Unit Four Activity Four- Workshop 4: Different Purposes

After viewing the video presentation on the different purposes for writing it cemented the view that usually students do not know why they are writing. Thus, it is the teacher's responsibility to assist learners in finding their purposes for writing. The purpose of one's writing is often tied to the audience that the writer has in mind. Consequently, this will determine the form of the piece. For example, if the writer's purpose is to persuade his audience of a particular view, then he will use a persuasive piece to relate his views. Similarly, in poetry if the poet seeks to present an argument then he will do so in the form of a sonnet. Therefore, it is vital that we teach students the purpose of writing. By teaching our students skills for each purpose of writing, we equip them with for life outside of the school environment. Thus, the transition will be easier for them when they need to produce pieces of writing.

Additionally, we need to expose our students to different genres. The exposure to different genres will highlight to students the purpose for each genre. It is essential also, that we show the relevance of their writing to their everyday life in order to make the writing more meaningful.

I really enjoyed the Art lesson used in the video to help students write their compositions. I found it was creative and appealed to each type of learner in its own unique way. Students  were given the instructions to create their own monsters, while writing down instructions so that another student can attempt to draw the monster. After the students were drawn, it was obvious that their writings lacked clarity in expression and that they needed to be more specific so that others could understand. Also, the teacher was able to show provide students with occupations where they would need to use this kind of technical writing.

Moreover, the video also highlighted that students need to be taught to value their ideas through the use of journals, logs or quick writes. The video reinforced the idea of allowing students to write and value what they write. As a result, when I do return to the clasroom, I intend to use some if not all of the strategies  to encourage my students to write, enjoy what they write and see the relevance of their writing. I enjoyed the video and found it very useful in my understanding of making the writing classes meaningful to students.