"Instead of teaching finished writing, we should teach unfinished writing, and glore in its unfinishedness" (Murray, 2003).
Process and Product: What are they? How Do they work together?
The product is the final piece a writer has produced for a specific audience. It is created because of multiple steps, stages, and decisions in which the writer has gone through and participated. Each writer approaches the task of writing differently, creating and participating in a process. During the process, students explore what they feel about what they know through language (Murray, 2003). The final product determines the writing process.
For the teacher, it is important to remember to focus on guiding students through the process of writing instead of focusing on the product. A predetermined product restricts students from writing in their own voice and may also cause them to write within a certain form. There is a difference in assigning writing and teaching writing(Sanders & Vasinda). A predetermined product which eliminates choice and ownership (Elbow, 2000), is assigning writing. Teaching writing is working with a child where he or she is developmentally and using the child's personal writing to teach the individual child. Teaching writing is guiding each student through the process of writing.
Teachers who focus on the appearance of a polished piece hinder students from writing without fear. Working hard on a piece of writing, only to have it demolished by red ink is frustrating and can eventually lead to students dreading writing. Understanding writing as a process and not a product requires a teacher who will observe students not for the product they have completed, but for what they may produce (Murray, 2003).
The writing process consists of three steps or stages; prewriting, writing, and rewriting (Murray, 2003). However some people choose to break the process into as many as five steps; prewriting, writing, revising, editing, publishing. The process of writing is the time students spend on their piece, moving recursively across the different stages or steps of the process. Students approach each stage differently and at different times. Writing is idiosyncratic, meaning no two processes are the same. Writing processes are recursive, flexible, and organic (Sanders & Vasinda).
The product is the final piece a writer has produced for a specific audience. It is created because of multiple steps, stages, and decisions in which the writer has gone through and participated. Each writer approaches the task of writing differently, creating and participating in a process. During the process, students explore what they feel about what they know through language (Murray, 2003). The final product determines the writing process.
For the teacher, it is important to remember to focus on guiding students through the process of writing instead of focusing on the product. A predetermined product restricts students from writing in their own voice and may also cause them to write within a certain form. There is a difference in assigning writing and teaching writing(Sanders & Vasinda). A predetermined product which eliminates choice and ownership (Elbow, 2000), is assigning writing. Teaching writing is working with a child where he or she is developmentally and using the child's personal writing to teach the individual child. Teaching writing is guiding each student through the process of writing.
Teachers who focus on the appearance of a polished piece hinder students from writing without fear. Working hard on a piece of writing, only to have it demolished by red ink is frustrating and can eventually lead to students dreading writing. Understanding writing as a process and not a product requires a teacher who will observe students not for the product they have completed, but for what they may produce (Murray, 2003).
The writing process consists of three steps or stages; prewriting, writing, and rewriting (Murray, 2003). However some people choose to break the process into as many as five steps; prewriting, writing, revising, editing, publishing. The process of writing is the time students spend on their piece, moving recursively across the different stages or steps of the process. Students approach each stage differently and at different times. Writing is idiosyncratic, meaning no two processes are the same. Writing processes are recursive, flexible, and organic (Sanders & Vasinda).
Prewriting
Known as everything that takes place before the first draft, prewriting may take most of the writer's time. During this stage of the writing process, the writer chooses a topic, determines and audience, and the genre in which he or she will write within (Murray, 2003). Pre-writing, also referred to as rehearsal (Graves, 2003), appears in many forms such as drawing pictures, daydreaming, sketching, making lists, reading, making outlines, completing graphic organizers, and sometimes even includes discussion while the story is planned orally.
Known as everything that takes place before the first draft, prewriting may take most of the writer's time. During this stage of the writing process, the writer chooses a topic, determines and audience, and the genre in which he or she will write within (Murray, 2003). Pre-writing, also referred to as rehearsal (Graves, 2003), appears in many forms such as drawing pictures, daydreaming, sketching, making lists, reading, making outlines, completing graphic organizers, and sometimes even includes discussion while the story is planned orally.
Composing
Composing is the step in the writing process which consists of everything the writer does once he or she starts to write the first draft (Graves, 2003). It is important for students to compose (generate) first before beginning to revise or edit (criticize) their writing; the goal is to get the ideas down on paper first. When too much focus is placed on criticizing the writing, it often hinders student ability to take risks. This step of the writing process is eye opening to the writer because it is usually when the discovery of how much is or is not known about the chosen topic (Murray, 2003). It is sometimes during the composing stage when a writer will choose to go a different direction and change topics. Each student should have the opportunity to compose as many drafts necessary as part of the attempt to discover and explore what he or she has to say on the chosen subject Working within course deadlines, students work at their own pace to "find their own way to their own truth (Murray, 2003).
Composing is the step in the writing process which consists of everything the writer does once he or she starts to write the first draft (Graves, 2003). It is important for students to compose (generate) first before beginning to revise or edit (criticize) their writing; the goal is to get the ideas down on paper first. When too much focus is placed on criticizing the writing, it often hinders student ability to take risks. This step of the writing process is eye opening to the writer because it is usually when the discovery of how much is or is not known about the chosen topic (Murray, 2003). It is sometimes during the composing stage when a writer will choose to go a different direction and change topics. Each student should have the opportunity to compose as many drafts necessary as part of the attempt to discover and explore what he or she has to say on the chosen subject Working within course deadlines, students work at their own pace to "find their own way to their own truth (Murray, 2003).
Rewriting is when the writer revises and edits his or her piece, taking into consideration subject, form and audience (Murray, 2003). When the writer revises, he or she makes changes to the content of the writing. This may include organization, adjusting voice, or zooming in on a topic. Editing is when the writer goes back to look over the physical mistakes in his or her writing; this is making changes to the grammar, mechanics, and conventions part of the writing process. During this time, the teacher works with students individually during one-to one conferences, focusing on the student's strengths and identifying a focus point to address with the student to help him or her continue to develop his or her own writing and discuss other possible choices to be made (Murray, 2003). Revising and editing, also known as criticizing (Elbow, 2000), usually take place after the composing stage of the process. However, some writers naturally revise and edit as they write; participating the simultaneous process of composing and criticizing.
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