Seeing & Writing Online Community - Chapter 1: Observing the Ordinary

Surefire Assignment: Learning to See

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 17:05:09 -0500

I first conceived of this assignment as a way to get students to truly see the details and inter-connections of the details in everyday surroundings. I wanted to encourage students to examine closely things they normally took for granted or, worse, did not notice at all. By doing so, I hoped students would think about their places in the world (universe, community, physical location, etc.) and see the integral part that they play in the world, as well as the influences and forces that help mold them into the people they are—their bundles of nerves, beliefs, understandings, ideas, emotions, etc.

Surefire Assignment: From Labels to Logos

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:56:43 -0500

In this assignment I ask students to collect a sampling of logos from products in a single category such as cars, food, or fashion. What image are the logos trying to convey? What consumer “buttons�? are the logos trying to push? Do the logos seem related to the product itself (for example, the Chiquita banana logo for the Chiquita banana company), or does the power of the logo depend upon the associations the viewer must form between product and logo?

Surefire Assignment: A Cricket Hat, a Conch Shell, and an Orange…

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 16:48:03 -0500

A cricket hat, a conch shell and an orange... Those are the images my students use to understand how to create a visual framework for writing, beginning with the element of theme.

Since I teach in an International school with children from Trinidad, the West Indies and all over the world, I believe it is important to use images in music, art and literature that relate to all students and reflect various cultural experiences including Caribbean culture. I also try to use students’ work when teaching concepts.

Surefire Assignment: Personal Ode

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:34:13 -0500

I have my students write a personal narrative of 3 pages or so (at least 600 words) about a place that has had some special meaning in their lives. In addition to providing specific detail about the place, the essays should attempt to reveal a “story�? the students hadn’t realized was there.

Surefire Class: Observing the Ordinary

Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:27:54 -0500

To the first class in this unit, I bring enough oranges (or other seasonal citrus fruit) for each student. (Note: I have used this activity in several classes using two Seeing & Writing editions and so far only one student was allergic to citrus and had to have a fellow classmate hold her orange.) With an orange, an ordinary object, as the Seeing & Writing chapter suggests, my class and I discover other invention methods.