One of the most common mistakes I see students make is skipping prewriting. Students will often claim that prewriting "takes too long" or "wastes time" because they don't truly understand its purpose or its value.
Yet, when done properly, prewriting can provide a substantial amount of ideas for a paper, including the structure and content needed for an effective draft. Many times this great information can be generated in as little as 10-15 minutes.
Furthermore, because there are so many techniques for prewriting and because there are no right or wrong answers at this stage of the process, prewriting can be tailored to an individual's learning style and preferences.
Based on these points and our class discussions, please respond to the following questions by posting a comment:
- Have you used prewriting before? If so, in what ways? If not, why haven't you?
- How did this week's classes add to your understanding of how prewriting can benefit a writing project? Be specific.
- What prewriting technique or techniques do you prefer? Why?
I have heard of prewriting before in my other english classes but I never got in the habit of doing it, nor were teachers really hell bent on making us pratice it. I guess it could be from laziness to, i'll admitt it, but as a writer I have always been the type that just jumped in with both feet and started my paper, and after I got through it I would go back and take out what I didnt like or add things in. I always had something to say, even if the topic was boring. But my eyes have been opened to this process and I can see why it is important.
ReplyDeleteI think that this class showed me that Im so set in my ways of my own process in writing that it kind of freaks me out to see a easier way, because then you start to think, well if it is so easy why didnt teachers make this a big part of writing in the past. But as I have gotten older I have learned that you can learn something twenty thousand diffrent ways but maybe one or two of those are going to be affective. Im willing to give it a try, it seems like a sure way to make a great paper, but I said it once and I will say it again, it will be awkward and im set in my ways so be pacient...lol.
I like the just jump into it method which sounded a lot like the free writing process. But instead of stopping at ten minutes I would just keep going and I think it might cloud my papers with a lot of junk that isent needed, or things have been left out because I was too focused on one thing at a time. The best part of being a writer is that you only get better as you go. Maybe prewriting will make me a better writer and if that is the case, well then im all for it.
Last semester in pre-English class we learned a little bit about prewriting. But to be honest I never really used that technique. Instead I would just start writing and writing my paper. Then I would read over it or have a couple people to read it, and usually would change the majority of the paper. I would do this for about three different times. Eventually I would be satisfied with the final paper. With the way I did my paper was just a lot of extra writing.
ReplyDeleteAfter this weeks class I found out more strategies to prewriting. This class helped me out by showing me different techniques I can use to find specific information on the topic I chose. Before my technique wasn’t bad but just making extra work for myself. Even though some people say prewriting is more work I think its a shorter way and a faster way to find great information on your topic. Prewriting can benefit a writing project by giving more information than a couple you would have just by writing the paper. It can show you more topics or to give you different ways to write your paper.
I prefer the technique of asking questions. This is one I usually use on writing my papers. Asking questions is a good way to do research and also helps out with more major information to find, that would be good for your paper. Also I like the “Prom” technique you showed us. That’s also a great way to come up with a lot of ideas to put in your paper. Gives you different angles to go with your paper. Also it doesn’t even take that long to come up with branches off of your main point. Then when you look back you have all this information to put in your paper. Instead of a 1 page paper using this technique you possible can make a one page paper become a 3 page paper.
1.I learned about prewriting in high school very briefly but never actually applied the technique to my academic life. When I am about to write a paper I normally think for days about what the topic will be, when I figure that out I sit down and think about how I would like the paper to be worded and just write from there. Yes, it takes longer and is more difficult, but it has worked for me. I am going to implement prewriting next time I write a paper.
ReplyDelete2.Prewriting benefits a writing project by making the author actually sit down and write out ideas or sentences about his topic that can later be turned into the actual paper. This is a time saver and helps for a clearer better written paper.
3.I prefer free writing and the listing process. I am a person the writes everything from daily lists to nightly journal writing, this helps me actually see my ideas and then transfer them into my paper.
1. I have used prewriting before however, it was many years ago while I was in high school. The prewriting I used before was different than I learned in class last week. In high school we had to use prewriting to write papers that had to be done. 2. I learned in class last week that prewriting can befefit my future projects by helping me find topics, find topic sentences, form sentences, and even make a paper longer if needed. 3. I really prefer the free writing and "bubble" lists. It really helped with coming up with ideas. Using these strategies helps make paper writing less scary for someone like myself who has'nt wrote a paper in over fifteen years. I was actually dreading having to do such but now I feel more at ease.
ReplyDelete1) I went to a private school growing up, and prewriting was always taught in every English class. It was even considered a homework assignment sometimes that we had to hand in. I think it just gave the teacher an idea that we started putting our ideas down on paper. It was very useful to me and I still use prewriting. I think it helps me at least to get my ideas out and gives me an idea of how I want me papers to sound.
ReplyDelete2) Prewriting can benefit a writing project in many ways. Its a good way to get everything you want to say on paper before you actually begin writing. As much as I practiced prewriting in school, I have kind of gotten away from it since I graduated. Being someone who has a hard time getting there point across, I need to remember to always use prewritng. If I do not, I usually find myself lost, not knowing how to start a paper or what I wanna say.
3) The prewriting technique that I prefer is definitely free writing. It just helps me get everything I wanna say down on paper. Even if its not exactly how I want it to sound, at least I have an idea of what I want to say. After the 7 to 10 minutes of free writing, I can then organize my paper on what I want to start with, finish with, and then fill in from there.
I have heard about prewriting. I don't find it more helpful for me. So I don't use prewriting. I have to try it in my tenth grade class with a project she gave use. I realy like using web diagrams to help me organize a paper. I can set them up the way I can read them the best. It helps me set the paper to my standards. I'm abale to make the correction on a web diagram easiar than doing prewriting.
ReplyDeleteI do recall using prewriting as far back as 2nd grade. Although it was referred to as brain storming it was essentially the same thing as pre writhing. Even back then I found it very beneficial to the overall writing process. The brain storming involved filling out a chart with different bubbles representing different parts of the writing piece.Other than the previously stated example I do not recall using it very much in high school.
ReplyDeleteIn class we discussed prewriting although it is not an obscure concept to me I found it new in a way since I can't remember using it the ways the instructor was explaining it or recently. The instructor also went on to explain that it;s name is misleading for it isn't really writing before you write as it's name would lead you to believe. But it in fact is the writing. Pre writing can benefit your writing assignment by organizing certain aspects and content of your subject and help produce a much fuller piece.
I am not very experienced in pre writing but if I were to do it I suppose I would use it the same way that we went over in class. With an organized chart displaying all the possible content and sub category of a topic that our possible to cover in the writing.