Alex Jefferson Marsh
Classroom Application:
“A Raisin in the Sun”
Interview with Walter Lee
Dr. Crowitz – ENGL 7701
The idea of writing in a character’s voice can be a daunting one for students. Often they are just beginning to master the skills necessary to recognize voice and style, and are not really ready to try to emulate it. However, very little brings the finer points of authorship to the forefront the way that a style parody does. By trying to copy the language and focus of Walter Lee in “A Raisin in the Sun” a student shows more than that they simply read the text, instead it shows the synthesis and inference which typically characterize upper level Blooms’ Taxonomy. In addition, by taking the cognitive recognition necessary for a stylistic emulation and applying it to a different format than that of the text – in this case changing from a play to an interview – the student provides their own insights into the text which might be distinctly different from those of the teacher, yet does so in a way which allows differing opinions to be communicated without conflict. This is not an easy task for a student to accomplish, but I think that even an imperfect attempt would show not only that the student had mastered the materials, but also that they had contemplated the effecct of the authorship and tried to make the author’s voice their own.
Alex Jefferson Marsh
Classroom Application
The Call of the Wild
Movie Trailer
Dr. Crowitz – ENGL 7701
Increasingly English Language Arts teachers are being expected to teach student composition in different areas than simply writing. Digital media is one of the more exciting ways that students can create and present their own points of view, and in doing so meet the Georgia Performance Standards. However, the opportunity to compose in different media is only the beginning of the utility of the movie trailer as a class project. Technology is increasingly a major focus for the administration, especially in high school, and digital composition is a method which typically both piques student interest and satisfies administrators who would like to see more technology in the classroom. Also, if the students do quality work, then they are creating not only examples for future students to see and be inspired by, but also are creating new teaching materials for the instructor. I, in particular, am a big fan of students creating work which can be used in the classroom at a later date, and the idea that future classes will see their work and their name is often inspiring for students. Sometimes students ask “why do we have to do this?” but when they see the products of their labors in the classroom, and see the work of previous classes used as teaching tools then the abstract assignment becomes more concrete. Digital literacy not only hits the GPS but also motivates students.
