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Running Head: IMAX – 3D REGAL RESEARCH
IMAX – 3D Regal Research:
Multigenre Writing Responds to
Those Who Say,
“You Can't Do That in a Research Paper!”
Justin D. Garwood
Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method.
- Herman Melville
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Abstract
Traditional research papers cannot stand as the lone measuring stick for how well
students can present their knowledge and thoughts. Their very essence goes against much of
what recent pedagogy says about teaching research and writing. By setting the bar too low with
a five-paragraph essay as the benchmark for success, teachers fail to sufficiently challenge their
students. Multigenre writing is a way to learn the necessary research skills developed in
traditional methods and demonstrate a deeper understanding of multiple genres. By allowing the
students to present their findings through both traditional and alternative forms of expression,
multigenre essays challenge students to keep up instead of punishing them with monotonous
methods. Students have a choice in what to research instead of being spoon-fed a dry topic.
The motivation to work and the desire to finish comes from a passion for the subject that goes
way beyond the traditional avenue of just getting it over with. In the secondary classroom we
teach individuals and there must be multiple ways for writers to develop their skills. By giving
students freedom in topic choice and assessment scales, we increase their investment in
education. We should work with our class to shape the curriculum instead of imposing it upon
the students. A multigenre unit opens itself up to this kind of teaching through its focus on the
individual learner. During conferences, teachers meet one on one with students to address their
needs, develop their writing, and guide the research. The workshop environment, one of sharing
and support, will take students to the next level in their education, beyond the heights of a
traditional essay. Teachers should embrace this research format for the betterment of their
practice and their students' futures.
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IMAX – 3D Regal Research Reports
“Prescription lurks ominously all around high school English departments, but nowhere
is its presence more painfully felt than in the teaching of the research paper” (Shafer, 1999, p.
45). Written over a decade ago, Gregory Shafer's statement still rings true today. The divide
between students' personal lives and their academic ones is undeniably large when inside the
secondary classroom. We live in an age of technological innovation, an age where students often
know more about many subjects than their teachers do. How do we get teenagers interested and
involved in school? With any single answer, there would be more questions. For many of our
students, the majority of their reading is done in front of a computer screen. But we cannot, nor
would we want to, abolish printed books all together (despite what the creators of the iPad may
want). Embracing ideas like digital literacy and multigenre writing does not mean completely
throwing out the old ways of doing things. But the tighter we hold to yesterday's practices, the
further behind we keep our students.
Bad writing is often the result of teachers imposing a specific form that does not fit with
the student or even the task at hand. A five-paragraph essay is a useful tool for young writers,
but it is not the only, or even the best, one in the shed. We should think of the traditional format
as a foundation upon which to build, but it is not the final step. In 1969, Michael Ondaatje wrote
a biography of Henry McCarty, but it was composed in a way that most people did not
recognize. The Collected Works of Billy the Kid tells the story of McCarty through poetry, prose,
photographs, illustrations, and news clippings (some authentic, some created by Ondaatje).
Reading the story is akin to the experience of discovering an old scrapbook in a rusty chest in the
attic and piecing together the life of one of your relatives. It is exciting, enthralling, and
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informative, and it does everything a traditional biography does and more. This multigenre
format needs to become a part of every high school student's education if we aim to do what our
profession proclaims: to help every child succeed. Tom Romano (2000) finds irony in the fact
that teachers read plenty of imaginative literature, usually considering it some of the best writing
there is, but they channel students in the opposite direction.
Too often our students write what they assume the teacher wants to hear and not what
they think. If we allow this to happen, then what are our assessments really telling us about
student learning? How do we know what they know? Anybody can read a book with the sole
purpose of summarizing sections and spitting out facts. And no teacher should want to read the
same paper over and over again, year after year. That is not true writing; it is a mockery of
education. When we put students in a box and tell them they can only write in the traditional
format every time, we essentially put a great many students at a disadvantage because this one
particular form may not be their strongest skill. But given the freedom to use many different
genres in their piece, students can maximize their potential and still acquire the necessary
research skills that the traditional format intends. The multigenre project gives a chance for
success to all kinds of students, not just those who are exceptionally skilled in reading and
writing. One of its greatest strengths, and one that any teacher who has had success with the
form will testify to, is that multigenre essays allow each student to work at their own skill level
to accomplish the task.
A multigenre paper is a research essay that opens itself up to the individual learner
instead of forcing them to adapt to pre-determined boundaries. The paper includes a prologue
(sometimes a letter to the reader to prepare them for the journey ahead), a multigenre section
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(usually seven to ten pieces from different genres), note page (a section for reflection about each
piece), bibliography (MLA or APA format), and a comments section (room for both student and
teacher). A multigenre paper is a stretch of woodlands. Each piece, or tree, can stand on its
own, but only together do they create a forest. Despite what I think of this form, there may be
some who question its value or place in the classroom. To them, I can offer several responses.
First of all, the MGRP (Multigenre Research Project) is justified by nine of the twelve
NCTE/IRA standards (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, & 12). While that rationale alone may satisfy many
of the naysayers, there are countless other reasons why this method of writing an essay is so
helpful and beneficial to students' growth. Put quite simply, the MGRP is the next level in
research writing. It is the 3D – IMAX surround sound, HD experience compared to the black
and white television. Nancy Mack (2002) believes that the very reason so many of our students'
research papers are boring and/or plagiarized is because we ask them to imitate a “dumbeddown, artificial research paper format” (p. 92). We prepare our students for nothing except
letdown and frustrations if we insist on the traditional format of research writing as the only way
of doing things.
To begin the MGRP, I would show students a list of topics used by previous classes. This
list would include categories such as the following: historical events, musicians, artists,
photographers, directors, athletes, current events, topics of interest, historical figures, actors, and
writers. Then, I would allow students a couple of days to research in the library/media center.
After that, the class would come together to share what they discovered. This time will help
students narrow their topic choice as well as get ideas from one another. I also hope that by
laying the groundwork for the idea of community, I can foster it in the classroom. Simply
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because this project allows for much student choice does not mean it is a free-for-all. Students
are not allowed to do just anything and call it an essay. A syllabus of guidelines, requirements,
assignments, and due dates is crucial for an undertaking this large. Take, for example, the idea
that length is always something students are curious about. How long does it have to be? This
question is one with which every language arts teacher is familiar. There is an answer to that
question, but not what the class may be used to. We cannot tell them that size does not matter.
