Jeanetta Miller

Weaving Imagination into an Academic Framework: Attitudes, Assignments, and Assessments

An English teacher recommends two major writing projects that have helped expand students imaginations.

believe that imagination is alive in the high school classroom, but it is pale and sickly, suffering from a long decline in which we have conned it to its most decorous forms of expressioninference and interpretationand become ambiguous about whether or not it is truly welcome. What do we really want from students: cognitive leaps or compliance, passion or ve-paragraph essays, innovation or MLA format, wit or rigor? Imagination can be unruly and, worst of all, difcult to assess. Although the standards movement is often maligned, it grew, at least in part, out of a genuine desire to help students succeed in school by sharing information with them. At the high school where I teach, we wrote analytical rubrics to provide students with specic information about how to meet our graduation requirements. Many hours of committee work went into these rubrics. We learned that it is hard to write an analytical rubric that doesnt descend into meaningless increments of few, some, many. As we met and met again, there was a sense of excitement and satisfaction that we were moving toward consensus as a faculty on interdisciplinary standards for student work. This rubric was one of four that dene our standards for graduation in the areas of Information Literacy, Problem Solving, Written Performance, and Spoken Communication. We saw these rubrics as a way to communicate clearly and consistently to students what we, as a school community, value. It did not occur to us at the time that we had slighted an essential aspect of

learning, but I dont believe this is because any of us would have said that imagination is not important. Our focus was on nding a balance between reasonable expectations and academic rigor. If asked about imagination, we could have pointed out that imagination is implicit in standards such as makes inferences and promotes a new perspective or interpretation. The problem, of course, is that students will tend to focus on what is explicit in a rubric, such as the number of sources required. While I worry about the monster we might create in writing standards and rubrics that make the importance of imagination explicit, I think we owe it to students to set this record straight. However, adding an Imagination row to a rubric is not enough. To rouse imagination in the high school classroom, we need to convince students that they have the time and energy to engage imaginatively in the work they do for us. My experience suggests that this will not be easy.

Attitudes
Recently I conducted a survey of a representative cross-section of the junior class. The purpose of the survey was to determine how students dene success. I disaggregated the responses by gender and academic level and was a little stunned to nd that every group dened success primarily as good grades and admission to a respectable college. Some students also mentioned friends, family, being true to oneself, but they are all marching to the same

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Weaving Imagination into an Academic Framework: Attitudes, Assignments, and Assessments

mantra: meet the standards, get the grades, go to college. Because they recognize that we are the gatekeepers, with authority to impose standards and determine grades, they comply with our demands, many of them putting in long hours to do so. Responses to the open-ended questions on the survey often alluded to the stress induced by the relentless pressure to produce work that will earn the necessary good grades. The survey results strongly suggest that many students operate in survival mode with no time or energy to engage creatively with assignments. A student in survival mode looks for the most direct route to the target grade; investing personal passion and imagination in simultaneous assignments from ve or six disciplines must seem not only impractical but downright irresponsible. I work in a district where curriculum, including standards and rubrics, is developed by teachers and then submitted to the Board of Education for approval. There is broad recognition that we need to maintain a balance between implementation of board-approved curriculum and freedom to experiment with new ideas and new approaches, so teachers will have fresh material to contribute when curriculum comes up for review. We realize that theres no such thing as a perfect curriculum, so we focus on continuous improvement. In each cycle of revision, our standards and rubrics more clearly reect the opportunities and imperatives of the 21st century. Nevertheless, as this process moves along, students are caught in a catch-22: to keep the door to the future open they must meet standards established ve or more years in the past, standards that tend to focus on the skills that are important to us rather than the skills that will be important to them. The Connecticut State Department of Education, in its Connecticut Plan for Secondary School Reform, cites Howard Gardners ve minds of the future, which include the disciplined mind of the critical thinker, the synthesizing mind of the problem solver, the creative mind of the innovator, the respectful mind of the collaborator, and the ethical mind of the leader (7). Connecticuts plan gives a central role to Gardners vision of future thinking: Those who live in the 21st century will need to practice all of these modes of thinking on a daily

basis. School must be the training ground for students to acquire and internalize these minds for success (7). If school is, indeed, to be this training ground, students need relief from the quantity of work they currently produce, so they have the time and the mental and emotional space to think critically, synthesize, innovate, collaborate, and develop the character to ethically lead. To that end, Ive been experimenting with assignments that lure students into spending more time and thought than they intended on the work. In return, Im giving fewer assignments and changing how the work is assessed.

