Week 3: Podis vs. Lindemann

In my opinion, Podis viewed writing as more of a structured, logical process.  While there is some room for students to move away from the patterns, a good writer should be able to establish a coherent pattern in writing.  This is a more practical approach to writing, and there is not much ‘wiggle room’.  After reading this article, I must state that I was somewhat taken aback by the condescending tone.  The author assumed that teachers did not teach anything regarding arrangement, and they somehow need help in understanding better teaching methods.

Lindemann’s view was that arrangement is a series of choices that students make with respect to writing, while remaining within general guidelines.  Form has a definite pattern and good form helps the writer to engage the audience; however, a writer should avoid becoming so engrossed in the form to where the substance of the material is lost.  Instead, arrangement or form is something that the writer discovers as he or she moves through the paper and makes decisions about how the content is organized.

I appreciated the diverse and numerous examples in both articles.  The grouping in Podis’ article was somewhat common sense, but when it was related to writing, it helped to clarify the main point.  This article was a great refresher for me.  In past years, I have taught the chronological and spatial forms of writing, but the patterning was confusing to me.  I feel that because I am not a formal English teacher, the patterning method is something that I may have missed.  The basic patterns were understood, but when C was introduced, I started to lose my train of thought (even after re-reading it several times).

In Lindemann’s article, the blocking example was new to me and I learned a lot just by reviewing the aerobic essay example.  The tenets of this article were new to me, but I appreciate that the article allowed me to feel freer to go off of my instincts and move away from the basic, 5-paragraph essay.  I felt a sense of freedom when Lindeman mentioned that this structure survives in English classes more so than anywhere else.  I had to laugh out loud on this one!   This article gave me a choice and I believe that it will allow me to try some new things and become a better teacher.  While Lindemann definitely has respect for form, there is room for the student to grow as a writer.