A thread that emerges throughout all of your writings in this collection is a concern for critical thinking and a vision of student writing as a means to develop that skill. From your thoughts, the "words on the page" seem consequential only insofar as they are a vehicle for growing thought.
Your classes already seem to begin with "close readings" of one persuasion or another and to generate from them texts, which, though important, are not as important as the readings themselves. This seems more essentialist than materialist--more in the New Critical school than in, say, the New Historicist. The New Critics seemed interested in the inculcation of their methods as much as in the application of those methods--as much in the teaching as in the writing. As I read through this, I couldn't help but think about the New Critics and wonder whether looking to their crazy, 1940s ideas of pedagogy might somehow inflame the ideas you're considering.
There are so many exciting thought-nuggets squirreling around in this piece. One notion that stands out to me above the others is this idea of implementing not just multigenre assignments in the 101 course, but multimedia as well. You mentioned the idea of having students create fake Facebook profiles, which is a great assignment that contains so many potential learning objectives in the way it deals with issues of audience, voice, purpose, design, etc. (rhetorical situations!--to put it another way). This would definitely be a worthwhile topic to pursue--something like the function of digitality/virtuality in the English 101 course (you could look to our friend Cathy Davidson!).
Two things that I immediately related to in your writings: 1) Re the "shedding" exercise - "As much as it helps to 'get the juices flowing,' I am continually aware of the concern of wasting my student's time, and hence try to create overlap between free-write tasks and portfolio assignments...The creative non-fiction, in particular, has the potential for a derailing impact" --- yes - but - overlap is HARD to do, I'm finding - and, YES re the derailing - I very much felt that in my class 2) re the Harvey reading: when you wrote, "The notion of shaping a voice as it progresses on the page is essential, I believe, to any good composition class, but my worry is in a bombardment, or a devaluing, or (of?) a 'good draft' in the potentiality that the student begins to think of all drafts as 'shitty first drafts,' some better than others." --- YES - same here - this is a huge concern for me as well.
You have a ton here, and, rather than sensing one specific question you had, I sensed more a deluge of them - which is so cool/great, you can go in so many directions! 3 brief thoughts as to possibilities for that - things I noticed: 1) like Nolan said: ways to implement virtual venues - the fbook profiles, your discussion on pg. 2 re virtual-related themes (hacking, etc) as a way to think about WRITING itself in subversive ways, etc 2) like Erin said: critical thinking/questioning skills 3) the question you address most straightforwardly in your response to Harvey - i.e., what kind of student writing is really useful, how so, and perhaps an investigation into the actual pros/cons of the different "student-writing" philosophies we've been exposed to via the theoretical readings.
There's a ton more here - you could really go in multiple other directions, too, these just seemed to me to be themes you returned to - and, I look forward to hearing more!! (and, obviously - through class & outside it - happy to comment on more/different ideas you have, if you were really thinking of stuff that is TOTALLY different from what we've picked up here in our responses!!)
Hi Casey,
ReplyDeleteA thread that emerges throughout all of your writings in this collection is a concern for critical thinking and a vision of student writing as a means to develop that skill. From your thoughts, the "words on the page" seem consequential only insofar as they are a vehicle for growing thought.
Your classes already seem to begin with "close readings" of one persuasion or another and to generate from them texts, which, though important, are not as important as the readings themselves. This seems more essentialist than materialist--more in the New Critical school than in, say, the New Historicist. The New Critics seemed interested in the inculcation of their methods as much as in the application of those methods--as much in the teaching as in the writing. As I read through this, I couldn't help but think about the New Critics and wonder whether looking to their crazy, 1940s ideas of pedagogy might somehow inflame the ideas you're considering.
-Erin
Hey Casey,
ReplyDeleteThere are so many exciting thought-nuggets squirreling around in this piece. One notion that stands out to me above the others is this idea of implementing not just multigenre assignments in the 101 course, but multimedia as well. You mentioned the idea of having students create fake Facebook profiles, which is a great assignment that contains so many potential learning objectives in the way it deals with issues of audience, voice, purpose, design, etc. (rhetorical situations!--to put it another way). This would definitely be a worthwhile topic to pursue--something like the function of digitality/virtuality in the English 101 course (you could look to our friend Cathy Davidson!).
Hi Casey,
ReplyDeleteTwo things that I immediately related to in your writings:
1) Re the "shedding" exercise - "As much as it helps to 'get the juices flowing,' I am continually aware of the concern of wasting my student's time, and hence try to create overlap between free-write tasks and portfolio assignments...The creative non-fiction, in particular, has the potential for a derailing impact" --- yes - but - overlap is HARD to do, I'm finding - and, YES re the derailing - I very much felt that in my class
2) re the Harvey reading: when you wrote, "The notion of shaping a voice as it progresses on the page is essential, I believe, to any good composition class, but my worry is in a bombardment, or a devaluing, or (of?) a 'good draft' in the potentiality that the student begins to think of all drafts as 'shitty first drafts,' some better than others." --- YES - same here - this is a huge concern for me as well.
You have a ton here, and, rather than sensing one specific question you had, I sensed more a deluge of them - which is so cool/great, you can go in so many directions!
3 brief thoughts as to possibilities for that - things I noticed:
1) like Nolan said: ways to implement virtual venues - the fbook profiles, your discussion on pg. 2 re virtual-related themes (hacking, etc) as a way to think about WRITING itself in subversive ways, etc
2) like Erin said: critical thinking/questioning skills
3) the question you address most straightforwardly in your response to Harvey - i.e., what kind of student writing is really useful, how so, and perhaps an investigation into the actual pros/cons of the different "student-writing" philosophies we've been exposed to via the theoretical readings.
There's a ton more here - you could really go in multiple other directions, too, these just seemed to me to be themes you returned to - and, I look forward to hearing more!! (and, obviously - through class & outside it - happy to comment on more/different ideas you have, if you were really thinking of stuff that is TOTALLY different from what we've picked up here in our responses!!)
Meira