Assignments
The Proteus Project

I was introduced to the Proteus Project by Laury Fischer at a Bay Area Writing Project workshop (http://www.bayareawritingproject.org/). The Proteus Project, as its name indicates, can take as many forms as there are individual students with a passion to know more about someone or something. It involves primary and secondary research and writing in the no-holds-barred tradition of New Journalism (Wolfe). In its current incarnation, my juniors work on the Proteus Project for the entire year, writing rst a nonction narrative, then a eld study based on the narrative, followed by intercalary chapters and a recurring motif (see g. 1 for assignment sheets and a rubric). The parts correspond with the readings for the course. For example, the nonction narrative follows a summer assignment focused on memoir, and the intercalary chapters are written after students have read The Grapes of Wrath and prior to reading In Our Time. The Proteus Project provides a exible framework, but it is the exercise of individual imagination that lls that framework with the interwoven threads of the students story, ndings, associations, visualization, revelations, and reections. The Proteus Project was already intuitively multigenre, as it integrates narrative with other patterns of exposition more typical of research papers. The inspiration to make Proteus explicitly multigenre came from an English Journal article by Nancy Mack. In her article Mack discusses in detail the power and possibilities of multigenre writing

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FIGURE 1. The Proteus Project

There in our hands he became a lion and a dragon and many other animals, and nally even a high-branched tree. But we held him rmly throughout, and at last he gave in and told me all I wished to know. Edith Hamilton

ongoing works cited/consulted. Select background reading from reliable sources, adding to the works cited/consulted. Write about your ndings. Intercalary Chapters Create three short pieces that expand on the central ideas of the nonction narrative and the eld study, using whatever genre is appropriate, and braid these pieces around the nonction narrative and eld study. Recurring Motif Establish a recurring motif that connects the ve pieces. The motif may take the form of image, graphic effect, text, or a combination. Conclusion Looking back at the nonction narrative, eld study, and intercalary chapters, write a conclusion that guides the reader toward a solid grasp of apt generalizations based on the specic illustrative detail of the individual components. The conclusion might include discussion of ndings, reection on process, personal or public implications, and questions for further study. Introduction Looking at the Proteus Project as a whole, write an introduction that provides readers with what they need to gain a full understanding of the project. The introduction might include a rationale for selecting the topic, major concepts, technical information, a glossary, illustrations, and information about the process. Cover Create a cover that uses graphic effect (visuals and text) to demand readers attention. If you accidentally dropped your project in the parking lot, the cover should be so striking that the next person passing could not resist picking it up. Works Cited and Works Consulted Include comprehensive works cited and works consulted lists, including sources for visuals. You may also include a bibliography of suggested readings. Table of Contents (TOC) If possible, format your Proteus Project as a single unied le and paginate. If this is not possible, print clean copies of each le and neatly hand paginate. The table of contents should include each component, title(s), and page numbers. continued