If we do, we misinform them about the expectations they will be faced with outside of school.
However, there is no specific page requirement for this project. This element, and many more
facets of the MGRP, are going to be new ideas for students and teachers to embrace. But in the
end, both will be the better for it. Students will want to do their work more than ever before
because the subject and content of their assignment is a choice, a proven motivator, not a
requirement. And teachers will, maybe even for the first time, be faced with a class full of eager
and dedicated minds.
An essential part of any MGRP is the unifying thread. The thread is the element of the
whole project that keeps it together. It makes the jump between the white spaces, the gaps
between individual pieces. One choice that students may make for this connection is to use
illustrations as the thread. There is no reason why a picture, or a series of related pictures,
cannot be used as a repetend in the piece. Both the IRA and NCTE (1996) recognize that nonprint texts are a part of students' reading experiences and that graphic messages have a great
influence on contemporary society. Students should be allowed an opportunity to practice this
art of meaning making through the use of images, and there are many other ways for a student to
construct the metaphorical bridge between their separate pieces in the essay. Sometimes, it may
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be as simple as a repeated phrase in each of the pieces. Whatever method is chosen, the
important part is that students are aware of the importance of this element in their writing.
At the end of the day, what we want from our students is for them to be the best writers
they can be while also observing and critically analyzing the world in which they live. We want
them to be able to look past the words on the pages of a text and recognize what is going on.
Lester Laminack (2007) suggests, “Read a book with a writer, or read as writer, and you will
notice similar things. You will see what the writer did...and you will be able to surmise why it
was done that way” (p. 74). The kind of in-depth analysis of texts (written and other) that is
required for a solid MGRP will engage students in this exact process; because we allow students
freedom in what to write about and how to write it, their buy-in increases dramatically. Instead
of telling a student to write an introduction, body, and conclusion about the Great Depression,
why not allow them the choice of writing in several different genres, one of which may be a
recipe for the 1930's? Imagine reading a paper that had a recipe including ingredients such as
cups of Greed, ounces of Shattered Dreams, pounded and flattened Stock Market flakes, a pinch
of Broken Families, and so on. Imagine what creativity and higher-order thinking that could
develop!
Over the course of several email correspondences this past winter, Romano (the
Godfather of multigenre) summed it up best when he explained to me that multigenre research
practices allow students to examine the credibility of sources and foster critical thinking skills in
analysis and synthesis, all within a supportive workshop community. Because learning is
facilitated by the students' own passions and interests, the goal of improving writing is made that
much simpler. Technology is changing the ways in which students create meaning, and texts
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these days are not necessarily linear. Multigenre writing is not a completely new idea in our
society, but its place in school is yet to be fully endorsed. It is our job as English teachers to
change that attitude and push for the acceptance of this form in the same way we would for a
new student joining our classroom.
Creation vs Regurgitation:
What Learning Should Mean for Learners
“There is no single kind of person to teach, no one reason to write, no one message to
deliver, no one way to write, no single standard of good writing” (Murray, 2004, p. 5). If we
approach writing instruction as formulaic, we rob this form of its very essence; we must teach
the writer, not the writing. As educators we are not dealing with inanimate objects or robots; we
are working with human beings. We take on these high school students at a wild time in their
lives, and if we fail to recognize the skills and knowledge that they bring to the table, we cannot
possibly hope to educate them. Why not take what the students already know and use that as a
tool for bringing them along in their studies? Mack (2002) says that when we choose topics for
writing that make use of the prior knowledge of our students, we connect school work to
personal lives in a meaningful way. However, we must also be sure to assess prior knowledge to
check for gaps in learning or false information. If we do not know what our students already
think about a topic, we risk the consequences of a flawed foundation. We must address these
issues before the new learning can take place.
The skills necessary to compose a successful multigenre paper are ones that many of our
students already have, and in the process of creating a MGRP with our classes, we help students
develop and fine tune those skills in multiple ways. The Internet is a resource full of any
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number of different viewpoints on an almost infinite amount of subjects. In her article about the
radical change in young adult literature, Jacqueline Glasgow (2002) explains that young people
today have no problem making meaning out of current events and people simply by pointing and
clicking on a topic. Our students are well practiced in the process of combining several different
kinds of texts to come to an understanding of something. Many of them do this on a daily basis
through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. They learn about each other's lives
by reading blogs, studying photographs, listening to soundtracks, and analyzing captions.
Nowhere in their personal lives do students find themselves composing a five-paragraph essay.
In fact, the form barely exists outside of school walls. Jeannine Richison, Anita Hernandez, and
Marcia Carter (2002) point out that pop culture and media are texts that today's students can read
with ease and that they embrace alternative texts like cartoons, newspapers, and photographs on
an almost daily basis. By allowing students to do similar things in the classroom, we increase
their investment in writing tasks, which will lead to an enriched learning experience. And
because students are genuinely interested in their topic choice, they can find themselves in what
educational psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1991) calls a state of flow, where the child
becomes so involved in the task that everything else in their life becomes secondary to the
research and project as a whole. This does not mean that we are brainwashing our students; it is
simply a testament to the power of student interest in an assignment and how much better it can
make the finished project. High school students are not allowed much freedom in what classes
to take during the school year. Even though many of them are nearing adulthood, they are still
treated like young children who need to be told where to go and at what time. They will not
only be grateful for the opportunity to make a choice about their writing assignment, they will
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also work that much harder to prove that they can be trusted with that responsibility.
A multigenre piece allows students to demonstrate learning in many ways, which
completely supports Howard Gardner's idea of multiple intelligences. Because there is no
typical student, there can be no typical method of teaching. In the same way that we should not
prepare lessons for our students before getting to know them, we should not create writing
guidelines for the future that may not mesh with the classes of tomorrow. In this project,
students work at whatever level they are most comfortable with, but the goal always remains to
try and get better. Melinda Putz is an English teacher at a rural high school in Michigan who has
had plenty of success with the MGRP. One of her students, Kathryn, chose raves as her subject.
