Writer's Memo:
When I first started thinking about my genre project I knew I wanted to try something different then a “typical” paper. Truly, I was sick of writing papers! In my classroom this past year, I planned on having my students start their own blog and submitting assignments on there. (Did I mention, it was my first year and I taught a blend?) With that said, it didn’t pan out as I had hoped. I did get a few good post on my classroom website, but it was not what I was going for. My plan for this upcoming school year is to have my students create their own sites and actively blog. This is where the idea for my genre project came from. I wanted to focus on something I have never expanded on before.
For this project, the topic of the blog was easy, I love to cook and I always wanted to share my love for cooking with others. As for how I was going to share my love for cooking is where I was challenged. I bounced ideas around with my family and friends. At first, I was going to do a recipe of the day, but that was a lot of blogging and this summer I haven’t been cooking everyday. I thought about sharing my favorite recipes, but that’s no fun, it’s only what I like! I tried the idea of sharing a recipe and asking my family and friends to make it, and then respond with their thoughts. However, my friends aren’t the best at keeping track of things they are not directly involved in. So, that didn’t work. Then, one night at cooking club I decided I was going to share the uniqueness of that. Every time I share with someone that I am in a “cooking club,” they love it and want to hear all about it.
Once I finally figured out what I wanted to share, I created and revised my outline on word and then started creating my blog on blogspot.com. I read a lot about how to create a blog using blogger help. I was able to work on draft post and revise them as needed and, then publish them. As I worked on my drafts, I found my self forgetting to add the story of why I chose the recipes I did or what I liked about the recipes. I made constant revisions to my post to make them more meaningful to the readers and hopefully me. My first draft/outline helped me to get the ball rolling, but there was no substance to it. I had a lot of work ahead of me. I also, fussed around with the layout of my webpage design. I wanted it to be organized and I wanted it to look good. There is still so much I can learn and apply to my blog, which I plan to do in time.
This experience has caused me to respect those who create and maintain websites and blogs. There is such a demand on keeping your site updated and including topics/information that keep people interested. I obviously created this blog for a more personal experience, but I do hope to keep it up and get people interested or inspired to start their own cooking clubs.
When coaching my students on creating their blogs this year, I will be able to share with them my experience of creating something I was unfamiliar with. Fletcher’s, What A Writer Needs, has given me the confidence to take my position of a “mentor,” as an opportunity to encourage my students to take risk, and expand on something they are passionate about. “Young writers are deeply vulnerable to teachers’ appraisals of their stories, poems, or essays. We must speak to our students with honesty tempered by compassion: Our words will literally define the ways they perceive themselves as writers.” (pg. 19) Mod 3 truly guided me to value my opportunities and to share challenges I overcome with my students. I want them to witness me gain the experiences of accomplishment, so they to can aim to get that. I plan to model how I set up my website and show them how I started from an outline. As with writing a typical paper, it is always beneficial to start with a plan/outline. I will coach them and encourage them to expand on what they enjoy. I am excited to develop my new outlook on blogging with my students!