According to Edith Hamilton in Mythology, Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, Proteus was one of the sea gods. He may have been Poseidons son or an attendant. Proteus could foretell the future and change his shape at will. When heroes got in trouble they looked to him for information. Proteus would only comply when captured and compelled to do so, which was not an easy task as he could shift his shape rapidly from one terrifying creature to another. Only the hero resolute enough to hold on through all the changes would be rewarded with knowledge. The challenge for todays heroes is not so much how to obtain information as how to decide what is worth knowing and worth caring about. The Proteus Project is an invitation to embark on a journey of exploration and epiphany, to wrestle ones own Proteus into submission. The project begins with and builds on a signicant personal narrative. The writer explores the true subject of the narrative, seeks information from other people about this subject, creates several pieces that grow organically out of the narrative and research, weaves a recurring motif through the evolving project, reects on ndings, and provides a cover and introduction that engage and inform the reader. Note: The title, focus on authentic sources, and student design of this project were inspired by an assignment developed by Laury Fischer of the Bay Area Writing Project. RE Q UIR E D CO M P O N E N T S O F TH E PR O TE US P R O J E C T Nonction Narrative Use the techniques of ction writers (see New Journalism) to write about a moment in your life that stands out, perhaps because you havent yet gured out why it lingers in your mind. Conduct background research to enlarge on prior knowledge and develop the moment into a nonction narrative, maintaining a works cited/ consulted list in MLA format. As you work on the nonction narrative, think about what the true subject might be (as opposed to the topic). Field Study Explore the true subject from your Nonction Narrative by seeking information from primary sources through interviews and a survey. Include these items in the

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Weaving Imagination into an Academic Framework: Attitudes, Assignments, and Assessments

FIGURE 1. Continued T H E P R OT EU S P R OJ EC T A SSESSM EN T RU BRIC Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Score ________ / 100 Procient Focus Develops a topic using more than one genre. Meets Goal Offers multiple perspectives on a topic using more than one genre. Advanced Makes imaginative use of an array of genres to explore a topic in depth and promote a new perspective or interpretation. Creates a logical organization, enhanced by specic techniques to increase coherence, such as repetitions, transitions, and graphic effects. Balances generalization and specic illustrative detail. Makes effective use of rhetorical strategies, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and syntax. Mechanical errors are rare; rules may be broken for effect. Selects information relevant to the research purpose from valid primary and expert secondary sources. Captures an important truth about human nature. Includes a substantial works cited/consulted in MLA format. Creates an attractive, userfriendly package. Presents an abstract of the project and performs excerpts from the project.

Concord

Organizes ideas within paragraphs and uses transition terms between paragraphs.

Organizes ideas within and between paragraphs and uses transition sentences between paragraphs. Develops engaging ideas and information with accurate, relevant details. Uses precise diction; writes concise, clear prose; conveys a distinctive voice.

Detail

Includes ideas and information that are generally well developed and accurate. Uses appropriate diction and writes clearly.

Liveliness

Conventions

There are some errors in mechanics. Selects information relevant to the research purpose from valid primary or secondary resources. Makes generalizations that are supported by the information selected. Attempts to cite resources in a works cited/consulted page in MLA format. Completes required components. Mentions the topic and reads an excerpt from the project.

There are few errors in mechanics. Selects information relevant to the research purpose from valid primary and secondary resources. Makes inferences that are supported by the information selected. Cites resources in a works cited/consulted page in MLA format. Houses the project neatly in a binder. Presents an overview of the project and reads excerpts from the project.

Information

Inferences

Sources

Package Presentation

Complete the assessment sheet and include it in the project. Each component is worth up to 10 points. Please attach a typed comment on the assignment. Discuss the sequence in which project components were assigned, problems you encountered in completing the project, aspects of the project that you particularly enjoyed, and suggestions for improvement.

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and concludes by compressing its characteristics into a concise list (see g. 2). Macks list has become part of the handout that I give students when they are about halfway through the Proteus Project and start to see that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. I compensate for the additional time and energy that students invest in the Proteus Project by making it serve as the nal exam for the course. An additional advantage of this is that there is no rush to complete a nal project or to cram for an exam when we near the end of the academic year. My goal is for all students to earn 100% of the possible points for the project, and most do.
The Occasional Paper

