As I progressed through school, the assignments and assessments became more stagnant and repetitive.  By the time I got to high school, the social studies subjects were assessed solely through papers and multiple choice tests.  Because of my innate interest in these subjects, the boring assessments did little to hinder my excitement.  For my classmates however, the social studies classes became a challenge and burden.  

Perhaps if my teachers had provided alternate and creative opportunities to learn and express ideas, more students would have developed a life long interest in the social sciences and a better understanding of the world around them.  The multiple choice and essay assessments limited learning and critical understanding.  My junior high and high school teachers could have incorporated higher learning and interest into their classrooms if they, like my elementary school teachers, had provided interesting and creative methods for learning and assessment. 

Whether I teach 7th or 12th grade, I plan to incorporate creativity and alternate assessments into my classroom.  Multiple choice tests and well planned essays have an important place in social studies classrooms and will likely be used in my own.  Additionally, I plan to use maps, drawings, debates, plays, and other alternative assessments that will help my students develop an interest in and love for the social sciences.  The skills used in these assessments will also be transferable to other classes and real life situations.       

Affective Dimensions of Writing- Round 2

I express myself most easily through art and music.  I often pull out my sketchbook or sit down to the piano when I can't find other ways to express my emotions.  Not surprisingly, I typically consider myself more of an artist or musician than a writer.  However, I have used writing many times throughout my life to express ideas both formally and informally.

As a kid, I wrote fictional stories in an informal and nonjudgmental setting.  My older sister had an amazing imagination and big dreams of becoming a writer.  As a result, I learned to enjoy writing as well.  My mother had a big envelope full of interesting writing prompts from which we would each select our topics.  Then we would set a timer for ten minutes and begin our stories.  When the time ran out, we switched papers and began working on each others.  After switching papers multiple times, the end results were two stories written by our combined efforts and creativity.

The writing I do now is usually individual and related to a school assignment.  I rarely write for recreation now because I am often too busy writing history papers for my university classes.  Although I write primarily for formal reasons now, I continue to enjoy writing.  I especially love writing papers in response to novels.  Some of my history classes have incorporated novels into the curriculum and assigned accompanying papers.  These are my favorite essays to write because the professors usually allow for more creativity and interpretation than a typical history essay permits.

Despite my relatively positive experiences with writing, I have endured many long and painful writing assignments.  Some teachers have asked for papers that are too long, give no structure, or provide little feedback, making the writing process particularly difficult. 

Based on my past experiences, I hope I can contribute to my future classroom by cultivating an environment where students are excited and confident about their writing.  I want students to be proud of their ability to express their thoughts through writing in a variety of ways.  I like the idea my mother had to have an envelope full of writing prompts.  I have considered doing the same thing in a history classroom where students who aren't sure what to write about can chose a prompt at random from carefully selected and relevant list.  I also plan to provide both formal and informal writing opportunities for my students.  If students are too focused on a grade each time they write, they may leave out some of their creativity and unique voice.  By allowing informal writing that won't be graded, students will have opportunities to express themselves honestly and may even learn to enjoy recreational writing.