Project Reflection
Creating this multi-genre inquiry project was a labor of love; I was able to investigate more closely a question at the core of seminal literature, while also learning how to represent my ideas and understanding outside of traditional prose writing. This was the second time I have completed a multi-genre inquiry project, but this multi-genre project was way more influential over me as a writer and a reader than my previous multi-genre inquiry project.
Analyzing, researching, and representing a memoir, Educated, that I have loved as reader for years was a different experience than I anticipated; my depth and understanding of the complex question at the center of this book not only made me a more sympathetic reader, but made me realize just how traumatic and catastrophic tenacity can be. Completing this multi-genre inquiry project really challenged my understanding of Tara’s family that never levas Buck peak; I always thought they were just ignorant and living in the dark and if they ever left the mountain, they would see the errors of their way. However, this project challenged this previous reading of mine. I now understand that the belief system that Tara’s family refuses to challenge or condemn bears catastrophic consequences that ripple far beyond buck’s peak. This change in my understanding of Tara’s family is important as it highlights a theme at the center of this inquiry: one must let go of the things they cannot change. This inquiry emphasized that Tara had to estranged herself from her family to develop her own sense of self without the threat of any more emotional or physical damage from the hands of her family.
Completing this multi-genre inquiry project not only challenged my pervious readings and understanding of the core text, but also challenged my teaching practices. The ways in which this project challenged my teaching practices is two-fold: (1) to include more non-prose responses to reading and (2) to forefront inquiry not regurgitation in my classroom assignments and discussions.
Often, I assign assignments in which students are expected to show their understanding of a text or a response to a question through writing; however, I now feel compelled to allow students the choice in which genres best represent their understanding. This really challenges the pervasiveness of the five-paragraph essay and that students can explore complex themes, characters, and concepts at the core of a text through other genres than writing. I hope to capitalize on student intelligences outside of linguistic or verbal intelligence and share them with genres of writing that don't involve prose writing.
This project suggests that inquiry should be at the core of secondary English studies and that inquiry can lead to rich, dynamic discussions and understandings. If I were to explore this question with future English classrooms, I think that I would focus on perspective. I think that perspective is at the core of this question and capitalizing on genres that encourage students to compare Tara’s changed perspective from her family’s static perspective would highlight the eventual dive and estrangement between Tara and her family. Furthermore, I think it would be important to incorporate a genre that encourages personal reflection and thought; high school students are at a pivotal point in their lives and determining who they want to be, and I think it would be important to encourage students to think about what people, places, and events have shaped them into who they are. I think this personal reflection would ground a story that is unrelated to their lives, and show that the journey of defining yourself is a universal, shared experience.
Analyzing, researching, and representing a memoir, Educated, that I have loved as reader for years was a different experience than I anticipated; my depth and understanding of the complex question at the center of this book not only made me a more sympathetic reader, but made me realize just how traumatic and catastrophic tenacity can be. Completing this multi-genre inquiry project really challenged my understanding of Tara’s family that never levas Buck peak; I always thought they were just ignorant and living in the dark and if they ever left the mountain, they would see the errors of their way. However, this project challenged this previous reading of mine. I now understand that the belief system that Tara’s family refuses to challenge or condemn bears catastrophic consequences that ripple far beyond buck’s peak. This change in my understanding of Tara’s family is important as it highlights a theme at the center of this inquiry: one must let go of the things they cannot change. This inquiry emphasized that Tara had to estranged herself from her family to develop her own sense of self without the threat of any more emotional or physical damage from the hands of her family.
Completing this multi-genre inquiry project not only challenged my pervious readings and understanding of the core text, but also challenged my teaching practices. The ways in which this project challenged my teaching practices is two-fold: (1) to include more non-prose responses to reading and (2) to forefront inquiry not regurgitation in my classroom assignments and discussions.
Often, I assign assignments in which students are expected to show their understanding of a text or a response to a question through writing; however, I now feel compelled to allow students the choice in which genres best represent their understanding. This really challenges the pervasiveness of the five-paragraph essay and that students can explore complex themes, characters, and concepts at the core of a text through other genres than writing. I hope to capitalize on student intelligences outside of linguistic or verbal intelligence and share them with genres of writing that don't involve prose writing.
This project suggests that inquiry should be at the core of secondary English studies and that inquiry can lead to rich, dynamic discussions and understandings. If I were to explore this question with future English classrooms, I think that I would focus on perspective. I think that perspective is at the core of this question and capitalizing on genres that encourage students to compare Tara’s changed perspective from her family’s static perspective would highlight the eventual dive and estrangement between Tara and her family. Furthermore, I think it would be important to incorporate a genre that encourages personal reflection and thought; high school students are at a pivotal point in their lives and determining who they want to be, and I think it would be important to encourage students to think about what people, places, and events have shaped them into who they are. I think this personal reflection would ground a story that is unrelated to their lives, and show that the journey of defining yourself is a universal, shared experience.