Memorandum Reflection

Overall, I think that the memorandum assignment was very beneficial for all of us in this class. Despite the fact that the majority of my peers are going for jobs as elementary school teachers and I'm going for a secondary school position, I think this project covered both ends of the spectrum. It set up a basis for arguing our points and for reccomending new cirriculum. It was also effective in tying in the article assignements that we have been working on. These two projects provided me with a wealth of new knowledge on how to approach obstacles as an educator. The individual reccommendations in the memorandum were probably the most helpful. I was able to sum up my argument first so I knew where I was headed and then go back and give it supporting evidence. Usually, I work from introduction to conclusion but working backward in this case, was very helpful. This project familiarized me with the structure and the vocabulary that is essential in this field.

Correctness

Grammar is essential to writing. It is one thing to be able to write out your thoughts but it is a completely different thing to get people to actually understand what you are writing. Fragments, improperly used words and poor punctuation can all hurt your arguments. Often these problems impede on the reader's learning of the subject matter. If they don't understand what you're saying because of all the grammatical errors, you are never going to get people to understand your thought process. Poor grammar can also reflect poorly on the author's credibility.

There are a variety of words such accept and except that sound similiar and to make it worse, spell check ignores improper uses of these words most of the time. The difference of these words can change the meaning of an entire sentence and therefore alter your argument.

Relating Articles.

Overall, I think that the articles that we all read demonstrated that the first principle of getting student to write is to make them interested in what they're writing. Gone are the techniques of the past that encouraged students to do a watch and repeat method. By incorporating their own experiences, students are able to get past the difficulties of understanding the subject matter and are just able to learn how to write. I think all of the articles encouraged a one-step-at-a-time method. Basically, let's get these students writing but let's start with something they understand. Learning how to read more effectively comes along with learning how to write. Writers pick up new vocabulary, new methods of approaching ideas, and figure out how to put it all together so it makes sense. All of these articles presented the fact that writing and reading abilities are conjoined in a way. A student who knows how to write effectively can probably pick up reading material outside of their own lives easier.

Another main concept that has come up over and over again is the fact that students that are struggling with English are not going to suddenly become geniuses at it over night. They need positive reinforcement and need to be given assignments that they can do. ESL students will pick up more if they understand how things relate to their lives.

Finally, reading and writing instruction needs to change with the times, as all other things do. Teaching for the soul purpose of getting students to do well on standardized tests is helping no one.

Relating Articles.

Overall, I think that the articles that we all read demonstrated that the first principle of getting student to write is to make them interested in what they're writing. Gone are the techniques of the past that encouraged students to do a watch and repeat method. By incorporating their own experiences, students are able to get past the difficulties of understanding the subject matter and are just able to learn how to write. I think all of the articles encouraged a one-step-at-a-time method. Basically, let's get these students writing but let's start with something they understand. Learning how to read more effectively comes along with learning how to write. Writers pick up new vocabulary, new methods of approaching ideas, and figure out how to put it all together so it makes sense. All of these articles presented the fact that writing and reading abilities are conjoined in a way. A student who knows how to write effectively can probably pick up reading material outside of their own lives easier.

Another main concept that has come up over and over again is the fact that students that are struggling with English are not going to suddenly become geniuses at it over night. They need positive reinforcement and need to be given assignments that they can do. ESL students will pick up more if they understand how things relate to their lives.

Finally, reading and writing instruction needs to change with the times, as all other things do. Teaching for the soul purpose of getting students to do well on standardized tests is helping no one.