Thing 4: Response to “Teaching Brevity”
Teaching brevity “The mark of great writers is not how many words they use, but which ones. The art of brevity and choosing the right words is a fine one; it is also becoming increasingly important as our information overload continues. Those who master the art of brevity hold great power.”
How can blogging facilitate learning? Writing and reading blogs about topics we are interested in, specifically teaching, connects us with other teachers and students. When we expose ourselves to new ideas, we adopt them and enhance our teaching. In “Teaching Brevity” (blog #9) Arthus Erea discusses the ills and constraints of the dreadful 5- paragraph essay. He talks about the importance of students being more concise with their words versus writing traditional 5 paragraph essays. Teachers tend to depend on this writing model because students need a starting point. However, students often ask me, “How many paragraphs should my essay be?” I tell them, repeatedly, paragraphs do not make up an essay; an essay is made up of paragraphs. They look bemused, but I leave it at that. I show them the box and then ask them to step out of it.