I imagine there are many English teachers around the country who would tell Kathryn that she
cannot write about raves because it would not be relevant to academics. But the question
remains, whose relevance are we talking about? Maybe for Kathryn, raves are something that
make up a lot of who she is; and maybe Kathryn is looking to do more than write a traditional
essay about the dangers of drug use, which can be prevalent at raves. Certainly, that issue may
be a part of her project, but it does not need to be the driving force. We should allow Kathryn to
go beyond the boundaries of an outdated message warning teenagers about the consequences of
using Ecstasy. Putz (2009) tells us that in her project, Kathryn included eight different pieces
from various genres to compose her research paper, which included the following items:

Recipe for a rave

Transcript of a phone call between concerned parents

Mix-tape with representative music and a liner describing it

A diary
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
Scrapbook with pictures and captions of rave personalities and activities

Reading-log type response to an article on raves

Double-voice piece between an experienced rave attendee and a newcomer

An alternate style piece describing the potentially dangerous effects of Ecstasy
I can only imagine how engaging and informative that project would have been to read.
How different would it have been if done in the traditional format? But this point is not meant to
say that the only function of multigenre writing is to make something more exciting because an
MGRP requires a lot of hard work if it is to be done well. For instance, in multigenre writing,
students can create scenes of dialog (both fiction and non-fiction) to convey facts; this activity
requires a specific form of genre study. Traditional research papers need not be abolished to
make way for the MGRP. In fact, there was a time when I thought of writing a multigenre essay
for this very capstone. But I felt the content and purpose would be better served in a traditional
format. We should equip our students sufficiently enough so that they, too, can make that
decision when it comes to a writing task in the future.
Another key feature of this kind of writing is that it truly aids students in the
development of voice. Voice is the inescapable quality within a work that gives the writer
individuality. It is the DNA sample in a piece of hair left in carpet fibers at a crime scene that
leaves no question in the minds of the jury about who did it. Voice is also the quality in young
writers that can fingerprint exceptional potential. When students write a five-paragraph essay,
their voice is often silenced because they spend so much of their time regurgitating instead of
creating, which is a serious issue to consider. What would happen if no new voices were
developed? Voice is only a part of what makes good writing, but it is the most important piece
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of the puzzle. Don Murray (1993) tells us that the voice in the writing establishes a trust
between reader and writer; it reveals the writer's passion, supports the meaning of the draft, and
keeps the reader turning the page. Why do some people prefer one author over another?
Certainly some of that has to do with the genre of the work, but a lot of it has to do with voice.
“I just didn't like the way they wrote” is a comment I have heard from many people about why
they didn't like a book. It wasn't that the story was inadequate; rather, it was how it was being
told.
A lot of students believe that if they cannot write well, they also can't read well. While it
is true that reading is something that can improve a writer's craft, the reverse is not a necessary
condition. Students do not have to be able to write well to understand a written text. It is by
studying these texts that students can improve their writing. Murray (1993) states, “I played
football badly and hockey worse, but I understand those sports best because I had the experience
of playing, the view from within the action” (p. 2). Within any successful unit on multigenre
writing, there must be plenty of time for reading. Students should read previous classes' work,
each other's work, pieces by authors they admire, and those that are a mandatory part of the
curriculum. All of those sources are ways for students to discover their own voices. This
activity is not encouraging students to plagiarize; it is guiding them to a deeper understanding of
texts. And within that study, students can see how authors were able to convey meaning in a
unique way.
A key factor in developing students' voices comes in the conferencing we do with them
throughout the unit. As students begin to hand in drafts and their portfolio's are reviewed on a
rotating basis, we should not be handing back their work covered in red ink. For many students,
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the mere sight of that color on their writing is a sign of defeat. And no matter how much we try
and explain our reasons for all of those marks, many writers will be permanently turned off. The
alternative is to circle or highlight a few key parts of the piece and then, in individual
conferences, discuss the writing with the student. Our students must come to understand that
learning and improvement in writing do not come from publishable work. Murray (2004) has
written about the learning that can be gained through instructive failures. Individual feedback is
so crucial to the success of our future writers because nothing is gained from a smiley face or a
scratch 'n sniff sticker at the top of a page (even though high school students still might enjoy
them). It is in these sessions that teacher and student can talk about the choices that have been
made and why. During these conferences, it is essential for the teacher to do more than just tell
the student what they should or should not do. I would talk with the student about the
experience I had as I read the piece. This kind of feedback becomes even more valuable once
the students are familiar with literary theory of reader response. Robert Probst (2004) states that
if, as readers, we cannot fully grasp the piece, we can at least interpret it to our best abilities and
tell others about our own re-creation of the work. So, just as when students read a piece of
literature and have different reactions to it, they must also understand that what they have written
may evoke different responses from individual readers, including the teacher. And if, during
these conferences, there is a great divide between what was intended and what was received,
then there may be an opportunity for revision.
One of the key elements of the multigenre approach to writing is its emphasis on
revision, which comes in the following three forms: peer review, teacher feedback, and selfassessment. During conferencing, two of these can be addressed (and the third would be in a
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separate forum). While these conferences are going on, there are many things that can and
should be discussed with students. But one thing that deserves specific attention is to make sure
students understand that their multigenre project cannot simply be a collection of disjointed
pieces. The various genres must work together to create a cohesive whole. Just as a traditional
format has blanks on the page between the text, there are going to be figurative blanks between
the pieces of the MGRP. The job of a writer is to make sure these blanks disappear by having a
common thread that connects them. Wolfgang Iser (1978) described textual blanks as the
“unseen joints of the text (that) mark off schemata and textual perspectives from one another” (p.
182-83). The trick to causing the blanks to disappear is to form a link between schemata and
perspectives. It is a valuable asset that students must learn to wield as a tool that works for them
instead of against them. To build a bridge for their reader is to give the project purpose. The
multigenre paper requires that students are well-versed in this practice of creating a thread to
give their piece meaning. Learning how to lead the reader into filling in the gaps is a higherorder thinking skill that students will come to be familiar with in their multigenre adventure.
