Last Blog :)

I thought this chapter was pretty interesting. It really made me think of the definition of grammar. I always considered grammar to simply deal with words and how to use them correctly in a sentence. However, it looks like grammar goes beyond this. 
I really like how they discuss topic sentences. I really do not like topic sentences, because they can be very generic and dry. 50-80% of papers written by professionals do not contain a topic sentence. If they are not using topic sentences to introduce a new topic, then why are we teaching and requiring our students to have a topic sentence in each paragraph? Noden states that, "Writers create paragraphs in context, and that context often doesn't require topic sentences.
The book provided many great examples on how to introduce concepts to writing using different forms of grammar. Connecting the Logic of Images with Transitions was a great section! The list of transitional signal words and phrases were wonderful. (I would love to hang up a poster with this information on it in my future classroom!) This not only helps students with their writing, but it also increases their vocabulary and the way they write their paper. 
Again, I cannot stress how much I have enjoyed Noden's lessons! The strategies that he provides after every chapter in the book are awesome! I can really see myself using the methods in my classroom. 

Noden's Chapter 5 :)

Noden brings up many interesting ways to use grammatical chunks in the classroom. He gives many examples of chunking and use different methods to instruct students using these methods. I really enjoyed reading this chapter, because it gave me great ideas on how to use this in a classroom. I think that students would really enjoy learning about how to use grammatical chunking. I think a good way to introduce this to students would be by introducing the brushstroke methods and then leading it into writing paragraphs about random topics, and then lead that into writing a paper. Noden lists so many great examples of pieces that use the examples that he talks about. This would be a great introduction also to each chunking that I would introduce to students also.

I brought this up in my seventh grade classroom and I think that they really enjoyed this. I used the painting something that is invisible. I had to explain it a few times and give several examples before they fully grasped it, but in the end, they came up with some great pieces! It was really exciting, because they felt that they were doing "college level work!" They really got into it :)

Adjectives!

I was super excited to read Anderson's section on adjectives and adverbs, because they are my favorite parts of speech! I love when kids begin to figure out what adjectives are and they begin applying them to their own creative pieces. It is so interesting to observe how kids will pile adjective on top of adjective when they first begin writing. However, if one monitors their work, one can begin to tell how their writing style has changed. I think it is essential for students to know and have a clear understanding on how to use these parts of speech, because (personally) I think this makes or breaks a paper.
I find it so much easier to read a paper that is filled with vivid details about the scenery and the people who are in the story! Teachers should begin to show their students mentor texts from the beginning of the learning process on adjectives. I really liked the one that Anderson included : "Her eyes opened, closed, opened again, pale and opaque." This is a great example to show students so they don't just say, "She had pale and opaque eyes that constantly opened and closed."
I really like the AAAWWUBBIS as Titles that Anderson included as well when discussing adverbs. I know that I would love to have a sign displaying this and example written below it. It really helps me out when I am writing a paper so that I do not have a misused adverb clause. I know I get confused about where to insert a comma, so this may also address that issue with students who are unsure about this as well.
Again, I really can't emphasize enough how much I enjoy reading Anderson's book. He has really shown me how to use grammar effectively in a classroom without having to actually sit the students down and have them fill out boring worksheets and perform tidious activites that will not benefit them at all when it comes down to using grammar effectively.

Yay for Multigenre Writing :)

I have never heard of the Multigenre Paper before we discussed it in class on Thursday. I think it is a creative, yet very informational way to writing after a project or novel. I am really looking forward to writing this paper. Not only because of the freedom that comes along with this type of paper, but also it is a great way to get your ideas out in the open and have people be interested in reading what you have to say. I believe students would prefer writing a paper like this. It may be a little longer in length, but it consists of a number of different elements of writing. It not only teaches them how to address an audience in the form of writing a short, formal paper, but it also gives the writer the ability to construct other dimensions of writing such as poetry, journal writing, blog entries, and so on! If a writer is not confident in one way of writing, then he/she could show their skill through another way. I think my favorite thing about this type of writing is the freedom:)! I really wish I had the ability to write an essay like this in high school and even in my first few years of college. It gives the educator a great way to looking at each students individual abilities instead of giving them a  flat, dry topic and way to writing.

