Written Words

Words have the ability to empower us.  They breathe life into our values and give legs to our beliefs.  Without words, we are left with minimal ways to express ourselves universally.  Yes, there are physical and visual perceptions of how we feel and what we believe, but words give us the ability to articulate the specific ways that we feel without being misunderstood.

Context in writing allows for a reduction of misunderstandings; however, misunderstanding still does occur from the written word.  How can we help our students to be empowered by words—words that we write, words that they write, and words that their peers write?  How can we get students to see that their words have lasting impacts, especially when written? 

I believe one venue through which students can see the impact of written words is on Facebook.  Status messages and wall posts give students open forums to post thoughts and messages for others to read.  Whether the messages are intended for an audience of one or an audience of 500, people read what is written.  Whether it is out of curiosity, care or malice, Facebook has caused a culture of public sharing and publication.  Facebook has been a medium for praising, collective praying, and bullying.  It is a written, public venue that can empower, or disempower, depending on its use.  While Facebook can be a very dangerous tool for our students to use, it can also be a place where students can practice and apply their writing skills.  As teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to educate our students about the proper use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  We need to show them how these public words can be used to hurt or help others.  Hopefully, we can encourage a culture of students that seeks to help and improve the status quo.

As a teacher, I always begin each school year with the same goal for each of my students: that s/he may develop her/his own distinct voice as a writer.  I believe that individual voice is more important than any other byproduct of writing education.  I want my students to be confident in their own voices and convictions.  I want them to feel comfortable with themselves and in my class.  It is for this reason that I always require students to keep journals, no matter what their grade or level of education is.  Journals allow us to be reflective learners not just about what we are learning academically, but also about ourselves.  Here’s hoping this electronic journal will be another reflective tool in my own personal and academic journey.