Environmentally Protected:
Where Learning Takes Place
“It is the group that gives one the sense of uniqueness; without others, the individual
remains indistinguishable, an image without a contrasting background” (Probst, 2004, p. 74). In
a learning environment where the focus is more on the writer than it is on the writing itself, we
must establish a sense of community within our class. However, before any of this can take
place, special attention needs to be paid to the structure of our classroom. And this attention
needs to be given before the school year even begins. How a room is arranged and the
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expectations that the teacher lays out for the students will have a tremendous effect on the entire
school year. While some may scoff at the idea of spending precious class hours on room
arrangement and the drafting of class rules and guidelines with teacher and students working
together, the rewards gained throughout the year will prove its value. Instead of handing
students a list of rules on the first day, teachers should spend time discussing how the class
should operate with their students. Let the students come up with the rules and if they leave
something out, guide them in the right direction. This method should also be used in forming
the guidelines for the MGRP that will come later in the year. Whether we are dealing with
freshmen or seniors, the approach should be similar because when students enter a class for the
first time, they are full of anxiety. If they are welcomed into an open and caring environment,
one where their thoughts and opinions matter, then they will feel safe and be more inclined to
participate. Answer the question of “How is school done in here?” Create the rules/guidelines
for how to live in the society that is the English classroom. Tackling these issues will put
students at ease and allow the teacher to get the most out of their time with the kids.
It should now be understood that if a teacher is planning on introducing their students to
the MGRP, they should have prepared for it some time in June or July. It is not something that
should be inserted at the last minute because as powerful of a form as it is, it requires great care
and handling if it is to be executed properly. A major concern for that success needs to be the
establishment of an open and sharing community of writers. Support and encouragement from
one's peers is crucial throughout the multigenre experience. Donald Graves (1991) believes that
achieving a sense of community within a classroom is an essential component of any teacher's or
child's educational undertaking. Writing workshops are a great way to get at this idea of
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community because they allow for small group discussion and peer review. Many students may
have serious apprehensions when it comes to handing in a written assignment for their teacher.
They may censor themselves because they feel like the teacher will not be able to relate to them
or what they are saying. But teenagers may be more willing to express themselves freely when
they know a fellow classmate is going to read their work. And with that idea in mind, we must
spend time with our students showing them how to give feedback. Nothing is gained from a
student telling a peer, “I loved it,” and stopping there. At the very least, they need to explain
why they loved it, they need to ask questions, and they need to be willing to offer some
suggestions for change or improvement.
Writing workshops allow students a place to discuss what counts as quality writing in an
open and informal way. The teacher can act as either facilitator or orchestrator in these
discussions, whether they be whole class or small group, and the teacher can also instruct
students on the process of peer review. Because of the nonjudgmental nature of these
workshops, students are more willing to give and receive criticism. Once a teacher has put in
enough time with the students, hopefully they can be seen as an equal, a trusted companion in
the writing journey.
Another advantage of small-group settings instead of whole-class discussion is that they
allow those quieter students to join in the conversations that are otherwise dominated by the
more vocal students. Lucy Calkins (1986) believes that if a teacher does nothing else, they must
create a supportive community for writers that is safe and open for exploration. During the
multigenre unit, probably around the third week (assuming the unit would be eight weeks long),
we should ask our students to bring in four or five of their pieces for peer review. Students can
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break off into groups of two or three and share their work with one another. I would provide my
students with a few different prompts for their comments such as the following questions: What
happened to you as a reader during the piece? Did you find a connecting thread? What did
you like and why? What didn't you like or understand and why? What are you left wondering
about the pieces?
When students offer feedback, they should tell the writer what happened to them as a
reader when they went through the piece; it can be like an adventure story. Sometimes, a peer
reviewer may come up with something completely different than what the author intended. Our
students need to know that this occurrence is perfectly okay and that it is part of the revision
process. Peter Elbow (1998) would say that maybe what the author intended is there on the
paper and the reader just missed it. Elbow asserts, “But maybe what he (the reader) sees is there
too” (p. 94). Our students should understand that as writers, they cannot tell someone there is
one right way to read a text, but there are certainly informed readings, which relates back to
reader response. Because the very nature of writing requires that one do it alone, writers make
many choices without having to explain the reasons for them. Elbow (2000) goes so far as to
call it instinctive. During the multigenre experience, those choices need to be made much
clearer and the justification for them will come during peer review. Because our job as English
teachers involves teaching literary theory, this idea of different readings is crucial for students'
understandings and abilities to grasp those concepts. Deborah Appleman (2009) sees the notion
of multiple perspectives as a way to enhance students' abilities to read texts and the world they
exist in.
Typical research papers usually conjure thoughts of note cards, grammar rules, spacing,
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page numbers, word counts, and assigned topics. The typical five-paragraph essay almost
demands that its composer leave themselves out of it. In multigenre writing, students propel
themselves into the life and/or time of their subject. By doing so, they engage in what Louise
Rosenblatt (1994) refers to as aesthetic reading, where readers live through an experience.
Through this, our students explore not only the work but also themselves. In an environment
where students know they have the support not only of their peers and friends in the class but
also of their teacher, they will be more willing to take chances in their writing. They will want
to write because of the desire to demonstrate what they know and not simply to have the
assignment finished. Frank Smith (1997) laid out the rewards of being part of a literate
community in the following list:
1. Demonstration of the number of uses of written language
2. Authority to explore language use on one's own
3. Guidance in both reading and writing
4. Opportunities to use language in ways that make sense and are useful
5. Identification of themselves as members of the club by seeing themselves as readers
and writers
6. Learning without risk, working at the student's own skill level
(p. 114-15).
Students must be allowed the opportunity to experiment, and they should find
encouragement in a protected and comfortable work environment. For the longest time,
classrooms were arranged in simple aisles and rows with everyone facing front towards a teacher
who was centered at a chalkboard or lurking behind a desk. However, there were always some
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teachers who sought to change the dynamic between student and teacher, so they began to walk
among their students and spend more time deciding how to arrange the room based on what the
day's activities would be. A writing workshop classroom should not always be arranged in a
circle. There are times that call for rows and aisles, and there are also times when a cluster of
four or five seats to a group may make more sense. The idea is that our classroom should always
be able to adapt to the needs of our students and the task at hand. A true community of writers
is one that welcomes diversity and change, and fosters self-reflection. A multigenre pursuit is
one that should have plenty of detours along the way, and at each turn is a chance to look back
on what one has done. Lynda Hamblin (2000) states that there are literally thousands of ways to
write an interesting research paper. But there is one, single way to write a boring one. This idea
is not meant to put a spotlight and cross-hares on the traditional format. It calls into question the
idea that there can be any single way of doing things.