FIGURE 2. A Multigenre Paper requires that diverse types of writing be generated for a theme permits meaning to dictate form instead of vice versa presents multiple, conicting perspectives of one event or topic stimulates critical analysis and higher level thinking skills provides a rich context for an event or topic integrates factual information into a meaningful text versus copying or simple recall can incorporate interviews, oral history, folklore, and ethnographic research demonstrates a sophisticated knowledge of various types and uses of language creates coherence among the parts of a problem to be solved requires a bibliography, footnotes, and careful documentation of sources is almost impossible to plagiarize permits the author to highlight personal interests and special expertise can make full use of computers and multimedia imitates the format of modern novels and innovative business reports results in an aesthetically attractive product demands careful reading and response
Figure reprinted from Nancy Mack, The Ins, Outs, and In-Betweens of Multigenre Writing (97). Copyright 2002 by the National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with Permission.

Another assignment that has a signicant impact on my students willingness to truly engage in their writing is the Occasional Paper, which I discovered from an article by Bill Martin in English Journal. The article is called A Writing Assignment/A Way of Life and it has certainly become both for my students. The Occasional Paper, or OP, as it is fondly known, is a paper anchored in the quotidian. Already this year there have been OPs about writing utensil preference, PostSecret, switching roles with ones twin, Humpty Dumpty, National Novel Writing Month, and correct urinal behavior, to name just a few. Following Martins guidelines, the due date for the OP is exible and the paper is read aloud to the class. Students will sometimes offer me a copy, knowing that I collect samples for future students (and I sometimes beg for a copy), but the paper is not turned in for assessment. The only assessment students receive is the collective gasp or howls of
FIGURE 3. Guidelines for the Occasional Paper (OP) Things to Avoid Attacks on an individual or divulging information about an individual that should be kept in condence Formulaic organization with rote introduction and conclusion (ve-paragraph essay approach) A paper that is brief, undeveloped, or lacks detail Use of generic diction or clichs, reliance on sweeping generalizations about life Grammatical or usage errors Reading the paper for the rst time in class; trying to read from a handwritten draft

laughter or awed Wow! of their colleagues response; their peers responses have proven to be a mighty motivator for work that combines critical thinking with imagination. I provide guidelines (see g. 3) and enter credit for a good faith effort.

Things to Do Explore the details of an occasion that would usually be dismissed as unimportant Let the paper grow organically from ideas and purpose (tends to be organized inductively) Blend description, narrative, and exposition to engage the audience Make effective use of rhetorical elements such as tone, diction, syntax, imagery, and gurative language Break the rules for effect Practice reading the paper aloud before reading it in class and read from a typed, double-spaced script

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Weaving Imagination into an Academic Framework: Attitudes, Assignments, and Assessments

Students dont have to worry about the grade when they present their OPs; they have to worry about something much more important: moving a real audience with trenchant observation and artful use of language. Over the course of two or three rounds of OPs, students pick up new strategies, rene their craft both as writers and presenters, deepen their appreciation of their colleagues, and broaden their understanding of the foolishness and the sweetness of the world they inhabit.

Assessments
I dont mean to suggest that imaginative work cannot be subjected to the detailed, rigorous assessment that might be applied to literary or rhetorical analysis as long as the rubric makes what is valued explicit. The work of Carolyn Forch and Philip Gerard on creative nonction has been an invalu-

able resource for engaging students in writing that requires imagination as well as research and critical thinking and for developing a rubric to assess this type of work. The characteristics in the Exceeds Standard column of the rubric in Figure 4 were distilled from the introduction to Writing Creative Nonction: Instruction and Insights from Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs. This rubric ensures nonction has a purpose beyond information or analysis and attempts to capture in usefully explicit terms at least some of the characteristics of imaginative writing, which resist connement in columns and rows. My colleagues and I lament that, as the number of our students increases, our feedback tends to focus on what to x rather than what went well. At the beginning of the school year I vowed to experiment with using technology to provide more positive feedback, without devoting even more time than

