Writers Vs. Academics?

Aren't the goals of the writer and academic similar? I may be a bit naive when it comes to this sort of thing, but I see the writer and academic with the common goal(s) of inquiry, exploration and discovery.



One of my PEOPLE students wants to learn how to be creative and original in her essay or "academic" writing. I had asked the question regarding what students would like to get out of the Rising 11 writing class. Among other things, there desires included mechanics and structure. Only the one student asked about creativity. Many of these students see writing primarily as an academic or utilitarian activity; there is no other write except for the teacher. Wow, this is disheartening.



My approach to teaching writing in the classroom includes that attept at including both academic and exploratory(for lack of a better term) writing. However, the articles presented by Bartholomae and Elbow really make me think hard on these subjects and their definitions. Academic vs. Writer? What the heck. Doesn't one serve assist the other? Is academic writing simply using basic conventions of communication devoid of agenda and therefore style, structure, and content? Is writing only self-expression with the "power" only being in the hands of the writer where it is up the writer to determine whether "a sword is just a sword"? These are good questions to ponder. These three articles, although essentially silly in my narrow scope of the academic world, caused me to reflect closely on how I teach reading and writing.



I see writing as a tool for communicating, as a method of catharsis, as a form of exploration, as a way of processing, as an element of thinking, and as a vehicle for self-expression. Who is to say, other than the "academics", that academic writing can't contain elements of writing devoid of expression, style, form, exploration? My wife teaches math. In her math class they study IMP, integrated math program, where part of the curriculum is to write out the thought process in solving problems. This inherently will become "academic" simply because of the subject, math. There are few creative written pieces on the subject of math. At any rate, the writing by her students often becomes personal and reflective, yet it also retains the element of academics referred to by our authors.



The subject of reading comes up in the articles. I tell my students first and foremost: READ. If they want to become better writers with solid organizational skills, strong mechanics, and an eye/ear for good sentence structure and style, then they must read. I disagree partially with Elbow's contention that writers should look primarily at their own writing along with that of their peers. They should look at much more than that, including objective academic writing, creative writing, journalistic writing, basic reporting, etc. This exposure not only strengthens a student's writing, but it also encourages more reading and critical analysis of that reading: thinking about what they read is a mantra I pound into my students' heads. Talk about beating a dead horse.


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Honestly, due to technical difficulties, I had to cut this one short because I pushed the wrong button and cut off, without saving, some pretty good conclusions. Stay tuned for the second version of those conclusions as I mull over what I had written before I lost it!