Writing . The Process Model
Milner & Milner discuss in their book Bridging English that writing is process. Writers often "struggle to frame [their] thoughts and capture and express them in words" (295). By making writing a process rather than a product students will learn to value the process of writing.
Milner & Milner set a table that shows the difference between the Product and Process approach to writing. Table from page 297.
The Product Model
Expository essays are the staple of school writing
Grammar study, handbook rules, and exercises lead to good writing. Mini-lessons and student teacher conferences are the primary means of direct instruction.
Good writing is based on models and formal guidelines
Teachers are the single audience for student writing.
Teacher-corrected papers are central to the teaching effort.
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The Process Model
Writing is self-initiated: everybody has a story to tell
All modes of writing are respected equally
Prewriting, writing, and rewriting produce good writing.
Meaning precedes and determines questions of form.
Writing should be read like literature by a diverse audience.
Conferencing with students organizing other readers is central to the teaching effort.
This lends itself well to the idea of the writing workshop. In workshops, students work together to produce, edit, and revise multiple drafts of a piece of writing. Milner & Milner say that there are 7 principles to begin the writing workshop (299-300).
1. Writers need regular chunks of time.
2. Writers need their won topics.
3. Writers need response.
4. Writers learn mechanics in context.
5. Young writers need to know adults who write.
6. Writers need to read.
7. Writing teachers need to take responsibility for their knowledge and teaching.
Basically, students need time, ownership, and response for the writing process. Vygotsky's theory on learning says that students have a zone of proximal development. Through scaffolding the learning process and having students challenge eachother's 'zone', then they will undoubtedly begin to learn the a process of writing. They will gain new perspectives and allow their writing to be shaped by recursive thought processes. Group sharing and portfolio work will certainly give students a real audience, and by building a community in the classroom, students will be motivated to produce quality work - work in which they really want to invest themselves in.
