I had the pleasure of speaking to 10-A (one of our fourth grade girls' homerooms) about the centrality of writing in my career. A variety of parent and employee speakers have been visiting 10-A to discuss how they use writing and math in their daily lives as adults. I discussed the various ways that I write (e-mail, letter, report, text message, blog, handwritten note) and the importance of several key elements of writing: knowing your audience; the use of descriptive, non-repetitive vocabulary; proofreading; and revising. Whether the piece of writing is a composition or a dissertation, I explained, the writing process is essentially the same:
1) think of a topic
2) brainstorm ideas
3) make an outline
4) write
5) proofread
6) revise (with the help of a teacher or colleague) until it is your best effort.