Extra-Curricular Activities:
Crucial Methods of Instruction for Success
“We cannot just expose students to different genres the way we simply expose them to
diseases as children; we must seek immersion for our students” (Romano, 2000, p. 43). If we
spend the majority of our time with students focused on expository writing and only brush up
against other alternative genres, we rob them of the true power found in writing. The choice to
express one's self in multiple ways is one that should be afforded to every child in the classroom.
Genre study is a necessary component of any well-rounded English education, especially one
that will include the MGRP. We should prepare our students for the multigenre trip by beginning
genre study as early in the school year as possible, which does not mean that we need to toss out
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Shakespeare and the in-depth look at literary periods. Instead of having our students respond to
readings in a traditional format, we should encourage them to write in a variety of different
ways. In a 70-minute class, the first half of that time could be spent reviewing the literature,
while the rest of the time could be devoted to a mini-lesson on a specific genre. If students were
studying Shakespeare's Othello, we might give them a choice in a writing assignment to draft
Iago's manifesto, love letters between Othello and Desdemona, or a recipe for a theme found in
the story. Kara Wood-Ray (2006) claims that this kind of teaching focused around genre study
can help students discover many possibilities with writing that they never thought possible
before. And the earlier we start this kind of teaching, the better it will be for our students and
their projects.
As the days go by, students should keep learning journals that they write in at least once a
week; they allow a great place for self-reflection. Students can also experiment with different
genres in these journals, giving them more confidence with the various forms. Romano (1995)
speaks about the tradition of limitations that are placed on students' writing in the secondary
classroom as a reason for a needed change. He explains that limitations lead away from genres
that render experience and toward genres like thesis-driven essays, which are only interested in
explaining experience. Traditional five-paragraph essays start with a thesis and ask the writer to
develop supporting evidence. But in the multigenre essay, writers start with an idea and develop
a focus as the research process unfolds. In their learning journals, students should be
encouraged to write early and often about different aspects of their topic. This can help them
develop a focus. Calkins (1986) talks about project logs as a place for students to jot down what
they already know so that when new information comes in, they can assimilate it into their
IMAX – 3D Regal Research 21
existing knowledge.
As we plan lessons for our students, particularly with a multigenre unit, we must ask
ourselves what we want our students to get out of the work before we design the learning plan.
Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2006) explain that the best lesson plans are developed
backwards from the learning sought. Justifying our reasons for doing things inside the
classroom is made that much easier if we can clearly state what our students will get out of the
experience. Especially with a project like the MGRP, there are going to be those who question
its validity. If a teacher cannot offer a rational and well-substantiated reason for having their
students work with multigenre, they should not be teaching it. This idea of backwards design
means that first we ask ourselves what the students should be able to do at the end of the unit,
then we decide what will count as evidence of this knowledge, and finally we plan how we will
scaffold students into success. In the MGRP, I would want students to be able to read and
comprehend a variety of texts, write with a clear voice using the English language in a
meaningful and grammatically correct (in most cases) way, and attain the necessary skills to
conduct thorough research in the future. That is just a small sample of what the multigenre unit
can do because, as Putz (2009) states, “The students will: [sic] research, respond, revise, reflect,
explore, explain, enhance, extend, demonstrate, integrate, generate, evaluate, recognize, analyze,
utilize, (and) synthesize” (p. 155). Students are able to demonstrate these skills in their weekly
writing assignments, learning journal entries, individual conferences, small and large group
discussions, and the revision of drafts. As the multigenre pursuit began, I would bring in a guest
speaker who has had success with the project, either a colleague or former student, so that the
class may pick their brain and hear from someone who has taken the journey upon which they
IMAX – 3D Regal Research 22
are about to embark. Even though I, as their teacher, could probably answer many of their
questions, it helps students to be able to see an outsider who has done what they are being asked
to perform. The message is sent that it can be done.
Murray (2004) states that the teaching of writing, like writing itself, is an experimental
process. I believe that it should always be experimental, but unfortunately, that is not the case.
It would be a falsehood to deny that some teachers simply photocopy writing prompts year after
year, regardless of the student population or the times they find themselves in. An MGRP can
change all of that. In order to get from point A to C, we do not always take the B train.
Sometimes, it is necessary to step off the tracks and try a different mode of transportation. It
may not always be as reliable, but half the fun of any trip is how you get there. As much as
students may often require routine in their lives, I believe that when they take the road less
traveled on the multigenre express, they will find themselves enjoying the potholes along the
way. It is not enough for our students to summarize and generalize others' ideas into a traditional
essay. By the time they are juniors or seniors in high school, they are so well versed in that
process that they are able to churn out papers with hardly a single, critical thought. We need to
make students pause, think, and reflect on what they have done.
Along with Fran Claggett, Joan Brown, Nancy Patterson, and Louann Reid (2005), metacognitive research tells us that being aware of choices and their effects helps make writers
independent. For that reason, we should emphasize decision making in our teaching. Along the
multigenre path, there are several stops for reflection, review, and close analysis of what was
done and why. These explanations are given not only to the teacher but also to a student's
classmates and themselves. Reflection is a double-edged sword. Its wounds breathe life into
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both student and teacher by allowing the students to see what they have done and why and by
showing the teacher where they were successful as well as where there is room for improvement.
Teaching mini-lessons on reflection and revision is key here because many students may not
realize that it is much more than just a grammar check. The revision process is about being able
to identify what is working well and building from there, whether it be in a student's writing or a
teacher's methods.
Among the great number of alternative styles of writing is something called the
labyrinthine sentence. The teaching of this form is a great example of why multigenre has a
place in the classroom. Putz (2009) describes them in the following way:
Labyrinthine sentences serve a number of purposes: to show thoughts swirling
interminably inside a head, words tumbling uncontrollably from frightened or
excited mouths, or complicated steps of a dangerous procedure recited to keep
the sequence straight and the mind focused...they express the disorientation, fear,
excitement, or concentration of the speaker or thinker.
