Dear Reader,
Student ownership and agency is an integral part of the writing process. Personally, I feel as though I did not have opportunities to fully develop ownership and agency in my writing in primary and secondary school. In turn, I do not have a strong liking for writing. From personal experience, teachers I had in the past that were enthusiastic about writing and modeled ownership of their own pieces encouraged us, as students, to develop our personal ownership of our writing. On the contrary, teachers who put stressed focus on exact details about the content, format, and conventions of writing encouraged students to write for the product instead of the process. Because I do not want my dislike of writing and lack of agency to pass on to my students, I want to learn how to help students develop ownership and agency in their writing.
The spark of my research began with the following question: How can I promote agency and ownership in students’ writing? It defines their identity and how they feel about their writing. Based on my observations while student teaching, my perceptions of students’ agency and ownership have varied greatly. I feel that students’ degree of ownership of their writing is directly related to their motivation and enjoyment of writing. When they take possession of their writing and feel proud of it, it makes the world of a difference.
After researching, I found conclusive answers to my question. These answers include that student agency and ownership begins with the teacher, the sociocultural aspect of the student must be considered, and that there is a strong correlation between motivation and ownership. In order to show my knowledge gained, I present several artifacts including an interview with a mentor teacher, a character sketch, and a crossword puzzle.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s future and writing is a vital skill in order to be a productive member of society. Encouraging students to develop agency and ownership in their writing allows students to be more successful in their writing along with a higher level of motivation. Thank you for taking your time to read through my findings. My hope is to inspire educators to give students opportunities and encourage them to develop personal agency and ownership in their writing.
Sincerely,
Addie Patten
Student ownership and agency is an integral part of the writing process. Personally, I feel as though I did not have opportunities to fully develop ownership and agency in my writing in primary and secondary school. In turn, I do not have a strong liking for writing. From personal experience, teachers I had in the past that were enthusiastic about writing and modeled ownership of their own pieces encouraged us, as students, to develop our personal ownership of our writing. On the contrary, teachers who put stressed focus on exact details about the content, format, and conventions of writing encouraged students to write for the product instead of the process. Because I do not want my dislike of writing and lack of agency to pass on to my students, I want to learn how to help students develop ownership and agency in their writing.
The spark of my research began with the following question: How can I promote agency and ownership in students’ writing? It defines their identity and how they feel about their writing. Based on my observations while student teaching, my perceptions of students’ agency and ownership have varied greatly. I feel that students’ degree of ownership of their writing is directly related to their motivation and enjoyment of writing. When they take possession of their writing and feel proud of it, it makes the world of a difference.
After researching, I found conclusive answers to my question. These answers include that student agency and ownership begins with the teacher, the sociocultural aspect of the student must be considered, and that there is a strong correlation between motivation and ownership. In order to show my knowledge gained, I present several artifacts including an interview with a mentor teacher, a character sketch, and a crossword puzzle.
Today’s students are tomorrow’s future and writing is a vital skill in order to be a productive member of society. Encouraging students to develop agency and ownership in their writing allows students to be more successful in their writing along with a higher level of motivation. Thank you for taking your time to read through my findings. My hope is to inspire educators to give students opportunities and encourage them to develop personal agency and ownership in their writing.
Sincerely,
Addie Patten