Well,
I remember helping students in one of my first English classes. Everyone in this English class had taken the entrance exam and failed by one point. The goal was to learn how to correct the little issues that caused us to slightly miss the mark. After the first round of tests, half the class passed and half the class failed. The students that passed helped the students that failed. As I was lucky enough to actually past the first round, I got the opportunity to help my classmates pass their test.
This experience bought me to a point of excitement and nervousness. When I first started this class I was completely unaware that we had to tutor. And finding out that we had to tutor actually made me excited and nervous. I was excited because I knew how happy I was when I was tutoring my fellow student. I would also be able to give them skills and strategies that would not only help them in with this exam, but in exams to come. And the pressure of the end result made me very nervous. If they didn’t pass or didn’t do well on a paper, that would make me feel really bad.
Today, I think that I am not prepared enough. It seems like a lot of work. I feel like I may run into several problems that I am not ready for. The feeling of nervousness and excitement has gone away and now I am feeling overwhelmed. What if I do not understand the readings that I have learned in my class? What if I don’t remember a certain strategy that I studied? I am now starting to doubt myself and although I am sure I shouldn’t, I am.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Sondra Perl
What is the most important and enduring idea Sondra Perl has contributed to the field of theorizing and the writing process?
According to Sondra Perl, the writing process is a recursive process. As Perl defines the complex writing process into stages, I find that the most important and enduring idea that Sondra Perl has contributed to the field of theorizing is the process she labeled retrospective structuring. If a writer can either naturally utilize or learn how to utilize retrospective structuring, the chances of becoming a successful writer are great.
As a writer begins to writes, he or she goes through several stages even before the pen has hit the pad or the fingers have hit the keyboard. Prewriting, which includes reading, asking questions and creating outlines, etc.; writing, which includes projective structuring (thinking about what might be said later on), and retrospective structuring (thinking about what you have already written); and rewriting, which includes rereading, revising and erasing if necessary (Mc Andrew & Reigstad 22). While all of the steps to the writing process carry importance and are, constantly recurring, I will focus on the retrospective structuring.
Thinking and then hesitating… writing a sentence or two…going back to read it aloud…and then asking myself, “Did I capture exactly what I wanted to say?” “Am I using the right words?” “Are the mental images in my mind clearly being depicted by the words that I have chosen to write?” “This process of attending, of calling up a felt sense, and of writing out of that place, [is what Perl labels as] the process of retrospective structuring.” (Perl 1980, 367) The reason why Perl has labeled it retrospective structuring is simply because, “it is retrospective in that it begins with what is already there, inchoately, and brings whatever is there forward by using language in structured form.” (Perl 1980, 367) Retrospective structuring allows the writers to go back, think about the idea or thought that was not fully developed, and assign words to identify exactly what is in the mind of the writer.
What makes retrospective structuring so important? As retrospective structuring points out that the ideas or the images has to already be in the mind of the writer, one must ask what if that idea or thought about the subject or topic is not readily accessible? The writer may find him or herself having trouble writing about a particular subject or topic. Once the initial ideas or thought are registering at a blank, writing may come to a complete stop until the ideas or thoughts begin to generate in the writers mind.
While some writers may have a difficult time generating ideas, other writers may find that the ideas flow continuously and their trouble lies in accurately describing what they really want to say. Perl states that although ideas begin as thoughts that are not fully developed, they end with a result that is “tangible” (Perl 1980, 367). The fact that these thoughts are in the mind and not fully developed proves that you cannot just simply “dig deep enough to release it.” (Perl 1980, 367) Perl makes it clear that these thoughts have to be “crafted and constructed” in order to accurately pinpoint the true meaning to what we intend to say (Perl 1980, 367).
When the writer experiences no blocks in ideas or has no trouble accurately pinpointing what they intend to say using words, the process of writing can be smooth and efficient, moving along quickly. During Perl’s research on the writing process, she talks about several case studies. Tony, in particular, provides a perfect example of someone who exhibiting the use of retrospective structuring. “During the intervals between drafts, Tony read his written work, assessed his writing, planned new phrasings, transitions, or endings, read the directions and the question over, and edited once again.” (Perl 1979, 324) This reveals that the retrospective structuring process of looking back and configuring if what the writer meant to say, is actually said in the way that the writer desires for it to be structured is very important and very necessary.
Is it possible for someone who is not able to generate ideas or thoughts to learn how to generate them? Is it possible for someone who has the capability to think the ideas or thoughts about any topic or subject but, find it difficult to accurately structure what they want to say on paper learn how to accurately structure the meaning that is currently in its intangible form? According to Sondra Perl, the answer to those questions is yes. Retrospective structuring is just one, not easily identifiable stage that can help all writers in the writing process. For “this basic step… skilled writers rely on and… less skilled writers can be taught.” (Perl 1980, 366) Therefore, once a writer has learned on how to utilize retrospective structuring his or her success in writing will increase their chances of becoming a better writer.
