Christian Davis

Shelbie Witte

CIED 4193

21 February 2017

Professional Article Critique

Reference:

Levine, S., & Franzel, J. (2015). Teaching writing with radio. The English Journal, 104(5), 21-
29.

Thesis:

By using radio as a framework for the teaching of writing, students learn how to

become stronger and more focused writers, and teachers gain a method for introducing the real

world into the classroom.

Question:

How does using radio as a framework for the teaching of writing help develop students

writing?

How does using radio as a framework for the teaching of writing connect the classroom to the

real world?

Summary of article:

The authors begin the article by discussing the main advantages of using radio as a

framework for the teaching of writing (21). To the authors, radios main advantage to writing in
the classroom is that it reveals to students the relevance of writing assignments. This is possible,

in modern times more than ever due to advanced technology such as smartphones that can

instantly record and upload radio assignments to the internet. The authors then transition into the

first main aspect of the article: Making the Case for Teaching Writing with Radio (21).

The first point for their argument is that radio, unlike other forms of writing, requires

students to write more focused and specific sentences. This is due to the fact that radio does not

have available text or pictures that the audience can readily refer to. Therefore, students must

conform to the seven fundamental rules for writing for radio; they are as follows:

1. Your story must be good enough to get on the air.

2. Your story must be worth telling. How might hearing this story enhance peoples
3. Be specific. Concrete images and detailed examples must communicate your moods and
themes.
4. Dont waste words.
5. Use strong verbs.
6. No clichs, in story or language.
7. Write for the ear, not the eye. Use natural language and make clear transitions so your
audience can follow you.

By examining these rules, it can be discerned that most of these rules can be applied to almost

any kind of writing. The authors then cite that because students are aware that their work will be

published for others to view, they are more likely to engage in the process of revision, a skill

greatly lacking in most students. Additionally, students also feel less afraid to share their works

with the world because radio provides students with anonymity of the face. Finally, the authors

cite that because technology, especially the students own smartphones, is so vital to modern

radio composing in the classroom, it is particularly appealing to students.

The authors continue the article by presenting a sample Writing for Radio unit, in

which a particular student, Elizabeth, is creating a project termed Audio Gift (22). The authors

take their readers through a design of the assignment, followed by Elizabeths progress and
thought process as she completed the assignment. The authors then examine each of the seven

fundamental rules for writing for radio as they pertain to Elizabeths project. The authors

conclude the article by citing that the article constitutes the ground floor of teaching writing for

radio, with more emphasis on writing and less emphasis on radio (28).

Critique:

I found this article both interesting to read and educational. The idea of using radio to

teach students writing had never occurred to me, and it was certainly never utilized by teachers at

my high school. The authors of this article did an excellent job structuring this article to provide

maximum clarity and to exemplify their ideas. By first presenting their ideas in detail about how

radio can be effectively used to teach writing skills, the authors practically presented their entire

article in the first two pages (Hence why my summary is so heavily focused on the beginning of

the article). The subsequent seven pages therefore provide the evidence for their claims by

focusing on Elizabeths project. This look into an individual students project from the of

drafting, revision, and the final product was very insightful and brought to mind Kittles Book

Write Beside Them.

As for the actual subject matter of the article, I found the ideas and accompanying unit

interesting but also lacking in some skill areas of writing. Certainly, the fundamental rules

concerning a story being good enough to get on the air and worth telling can be found to

have practical application in writing. While not all topics a writer will eventually write upon will

be particularly interesting, the idea that the writer needs to present the topic in an engaging way

is definitely noteworthy. Similarly, the next four fundamental rules are essential to strong

writing. Concrete images, as well as strong verb, are aspects of writing that are generally wanting
in students, who often employ weak verbs especially. Additionally, students should be able to

condense their ideas in order to write summaries, as well as avoid overused language such as

clichs. On their seventh point, write for the ear, not the eye, I have alternating opinions. While I

recognize the need for clear transitions, an aspect I have had difficulty utilizing myself, I am

conflicted about the idea for using natural language. While this is definitely a utilizable skill in

radio or presentations, it would not be advisable for more academic assignments.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this article and found its creativity and ingenuity refreshing.

While, I am not sure I will absorb this practice into my own style of teaching, I can definitely

appreciate the desire to link the classroom to the real world.