It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens[1] and carcinoma,
Chemotherapy consultations
and panic attacks in the radiation machine.
I am crying in the bathroom.[2]
It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens and chain smoking
outside of Classroom One,
and the Business Academy, and just about everywhere.
Cancer of the mouth should have been me.
EDG 4410; SECTION 08; MONDAYS 10:30-1:20
Jerome Bruner’s creation of the “concept attainment” model of teaching has opened new, productive ways to teach elements of literature to students, for it allows the readers to search through information to draw conclusions about a subject. “Concept attainment” is the search for and identification of attributes that can be used to distinguish examples of a given group or category from non-examples (“Instructional Strategies Online”). Because definitions of literary terms are often infused, students usually have a misunderstanding of what a term means. “Students and even, at times, educators think that if you know what something is called, you understand the meaning of the word. Vygotsky (1986) commented, ‘A word does not refer to a single object, but to a group or to a class of objects. Each word is therefore already a generalization’ (p. 6)” (Boulware 492). The best way to establish new meaning to a previously determined word is to apply “concept attainment.”
To use the “concept attainment” model of teaching when describing the word ‘metaphor,’ the students must search through examples and non examples of a metaphor. After the class agrees on the attributes of a metaphor, they create a definition. Once the word is again defined, the students create examples of a metaphor to show their grasp of new knowledge. Rather than being told another definition, “concept attainment” gives the students the opportunity to create their own meaning based on logic and relationships of words and abstracts. This not only creates a clearer image of a metaphor for the students, but also enhances their critical thinking skills.
“The three phases of this strategy allow students to follow an inductive sequence, drawing conclusions through a group exploration of the concept presented. In phase 1 of the strategy, the students examine the concept and form a hypothesis about its attributes. During phase 2, students test and confirm their idea and learn the name of the concept presented. Finally, in phase 3, the students analyze the thinking strategies they used to derive the new concept (Holt & Kysilka, 2006; Joyce et al., 2004)” (Boulware).
It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens and singularity.
Melodies while walking to class, head hung low[3];
Maintaining the rhythm while shielding from
the steps of strangers who have other places to be.
It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens and godliness,
and godlessness, and, “Oh, God, where are you now?”[4]
We wished in the waiting room,
(Where He was never witnessed).
TSL 4240; SECTION 02; TUESDAYS/ THURSDAYS 9:00-10:15
One of the trickiest things for an English Language Learner (ELL) is prepositions, for they are often not heard in common conversation. A Native English Speaker (NES) produces sentences quickly, and often does not enunciate the preposition in between words. For example, a NES does not place emphasis on the bold word in the sentence, “I’m placing creamer in my coffee.” Instead, a NES says, “I’m placing creamer ‘n my coffee.” Often time, an ELL will substitute a preposition for another because of this fallacy. Then, when facing an English comprehension test, an ELL student will not be able to clearly identify which preposition works for said sentence, for “on” or “in” might have been heard. This greatly affects an ELL’s writing ability for they are limited by their hearing of casual conversation.
Phrasal verbs often intimidate ELLs, although they are extremely common in the English language. Phrasal verbs are a verb + a preposition, which have meaning on their own. An example of a phrasal verb is “She ran up a huge bill,” or “The plane took off the runway.” The girl did not literally run (or swiftly jog) up a bill, but an ELL might think that. Instead, the meaning of the sentence is that she incurred a large bill. The plane did not literally take a runway, but instead, left the runway. This can be very confusing when an ELL sits down to write, for without the context clues in conversation, they can fear they are using the wrong meaning of the phrasal verb.
It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens and the iPod,
the iPhone, the iPad, and the iLove.
Relationship discourse through distance and devices,
when work wanted travel at inopportune times.
It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens and lonely birthdays,
And even lonelier nights.
We lift our hands and pray over your body
But nothing ever happens.[5]
ENC 3311; SECTION 01; TUESDAYS/ THURSDAYS 10:30-11:45
When writing an academic essay, the use of “I” is not recommended, but can be appropriate when a text calls for it. “Some scholarly writers claim that they should not use a first-person subject, because they need to create an objective point of view” (Williams 64). Yet, some academic essays do not want an objective POV from the audience, for they instead seek to gain specific response from the reader. An essay is deemed academic if it exposes something to the reader with a specific goal in mind. Academic essays can explain a concept, share an idea, or offer a story in a perfectly constructed format. “When academics writers do use the first person, however, they use it in certain ways, […] the first person I and we are common in scholarly prose when used with verbs that name actions unique to the writer,” (Williams 67).
The most challenging way to complete an academic essay in the first person has been said to be an experimental academic essay, for the author has to identify which rules to bend, to break, and to adhere to. An author also has to recognize their intended audience, and honor the fact that some of their readers might become lost if the essay is too formal/distant/ personal/ confusing/experimental/racist/sexist/evil/bitchy/breathes the wrong way. Through the use of stylistic elements such as manipulation and coherence, the author can generally predict how their work will be perceived.
It was the semester of Sufjan Stevens and writing about writing
(which is as redundant as it seems),
when a twenty-year-old friend is dying of cancer.
And He takes, and He takes, and He takes.[6]
Work Cited
Boulware, Beverly J., and Mary Lynn Crow. "Using the Concept Attainment Strategy to Enhance Reading Comprehension." The Reading Teacher 61.6 (2008): 491-95. ERIC. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
"Instructional Strategies Online - Concept Attainment." Online Learning Centre. Ed. Saskatoon Public Schools. 2004. Web. 21 Apr. 2010.
Stevens, Sufjan. "Casimir Pulaski Day." Rec. 2004. Come On, Feel the Illinois. Sufjan Stevens. Sufjan Stevens, 2005. CD.
Williams, Joseph M. "Characters." Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Ninth ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 64-67. Print.
[1] American Christian folk writer/singer (1975-?)
[2] Song lyric from Sufjan Stevens’ “Casimir Pulaski Day”
[3] Song lyric from Sufjan Stevens’ “Casimir Pulaski Day”
[4] a Sufjan Stevens’ song
[5] Song lyrics from Sufjan Steven’s “Casimir Pulaski Day”
[6] Song lyric from Sufjan Steven’s “Casimir Pulaski Day”
No comments:
Post a Comment