PB3A

The article I chose is called “Freedom of Voice” by Maura Stetson. It discusses possible strategies teachers can use to aid their students in developing a writing voice. Stetson believes that nobody can teach voice, despite the fact that it is “the heart of writing.” The article focuses on four main strategies: Institutional vs. Authentic Voice, Freedom of Topic, Audience Awareness, and Linking with Literature. I will be incorporating bits and pieces from each section into my genre transformations. 

Originally, I wanted to turn the article into a movie trailer. I thought it would be a really cool and unique way of presenting the information. I am very hesitant to do this. Not because it would take a lot of time or be challenging, but because I’m not sure how well I will be able to explain and demonstrate the “why” behind it all. The movie trailer would be about one teacher’s determination to teach her students about voice and the struggles that come along with that. In the article, Stetson states many times how difficult it is to teach voice. It isn't like teaching someone how to properly use commas, it is developed through student individuality and them finding confidence in their thoughts. Along with that concept, I would convey the importance of student choice in writing and audience awareness. The movie would be tailored for an older audience, ranging anywhere from high school to adult. Sticking to the conventions of a movie trailer, I would only have to include enough story-line to give a general idea of what the movie is about. I am very torn about going with this idea— it could either be really awesome, or completely miss the mark. 

Have no fear, I have a back-up plan! If I don’t go with the movie trailer, I was thinking of doing a parenting pamphlet/brochure. One section of the article discusses how voice comes from having freedom and creativity when writing and that students as early as 3rd grade begin to lose this. For whatever reason, upon reading this, I imagined a doctor saying it. As if children were at risk of losing their writing voice in the same way they would be at risk of getting chicken pox without being vaccinated. With that in mind, I began looking up some parenting pamphlets to get a general idea of their conventions. Most of the ones I looked at dealt with learning/medical disabilities, or how to help a child succeed in school. I have a few different options on how to approach writing the pamphlet. I could write it from a teacher/administrator perspective and discuss how parents can implement and promote the use of voice outside of the classroom. Or, I could take a “medical” perspective and discuss “10 ways to prevent early onset voice loss.” Either way, I have to keep in mind that the article was written for writing teachers, but I will be writing for concerned parents. The language and tone I use must be sincere and somewhat empathetic, yet still convey legitimacy so the parents trust what I have to say. 

For the genre transformation geared toward a younger audience, I am going to write a blog post/article for high school seniors that are in the process of applying for college. One of the most important parts of the college application is an essay or personal statement. Speaking from experience, it can be extremely difficult to incorporate voice into something of this nature. You want to come across as professional and intelligent, yet still give an idea of who you are. Part of the article focuses on institutional vs. authentic voice. Students develop an institutional voice— the bland, robotic, and formal sounding tone we’ve all used at some point— very early on. Students believe that this type of writing will earn them a good grade, so they stick to the “rules” and avoid taking any risks. My blog post/article would explain the different ways students can incorporate voice into their writing— specifically for their college application essay. I am planning on including many examples to demonstrate each strategy in action, and using a friendly/conversational tone to relate to the students. I think adding some personal anecdotes of my experience in applying for college would also increase the relate-ability factor and add credibility to the piece by showing that I’ve gone through this same experience. 

Although my plans for WP3 aren’t 100% solidified, I think I will be able to figure everything out pretty easily. Once I start, I know everything will start to fall into place!