(p. 58).
They are much more than a simple stream of consciousness piece that students may already be
familiar with. Moreover, because they rely on so many transitional phrases, ones that only a
skilled grammarian could pull off effectively, teaching them is also a great way to review
grammar.
Not every piece for the multigenre paper needs to be as intricate as the labyrinthine
sentence. Poetry is a genre that fits perfectly into this form of writing. Because it is a
mandatory part of the curriculum anyway, we should not hesitate in encouraging students to use
IMAX – 3D Regal Research 24
poems in their projects. Teenagers do not hate poetry; they just think they do. It is no surprise
that many of our students are turned off when they hear about having to study this form.
Someone once said that high school is the place where poetry goes to die. This dramatic take on
the state of poems in the secondary classroom is really not that far from the truth. A lot of the
negative attitude about poetry comes from the choice in what teachers ask (force) their students
to read. Obviously we cannot throw out some of the classic poets (and we should not want to),
but we do need to bring many more contemporary voices into the classroom. The same kneejerk reaction that students have to hating Shakespeare is the one they have to poetry, and it all
comes down to how the kids were introduced to the subject. To counter this bad attitude about
reading and writing poems, teachers should create their own anthologies, separate from the
textbook, to use as teaching tools. They should also ask students to create their own anthologies
and to draft a meta-narrative on that process so that the decision on which poems to include can
be made clearer. Once students see poetry as something that they can do and once they see
themselves as poets with something to say, they will be more willing to create their own pieces.
By showing students' past multigenre projects that have made use of poetry, we can demonstrate
to our classes the power of the form.
In helping students decide which genres are best suited for their task and in helping them
record information as they research, the use of the Facts, Questions, Interpretations (FQI) sheets
developed by Camille Allen and Laurie Swistak (2004) are critical for success. They consist of
three simple columns with headings for organization, but they can really help the MGRP take
form. In the Facts section, students note important information about their topic. In the
Questions section, students are encouraged to think of questions they might have about the facts.
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This section actually asks researchers to put themselves in another person's shoes to imagine
what it must have been like during that time/place. In the Interpretations section, students
should record ideas they have for different genres that could be used to convey information. For
example, instead of simply telling the reader when and where a person was born, the student
may create a birth certificate (and they may burn the edges to make it look old and tattered). If
the person they are researching had a falling out with a loved one that affected them deeply, the
student could create a break-up letter to convey important information about their subject.
Teaching the multigenre essay, like the project itself, is open to interpretation. However
a teacher decides to implement it in their classroom, conducting mini-lessons is key to helping
the students get a firm grasp of the material and to ensure that they get all they can out of the
experience. This applies not only to genre study but also to things like proper citation
guidelines. We can always direct our students to helpful online resources, like the Purdue Online
Writing Lab (OWL), as a supplement to our teaching; but teaching mini-lessons on the citation
style expected in the classroom (APA or MLA) is the best way to assess, in a formative manner,
how much they have learned and can do on their own. I would bring in a few different sources
(book, journal, CD, newspaper clipping) and together as a class, using an overhead, we would
work through the proper way to add a citation. Not only would I tell the students how to do it, I
would explain why it needs to be done. These mini-lessons, regardless of what topic they are
covering, should also ask the students to produce some kind of artifact so teachers can get
beyond the nodding-in-unison response so often seen in high school classrooms.
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Higher Learning, Higher Than Standards:
Methods of Assessment for the Individual
“Students must have activities and assessments that ask them to interpret inherently
ambiguous matters – far different than the typical 'right answer' testing” (Wiggins & McTighe,
2006, p. 92). Traditional essays ultimately lead to these right answer responses, as a student
seeks only to write down the information that they think will get them the highest grade. In
multigenre writing, the student is motivated by personal interest and therefore will deliver
information that they find meaningful and that they have pondered and reflected on in deciding
how to present. Even those teachers that embrace the idea of a multigenre unit may have trouble
coming up with a method for assessment. After all, how does one grade creativity? The answer:
you do not. In much the same way that a teacher can create rules and guidelines for life inside
the classroom with the input of the students, we can also include them in the creation of a rubric
for assessment. By letting the students come up with what they think is most important, and
with guidance from the teacher, we can create a rubric for assessment that both sides agree is fair
and valid. Instead of grading how artistic the project was, we ask how informative it was, and
that factor can be broken down into several different categories. This rubric should be created
with students at least two weeks before the project is due so that they have a clear picture of
exactly what they are expected to hand in.
So, what does it look like to have students help create a rubric? Claggett et al., (2005)
suggest using a cluster to aid in the process. Teachers can ask their students to write down the
name of the best movie they have ever seen and the reasons why they thought it was so good.
Those are the criteria that the students have used to judge the movie. This is just one of the ways
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to get students started with helping to create a grading scale. Whatever the class comes up with,
it is the teacher's job to make sure that the necessary components are included. But we should
not simply tell the kids that something else needs to be there; rather, we should make suggestions
– the less didactic, the better. At this point in the unit, there should already have been minilessons and discussions about the meatier part of the project, like genre choices and presentation,
as well as the technical components like note pages and references. The buy-in for all of these
parts will be that much greater when students know that their voices have been heard and there is
not some strange, unfamiliar grading sheet they will be subjected to in the end. By approaching
summative assessments in this way, we guarantee ourselves safety from having to grade students
on their creative abilities, which is not something we should be doing in a high school language
arts class.
Besides summative assessments, we must also consider how to track our students'
progress along the way using formative assessments. During the multigenre unit, students
should always expect to write something after they read because it reinforces the process and
allows the teacher to see what is getting through, and more importantly, what isn't. These
written responses can come in many different forms. And because we allow our students this
freedom of choice in modes of expression, we get at some of the important elements of writing
that students are expected to perform on state tests. Putz (2009) tells us that the quality of voice
and style usually required for a high score on these tests “happen naturally in the multigenre
research paper” (p. 156). This idea should put to rest some of the fears of those who might say
that the MGRP does not practice students in the kinds of writing necessary for success on
standardized or high stakes tests. As much as some of us in the English field may despise the
IMAX – 3D Regal Research 28
idea of state rubrics and national standards, our students are going to be judged by them. It
would be a disservice to our kids if we did not prepare them for the tasks that lie ahead. But this
does not mean that we have to set minimal goals or expectations in order to “teach towards the
test.” We can incorporate those elements of the curriculum into our lesson plans and
assessments without limiting school to only those things. In order to be successful on any state
exam's written response section, students will need to be comfortable with the task of writing, be
able to sit and work for a long time, and know how to define good writing and be able to
perform it on both familiar and foreign subjects. In the multigenre unit, students confront each
one of these issues.