Perl, Sondra. “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers.” Research in the Teaching of English. Vol. 13, No. 4. National Council of Teachers of English, Dec. 1979. 324. Jstor. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170774
Perl, Sondra. “Understanding Composing.” College Composition and Communication. Vol. 31, No. 4. National Council of Teachers of English, Dec. 1980. 366-367. Jstor. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/356586
According to Sondra Perl, the writing process is a recursive process. As Perl defines the complex writing process into stages, I find that the most important and enduring idea that Sondra Perl has contributed to the field of theorizing is the process she labeled retrospective structuring. If a writer can either naturally utilize or learn how to utilize retrospective structuring, the chances of becoming a successful writer are great.
As a writer begins to writes, he or she goes through several stages even before the pen has hit the pad or the fingers have hit the keyboard. Prewriting, which includes reading, asking questions and creating outlines, etc.; writing, which includes projective structuring (thinking about what might be said later on), and retrospective structuring (thinking about what you have already written); and rewriting, which includes rereading, revising and erasing if necessary (Mc Andrew & Reigstad 22). While all of the steps to the writing process carry importance and are, constantly recurring, I will focus on the retrospective structuring.
Thinking and then hesitating… writing a sentence or two…going back to read it aloud…and then asking myself, “Did I capture exactly what I wanted to say?” “Am I using the right words?” “Are the mental images in my mind clearly being depicted by the words that I have chosen to write?” “This process of attending, of calling up a felt sense, and of writing out of that place, [is what Perl labels as] the process of retrospective structuring.” (Perl 1980, 367) The reason why Perl has labeled it retrospective structuring is simply because, “it is retrospective in that it begins with what is already there, inchoately, and brings whatever is there forward by using language in structured form.” (Perl 1980, 367) Retrospective structuring allows the writers to go back, think about the idea or thought that was not fully developed, and assign words to identify exactly what is in the mind of the writer.
What makes retrospective structuring so important? As retrospective structuring points out that the ideas or the images has to already be in the mind of the writer, one must ask what if that idea or thought about the subject or topic is not readily accessible? The writer may find him or herself having trouble writing about a particular subject or topic. Once the initial ideas or thought are registering at a blank, writing may come to a complete stop until the ideas or thoughts begin to generate in the writers mind.
While some writers may have a difficult time generating ideas, other writers may find that the ideas flow continuously and their trouble lies in accurately describing what they really want to say. Perl states that although ideas begin as thoughts that are not fully developed, they end with a result that is “tangible” (Perl 1980, 367). The fact that these thoughts are in the mind and not fully developed proves that you cannot just simply “dig deep enough to release it.” (Perl 1980, 367) Perl makes it clear that these thoughts have to be “crafted and constructed” in order to accurately pinpoint the true meaning to what we intend to say (Perl 1980, 367).
When the writer experiences no blocks in ideas or has no trouble accurately pinpointing what they intend to say using words, the process of writing can be smooth and efficient, moving along quickly. During Perl’s research on the writing process, she talks about several case studies. Tony, in particular, provides a perfect example of someone who exhibiting the use of retrospective structuring. “During the intervals between drafts, Tony read his written work, assessed his writing, planned new phrasings, transitions, or endings, read the directions and the question over, and edited once again.” (Perl 1979, 324) This reveals that the retrospective structuring process of looking back and configuring if what the writer meant to say, is actually said in the way that the writer desires for it to be structured is very important and very necessary.
Is it possible for someone who is not able to generate ideas or thoughts to learn how to generate them? Is it possible for someone who has the capability to think the ideas or thoughts about any topic or subject but, find it difficult to accurately structure what they want to say on paper learn how to accurately structure the meaning that is currently in its intangible form? According to Sondra Perl, the answer to those questions is yes. Retrospective structuring is just one, not easily identifiable stage that can help all writers in the writing process. For “this basic step… skilled writers rely on and… less skilled writers can be taught.” (Perl 1980, 366) Therefore, once a writer has learned on how to utilize retrospective structuring his or her success in writing will increase their chances of becoming a better writer.
Work Cited
McAndrew, Donald A., and Thomas J. Registad. “The Writing and Tutoring Processes.” Tutoring Writing a Practical Guide for Conferences. 22. Print. 15 Sept. 2011.
Perl, Sondra. “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers.” Research in the Teaching of English. Vol. 13, No. 4. National Council of Teachers of English, Dec. 1979. 324. Jstor. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170774
Perl, Sondra. “Understanding Composing.” College Composition and Communication. Vol. 31, No. 4. National Council of Teachers of English, Dec. 1980. 366-367. Jstor. Web. 13 Sept. 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/356586
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