What I Have Learned About My Writing

The first thing I have learned about my writing is that my approach to the process is just fine. There are many approaches to writing. I now am aware of the different phases in the writing process and have additional resources to draw from if my approach should no longer suffice. While there are many styles, I need to be comfortable and adopt the one that works for me.

Another thing I have learned about my writing is that I can include a personal narrative without sacrificing content. Prior to this class, I believed it to be improper to use first person in most papers. I now see that the use of first person with a personal narrative can actually make the remainder of my paper stronger by capturing the interest of the reader.

At the beginning of this class I was very concerned about the simplicity of my writing. Throughout the class I have learned that clarity is paramount. Effectively communicating any complicated topic takes a great deal of time and energy on the part of the writer. Big words included for the sake of sounding smart only tends to make any paper more unclear.

Another thing I have learned about my writing is that it is not lard free. Or should I say, my writing is not lard free (LF 63%). I can see how much clearer a paragraph can read when the lard is removed, even though I find it quite difficult to reduce the lard factor when I am using first person.

One final thing I have learned about my writing is that I am not that different from several of my classmates in the process. On the other hand, I am quite different from several of them. Regardless, we all tend to communicate and function well together. I am very appreciative of their encourage and support.

Revised piece

Original Version

The first consequence is that we have to change our way of thinking in regards to how we think about learning. Instead of focusing on the material being presented, we must focus on the learner. Since this method is generally not the one in which most of us were taught, it will be difficult for most educators to adopt this new way of thinking. Most educators will find it difficult in letting go the reins of “imparting knowledge”, and allow the student to construct their own. As Hein states, “most of us vacillate between faith that our learners will indeed construct meaning which we will indeed find acceptable (whatever we mean by that) and our need to construct meaning for them” (Hein, p. 2). If we are to adopt this new way of thinking about learning, we must stop and seriously consider our epistemology and pedagogy.

Revised Version

The first consequence changes our way of thinking. We must focus on the learner. It will be difficult to adopt this new way of thinking. Educators will find many challenges in allowing students to construct their own knowledge. As Hein states, “most of us vacillate between faith that our learners will indeed construct meaning which we will indeed find acceptable (whatever we mean by that) and our need to construct meaning for them” (Hein, p. 2). We must stop and seriously consider our epistemology and pedagogy.


LF (not including quote) = 56% (Not as good as Cinderella)

My Story Connected to the Dissertation

The Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) have opened up an avenue to resources unlike never before in our lifetime. No more do students search through encyclopedias for information on topics. Instead, students simply use various search engines to access a wealth of information on the desired topics within seconds via the WWW. It was only a matter of time before education taped into this resource to deliver content, and online courses were born.

I have been involved in online courses since their inception at Gaston College. I played a key support role in aiding an English instructor create and deploy the first online course at Gaston College. I created and deployed the second online course, and have been actively involved in online distance education at Gaston College ever since. While it seems like a light year has passed since the first online course offering, it has been a relatively short amount of time. Online course development has drastically changed in the past decade. Numbers of class offerings have grown dramatically over the past decade from a few in the beginning, to well over 100 in the current semester alone. Online courses are now the first sections to fill up and are quickly becoming the preferred method of delivery by many students.

Currently, research exists regarding online distance education offerings at all levels of education, postsecondary and K-12. At the secondary level, schools districts have successfully implemented AP courses in an online format to better serve their student population. Students in many school districts have also had the opportunity to take traditional seated postsecondary classes through a variety of state-sponsored programs. For example, in North Carolina, the Huskins program is designed to serve this need. Students take college-level classes taught by a college instructor at their local high school. Early college initiatives, like those incorporated into the Learn and Earn initiative in the State of North Carolina, are designed to allow high school students to take their classes on college campuses and allow students to obtain high school and college credit simultaneously. Students could potentially earn a partial, or entire, college degree while in high school.

