A Snapshot of You: Writing a Cultural Vignette

Preface

       I don't ever want to stand in front of a group of students and talk at them about what they ought to know about the world, why they ought to know about it, or how they ought to come to know about it-- I believe that a classroom should be a place of cooperative engagement with materials and information, so that students may construct personal ideals about the world around them in order to better themselves as well as others they may come into contact with throughout their lives. With this foundation of thinking, I strive to design lessons and projects for a future classroom that will inspire students to make life their own, and to responsibly and respectfully learn about the beauty life has to offer through the diversity that exists between individuals. The vignette is an accessible writing style that allows for expression of experience in such a way that even the most resistant writer might feel irresistibly compelled to give it a try.
       With the Common Core State Standards in mind, I developed a project for 11th grade English students, in which the culminating project is a cultural vignette specific to each individual. I wish for students to gain not only a better understanding of interesting and useful writing tricks and tips, (i.e. the brush strokes, writing with intent, understanding personal writing, etcetera), but also to consequently gain a better understanding of their importance in telling their story. I would like for students, through this project, to become comfortable explaining their background with others, and working with their peers to strengthen the writing talents of classroom participants as a whole. Richard Mayer explains that teachers can aid in cognitive processes of students by the way they lay out their assignments, so, considerately, I tried to give room for students to think and rethink their ideas in every aspect of this project. I wanted to allow students to "write in abundance" per Donald Murray, in hopes that imagination and creativity will take- hold and sweep students into a writing world of wonder from which they cannot escape. 
      

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