This week we began by discussing the emotion shown in a writing sample. As a group we agreed that it was a recount. We discussed the inconsistencies shown in the use of surface features. The group agreed that the missing punctuation made the text hard to read, and this detracted from the emotional impact of the writing. However we also discussed how the dialogue and urgency of the writing shows the excitement of the writer.
We had been asked to bring in samples of different text genres. After looking at several genres, comparing them to the text descriptions in the textbook (Winch, 2012, ch. 14) we discussed the different genres. What our group found most interesting was the way that some genres fit so well within the textbook’s description while others were more difficult to place. We found this to be the case when comparing procedural texts and exposition texts. The procedural texts brought in had many or all of the features described in the textbook, where as the exposition had to be closely examined to find just enough features to make a decision about where it fit.
Our group discussed why this might be. We spent a lot of time discussing how there are different ways to argue or examine an issue and how this could change a text. We analysed the exposition samples to see if they were primarily an interview, opinion poll, or balanced argument. Then we discussed how this could affect which genre the sample might fit into. This led us into a discussion of how the genres could overlap. It seemed that all we could do was place a text in the genre that it had the most features of, even if it didn’t fit exactly.
We finished the discussion with the agreement that it is important to teach different text types. We thought that this learning was important to students because they needed to know different, interesting, and relevant ways of communicating throughout their lives. However, we were concerned with the way that this would be taught. It was clear from our discussion of this that it is important that students; understand the purpose of the texts as well as the formulas to create them, have an interest in the content of the texts, and can connect their learning to real life applications.
I think that in addition to considering which text types to use in a class, it is also important for teachers to think about how they plan to teach each text type so that the students remain engaged. From my own experiences in learning exposition writing as a child, for example, I found the process incredibly boring. My teacher simply gave us a hand out with the structure and told us to start writing on a pre-determined topic. To this day, I still loathe the idea of writing one! Teachers need to find creative and interactive ways to teach text types. As you've stated Kaitlyn, getting students to understand the purpose of the text through a meaningful context can do this.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that some texts we examined were hard to fit into one particular text type. There were some I would have classes as an exposition or argument because of what the text was trying to communicate, however it only contained a few of the features of an exposition. This was a major contrast to our discussion of the procedural texts because both of our examples contained every feature of a procedure listed in Winch et al. (2010).
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was very useful looking at the different text types. I was able to realise just how difficult it is to classify texts especially newspaper articles. Although I am a little clearer after doing the readings I still find this a very difficult task. The reading has however allowed me to understand the characteristics of an exposition, argument and discussion in much greater detail. Probably as Rose said the one that I found easiest to classify was the procedure.
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