FIGURE 4. A Creative Nonction Assessment Rubric Does Not Meet Standard 02 Characters are two-dimensional and the event or sequence of events is predictable or implausible. The piece is disorganized or unfocused. Meets Standard 3 Characters are three-dimensional and the event or sequence of events is interesting and believable. The piece is organized with an appropriate framework. Exceeds Standard 4 The true nature of the characters is revealed through narration of a signicant event or sequence of events. The piece is organized in a way that helps the reader grasp the true subject, using multiple genres, juxtaposition of conicting points of view, ashes back and forward, etc. The details reveal character and make the reader feel that he or she is present at the event or sequence of events. The foundation of the piece is memory, research, and the desire to capture an important truth about human nature. The piece is written in a voice that matches persona and intention. The writer conveys his or her perspective to the reader indirectly. There are no errors of mechanics or usage. The writer may break grammatical rules to achieve an effect. Score 04

The details are limited and/or clichd.

The details are relevant and carefully observed.

The foundation of the piece is solely the writers memory.

The foundation of the piece is primarily the writers memory, augmented with some background research. The piece is written with clarity and uency. The writer conveys his or her perspective to the reader both directly and indirectly. There are few errors of mechanics or usage.

Syntax is choppy or monotonous; diction is generic. The writer conveys his or her perspective directly through overt, didactic generalizations. There are many errors of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and other conventions of print.

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I already do to responding to student work. Most of my students are able to email their writing to me. Ive found that in the time it typically takes to note errors and write some cursory comments by hand, I can open documents in Microsoft Word, use the highlighting and Insert/Comment tools to make detailed comments, and type a substantial paragraph of feedback at the end of each piece that congratulates the students on their strengths and provides guidance for revision. After several rounds of experimentation, I asked my students for feedback. Although a few students preferred handwritten marginal comments and saw the word-processed comments as impersonal, most of them were enthusiastic about the detail and readability made possible by technology.

theres only so much that can be done at the local level. My students perspectives on how to achieve success are not just a reection of their experience in suburban Connecticut. Deep change can only occur if our national focus shifts from what can be quantied to the true quality of each students educational experience. With an administration in the White House focused on hope and change, and a host of problems clamoring for imaginative solutions, it seems like time to engage in a national conversation about how we dene a good education, time to have the audacity to propose that learning should be joyful, and time to include imagination in our national agenda.
Works Cited

Ensuring a Place for Imagination

While Im pleased with the results of the assignments and strategies Ive used to give imagination a legitimate place in a high school classroom, even in advanced placement classes, Ive also realized that resistance to change will continue to come from the direction in which I least expected it: students. To overcome this resistance, we must work within our discipline and across disciplines to rethink what we assign, how much we assign, and how we assess student work. I also recognize that

Connecticut Plan: Academic and Personal Success for Every Middle and High School Student. The Ad Hoc Committee for School Redesign. Hartford: Connecticut Department of Education, 2008. Print. Forch, Carolyn, and Philip Gerard, eds. Writing Creative Nonction: Instruction and Insights from Teachers of the Associated Writing Programs. Cincinnati: Story, 2001. Print. Mack, Nancy. The Ins, Outs, and In-Betweens of Multigenre Writing. English Journal 92.2 (2002): 9198. Print. Martin, Bill. A Writing Assignment/A Way of Life. English Journal 92.6 (2003): 5256. Print. Wolfe, Tom. The New Journalism. New York: Harper, 1973. Print.

Jeanetta Miller is English department chair at Newtown High School in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, where she teaches Honors English II and AP Language and Composition. She began her teaching career in the Albany Public Schools, Albany, California. She is a graduate of Mills College, Oakland, California, and earned her masters degree and administrative certication in Connecticut at Western Connecticut State University and Sacred Heart, respectively. Email her at millerj@newtown.k12.ct.us.

RE A D W R ITE THIN K C O N N E CT ION

Scott Filkins, RWT

Millers students create a multigenre paper to connect a memorable moment in their lives with original eld research on the true subject of that narrative. In Having My Say: A Multigenre Autobiography Project, students similarly historicize a story from their life, using a model text that combines rst-person storytelling and journalistic interchapters that provide historical and social context. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_ view.asp?id=1103

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