Until recently, options available to high school students in North Carolina to receive college credit were two-fold. Students could enroll in AP courses designed for high school students, and/or students could take seated traditional college courses through a variety of methods. However, new initiatives are being put into place that will allow high school students to take online college classes. One such initiative in the State of North Carolina is the Learn and Earn Online (LEO) initiative. With LEO, high school students have the opportunity to take online courses at the community colleges across the state and receive both high school and college credit.

AP classes were designed for high school students, so whether they are offered in a seated or online format, the student learning needs for that age group have been accommodated. Students taking seated college classes, regardless of age, have the ability to communicate face-to-face with the instructor. There has been much research conducted in regards to learning styles of individuals in postsecondary and secondary education. My question would be whether high school students are adequately prepared to take online college courses. Just because a program is successful in an online format at the postsecondary level, does not mean that secondary school students are prepared to handle both the exposure of an online environment and postsecondary culture simultaneously. I believe further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of providing postsecondary courses in an online environment to high school students.

The reason I feel the need to investigate this question is two-fold. The first reason is because it directly impacts my job. I believe more research is necessary to determine whether the LEO initiative has been properly implemented in North Carolina, or if it should have been implemented at all. On the surface it seems to be a good idea. Many people have commented to me that the younger generation should be able to handle an online course. However, I believe this simply to be an assumption. Just because the younger generation can send text messages and surf the WWW, does not necessarily mean they can endure the rigor of an online college course. The second reason for investigating this question is due to my children. My children are currently 9 and 13 years of age. In another year, my oldest child will have the option of taking online college courses through the LEO initiative. Should I as a parent allow this to occur?

Perhaps the LEO initiative will prove to be one of the most outstanding initiatives ever offered to secondary school students. Perhaps it will be one of the biggest mistakes ever implemented. I believe further research will be able to determine whether the LEO initiative is at present a good alternative method for our secondary school children in North Carolina to earn college credit.

Mark the Writer

Whenever I reflect back upon my writing, or think about writing in the future, I get a feeling of uneasiness. Perhaps my initial feelings of uneasiness are due to my background. Ever since I was a child, I enjoyed the subjects of science and mathematics. Social studies, especially the historical aspects, would rank third on the list. English was the necessary evil thrown into the school day to fill the time slot. I can remember writing essays in elementary school and being criticized by the teacher. Since each teacher in my elementary school taught all subjects, it was apparent to each of my teachers that my strength did not lie in my writing ability. My abilities in science and mathematics were constantly being compared and contrasted to my English and writing abilities.

Even though the comparisons and contrasts by teachers may seem very normal and nonthreatening to some, it is not the case when your mother is a teacher in the same school you are attending. There were many times that my mother had discussions with me, at home, about her informal discussions with my teacher. I should make it clear that I was never a problem child in school, and my grades were always either A’s or high B’s. However, when I would consistently make high A’s in science and mathematics, teachers would often wonder why I would not make similar grades in English and writing. Even though I could perform the tasks necessary to achieve what I believed to be good grades in English and writing, I would much rather be solving mathematical equations than diagramming a sentence. My parents seemed to understand that English and writing were not my passion; however, it seemed that no one else understood.

Since I attended a school that housed both the elementary and junior high school grades, I felt the same in junior high school as I did in elementary school. The English class was once again the necessary evil thrown into the school day. In junior high school, I had separate teachers for English and math, and did not have to encounter the comparisons by a single teacher. However, since the same group of students rotated through the same teachers, it was natural for the teachers to discuss the students and their grades. Hence, more informal conversations occurred between my teachers and my mother, and more discussions ensued at home. Upon reflection, I believe being in the same building brought out the same feelings I encountered during my elementary school years. In thinking back to my English teachers during my junior high school years, each teacher was very enthusiastic and encouraging. I can honestly say that I did not dislike any of my English teachers during this period in time. Even so, all of my teachers could not understand why my mastery of the English language was one tick below my mastery of science and mathematics. After all, my mother was one of the teachers at the school, so expectations of me were always quite high. Not that my parents ever set the expectations too high; they simply encouraged me to always do my best. However, I believe that I may have set the bar too high for myself and therefore constantly felt as though I was struggling with English and writing.

