When I went back to college five years ago I pretty much had to start at the beginning because it had been so long since I had gone to school. So one of the first classes I took was English 1010...I was scared to death, especially after the first night. I don't remember writing very many papers in high school and it looked like that was all we would be doing...scary!! The first night we were asked to come up with a thesis for a paper we would write the next time we came to class. I walked out of class wondering what the heck that word even meant. Good thing I had a daughter who liked to write and so I went home and asked her what it meant. She laughed at me because it was just a topic for my paper that I wanted to write about. That being said...writing has always been hard for me, probably because I had a bad attitude about it.
While in this English class I had to write a paper about any topic so I chose True Love. I feel like it still exists because of my long marriage history. I had to write several rough drafts and I think the paper was like 5-7 pages long...probably the longest paper I've ever had to write. I created the paper from the experiences that I had in my own life and is was reviewed by several of my peers first before it was turned in to my professor. I didn't get an A on the paper, but I did feel like I got a good grade based on my previous writing experience. My professor left detailed feedback on my paper that helped me write better throughout the rest of the semester. I can't say that I am any better at writing, but I feel like my knowledge of writing has improved. Not everyone agreed with the opinion I had, but it was interesting to realize that because of our different experiences in life we could share why we felt that way.
I was pretty happy with the paper I wrote and felt like it was a great accomplishment compared to the past. I have been thinking this semester that math is full of text and I have thought about it in a different way.
On a side note...I decided to research if there was a way music can inspire you to write better. Here's a video that I found: Study Music. I think I could actually write a paper to this music...it seems to be calming and lets your brain just explore different ideas. Music has always helped me study and remember things.
I think you could definitely use music to encourage writing AND mathematics in your class room! What a fun atmosphere for students! And I really like your story of bravery with writing and learning things you never knew before! Way to go Dera!
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Hello Miss Dera...I enjoy reading your posts! I also really struggled with what a thesis was (in fact, sometimes I still do). I never like having to share my personal essays with others in my class, somehow I always wrote about pieces of me that I wouldn't normally share, so sharing with classmates was never my favorite thing. My favorite writing assignment was also something personal; my parents divorce and how it shaped me into a part of who I am today. I think writing about things that mean so much to us and that we can pull experiences from our own lives are so much more fun to write about! Thanks for your post! See you next class period! :)
ReplyDeleteI always thought that it was amazing that music and math can go hand in hand, or rather that you can express yourself not only through music by writing in math. I really am happy to her your story and how you were able to write about things you never heard of before. Also It is amazing how the music is helping you to remember things you couldn't before.
ReplyDeleteI think that music is an awesome addition to writing and the classroom. I always find myself working better if I listen to soft, calm music. Even though my music usually starts as classical and ends up with me rocking out to my guilty pleasures Taylor Swift or One Direction (yes I know I'm not 13...haha) but music really can help in so many ways. I think that adding music could be an awesome addition to your math class, especially in writing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your posting Dera. I think people do a disservice to students when they present writing as nothing more than writing organized polished essays. In math, writing can be as simple as "write the pattern you notice in the graph," which could be just one or two sentences, but still helps them to think and to articulate their thoughts using mathematical vocabulary. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteI love that your daughter was able to help with your homework! In trying to keep pace with technology children are also a valuable resource. I envision students asking questions and me answering, "I don't know either, let's figure it out together."
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