Hillock's meta-analysis revealed that the presentational mode characterized by teacher led discussion, teacher lecture and extensive written feedback on the quality of effective writing was the least effective approach to writing. (Smagorinsky, 32)
The Natural Process emphasizes self selected topics, peer and teacher feedback, indirect rather than explicit instruction and the teacher as a guide who guides student search for meaning and expression to be the most effective approach to writing. (Smagorinsky, 32)
The Presentational mode is the more traditional passive style of teaching where the teacher does the teaching and the lecturing while the students listen and take notes.
When I was younger, my elementary, middle and high school writing teachers all used the Presentational method of teaching writing. I remember as a student having trouble understanding how all this would apply to me. It was all rote memorization of grammar rules, writing conventions and I remember I could not wait until the class period was over. The teachers did not care what we were thinking as we did not talk for the entire class period.
I had one teacher who spent the entire period with her back to the class as she was writing on the blackboard all the grammar rules for sentence structure. She kept saying 'clause' over and over agin as she talked about dependent and independent clauses but at that time, I had no idea what she was talking about. I did learn sentence structure, but it was not from her. Instead, I just focused on the back of her head.
To this day, I remember vividly the bald spot at the back of her head. We were convinced that her red hair was dyed because you would see her white grey roots from the back of her head. Pretty much, she talked to the blackboard. This is an extreme example, in my opinion, of really bad teaching, especially if all you remember from that lesson is how bald the back of the teacher's head was.
It was the science teachers who used the Natural Process method more because we got to do experiments in class. I learned how to dissect frog legs. I learned the parts of a plant by taking a plant apart. I learned how to make soap in class. In a more project based class, I remember more of what we learned, not just the back of my teacher's bald head. I even learned that chocolate covered ants taste delicious. :)
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