In Hirvela’s article of Chapter 5, she presented several models of reading-writing connections pedagogy. What impresses me is the computer-mediated model. Recently, out of the trend of globalization, there has been an upsurge of English instruction through technologies and the computer-assisted language learning is implemented in the ESL/EFL learning intensively. Many scholars start to investigate how the technologies would enhance or support students’ acquisition of English learning, explain the difficulties and problems, try to search for the potential solutions. Like blog, facebook, youtube, and second life, these studies related to the technologies are discussed gradually.
As Leu (2000) mentioned, teachers and students are forced to adapt to the new notion of electronic literacy (Hirvela, 2007, p 142). In the semester, my instructor employs the blog in one of my course, “Second language literacy”. We post our reflection/journal for each week, and peers are able to response to others. Sometimes, others opinions will inspire me to think from different angles. The asynchronous ways of learning facilitate our reading and writing habits. I cannot ignore that the technology advances my English abilities in reading and writing. However, sometimes, I do not think it is the best way to advance my learning. Although we can read the electronic texts on the internet, I am still accustomed to reading through print texts. When I search for some readable articles from the database or acquire any files, most of time, I print out these articles. I can read them, and take notes around the margin. That is what I should consider which would be the better approaches to advance students’ learning and teachers’ instruction.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Reflection of writing to read
After I read the Chapter three “writing to read”, the text guides to discover another ideas that I never think of before. In my mind, I believe that “listening” and “reading” are the ways of input, and “speaking” and “writing” are the ways of output. Through listening and reading, we can develop our capacity in speaking and writing gradually. Without seeds, how can we produce crops? However, it is not the absolute process.
Hirvela decribes his experience about preparation for writing books as an example of writing to read. He said, “while reading or reviewing the literature,…wrote notes about potential ways of categorizing ideas concerning writing to read, …drafted and redrafted outlines…. As the writing took place, my reading (and rereading) became more focused.”
From his experience, let me think of the process of writing my papers. Before I start to write my paper, I would read articles. Through reading, I can set up my basic frame for my paper. Sometimes, I do not figure out some explanations or theories in one article, and I will find out the related articles. Then, I can clearly understand the authors’ viewpoints. Because of writing, it may inspire me to think deeply and stimulate me to keep reading. As Holden claims, “using writing to probe what they have read so as to lend clear shape to the reading.” It is the similar statements as Vacca, Vacca, and Gove (1991) presented their points of writing to read that “writing is intended to read.”
Hirvela decribes his experience about preparation for writing books as an example of writing to read. He said, “while reading or reviewing the literature,…wrote notes about potential ways of categorizing ideas concerning writing to read, …drafted and redrafted outlines…. As the writing took place, my reading (and rereading) became more focused.”
From his experience, let me think of the process of writing my papers. Before I start to write my paper, I would read articles. Through reading, I can set up my basic frame for my paper. Sometimes, I do not figure out some explanations or theories in one article, and I will find out the related articles. Then, I can clearly understand the authors’ viewpoints. Because of writing, it may inspire me to think deeply and stimulate me to keep reading. As Holden claims, “using writing to probe what they have read so as to lend clear shape to the reading.” It is the similar statements as Vacca, Vacca, and Gove (1991) presented their points of writing to read that “writing is intended to read.”
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
reflection--reading and writing connections in second language
Grabe and Kaplan (1996) claimed that “reading and writing are reciprocal activities; the outcome of a reading activity can serve as input for writing, and writing can lead a student to further reading resource.”
I recalled that I took the course “Journalism Reading and Writing” in my university. During the class, what we should do is to complete our own newsletters. First, my instructor guided us to know how to write news. He shared with us some English newspapers, like “Taipei Times”, “China Post”, and “Taiwan News”. Thus, we understand the format, writing styles (genre), structures, word usages, and etc. After few weeks later, we started to work on our newsletters. We played as reports and editors as well. Before we handed in our work, we would review peers’ articles, and revise them. During the class, we shared our newsletters with other groups. We could appreciate others’ works, exchange our ideas, and learn from others.
Thus, I perceive that “reading and writing are acts of composing”(Hirvela, p 9) and “reading as a social process”(Bloom). Through the interaction between students and students, and a teacher and students, we build up the knowledge about how to complete our newsletters. Reading newspapers and other groups’ newsletters are important factors to improve our capacities in writing and editing. Reading and writing can be separated during the process of completing our works. Reading is the nutrient for me to write, and writing will foster me to keep reading and to learn from models.
I recalled that I took the course “Journalism Reading and Writing” in my university. During the class, what we should do is to complete our own newsletters. First, my instructor guided us to know how to write news. He shared with us some English newspapers, like “Taipei Times”, “China Post”, and “Taiwan News”. Thus, we understand the format, writing styles (genre), structures, word usages, and etc. After few weeks later, we started to work on our newsletters. We played as reports and editors as well. Before we handed in our work, we would review peers’ articles, and revise them. During the class, we shared our newsletters with other groups. We could appreciate others’ works, exchange our ideas, and learn from others.
Thus, I perceive that “reading and writing are acts of composing”(Hirvela, p 9) and “reading as a social process”(Bloom). Through the interaction between students and students, and a teacher and students, we build up the knowledge about how to complete our newsletters. Reading newspapers and other groups’ newsletters are important factors to improve our capacities in writing and editing. Reading and writing can be separated during the process of completing our works. Reading is the nutrient for me to write, and writing will foster me to keep reading and to learn from models.
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