Blog #1: Please tell me this is enough to get a grade? I still don't understand the grading requirements on these!

Social constructionism is exactly what it says on the tin, the supposition that language is a social construction. What I got from this theory is that language has a social purpose and that writing, as a form of language use, while it may seem to be a solitary action to many, is really always social. This is because most forms of writing are intended for an audience, and the writer must think of his/her audience while writing, making it a social action.

Another thing that the text makes clear is that students have two achievement levels, one that they can reach alone and one that they can reach with the help of someone more experienced. This is because the knowledge is built through the interaction between these two people, be the more experienced party a peer or a teacher. This relates directly to writing centers, because the writing coach takes the role of the more experienced party and helps the student writer reach the higher achievement level. This doesn't mean that the coach gets nothing out of the interaction, because in chapter 2 we learn that when someone tutors another person, they learn more than the person they are helping, so that's an added bonus.