Belated 5 paragraphs.
So I missed my post last week about the 5 paragraph essay. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. To my faithful readers: I'll do everything I can to make it up to you, I promise.
I find myself in the heat of battle over this issue. As I prepare myself to start student teaching in a few weeks, I realize that I will actually have to make a decision about this. Soon. I talked over the issue for a little time today with one of my cooperating teachers and was still left wondering what I should do. "It's your call when it comes to a polished writing piece," he told me, though I know where his allegiance lies, "we do stress that format here, but it's up to you." This got me thinking about the purposes for the FPT.
1)Organization: This will be part of a eleventh and twelfth grade class. They couldn't have gotten this far without some understanding of organization right? True, True, but these are the kids who might need more help emphasising their ideas and putting them together. On the other hand, I'm going to have some really disengaged kids... wouldn't a more open ended piece be more appropriate, with more room to explore? Well yes, but I've heard time and time again that my students need "clearly defined assignments, goals, and grading criteria, otherwise they'll be lost."
2) Learning how to work effectively and imaginatively within given constraints: This is the one that really kills me. I know how much this sucks. I've had to do this over and over again, and it's agitating. This is not the class to try and do this. It's an elective, after all, and there may be a mutiny if I try to pull this over on them. On the other hand, a lot of these kids are going to need to show this skill in the workplace and in college... it will help them better understand their topic, right?
3)FPT's are easy to grade and assign: this may be a stronger argument than it sounds. My kids are comfortable with writing this type of paper. It's pounded into their heads. After all, it'll be easier for me and them to finish this type of assignment.
I think the key to solving this predicament is finding a middle ground (like so many other arguments.) Perhaps I'll just assign the most engaging, AMAZING fpt that anyone has ever seen!
Ideas anyone?
I find myself in the heat of battle over this issue. As I prepare myself to start student teaching in a few weeks, I realize that I will actually have to make a decision about this. Soon. I talked over the issue for a little time today with one of my cooperating teachers and was still left wondering what I should do. "It's your call when it comes to a polished writing piece," he told me, though I know where his allegiance lies, "we do stress that format here, but it's up to you." This got me thinking about the purposes for the FPT.
1)Organization: This will be part of a eleventh and twelfth grade class. They couldn't have gotten this far without some understanding of organization right? True, True, but these are the kids who might need more help emphasising their ideas and putting them together. On the other hand, I'm going to have some really disengaged kids... wouldn't a more open ended piece be more appropriate, with more room to explore? Well yes, but I've heard time and time again that my students need "clearly defined assignments, goals, and grading criteria, otherwise they'll be lost."
2) Learning how to work effectively and imaginatively within given constraints: This is the one that really kills me. I know how much this sucks. I've had to do this over and over again, and it's agitating. This is not the class to try and do this. It's an elective, after all, and there may be a mutiny if I try to pull this over on them. On the other hand, a lot of these kids are going to need to show this skill in the workplace and in college... it will help them better understand their topic, right?
3)FPT's are easy to grade and assign: this may be a stronger argument than it sounds. My kids are comfortable with writing this type of paper. It's pounded into their heads. After all, it'll be easier for me and them to finish this type of assignment.
I think the key to solving this predicament is finding a middle ground (like so many other arguments.) Perhaps I'll just assign the most engaging, AMAZING fpt that anyone has ever seen!
Ideas anyone?
posted by Justin at 3:25 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home