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The Road to Write by Andrea Gorman and Barbara Simmons. Finding Pathways to the College Essay . The Essence Box: Brainstorming. Food for Talk – Prompts to Inspire Self-Awareness Examples from www.foodfortalk.com TED Talks Share some of these with your students Values/Objects Exercises
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The Road to Writeby Andrea Gorman and Barbara Simmons Finding Pathways to the College Essay
The Essence Box: Brainstorming • Food for Talk – Prompts to Inspire Self-Awareness • Examples from www.foodfortalk.com • TED Talks • Share some of these with your students • Values/Objects Exercises • Try this yourself * * http://www.collegeessayguy.com
Choosing a Topic/Prompt • Is this a topic leading toward an essay that only I could write? • Is this something I feel strongly about? • Would you want to read an essay about this topic? • Is this original? How many essays on this topic will someone in admissions have to read? • Are you the only one who could have written this essay ? • * from the NVCC-Annandale Reading and Writing Center
Fueling Up for your Road to Write • Remember that human beings read your words ~ • We need to hear your voice. – William Conley • If you’re not funny, now is not the time to experiment. – Michael Thorp • Serious thinking and reflection. – Peter Osgood • We want to see a slice of your life that is the most meaningful to you. – Lloyd Peterson • …we get a good idea of how the student thinks through the essay. – Elizabeth Moser • ** see Gen and Kelly Tanabe, Accepted! 50 Successful College Admissions Essays
Checking the Map for Cities • First lines --- the starting point for the road to write ~ • As writers, your students are taking themselves and their readers on a journey • The writer AND reader will know more than when they started out ~ • INCREASED KNOWING • Continue to ask yourself “why am I writing this essay?” ** from Sheila Bender, Writing it Real
Detours and Directional Changes • When your initial direction changes….follow! • New roads, new insights • Trust – the best “compass” for the writing journey • Our greatest summons is really to see the things of this world ~ Rilke
Other Roadblocks • Fears ~ • That what we have to say is not important • That we are not up to the task of doing the experience justice in our writing • Responses ~ • What is your occasion to write? • Ask: Why are you writing this essay right now?
Destination – Final Stopping Point • Souvenirs at the end of the trip • Remind your students that they can use their road-trip memories for other “roads to write” • Keep souvenirs of “upper-case” and “lower-case” moments you’ll remember for your next “road trip” • New maps? • Remember to fuel up with • TED Talks • Brain Pickings ~ www.brainpickings.org • NY TIMES ~ Corner Office feature every Sunday