Blog 1

After the class discussion, it was interesting to see how many points were similar in the reading to what the class remembered from their past. I really liked the part where it pointed out what tutoring is not, because for someone like me who has never formally tutored before it is helpful to see what I should be careful not to confuse it with. When reading the second reading assignment, there was a part where it said "The best way to describe tutoring is to do tutoring", relating it to the class discussion, we were able to describe tutoring on what we found to be effective tutoring in the past.

In the second reading, it was interesting to see the cognitive side of how a writer writes. As pointed out in the reading, when I never really thought about it, I too thought that the writing process was individualistic, but after relating what was in the reading to what I do when I have to wirte a paper for class, it showed that the three main stages are essesntially what everyone uses as a writing process. Prewriting, writing, and re writing...

It was refreshing to see that the book admits that "writing is ot a steady straight ahead activity", and realizes that because of all that is going on inside the writer's head while writing, it becomes more complex than it seems. Because writing really isn't as easy as it seems!

STUDENT- CENTERED

Reading the tutoring options, I began to think how I would want my tutoring sessions to be. After reading the three options, I decided that because it is peer to peer tutoring, "student-centered tutoring" could be a good way to go, because not only can you help identify what the writer finds a problem or what is most challenging aboout the particular piece, but it helps you discover what are the main issues with the writer, although as the book points out, it will most likely never repeat itself entirely the same.

COLLABORATIVE

In my opinion, this would be a really effective way to tutor, because it fuses both the writer and tutor's ideas and you build off each other's feedbacxk and energy. However, it's imperative that the writer becomes involved in improving the piece and not just focused on listening to what you have to say as the "expert", and to achieve this, the book emphasizes creating an effective tutoring environment.

On page 28,in "the fuziness of tutoring writing", it describes how the fuziness of tutoring writing is actually a good thing. It is described as "human", and it's a good reminder that the sessions, should not be overly serious, that it should be a helpful learning experience that is enjoyable for both the writer and tutor.

It was really helpful reading what could strengthen or weaken the environment I would want to create in my sessions and what would be the most effective way to make the most of the sessions.