Dialogue About the Program: An Introduction Like No Other
Here, the author, a grizzled old English teacher of uncanny sensitivity and clarity of heart (VK), explains his website, The Wonderful Writing Skills (Un) Handbook to a bright eyed, somewhat disrespectful and occasionally respectful, student name of Larry.
Read and be amazed.
VK: Thanks for agreeing to help me, Larry.
Larry: No problem, what's this all about.
VK: I'm working on a computer program to help students learn about language and writing.
Larry: Cool. As long as it's not grammar, I'm for it!
VK: Well, um...er...it is about grammar.
Larry: Oops.
VK: Part of it, anyway is about grammar.
Larry: Oh, man! Do you know how much I hate grammar.
VK: I think I do. As a matter of fact, as a teacher, I don't much like it either.
Larry: So why are you doing this?
VK: I think knowing about grammar can help you discuss your writing with other people.
Larry: Other people? I don't know anybody who'd want to talk grammar, man!
VK: Teachers.
Larry: Oh, yeah.
VK: You're on your way to college, right?
Larry: Yup. Start in the fall.
VK: You will have teachers. You might need to talk about your writing. It would help if you knew the vocabulary.
Larry: Vocabulary isn't much more fun than grammar.
VK: That's why I want to try this new approach.
Larry: OK, I'm curious, what's new?
VK: The writing process.
Larry: Great! We move from grammar to vocabulary to writing! My favorite things!
VK: A lot of people share your feelings. But these are survival skills in college. You just can't get through very many courses without doing a whole lot of writing.
Larry: OK, but don't expect me to be happy.
VK: Fair enough, but how about if you use this program, you'll at least be able to handle college writing assignments, including conferences with teachers about your writing, and even get some decent grades. Maybe even pass the course!
Larry: hmmmm. Sounds OK. What will I have to do?
VK: The program will allow you to first decide on what you want to do. Learn parts of speech, sentence parts, writing skills, whatever.
Larry: OK, let's say I want to learn about...about...nouns! I remember that one. But what if I want to learn nouns?
VK: Good choice. You first find it in the main menu.
Larry: I can do that!
VK: Great. You click on "noun" and you'll be taken to a work form to fill out.
Larry: What'll I have to fill?
VK: There are a couple of different types of forms, but they all work basically the same: first you write about what you already know.
Larry: If I already knew it, why do I need to learn it?
VK: Fair question. The idea is to help you get your head into a place that will be more receptive to the learning. A good way to learn is to first connect to your own experiences and ideas. Then when you begin learning new stuff, there will be a place in your mind all ready for it.
Larry: Hmmm? I guess I'll try it, but I'm dubious.
VK: Fair enough. Once you've done the writing about what you already know, the next thing is to learn what you can.
Larry: Does the program help me do that?
VK: Damn right! I've written about each item. You can call up my answers and read them. I've also made it easy for other people to add their ideas, their knowledge about each term. You're also free to interview people, read books, whatever!
Larry: Interview people?
VK: Sure, friends, lovers, teachers, family. Any source you can find.
Larry: Sounds like research.
VK: You bet. And research is one of the items.
Larry: OK, I find out what a "noun" is, then what?
VK: You write up a summary of what you learn. Writing about the new knowledge is what makes this program work. Writing about something really helps you to make it your own.
Larry: I'm not so sure about all of this writing. I don't spell very well.
VK: Neither do I. But for this process to work, it's important that you relax and write quickly without worrying about spelling or punctuation or ...
Larry: Whatever?
VK: Yes! Just write. Write to get your ideas down. If you want to go back and correct your spelling someday, you can do that, but for the first writing you should only worry about getting your ideas on paper.
Larry: Will I be finished then?
VK: I want you to do one more thing: a dialogue with a MOP.
Larry: Next I'll be talking to brooms!
VK: Ha! MOP stands for "My Other Persona".
Larry: Where do I get this MOP?
VK: You create it. You create a fictional person. And you're going to teach this fictional person, your MOP, all about what you've learned.
Larry: Whoa! Why do that?
VK: Any teacher will tell you, that you never learn a subject so well as when you teach it. Teaching gets you to think through your subject and to see it through your students' eyes. And you learn.
Larry: I donor...
VK: Willing to try.
Larry: I guess. What do I do? How do I teach my MOP?
VK: First you create the character by filling out a form.
Larry: Another form!
VK: Yup. Filling out this form will get you to create a character. Once you have the character you'll be able to have discussions with him--or her--or it.
Larry: Discussions?
VK: You'll write a dialogue, a conversation between you and your MOP in which you explain to him what you've just learned. And during which your MOP will ask you lots of questions. By the end of a page or so of dialogue, you will really understand your subject!
Larry: OK, I'll try it. Is there anything else?
VK: In lots of places the program asks you to look at things you've already written.
Larry: Like what, homework and stuff?
VK: Sure. Any journal writing, homework from any class.
Larry: Any class?
VK: Sure. I'm an English teacher so I tend to think in terms of English class assignments. But most teachers in most classes give assignments that require writing.
Larry: Yeah, they do! And I can use those?
VK: You bet.
Larry: Can I use things I've turned in that have already been graded?
VK: Sure. In some ways using writings that are works in progress may help you with doing the assignment, but any writing you've done will work.
Larry: What am I going to do with these writings?
VK: Here's the thing. Whenever you learn about something, anything, to make the learning stick, you should ask the question, "So what?"
Larry: Don't get snotty.
VK: Would you prefer, "In what personal ways does this (insert piece of learning you have just experienced) apply to the myriad experiences I call my life, apply to that which I find important, apply to assisting me in achieving my goals?"
Larry: "So what?" will do.
VK: Thank you. And the way you answer that question in this program, is to immediately turn to your own writing. Look for examples of whatever term you've been writing about, apply writing tips to your writing to find out if the tip would help, check to see if your writing is using usage appropriate to your audience.
Larry: OK, I do all those things, "So what?"
VK: Awright! You're catching on! Grammar books can give you some help in learning the vocabulary of language, this program tries to get you to write your own grammar book.
Larry: Whoa! I'm not ready to write a book!
VK: Maybe "book" is a little strong. Let me try again. The exercises in this book get you to first think about what you already know and then to connect what you know to the new stuff. Looking at your own writing is the best way to find those connections.
Larry: Huh?
VK: Find examples in your writing.
Larry: Why didn't you say so? Where should we begin?
VK: How about . . . Learnatron!!
Introductiontoprogram | Partsof Speech | Punctuation | Sentence Parts | Sentence Variety | Standard English | Writing
