Blog 3: Writing a Grant

 

     Because blog posts often take on a life of their own, I rarely title my blog posts until after I “see” what I’ve written in the blog. Today was different. I knew right away how to frame this one—“Writing a Grant Proposal,” or “Figuring Out How to Effectively Navigate Discourse within Communities Willing to Share Their Money.” For those of you out there who have written a grant application, you can probably relate to my pain. (In fact, I would love to hear any suggestions or moral support you could offer). For the rest of you, maybe this blog will help you (or dissuade you) if you ever decide to apply for grant money.

Why apply for a grant?

     The school district where I teach has plenty of money for technology: all high school students have their own lap top computers; there are two full-time certified teachers (Educational Technology Teachers) in each high school who work with teachers to “implement solid pedagogy with blending learning”; there are two part-time employees in each high school who act as OIDCs (On-line Instructional Design Coaches), working with teachers to find better and more creative ways to use Canvas, our learning management system; there is one full-time employee and numerous student employees at each high school who help troubleshoot and repair the 3,000+ computers students and staff use daily. In addition, the district has shelled out a bunch of money to completely renovate our media center last summer in order to add an “Innovation Center” where technology “happens.” All of this is fabulous and I am glad we have it—really—but with all this money for technology, certified teachers, and building renovation, you know what is missing? A writing center and a full-time writing teacher! At some point, the district forgot the reason they were providing increased technology for students, and the technology push took on a life of its own. It’s time to ground it in what students need most of all—literacy!

   Several of us recently asked the principal about funding a full-time writing teacher next year. We were told—flat out—there is no money for another “English” teacher! I decided it was time to look for money outside the district, which brings me around to why I decided to take on the arduous writing task of applying for a grant. Because I have never written a grant before, I am in the investigative stage, and this is what I’ve learned about writing a grant—so far . . .

Determining “Genre” in Grant Writing

    My first step in my grant writing education was to consult the experts. I’m a neophyte and know virtually nothing about grant writing, and I’m asking for a substantial amount of funding (upwards of $50,000). I will not be able to sell myself through my charms. My success will be dependent solely upon my writing ability. Recently, I consulted several grant-writing experts. Interestingly, they don’t always agree (surprise, surprise!) on how to successfully write a grant proposal. According to Dr. Douglas Brooks, professor of Educator and guru in grant-writing,  “Grant writing is not creative writing. It is technical writing” (Part 1). Ellen Zimet, however, disagrees, asserting, “Grant writing is a cross between technical writing and creative writing.” Zimet notes that, “Your job is convincing them to give the money to you.” Since that’s the objective, I would argue that Zimet didn’t go far enough—grant writing is not only technical writing and creative writing, but also persuasive writing. Asking for an exorbitant amount of money requires a “mixed genre” approach. Not only do charitable organizations want to know facts about the proposed project in a thorough, organized, readable fashion (technical writing), but they also need to be engaged by the writing (creative writing), and understand—and, ideally, support—the exigence of the project (persuasive writing). As Amy Devitt observes, “genre” has been re-conceptualized as a “dynamic patterning of human experience,” enabling writers to construct their writing world (573). In this case, containing the writing in one genre would not be as effective as creating a genre that fully
reaches the intended audience.

Thinking about the Discourse Community

     In addition to considering "genre," the writer must also determine how to write for specific discourse communities. A discourse community "share[s] assumptions about what objects are appropriate for constitutes 'evidence' and 'validity' and what forms of conventions are followed (Porter 228). Understanding the audience as a discourse community will be absolutely crucial! Starbucks and The National Writing Project at two organizations who are granting money for writing projects. One need only go the website of the two organizations to see what drives their discourse communities. As a money-making business, Starbucks does not have an official mission or vision statement; however, it is clear that in addition to making money, the members of this community are also concerned with the environment and sound working and monetary conditions for those who provide them with their raw materials. The Starbucks' homepage includes "social impact" as one of its secondary pages; once a person clicks on this, a number of related topics emerge, including "community," "environment," and "ethical sourcing." Their interests are a bit different than those of the National Writing Project, a non-profit organization, whose purpose is to increase the number of outstanding writing teachers and writers. The National Writing Projects' mission is to "focus on the knowledge, expertise, and leadership of our nation's educators on sustained efforts to improve writing and learning for all learners." In addition, the NWP's vision is clear, as well: "Writing in its many forms is the signature means of communication in the 21st century. The NWP envisions a future where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learning, and active participant in a digital, interconnected world." Being a part of a discourse community requires a person to "act, think, value, and interact in ways that together with language render who they are and what they are doing recognizable to others" (Gee 14). As a writing teacher and graduate student in Rhetoric, Writing, and Digital Media Studies, I am already a quasi-member of the NWP's discourse community. I whole-heartedly embrace their mission and vision, and, while this does not guarantee they will award me any money, it certainly makes my task of convincing them of the importance of a writing teacher much easier. Starbucks, on the other hand, may require a slightly different approach. They are not necessarily interested in writing, per se, but they are interested in the global community and participation in it. People who can write effectively, especially on behalf of the global community, certainly fits into that. Now, all I have to do is to convince Starbucks of the connection!


Next Week's Blog: Communication in Career and Technical Education (Skyline Welding)

       Works Cited

Brooks, Douglas. "Grant Writing for Beginners: Part 1." Technology and Learning, vol. 28, no.6

     Jan. 2008. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO].

Brooks, Douglas. "Grant Writing for Beginners: Part 2." Technology and Learning, vol. 28, no. 7

     Feb. 2008. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO].

Devitt, Amy J. "Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept."

     College Composition and Communication, vol.44, no.4, Dec. 1993, pp. 573-586.

"Discourses and Social Languages." An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method,

     James Paul Gee, Routledge, 2014, pp. 11-39.

"Genre and Identity: Citizenship in the Age of the Internet and the Age of Global Capitalism."

     The Rhetoric and Ideology of Genre: Strategies for Stability and Change, by Charles
   
     Bazerman, Hampton, 2002, pp. 13-37.

Porter, James E. "Intertextuality and the Discourse Community." Rhetoric Review, vol.5, 1986,

     pp. 34-47.

Zimet, Ellen. "Grant Writing Techniques for K-12 Funding." The Journal, vol. 21, no.4, Nov.
     1993. Academic Search Complete [EBSCO].