Lane 6-7 Response

Barry Lane's After the End, chapters 6-7

I see Chapter 6 as being divided into two main sections: shape and point of view. I didn't get much from the graphing examples (maybe they'll hit me differently next time I read this), but moment mapping worked very well for me and I would definitely try it with students. It promotes deeper thinking and helps writers make their work more cohesive. I think this is part of what Lane called "visualizing the shape of the pieces they work on."

The second part of Chapter 6, in which point of view is addressed, also challenges writers to think more deeply. Changing a story to a new point of view makes a huge difference in the impact of the story, and it seems like a fairly advanced skill to me. I wonder how old kids need to be to do this well.

In Chapter 7, Lane provides some great thoughts on conferencing. I like the idea of the absentee conference, because often students know what they should be doing or how to help themselves, but they don't realize it.

"Respond to a student's writing as a reader--not as a teacher" is another important piece of advice that applies to almost any subject. I need to respond to my students' playing (at least some of the time) as a listener rather than as a teacher. Stepping into the consumer role helps us make our feedback more relevant to the student.

Finally, "Create the Atmosphere" has me thinking about what I could do to make my room more conducive to writing. I think adding some touches of comfort could also help students be less resistant to writing in band.