Writing to Learn and Learning to Write

I don't know if I've ever considered myself a "writer." I've never written a book. I've never been published by a journal of any kind. I'm just a college student who is required to write - essays, reflections, and then a few more essays. 

However, as I've come to do a little more research on what "authentic" writing is, I've realized that I am more of a writer than I had previously supposed. I write emails on a daily basis for work. I occasionally facebook chat/message my friends. I keep a personal journal. I blog - not often or well, but I do. I tell stories (I realize these may not be physically written, but they still demonstrate my understanding of narrative structure!). AND I write papers. I guess I write more than I thought. 

I don't think many students - if any at all - consider themselves writers. Like me, they write papers, but that doesn't meant they are writers, right?

Wrong. Students write ALL the time. In such a highly textual world, they are engaging with texts at every turn - they just don't realize that's what they are doing. As a soon-to-be-real-world teacher, I want students to be aware of all of the different kinds of writing (even the kind that doesn't end up in written form) and even more aware that they engage in writing activities every day. And I want to create authentic writing experiences for them. What does that mean?

According to NCTE's Writing Now! article, "authentic" writing requires specific components:

1. Authentic writing takes place in a real-world context and addresses real-world needs (so unless that 5-10 page paper the teacher assigned had the students extend themselves outside of the classroom, I don't think it counts).

2. Authentic writing instruction affirms the importance of collaboration (as we all should know, our own knowledge and opinions aren't enough. We need to be in constant communication and collaboration with other readers and writers).

3. Authentic writing instruction gives careful attention to assessment.

4. Authentic writing instruction helps students use new technologies effectively (hello, blog. Nice to meet you).

"The twenty-first century demands that literate people possess a wide range of writing skills and varying approaches to writing tasks. Writers need to understand and respond to many different rhetorical situations, addressing multiple audiences for a variety of purposes."

So the task of encouraging and developing writers in today's day and age is much more complex; however, it's also much more accessible. There is such a wide range of writing opportunities, it's hard to go wrong. Easy to go write.