Like many others, I too enjoyed all the readings this week. I liked Smith's discussion of baby talk and how babies develop language and thought it was a useful analogy in relation to writing. One of my favorite parts of the chapter was when Smith was talking about motivation. He said motivation, as a factor for learning, is largely an educational red herring- a convenient way of allocating fault. I took this statement to mean that in allocating fault to a 'lack of motivation' teachers are really moving the blame off of themselves for not being good teachers. I can buy this. I think motivation does factor in, if only slightly, and I'm not sure we can totally disregard it, but I do think it is used as a red herring far too often.
I really liked Spandel's chapter on voice. Personally, I still have a hard time completely understanding what voice is. I think that's because I am searching for a concrete and conclusive definition when there is no such thing. Spandel's chapter did help me in further understanding what voice is, and although I can not specifically verbalize it, I atleast have a better comprehension of voice. I guess this is why teaching voice is so difficult. It's such an abstract thing to begin with. When Spandel asks the question 'why encourage voice' it got me thinking. Who are we as human beings without our voices? It is what distinguishes us from others and allows us to express our thoughts and ideas. It is part of who we are. Relating this to the idea of voice in writing helped me to understand it and why it is important to recognize and encourage voice.
I liked Romano's piece in WTL. To me, this story that his daughter wrote achieved what I believe makes writing valuable. It elicited an emotional response, a connection, a feeling that moved the reader. In my opinion that's what makes good writing and certainly makes for enjoyable and engaging reading. Thanks for having us read this essay!
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