Once More, the Enigma of Good Ideas/Poor Results

As he did in Chapter 2, Williams presents some exciting ideas for writing instruction -- and then immediately undercuts them. On page 99, he writes "the process approach has been implemented...since the late 1970s. Unfortunately, there is no evidence that this implementation has had a significant effect on student writing skills." He then says that the problem lies in "process pedagogy, not the concept itself." On page 115, Williams implies that most teachers have been trained to help students with the planning stages of writing, but have chosen not to follow through. If that's so, it would be instructive to know why.

Williams goes on to demonstrate the positive aspects of process writing, and convinces me that there's much to admire in these methods. It would have been better if he had also discussed the pitfalls of process teaching, so aspiring teachers would know what to avoid. Perhaps he will do so later in the book.

I like the idea of putting kids into discussion groups; it makes them active learners and collaborators rather than just passive listeners. When I was an ad copywriter, I found my best ideas often came out of "brainstorming" sessions with other creatives. I could see the teacher doing what the Creative Director would do: choosing the best ideas and making suggestions for further development.

The stages idea is also a good one. I have found that the more preparation goes into the writing, the easier the actual writing is and the better the finished product. Pausing for a day or two is important also; when you look at something with fresh eyes, you can spot flaws and think up new ways to improve your ideas.

Perhaps the 2 most important ideas are on page 109's discussion checklist:"What point do I want to convey" and "what examples should I use?" Much of bad writing rambles on pointlessly with no clear message, and no examples to prove anything. A lot of so-called "political" writing today uses loaded terms like "Fascism" without explaining what Fascism is or how the US is in danger of becoming a Fascist state.

The e-mail pen pal assignment is an exciting one. The way e-mail transformed Rita's writing is miraculous. In her paragraphs on censorship, Rita sounds like she can barely put together a sentence. In her Japan e-mails, however, she sounds inquisitive, bright and fully able to express herself.