Literacy 3

Writing

There are times when people are asked, "if you could have any super-power, which would you choose?", and I may be wrong, but I think some of us would choose rather differently had we not been so lucky as to go to school and learn how to write. Writing and reading in my mind are nothing short of super-powers. Usually when one think of super-powers, they think of things that give them extraordinary abilities; abilities that set them apart from most people. Super-powers allow us to accomplish feats that are seen by many as miraculous!

In my opinion writing is without a doubt one of the greatest super-powers (Coincidentally enough, you need the 'super-power' of writing and reading to create and enjoy the book on super-powers shown above). Let us examine the extraordinary abilities one receives when they gain the super-power of writing. People who have the super-power of writing bestowed upon them automatically have the ability to: communicate with the entire world at once, have a piece of them become 'immortal', time travel, teleportation, and in some cases even receive a form of telepathy! 

In the case of communicating with the entire world at once, you might think things may get a little loud (you might even get a sore throat), but ironically it is the exact opposite. In the past books could have been printed and distributed far and wide, carrying the same message to the masses, however, in today's day and age, with the advent of the internet, the situation is far less exhausting and practically instantaneous! One person can make a website and write whatever they please, and all the people on the face of the planet (so long as they also have internet access), can receive that exact message and read what was written by that person almost immediately. One no longer has to fear climbing up a mountain, or shouting from the roof top, they simply need to gain the super-power of writing.

When it comes to the issue of immortality, there is evidence all around us. Have you ever met any of the great authors of the past? In some cases it might even be of a great grand-parent who has passed away but has left behind notes; notes that, when you read them, make you feel that they are right next to you talking to you directly. It is not just individuals, but civilizations too, that keep themselves 'alive' in the hearts and minds of people through the messages they leave behind. Although the person's physical body may leave, the 'heart and soul' of the ideas and personality of that person remain.

Time travel is another great power given to those who can write. Interestingly enough, the writers in this case display an extreme example of altruism, because unfortunately, the writers themselves do not get the opportunity to use their own time machine. Their writings are left for readers of the future to use as gates to step back in time and discover the world of the past. This may also tie back to the idea of 'immortality' because readers are given a chance to come visit the writer back when they were still alive.

I do not think one has to stretch their imagination very far to comprehend the idea of teleportation with the aid of writing; well, at least not anyone who has read a great novel. From the comfort of your home you are teleported to a completely different place, whether it be to Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry, or the Shire in Middle Earth, the journey is remarkable! The writer uses each word as a stroke of paint, and slowly illustrates a world, with the help of your imagination, that is a making of the author, yet because the construction takes place in your mind, it is a setting unique to the reader as well. This intimacy makes the journey that much more pleasurable.

The ability to communicate ideas and share them with others in the form of writing also gives those with the ability to write the freedom to open up with readers and allow them a glimpse of their mind. Those that exchange pieces of writing are in fact exchanging ideas and communicating in a way that is not so very different from those with the power of telepathy. Take, for instance, the case distant lovers writing love letters back and forth. They are so far away from each other physically, they cannot hear each other, they cannot see each other, they cannot smell each other, and so on. Therefore, with them being in a situation where they cannot use any of their five senses, how are they communicating? Writing!



This brings me to my next point. Communicating in the form of writing is not just enjoyable, but in fact crucial for Human society to flourish. Imagine a world where the writing of people like Isaac Newton and William Shakespeare did not exist. We would be devoid of so many of the great laws of physics, and so many of the great verses of poetry that help enrich our lives to this very day. Imagine all the other writings that would be lost, and how devastating that would be for our world. Writing helps us to examine what information was given to us, and allows us to add to it and enhance it, and thereby we enhance our lives and the lives of all others.

There is a nice video that shares some other great points about writing that can be found here.

Wanting to learning the ability to write with the intention of wanting such super-powers is great, however, one may ask themselves, how will I know if I have learned how to write well? This is where the Ontario Curriculum assists us by giving expectations to try and live up to.

The Ontario Curriculum also makes some additional points about how writing is tied to other skills, for example, the curriculum stated that "writing and reading skills is reciprocal. As students read a variety of inclusive texts, they build and develop a command of their vocabulary, and learn to vary and adapt their sentence structure, organizational approach, and voice to suit their purpose for writing". The Ontario Curriculum also mentions that "the process of writing enables them to clarify their thinking and sort out and express their thoughts and feelings", as well as helps students to"acquire knowledge and deepen their understanding of the content in all school subjects"; and with that being said, what are we waiting for? Let's go out and learn how to become great writers!