Notes from the battlefield: toward a theory of why people write. Fox, M.

Fox, M. (1993).  Notes from the battlefield: toward a theory of why people write. In Radical Reflections (pp 1-22).  New York, NY: Harcourt Publishing.

An Annotation

A great essay on the change in her students when the author moved to more “meaningful” assignments—particularly related to writing.  The big hurdle for many writing teachers is moving students from creating a piece to be checked off (a hoop to jump through), to a level of caring where they take part in what T.S. Eliot called, “the intolerable wrestle with words and meanings.”  Fox’s argument is that when we, as teachers, strive to make assignments meaningful for students, students care more and wrestle more.

A great essay on the change in her students when the author moved to more “meaningful” assignments—particularly related to writing.  The big hurdle for many writing teachers is moving students from creating a piece to be checked off (a hoop to jump through), to a level of caring where they take part in what T.S. Eliot called, “the intolerable wrestle with words and meanings.”  Fox’s argument is that when we, as teachers, strive to make assignments meaningful for students, students care more and wrestle more.

Related posts:

1. Research on writing conventions: U R what U write.
2. Storming the citadel: reading theory critically. Brookfield, S.D.
3. How people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. Bransford, J.D., A. L. Brown, and R.R. Cocking, eds.
4. “Choice theory” and student success. Glasser, W.
5. Odd girl speaks out: Girls write about bullies, cliques, popularity, and jealousy. Simmons, R.

Tags: Writing