Writing from their Lives: The Power of One

Michigan Reading Association Cobo HallDetroit, MI 03/19/16

A’Kena LongBenton, ABD, EdSWayne State [email protected]

Writing from their Lives: "The Power of One" Academic/Creative Writing Prompts

Share their Stories

• To remove the angst of assessment, students should be allowed to have academic creative outlets, i.e., fiction, poetry, drama, non-fiction, or prose writing.

• What better way to experience writing than through our own stories?

• Alfred Tatum (2009), a literacy professor and author, suggested that powerful teaching moments result when students are allowed to read and write personalized engaging texts.

• Texts become personalized when they are connected to the students’ lineage.

• For our unengaged students, (especially African American adolescent males) provocative topics, writing prompts, and templates can serve as assistance to them.

Writing from their Lives

• For example, students can write poems or short stories on personal and relevant topics i.e.,

• to stop one bullet; • to stop one pregnancy; • to stop one drop out; • to bring one father home; • to save one younger brother; or • a topic of their choice (Reading for their Life, p. 101).

The Power of One• Similarly, Danielle DeFauw (2012) agreed and urged writers to

“zone in on one” instead of addressing a concept from a large scheme/societal standpoint.

• With the “Power of One” angle, our stories become more personalized and as a result more powerful.

• For example, how cancer affects my family is more powerful than addressing cancer from a global and holistic viewpoint.

• Clearly, this latter method is too broad and loses its effect on writers and readers.

Guarding Against Stereotypes• In contrast, Chimamanda Adichie (2009) in a TEDGlobal video passionately disagreed.

She argued that single stories perpetuate stereotypes (“The Danger of a Single Story” http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html).

• This position is readily accepted when cultures differ from the author and his/her audience. However, when culture clashes do not exist, then the “Power of One” writing method is quite effective.

• It is important to note that even when writers and readers’ culture is the same, their frame of reference will always differ (No two people’s frame of reference will ever be the same due to our varied experiences.).

• However, with this former example, writers and readers do not have the double burden of culture clashes and varied frames of reference.

Thought-provoking Questions

• As teachers, we instruct our students to “write…write…write…and write some more,” but how often do we write?

• As much as we critique our students’ writing, are we willing to be vulnerable enough to share our creations, performances, and/or writings with our overly critical students?

Vulnerability Video

• http://goo.gl/A8hCcX

Presentation Premise

• As a regular practice, I allow my students to assess my performance.

• Specifically, in my college communication and English courses, I deliver speeches and share my published writings with students, respectively.

• This sharing pre-exposes students to the grading rubric that will assess their performance.

• It illustrates the confidence in my own performance.

• Student voices are heard.

• Builds students’ confidence.

• Builds classroom community, i.e., “We’re all in this learning process together.”

Modeling Expectations

• Because, I am a proponent of modeling, sharing my performances allows me to model the behavioral objectives that I expect my students to ultimately demonstrate.

• I believe that students best perform when expectations are first modeled for them.

Turning the Tables

• Besides, students get a genuine “kick” out of the “tables being turned” where they can ultimately assess their teachers.

Student Engagement

• It’s also very interesting to witness how engaged they are in this section of the lesson.

Naysayers

• Of course, you will have the student whose goal is to give you a “C” or lower regardless of how stellar your performance is.

Lies vs. Truth

• However, the majority of the class will not have “personal axes to grind.”

• Plus, the “get even” students just expose where their intentions lie (no pun intended).

• Their scores just serve as outliers and do not affect the instructor’s median and mode scores.

Who’s the author?

• As a former high school teacher, I remember reading an engaging text to my 9th grade students and them later asking who the author was (I purposefully omitted this notable detail.).

Focus on the Believers

• I casually responded, “Me.”

• The first time, most of the class was amazed!

• Of course, a few skeptics didn’t believe it, but then again, they rarely believed anything.

• Once proven, they later accepted my response as “truth.”

Animoto Examples

• goo.gl/0zsp3k

• Nearly 30 self-created Animoto videos in the following disciplines:– English– Math– Science– Social Studies– Technology – Writing

• Similarly, there is a creation, performance, and/or writing in all of us…just waiting to be shared. Have you shared yours lately?

Sharing cont.

• As a college instructor, I am committed to further sharing mine as I instruct my students.

• Please join me and share your writings, performances, and/or creations with your students.

• It will positively change the relationship that you have with them. Guaranteed!

No Guarantees

• OK, well…maybe, there are no guarantees in education.

• Yet, this teaching practice is a safe bet to winning some of your unengaged learners.

Rapport Building

• Dennis Littky (2004), cofounder of the Big Picture Company, a nonprofit educational reform organization, discusses the importance of incorporating the 3 R’s: relationships, relevance, and rigor in the classroom.

Rapport Building cont.

• Also, the teacher has an opportunity to build a better rapport with her class because students value when teachers creatively instruct them (whether they tell us or not).

• Furthermore, students notice and appreciate when hard work goes into innovative lesson planning.

Less Behavioral Problems

• Consequently, they began to see their teacher from a positive vantage point.

• Less behavioral problems also a byproduct of rapport building—a result that any instructor would love to experience.

• Note: Sidebar conversations are often a result of boredom and/or confusion.

Poetry Resources Example

• Below you will find sample poets via a web link: http://www.famouspoetsandpoems.com/top_poems.html

Outline Example I. Introduction

A.Song—“You love me when nobody else would do it.”B. A song by one of my favorite jazz artist, Rachelle Farrell. C. All of us have been in love or will experience it one day.D. That’s how powerful love is; it has no bounds.E. Today, I will share with you a memorable dating experience for the author and one that eventually led to love or…so

she thought.

II. BodyA. The poet of the piece that I will share is A’Kena Long. She has authored six books, is near completing her doctorate at

WSU, an international college instructor, consultant and teacher trainer, former K-8 principal and secondary teacher, current college curriculum developer, and is certified to teach

grades 6-college in the subjects of English, speech, and technology. (Show collage.)

B. From her book, YUP: A Young Urban Professional Speaks, I will read “I am You/ You are I.” III. Conclusion A. I have just shared with you an interesting “love” experience that I had.

B. It is clear by this date that this experience began rocky, but ended ironically.C. As I close, I will leave you with this question: Have you tried love lately?

Rubric ExampleThe speaker had an appropriate attention grabber.

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The speaker related the speech to the audience.

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The speaker included a biographical statement and a creative picture of the poet.

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The speaker included the poet and title of a published piece (thesis statement).

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The speaker used appropriate vocal delivery.

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The speaker used nonverbal messages appropriately.

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The speaker presented within the 4-6 minute time limit.

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The speaker restated the thesis. 10 6.67 3.34

The speaker summarized the speech. 10 6.67 3.34

The speaker ends the speech with a clincher.

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Let’s Practice with the Rubric

• “I am You/You are I” Handouts (A Young Urban Professional Speaks, 2003).

POWERS*: Writing Process• P: Plan—brainstorm potential writing ideas in a list• O: Organize—map or web those ideas• W: Write—create a rough draft• E: Evaluate—have someone edit your paper• R: Revise—include the editors comments in your final draft• S*: Share—perform or publish your work

• POWER Video:• http://animoto.com/play/GcQuw1IQVY9RuT5YuZCn7w