I am reading through Elbow's Writing with Power (for the second time for at least some sections) for another course, so I appreciate and yet find the version in Longman at times too much of a simplification. For example, I tend to almost free write for all drafts, and then if I am lucky (and because I have been writing for so long, I am often lucky) that draft is very close to the final draft. However, I also understand that sometimes I will have to work through more revision steps to get to my ideas. Thus, what I like the most in the Longman chapter is the idea that writing is a process and not a product, and this is true regardless of one’s personal method of writing, and regardless of one’s skill at that moment in time.
I agree with Silver's idea about how writing is a process and not a product. To those students who have not had many writing assignments the students may feel that there are too many steps in the process to write. I wish I could be like you Silver and write great drafts and not have to revise much.
In response to Silver, I think that she may have a point about the oversimplification. I didn't really notice it until after reading this blog. I wonder if the intended audience is underclassmen? Or perhaps it just wants to keep it very basic so that the tutor can practice the "flexibility" that is emphasized so much? Or perhaps it stays basic because it realizes that the (soon-to-be) tutor is a student and thus doesn't want to overload the brain? I am speculating; I still found that, for me, because I have no prior knowledge of tutoring (at all) Longman-simple-style was perfect! :)
I guess that I am glad that the Longman book is simplified since I do not have any formal experience with tutoring. In this chapter, there is a guideline of how the writing process works, which I guess could be considered too simple; however, it gives a good overall basis of how the process works. Not everyone's approach will be the same and I am sure that I will encounter this as I begin meeting with students. The text does admit that models are quite general and must be individualized.
I am reading through Elbow's Writing with Power (for the second time for at least some sections) for another course, so I appreciate and yet find the version in Longman at times too much of a simplification. For example, I tend to almost free write for all drafts, and then if I am lucky (and because I have been writing for so long, I am often lucky) that draft is very close to the final draft. However, I also understand that sometimes I will have to work through more revision steps to get to my ideas. Thus, what I like the most in the Longman chapter is the idea that writing is a process and not a product, and this is true regardless of one’s personal method of writing, and regardless of one’s skill at that moment in time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Silver's idea about how writing is a process and not a product. To those students who have not had many writing assignments the students may feel that there are too many steps in the process to write. I wish I could be like you Silver and write great drafts and not have to revise much.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Silver, I think that she may have a point about the oversimplification. I didn't really notice it until after reading this blog. I wonder if the intended audience is underclassmen? Or perhaps it just wants to keep it very basic so that the tutor can practice the "flexibility" that is emphasized so much? Or perhaps it stays basic because it realizes that the (soon-to-be) tutor is a student and thus doesn't want to overload the brain?
ReplyDeleteI am speculating; I still found that, for me, because I have no prior knowledge of tutoring (at all) Longman-simple-style was perfect! :)
I guess that I am glad that the Longman book is simplified since I do not have any formal experience with tutoring. In this chapter, there is a guideline of how the writing process works, which I guess could be considered too simple; however, it gives a good overall basis of how the process works. Not everyone's approach will be the same and I am sure that I will encounter this as I begin meeting with students. The text does admit that models are quite general and must be individualized.
ReplyDelete