Grammar Traditionally?

I was in an English classroom over spring break and had to conduct a lesson on grammar. It took all I could to tell the teacher that this will not really benefit the students at all and it is just a waste of classtime. I handed out a paper on noun and verb agreement and twenty minutes later, I went over the worksheet. The lesson was over after that...never to be touched on again! Ughh, I was utterly disappointed. I believe next time I will bring in Noden's textbook and show her what we are learning! :) ....((I also did DOL's all week with the class.))

Teaching grammar in isolation to writing has been found again and again to have little if any positive effect on students' writing. I cannot believe that teachers' today are not seeing this in their own classrooms! I wonder if they just do not care about this statistic or if they do not want to change up their lesson plan. I really, really want to have an answer for this question. It has really been bothering me for sometime now. I cannot believe the evidence that Noden provides and actually going into the classroom and visually being able to experience grammar and writing being seperated is crazy. I could not help but get frustrated over the lesson I was "teaching". The kids were obviously not learning anything!

"Good writing is not produced by mere grammar study!" I love this quote, and I am sure I have posted it in several blogs, but I believe it to be 100% true.

First off, I just want to start out by saying that I loved the Strategy 1 test that Noden provided us with in Chapter 10. How crazy is it that people compare a person's intelligence level by how proper their grammar usage is and how well they spell. (I'm a horrible speller, so I know how rude people can be sometimes!) This test does make it known though that people will respect you more if you have a greater knowledge of our English language and its grammar. I think that this would be a wise choice to give students/class if they ask, "Why do we need learn grammar/English?" It clearly states that business executives will support the notion that grammatical skills directly affect promotion. I, also, believe that this test would also encourage kids to want to learn (at least a little bit) more about grammar. It would be nice for a teacher to see their students progress as well as the students to see their progress as well. It's motivational!
I also liked the list that Noden gave on page 235. It contains the twenty most common errors in their order of frequency. This would be a great way for teachers' to know exactly what they should focus on when it comes to grammar and teaching their students. Why bother teaching a subject on nouns when they already know how to use a noun and what a noun is. Teachers should focus on what their students are struggling with....this leads to better writing. :)
Anderson does such a great job at teaching grammar! I hope that I can teach my students the way that Anderson has been teaching me during the semester. If I can do half of what he has done for me, then I believe I will be a great educator! I love the Pronoun Case that he gives on page 112. I think this is a great sign to have displaying in the classroom. If students see these signs/posters, I believe they are more willing to look and try to learn it on their own time as well.

Interesting Idea, Noden.

As I was reading through Noden's text, I must admit I was a little apprehensive about his ideas of imitating without plagiarizing. After reading and a lot of thinking, I believe that Noden's idea would be a great way to approach writing for students who do not like to write or have a hard time with coming up with creative ideas at the beginning of the writing process. My favorite approach that Noden discussed was the Pooh Perplex Approach. I really enjoyed reading the examples he put in the book such as "The Old Man and The Seal and The Old Man and The PC. "It creates a parody of a serious piece of writing." I think this would be a great (and creative) way to test students at the end of a novel. We (as future teachers) could give the students the option of taking a test on the novel or writing a short parody of the story (maybe 5 pages in length) and presenting it to the class. Personally, I would chose the story! :)
I really liked the strategies section of the text also. We already read about the Writer's Notebook, but I am pleased to see Noden also recognized this as a wonderful resource for students. I really liked his idea of painting from a family photograph. This could be an exercise to be used in class as a writing prompt for journal writing. Create your Own Edgar Allen Humpty is another awesome writing prompt for students. These could all be used in a creative writing course! (I am getting so many great ideas! Yay!) I am going to be bringing up some of these ideas next time I am in my 7th grade classroom.