As we track students' progress along the way, one of the most effective methods used in a
writing workshop is the writer's portfolio. It can clue us in to a child's progress in both reading
and writing. And if we ask our students to keep a portfolio, we should also develop one
ourselves and be willing to share it with the class. Graves (1991) tells us that long before
portfolios were used in education, artists used them to demonstrate the depth and range of their
collection. Writing students can use them in much the same way, but they need to be shown
how. I would explain to my class how I decided what went into my portfolio and why. And I
would also allow them to see the number of drafts that it took before I reached the finished
version of a piece. Too many students see the need for revision as a sign of failure. But Vicki
Spandel (2009) explains that we must help them see failure as an avenue for learning. This is
another reason to avoid covering a student's writing sample in red ink. Formative assessment
can be done by simply walking around the room and checking in on the students during small
group discussion; but again, there is also the need for individual conferences. During these
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conferences we can address those invisible red mark areas. On the flip side, we must also be
careful in telling a student that they did a whole lot of things really well. It is fine to compliment
a student on one or two ideas in their writing, but we should always offer suggestions and ask
questions. If we shower our students with too much praise they may feel pressured to live up to
that potential, which can ultimately be more damaging to a child's psyche than a bad grade.
Another consideration with grading students' writing is that we must be careful not to
give too much attention to grammar. Obviously, it is a critical part of any child's English
education, but many fine writers do not have a firm grasp on grammar, even though the content
is there. Grammar is important, but it must be weighted accordingly. One viable method of
evaluation is to hold students accountable only for the specific grammar lessons we have taught
them. But whichever way we grade, we should never fail a student if their only fault was in
spelling and punctuation. The technical elements of writing have a place on our rubrics, but they
must not dominate it. In the multigenre paper, the individual pieces must be able to stand alone,
but they should also work holistically; and this element of the task deserves much more attention
than the grammar section. We must also consider the possibility that students may have broken
the rules of standard English on purpose. This is where the notes section of the multigenre
project comes into play. After each piece, students include a note page explaining some of their
choices. Maybe the student misspelled a word to illustrate a point. Romano (1995) states,
“Purposeful rule breakers may be even more attentive to standard rules. It is the rule breakers
who know the ins and outs of school rules” (p. 102). I would allow a student to disregard any
rule they wanted if they had a legitimate reason for doing so. In order to break the rules, one
must first be able to demonstrate a mastery of them.
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Before students hand in their projects, there should be a couple of workshop days
devoted strictly to revision and final edits. Working in pairs, students can run through each
other's pieces with a checklist, making sure all necessary components of the project are present,
and a place for final comments to the writer about remaining questions or thoughts. One
question that needs to be answered is “Did each piece offer more information about the subject
or was this simply a collection of artifacts saying the same thing in a different way?” With the
MGRP, this is certainly a possibility and something to watch out for. But if specific attention
and care has been given to the project along the way, each piece should be informative in its own
right.
The final thing to consider once our assessments have been created is if they are both
reliable and valid. Spandel (2009) tells us that reliability means the scoring criteria are specific
and that the rater has had quality training. Because we have included our students in the process
of creating a rubric, and having guided them in that process, our criteria should be more than
adequate. Spandel (2009) also explains that in order to determine validity, we should ask the
following:

Would a student who did well on this assessment also do well in other writing contexts?

Would a teacher or professional writer or editor looking at this assessment say, “Yes!
That's exactly what we should be looking for?”
Both are important questions to consider when deciding to teach something to our students. Not
only does the multigenre unit address these issues, it takes them much further than the traditional
essay by demanding that the student write in many different ways and be able to explain the
thinking behind their choices. A five-paragraph essay asks only that they summarize and cite.
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Peter Smagorinsky (2007) sees that type of assignment as simply not enough. He explains that
the best assessments ask the student to interpret or produce something new instead of being
tested on their ability to retell information they have already exhausted.
Implicated for Crimes Against the Canon:
The Impact of Multigenre on Teaching Practices
“We will continue to listen to our students and know that they will help us make
multigenre research a more powerful tool for those students who follow” (Allen & Swistak,
2004, p. 232). Just as we want our students always to be working towards getting better in their
writing, we should always seek the feedback of our students (and colleagues) to improve our
teaching practices. When students know that their input is valued by the teacher and actually has
an impact on the curriculum, they are much more excited about going to school. Being an
educator is a profession that requires its practitioners to be lifelong learners. If we ever find
ourselves sitting back, propping our feet up, and thinking that we finally know all there is to be
learned about teaching and working with teenagers, then we have lost sight of the true meaning
behind being an educator. Today's world is changing faster than any textbook company can
possibly hope to keep up with. As teachers, we are competing for the attention of our students in
extremely hostile times. Technology has and will continue to put many challenges before us as
we work to teach our students what they need to know for success, both in and outside of the
classroom. How can we expect to keep up with our kids when a new iPhone app is being
invented on a daily basis? Our students are not livestock to be harvested and sent out into the
world in vacuum-sealed packages. If we fail to embrace things like technology and innovative
teaching methods, like the multigenre essay, then we do set our kids up for slaughter. By
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respecting the world our students live in and bridging the gap between that world and the one
inside school walls, we give ourselves and our kids the best shot at success.
Unfortunately, many high school schedules today are formatted like a bad multigenre
essay. The kids show up at homeroom, the prologue for the day, and are then forced to plow
through one unrelated class after another. They find no connection, no common thread, as they
bounce from period to period. English does not mix with biology, which does not mix with
calculus. But what if we could change that? What if there were a way for teachers to come
together for the benefit of a common goal? We want to educate our kids in the best way we can.
