Blog 7 or Choose Choice for Choosy Choices!

Choice is something that resonates with all of us. What to read or eat or wear or who our friends are, are fundamental ideas that we all can agree upon. No different is the choice of what to write or write about. When we know the subject the material flows that much easier. The old adage of "write what you know" is still valid and important. I like the idea of prompts for facilitating a writer's creativity but I can't imagine the boredom of 20 papers all on the subject of Genghis Khan or whoever. Each person will write it a different way but there will be more thought given to "what does the teacher want" then genuinely delving into the character of the piece. Most of the time.

The example of the student, Scott, by Peggy Swoger emphasized how important it is to have choice. No doubt in certain aspects of his life structure is/was needed but the chance to write his own works with his own choices and at his own pace helped to facilitate growth throughout his life. A simple thing to us, choice, can be the catalyst for major changes and major disagreements. Just think of how many wars are built upon the ideas of choice or the lack of choice.

Newkirk, writing at the end of Spandel's chapter, addresses if their inappropriate choices for the classroom. I imagine there are. That would be one of the things to discuss with the students as they consider their writing subject. Possibly through discussion some of the horrors recently visited upon schools could be avoided. Possibly.