CEClang.80


TITLE:  WRITE?  NO WAY!

AUTHOR:  Sara A. Reinke,  Youth Services Center;
         St. Anthony, ID

GRADE LEVEL:  Appropriate for grades 7-12.

OVERVIEW:   For many students the very thought of
"having to write" is threatening.  They visualize the
bleeding papers they have had returned to them in the
past, and get so bogged down in having to "get it
right" that they would rather not even try.  This
activity is intended to be used in an introductory
phase of teaching writing.  It introduces students to a
discovery of right brain-left brain differences first,
then invites them to break down some of their
self-criticism enough to try writing again...and see
what happens.

OBJECTIVES:  Students will be able to:
1.   Describe the experience of trying to go against
     their accustomed pattern of doing a simple task.
2.   Describe theories of differences between
     left-brain and right-brain styles of thinking.
3.   Describe how their own inner critic slows down
     valid self-expression.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1.   Have students gather in small groups of three to
     four members.
2.   Give each group a small hand-held mirror, pencil,
     and papers with a printed design.  The design
     should be a set of parallel lines (spaced
     approximately 3/4 inch apart) which form a
     modified rectangle.  The modification of the
     rectangle consists of a series of sharp-angled
     "jogs" at each corner which are identical in size
     and shape.
3.   Ask students to hold the mirror by the paper and
     to look only into the mirror, not directly at the
     paper.  Instruct them to draw a line in between
     the parallel lines all around the design figure on
     the paper.  They should plan to keep their pencils
     moving constantly, if at all possible.
4.   Some students will find this quite simple, others
     will struggle, and others will experience a near
     complete block at some point in the activity.
     Make  sure each student has a chance to try the
     activity.
5.   Process how it felt to struggle with such a simple
     task.
6.   Give a quick multiple choice quiz filled with
     items designed to sort out those  who tend to be
     more left-brained or more right-brained in their
     learning style.  Have students score their papers
     immediately and react.  Hand out visually rich
     description of different learning styles as well
     as a words-only description.
7.   Read together description of the "Know it all" and
     the Silent Partner (taken from Henriette Anne
     Klauser's Writing on Both Sides of the Brain, p.
     29) as introduction to becoming less self-critical
     and allowing freer  expression as a valid voice.
8.   Introduce concept of rapid-writing for ten minutes
     as one means of releasing natural
     expression--writing without your critic.