wow. so, as usual, i took a 3-month hiatus from blog posting, but as summer session 2 comes to a close, i find that i've got a lot to say, and probably stuff that will span multiple posts. i'd like to talk at least a little bit about summer classes, but i think i'll save that for a later post. for now, i want to say a little bit about writing (and writing as a doctoral student and the ways that my writing strategies have changed and grown.
i may have mentioned last year that i decided to get my master's as a part of my course of study. in order to do that, i've added two master's courses to my roster ("teaching language and literacy to adolescents in secondary schools," which i took last fall, and "forming and reforming the elementary rwl curriculum," which i will take this fall). i will also be completing a master's portfolio, which i am working on now and which i will submit in december.
the master's portfolio has a number of requirements including: a description of my course of study; inclusion of my original entrance essay as well as multiple reflections on this essay; inclusion of a few artifacts/documents from my program of study and some annotations with each; a professional development reflection; and a short essay on how i might turn this portfolio into a professional portfolio. the master's portfolio also includes two longer papers, about 12 pages each: the conceptual territories paper (which asks the writer to examine the four territories of the rwl master's: interdisciplinary, inquiry, diversity, change) and the selected questions paper (which asks the writer to write on/ explore some questions that have sparked his/her interest over the course of the program).
although the portfolio is due in december, the two larger papers are due much earlier. the conceptual territories paper is due on 9/1 and the selected questions paper is due on 10/1. each person is assigned a portfolio advisor who receives these submitted drafts and offers feedback, which the writer can use to revise these drafts prior to turning in the final portfolio. there is also an addition requirement of meeting with and working with a portfolio writing group. these groups are assigned by the portfolio advisor and they are asked to meet once a month at a minimum.
so anyway, working on this portfolio has given me the opportunity to revise some of my writing practices. first, i made a rule that i'd open my portfolio document at least once a day (except saturdays!) and i've been keeping up with this. even if i only write a sentence or two per day, i feel like this portfolio is constantly evolving and growing and you know, becoming something. it feels like a living, breathing document and i really love that. i started the document on august 1 by creating a table of contents, which included each required part and some notes on that part, and then i started chunking out sections and using page breaks to section them out. i also began writing a few of the short reflections and getting my notes down on paper. in that first day of work, i created 14 pages (albeit relatively empty pages, but pages full enough with notes and titles that they implied the existence of unwritten content). so, i've opened the document everyday since then (except for maybe a day or two) and i'm now at 21 pages and many of the short papers within have been developed into full-blown pieces, and others have developed into more than just disjointed notes. it's kind of exciting.
i also started a second rule that i would start a new diary/memo/fieldnotes book in which i could write about writing and i have made an effort to use to to document my writing process, take down my frustrations (not just with the writing but also with the writing group and various other things), note down questions or ongoing lines of thinking to pursue later on, document quotes and ideas from texts i've read, and so on. this has been incredibly fruitful for me, as well as a great way to make note of various wonderings and develop my awareness of my writerly identities. it has also enabled me to take a step back from the computer. sometimes, i read something with the idea that i should immediately want to put it into a document. having a fieldnotes journal has enabled me to put a step between reading and writing; it's like a place to jot down my thinkings.
so, i guess all this is to say that the process of writing the portfolio has enabled me to revise some of my writing practices and that's been really helpful. but also, if you're a master's student or someone thinking about applying to the rwl master's, i hope this helps to demystify the portfolio and make it feel a bit more accessible. and if you have more questions, please ask. i'm no expert, but i'll try my best, and if it comes down to it, i can always touch base with someone who does know the answers.
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