Students Are "real Authors"

By Author: ELSIE
Total Articles: 95
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In many cases, we no longer expect students to remain within the confines of our school building. Our expectations exceed these walls and can help to foster a love of language and writing. Students whose work resides online regularly receive comments and feedback from places as far away as Japan, Germany, South Africa, and Norway. When students get this kind of feedback, it's exciting, scary, spooky, and motivating. Suddenly their work is real. Their writing has meaning. Their excitement is infectious, and before long students are writing on their own Omega Replica Watches time on topics that have nothing to do with my assignments. They are writing because they have found a way to express themselves. They have found their audience and purpose. In my mind and theirs, they are "real authors." They are writing with meaning. The transformation is amazing and it makes me proud to be a part of it. Many of these students no longer write for me or their teacher but for themselves and their peers.

This kind of selfpublishing is not unique to students who ...
... have been prompted by their instructors. Many teachers are now keeping blogs to reflect on their own practice. With our inherent love of language, English teachers are some of the most active writers and selfpublishers in the blogosphere. We even have blogs for each of the different sections of NCTE. We want our blogs to be read by real people with real opinions. We write for selfreflection, for personal development, and for collaboration. We're not beholden to outside sources to provide a forum for our thoughts on our lives, profession, and curricula. The barriers are a computer with an Internet connection and something to write about; with the free services that are available to educators, getting started is a fairly straightforward endeavor. A few clicks and voila, thoughts can be shared around the world. I encourage you to find your voice and audience and become one of the living authors that abound online.

As I write this, I think back to my first encounter with a real author in that small Iowa town. I wonder if he's a blogger and publishes online. While I can't answer that, I am excited about the possibilities for those who publish online. The stories, ideas, and opportunities for students and teachers to learn are Cartier Santos Replica plentiful for those who look for them. It encourages me to see that students and teachers are creating content rather than just consuming the stories and ideas of others, and I look forward to reading your stories and the stories of your students in the future.