While reading the selected assignment- "Breaking the Rules in Style," I became super excited. After years and years of continually writing- I find the usual mundane style, boring. I hate to write essays for my literature classes... It is just blah! So, when I began to read this selection, I immediately thought WOW! I am a firm believer in creativity. As the author, Tom Romano states: "For years I've sought to free students from restrictions, to create an atmosphere that removes impediments to exploration and communication." Writing should be full of freedom, of exploration, and of communication. I think that writing should be full of these techniques because it gives our students a wider view of the writing style. By breaking the rules and following these ideas listed within the selection -sentence fragments, double voice, meandering sentences, and crots to list a few- the freedom of expression is everywhere! I think that by giving our students the option to write like this will expand their view to what writing truly is. It will also give them the ability to write freely without the feeling of the "need to hold back" due to anxiety over the repercussions of stepping out of bounds. I would much rather read a flamboyant, out there article- than some blah, blah article in which the everyday style is employed. I do agree that there is an appropriate place for these styles and that one should make it a point to teach to their students- the right and wrongs of using these styles- but, it is still inevitably important to allow the students to censor themselves. They should have the choice of when to and when not to use these strategies. Overall, this article was wonderful! I really enjoyed reading the examples and I hope to one day implement these ideas into my classroom!
**Just a little Note: I am in EDUC 313 this semster. My CT uses a magazine called- Teen Ink within her classroom as a supplemental teaching tool. (This magazine publishes essays, poems, art, and pictures from high schools all over the country.) She uses it to teach various aspects of writing. She will have her students read the articles and then will have them analyze them for different styles, techniques, etc. She has found this to be very beneficial. Often times, the ways in which the students writing appears in Teen Ink follow many of the guidelines in which this "Breaking the Rules in Style" article describes. I really suggest taking a look at the website to this magazine- becuase it really is a great tool for teaching writing to teenagers: www.teenink.com
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This is interesting, I also enjoyed this article. I do think that we need to find a middle ground in our instruction. Students need to learn to write according to the guidelines that most appropriately fit the audience and the situation.
I do agree that having times that students can truly write for fun and experiment are crucial to foster a love of writing and to find an individual voice. I do think, however, that we also need to teach them how to identify their audience, provide them with the knowledge to write for that audience and how to recognize when breaking the rules in effective.
The TeenInk site is awesome! I checked it out and was really surprised about how valuable the content would be for a classroom situation. If the rest of you are unfamiliar with the site, or haven't had a chance to check it out. It was worth it.
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