Entry #6

Dear Dr. Jones,

I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to work with you again this semester in LTED 618! This class has been very exciting, fun, and enlightening as far as learning about ways that I can support my students with their writing in creative ways. Not only have I learned about helping future students, but I have learned about myself as well and how to see writing in a different way compared to my previous beliefs of the writing process. When I found out that I was taking a creative writing class, I was very excited because I love to be creative and find ways to make things engaging and fun; a reason why I decided to go into teaching. However, I wasn't exactly sure about what to expect as far as course work, assignments, and readings. Luckily, I was pleased to find out that many of our assignments are fun and engaging, especially our genre pieces project. I'm so excited to focus on a topic that isn't related to education and something that means a lot to me personally. One thing that has surprised me about this course is the focus on digital writing and the role it plays in our society today! Whenever I thought about writing in the past, my mind went directly to pen and paper. It's very beneficial to learn about all of the other ways students can be engaged in their writing.

When considering my habits of mind, I instantly think about curiosity and creativity. These are two habits of mind that I have developed throughout this semester, and these are two elements that I always try to push myself to work on! I want to be curious when thinking about engaging and motivating students, so I always want to be open to new ideas and new ways of learning. This has become possible through all of the digital devices that exist for me to look up, try out, and apply myself. Second, I believe it's very easy for creativity to be taken away from students in the classroom environment, so I always want to allow for creativity, especially because this is something that I love doing on my own. I believe this course has allowed me to compose in multiple environments and in many different ways.

One specific instructional strategy that I have really enjoyed is the index card activity for prewriting. This activity was very eye opening for me because I have always been against the prewriting stage. Personally, I have always skipped this stage because I just wanted to get right to writing my piece. I didn't see how this stage was beneficial because if I just began writing, then my ideas would take shape. However, the index card activity allowed me to organize all of the thoughts in my head and incorporate them in a way that helped me to reflect their importance. It was also extremely beneficial to receive another's perspective on my piece because I was able to look at it in a different way and notice areas where I needed to think more critically about. This activity is something that I will use as a future teacher to emphasize the importance of pre-writing.

Although I really enjoy this class, it has been difficult to differentiate between all of the required assignments and projects I've been assigned to complete. I believe there is a lot of information to be aware of for each project, and I want to make sure that I'm on the right track for each assignment. However, it's very easy for me to become overwhelmed with work, and sometimes I need lots of reminders, clarifications, and structured instructions to help me truly understand what I'm being asked to do. I'm certain that as I continue the course and begin to see the presentations of others, I will have a better understanding of everything. I have already gained more clarity about the Collaborative Exploration and Analysis of Digital Writing Tools assignment just based on seeing what it looks like on Moodle. I know I'll get there, it just takes time!

I'm looking forward to the rest of the semester and learning all of the different ways I can promote writing. I already have a more positive outlook on writing! :)