I attended high school in a relatively small school that had two feeder junior high schools. I felt as though I had a fresh beginning in school, especially with my mother not being present in the building during the school day. I would meet new friends, which was easy for me to do, and start with a clean slate in regards to my subjects. It must be noted that the principal of the high school was a long time family friend, so I was to remain under some minor scrutiny. During my high school years, I enrolled in all of the advanced science and mathematics courses available to me. When I attended high school, there were no advanced placement courses. Another interesting thing happened during my sophomore and junior years of high school. I was exposed to many different authors. Like English and writing, reading was also not one of my favorite activities. I knew of several individuals that read constantly, but if it was not related to science or mathematics, I was not very interested. To be honest, until high school, I had performed book reports on the same books repeatedly. However, Edgar Allen Poe became an author that I would come to enjoy and still do.

During my senior year in high school, calculus, advanced trigonometry, and physics were all included in my course load. Once again, so was the necessary evil, English. However, compared to my sophomore and junior years in high school, this English course was to become different. This was the first year at my high school that an honors English course was to be taught. Just like prior years, since my grades in all of my other subjects were A’s, it was assumed that I should be enrolled into the honors English course. While this decision would not ruin my high school career, it definitely would leave a bad taste in my mouth upon graduation.

Mrs. Shuford was the teacher of the honors English course. Mrs. Shuford was the typical English teacher. She was very curt, matter of fact, and tended to use very large words. Being curt and matter of fact I could deal with; however, the use of large words for the sake of using them, I did not care for at all. Mrs. Shuford was also a new teacher that appeared to have something to prove. During all of the years of education prior to my senior year of high school, I had been conditioned to write in a very simplistic manner. Never assume anything about your audience. Always be explicit, never implicit. This fit my science and mathematics background quite well since I regularly had to explain complex theories in very simplistic terms. It seemed as though Mrs. Shuford was now attempting to turn what I believed I knew about English and writing into a mockery.

This was not the first time I had been challenged in my English and writing skills. Since English and writing were always the weaker of the links in my educational chain, I learned to adapt to each teacher and deliver accordingly. However, I learned very quickly that I may be in over my head when I received my first failing interim grade in all of my years of school during the first nine weeks of my senior year. Coming from a family of two educators, I had not previously mentioned that my father was at this time the associate superintendent of the school system, this did not sit quite well with my parents. Therefore, as all good mothers do, my mother came with me to the parent conference meeting during the first nine weeks of school my senior year.

Needless to say, I was now in shock. Here I am in my senior year of high school, and I am actually failing English. The lowest grade I had ever achieved in any English course prior was a B, and I mostly obtained A’s. Well, I did get one C in the first grade during the first nine weeks for writing sloppily. I had attempted during the first month of school to adapt to the new style of writing imposed upon me. However, regardless of my writings, what I turned in was simply not adequate in the eyes of Mrs. Shuford. Frustration and embarrassment properly summed up my feelings as I went with my mother to the meeting.

Prior to the meeting, I fully expected Mrs. Shuford to outline my inadequacies, and my mother to agree, and thank Mrs. Shuford for her time. This simply did not occur, at least on the part of my mother. Mrs. Shuford did attempt to outline my inadequacies; however, my mother would quickly supply examples of my writings that counteracted each point Mrs. Shuford presented. I did not know whether to feel good that my mother was taking up for my writing ability, or scared senseless about what was transpiring before my eyes. However, after a very prolonged and engaging discussion with Mrs.Shuford, my mother stood up and told Mrs. Shuford that while my mother did not agree with Mrs. Shuford’s assessment of my writing, I would be delivering to Mrs. Shuford what she wanted. My mother then thanked Mrs. Shuford for her time and we left.

