The relationship between reading and writing is complex. In fact, sometimes we write ourselves into comprehension. Or put another way, we write ourselves into understanding. A rather dramatic example of this is Supreme Court Justice Kennedy who originally voted on the side of Chief Rehnquist in the case of Planned Parenthood vs. Casey but sat down to write his position and came out on the other side of the decision, thus changing his vote.
Writing plays a critical role in our processing of information. We make meaning as we take in information, process it, evaluate it, and ultimately communicate it. However, there isn’t really a universal style of writing. After all, the language and grammar of Fifty Shades of Gray is a little different from a textbook on human sexuality. The purposes of each are unique. Therefore, writing a log / journal for FACS should have a different tone and purpose than an analysis written for U.S. History or a lab report for earth science.
Now here is the trick. To become better at writing in each of these disciplines, students need some specific tools. First, they need to read deeply within each discipline. When I started grad school, I will never forget my first classes where people used a combination of words and phrases that were completely new to me. I kept a running list of those words and phrases. Then I read EVERYTHING. If they assigned it, I read it. If they recommended additional texts, I read those too. And I marked them up, looking for phrases or words that I liked. I highlighted passages that had an interesting flow or logical build. As I began to write, I flagrantly stole jargon and tones of my favorite writers. And with a unique blend of the researchers and writers I admired and respected, I created my own voice within this field.
Second, we have to give students the opportunity to write. While it would be nice if they came to the writing experience on their own, the reality is that we need to push them into it. For this, we need to balance prompts and assignments that are innovative and creative with more traditional formats and structures (ie. five paragraph essays, lab reports, literary analysis etc). This is not easy. The assessment of writing is time consuming and draining. The constant battle against plagiarism and other questionable academic choices can be discouraging. However, we do no one any favors by dodging or scaling back our writing assignments.
At the risk of revisiting ground that I have covered in earlier newsletters, I am going to review some important tips for assigning and assessing the writing skills of students. See those tips in the full newsletter here.
