My well-worn sneakers paced the ground beneath them with a syncopated rhythm that communicated to the rest of the world, "I'm on a mission!" The black sole meets the dirt path with fervor as the leaves and dirt dissipate from behind me forging lines in the dirt like a red path from a navigation screen. I have always enjoyed running outdoors in Colorado. The cool breeze provides redemptive counsel for my stress, and my heart churns the thin air into my body-beat by rhythmic beat blood involuntarily pulsates through my veins. I control the course, and I control the pace-an orchestrated masterpiece of muscle movement, breath and rhythm and I am its conductor. Just like the euphoric experience I get each time I lace up my worn sneakers for a run, students have the opportunity to navigate through their own beaten-path journey by using authentic writing. Authentic writing is writing whereby writers are allowed to choose their topic, have an unlimited amount of time, length, and are encouraged to use resources.
High Top Adidas Conductor, 1988 Olympics re-releas...
Adidas sneakers display - several left shoes.
A pair of sneakersWriters work independently, and confer with peers and the teacher through a ... ... middle of paper ... ...le disappointed, but still accomplishing something. However, my accomplishment fades when the belt stops, the lights on the treadmill fade and I the soles of my shoes rest on the multi-colored high traffic carpet. Students must have this same sense of apathy during their formulaic writing. It doesn't engage their background knowledge; it has a start point and end point and everybody runs the same course. Writing should be a journey, and by developing authentic writing assessments students are exposed to choice and freedom in their writing. My well-worn sneakers paced the ground beneath them with a syncopated rhythm that communicated to the rest of the world, "I'm on a...