On the way home, my mother told me that she would personally work with me each night if necessary to deliver to Mrs. Shuford what she wanted, for me not to worry. My mother added that she had always understood that English was not one of my favorite subjects, but my writing ability should not be called into suspect after she had reviewed my writings. I guess I should add that my mother was a former English teacher. Once we arrived at home, the principal called to ask how the meeting went. I did not know that my mother and the principal, the long time family friend, had already discussed the situation. My mother told him what had transpired, to which he suggested that I be removed from the honors English class and be placed into a regular English class. This sounded very good to me, but my mother had a different response. While I cannot write the exact response my mother gave the principal, let us just say that she told him that he had put me in the class, and I was going to remain in the class. More so, if she had to work with me each night, I would be delivering what the teacher wanted. Needless to say, this is not how I had envisioned my senior year of high school beginning.

My father, a man of very few words, tried to impress upon my mother that regardless of what I turned into the teacher, I had already been labeled an average student at best. My mother could work with me all year, but I would still be getting no better than a grade of C. Once again, I cannot write the response my mother gave my father. Therefore, with this start to the year, I embarked on the writing journey of a lifetime. During the year, I would write and rewrite for my mother prior to turning in assignments to Mrs. Shuford. Regardless of what was written, it was usually assigned a grade of C at best. Constant frustration occurred on my part, and on the part of my mother, as Mrs. Shuford would cross out adjectives in my papers and write others in their place. I vividly remember her counting off significant points for my use of the term purple instead of the term violet in a description. For someone who is color blind, would this really matter? Very rarely did Mrs. Shuford ever correct any structural components of my papers. After laboring through my senior year of English, and making A’s in all of my other subjects, I was given a grade of C in my honors English course. It seemed as though my wise father was correct after all, regardless of what I did, I ended up with a C. So after 12 years of school, I ended up with two C’s. One in the first grade for writing sloppily, and one in my senior honors English course.

Once I graduated from high school, I attended N.C. State University and majored in nuclear engineering. Once again, scientific courses prevailed, with English being a requirement along the way. During my first year I enrolled and passed my two required courses in English with high B’s, and did so with relative ease. While you may believe that Mrs. Shuford played a key role in developing my writing skills, I simply do not believe this to be the case. Upon graduation from high school, I consciously discarded what I was taught by Mrs. Shuford, and went back to my previous style of writing. While my previous style may have only produced B’s in college, it was much better than the C in Mrs. Shuford’s class.

Once I graduated from N.C. State University, I began teaching at Gaston College and have been there ever since. Along the way I obtained a Master’s degree in Computer Education. Only until I enrolled into the Ed.S. degree program in Higher Education through Appalachian State University did I once again have to focus on my writing ability. In the Ed.S. program I was fortunate enough to encounter many excellent professors, one of which was Dr. Chuck Claxton. Dr. Claxton was very stringent in his requirements for writing and I am thankful to him for his guidance and expertise. I once again adapted my writing his requirements and was very successful in the courses in which I was enrolled with Dr. Claxton. My feelings after successfully completing the courses is that if I can write for Dr. Chuck Claxton, I can write for just about anyone. Well, I guess with the exception of Mrs. Shuford.

Since enrolling into the Ed.D. program, I have read and written more than I have ever imagined. In my courses, I have had the opportunity to read many pieces of literature. What I have noticed is that practically all of the literature uses obscure terminology, big words, many seemingly for the sake of using them. As I reflect upon my writing past, it makes me wonder if Mrs. Shuford was correct after all. Do I really have the ability to write at this level? I once again go back to my classes with Dr. Claxton and believe deep down within me that I do have the ability. In addition, when I brought up my concern of simplistic writing the first night of class, Dr. Miller mentioned that there may be many scholars that believe that writing has become too complex for no apparent reason. Perhaps I can be the one to turn the trend back toward the simplistic. After all, after living through Mrs. Shuford, I have proven that I can withstand the criticism and prevail.

First Class Reflection

After our first class meeting, I feel very comfortable with the direction for the semester. I feel Dr. Miller put the class at ease in regards to any fears or apprehensions we discussed. We are quite fortunate as a class to have Dr. Miller as our advisor.