The multigenre essay allows for such a concoction to be thrown together. There is the
possibility for English class to mesh with science, or history, or even math. I would love to work
with one or two other teachers and devise a plan for our students to work on a project that could
be tackled in multiple classrooms. For instance, if students were studying about the American
Revolution in history, I would work with that teacher and provide my students with a list of all
different types of project possibilities that they could choose for their multigenre essay in
English. And of course, there would always be room for students to come up with their own
ideas. A team effort in teaching the multigenre unit that also worked with another class would
take a lot of hard work, but the possibilities for where it could lead would be limitless.
Regardless of how the multigenre unit was enacted, I believe that students should always
have homework during this time of the school year. This is not a way to punish them, but a way
to prepare them for the kinds of responsibility they will encounter in college and/or the real
world. The nightly assignments would be tailored to the ongoing research process and help the
students during their adventure. One such assignment would be that during the unit, while we
IMAX – 3D Regal Research 33
were also studying literature (because not every minute of the day will be devoted to the
research), I would have students write responses in alternate styles. Students need to learn that
creativity is a crucial component of research. Nobody wants to read 50 pages of dry, boring
research results, no matter how groundbreaking they may be. Knowing how to breathe life into
one's findings and hook the reader is an essential strategy for successful writing. It demonstrates
audience awareness and an ability to articulate one's ideas in a meaningful manner.
There are some who may say that there is not enough time in the school year to teach the
multigenre unit. They think that it is more important to focus on the traditional essays,
hammering the students over the head with outdated and mostly irrelevant guidelines. The fiveparagraph essay is the training wheels for our students' bicycles. It helps us discover the power
and skill we may have inside. Students can develop that talent at a slower pace. But unless we
take the wheels off at some point, our kids will never learn to ride on their own. If we focus on
students and their needs during the unit, the other skills will come.
Nowhere else in the English classroom will you find students actually cheering each
other on and encouraging risk taking than you will in the atmosphere of sharing that is fostered
during multigenre study. For those who are still not convinced, I point to some of the possible
concerns of this form that can easily be remedied if a teacher is willing to put in the time. Some
say that there is the possibility of plagiarism in the project because students do not understand
that they can use things like song lyrics, but that they must cite them. There is certainly a chance
this could happen, but if time is spent teaching students about citation rules (during mini
lessons), then it is not probable. Another worry is that if not carefully monitored, students may
leave out huge chunks of important information, which leads to a giant collection of different
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pieces saying the same thing. The project runs the risk of becoming an anthology. But through
individual conferences with students and by providing them with checklists and worksheets (like
the FQI sheets), we can easily make sure our students have included all that is necessary. Every
week I would be asking my students to check and make sure that there is nothing missing from
their multigenre pieces that they would have included in the traditional essay, and through
formative assessments this information can be tracked. The multigenre essay can get quite
messy, but if a teacher is willing to embrace that idea and keep an open mind, the rewards will
be plentiful. In much the same way that our students may get overwhelmed with the demands
they have in their lives at the high school age, teachers may feel piled upon as well. But we
don't teach our students to give up, do we?
A final concern, and probably the biggest one to consider when teaching the unit, is that
students may get frustrated in the end because they feel the amount of work put into the project
is not reflected in the final grade. There are two ways to address this issue. First of all, if we
have done our job in devising a rubric, the kids should know exactly what is expected of them.
And by agreeing on a weighted system for different sections of the paper, we can be even more
confident that our kids will not feel blindsided. The following is an example of how I would
distribute different percentages of the final grade (always leaving the door open for slight
deviations either way in the actual numbers):

Prologue: Should invite the reader in and set the stage for the project. Can also include a
table of contents if the writer decides to include one. - 10%

Multigenre Section: Usually 7-10 different pieces that can stand on their own but also
contain a common thread. They must be informative and demonstrate a deep
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understanding of the material. - 55%

Note Pages: Following each piece, or together at the end of the previous section, they
explain anything that may need further elaboration. - 15%

Bibliography: Properly cited references and a works cited page. - 5%

Mechanics: Grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. - 15%
It is up to the individual teacher to decide how many points they want to give to each section, but
the percentages should remain somewhere close to what I have laid out. The multigenre section
of the paper is by far the most important because it is the place where students are demonstrating
what they have learned about their topic. In my classroom, I would always leave the door open
for revision as well. If there were any student who felt they deserved a higher grade, or if they
simply wanted to try again, I would allow them to do so. My stipulations would be that they
turn in the original project as well as their revised version and that they included a letter to me
that explained where they made changes and why. I would not want students changing things
without being able to articulate their reasons for doing so. Additionally, I would not want to
spend valuable time reading over a project again, only to find out that the student had changed a
few misspelled words and done nothing else.
John Bransford, Ann Brown, and Rodney Cocking (1999) describe how the four elements
of HPL Learning Theory work together to create an optimal learning environment. The four
elements of instruction and their descriptions are as follows:
1. Knowledge-centered: the teaching is focused around key concepts of the subject being
studied.
2. Learner-centered: the teaching takes into account the unique knowledge and skills of the
IMAX – 3D Regal Research 36
students.
3. Assessment-centered: opportunities are provided that allow for students and teachers to
obtain feedback that can be used for refinement.
4. Community-centered: students and teachers are encouraged to learn from one another.
The multigenre unit is clearly built around this learning theory. It is through the interaction of
the four centers that we give our students, and ourselves, the best chance at true discovery and
growth in the pursuit of a meaningful and long-lasting education.
During the unit, and actually throughout any study of writing, I believe it is important to
refer to our students as writers, just as I believe we should call them poets during a poetry unit.
Special attention needs to be paid to students' needs and their thinking during the multigenre
unit. It may seem insignificant, but many students see writing as a threatening form of
expression that is reserved only for the truly gifted. This small detail, along with the kinds of
study engaged in during a multigenre unit, will help students believe that they can succeed.
They will see themselves as authors with something to say, with something that needs to be
heard. The world is full of many wolves, in many different forms. If we fail to equip our
students properly with the awesome power of writing and meaning making, Graves (1994) warns
they may become sheep both in school and later in life.
Until lions have their own historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter.
 African Proverb
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