Course Info
ENG 6010 prepares students in the theories and practices of writing
instruction. In this course, we will examine some of the major theories
produced by composition studies in order to develop our own methods
for teaching writing. Our purpose will be to place these theories in conversation with one another so that we may:
1. Understand the different methods and ideas which circulate in composition studies.
2. Understand how conflicting theoretical positions can produce pedagogical practice.
3. Construct our own pedagogies for the classroom.
Our model will be inquiry, not expertise; invention, not instrumentality. In other words,
we will use the course as means towards questioning as well as discovering theories which
can inform our future teaching - whether in composition or in literature. The goal
is not that you master any one position regarding writing instruction, but that you
acquire a number of tools you can apply to any given assignment in your future as teachers. Thus, the "how-to"
aspect of this course is not as much instrumental (steps to take) but theoretical (why take those steps/what is it meant to transfer ideas to practice).
As a teacher, any time you decide to assess students by their writing, you are teaching
writing regardless of the content of the course. English Studies often uses writing
as a primary means of assessment, yet the field often trivializes the theoretical
issues at stake regarding the teaching of writing. Teaching writing does not mean simply asking students
"to write." We have to understand the complex issues involved when an individual attempts to demonstrate knowledge through writing. This course, therefore, is meant to assist both composition and literature graduate students become better teachers of writing in general so that they can become better teachers. BUT: The practice of pedagogy involves just that: practice. No one will become a master teacher overnight. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to basic tenets of writing pedagogy that you can use in your own courses here at Wayne State as well as later in your careers. In addition, however, we will actively engage with the activity of practice. By that, I mean that you will be asked to practice the pedagogies you read about, theorize about, and eventually settle on for yourselves. To do this, you must be invested in active engagement with readings and assignments
The English Department is committed to the Digital Literacy Initiative,
an initiative meant to integrate technology into the teaching of writing.
Our focus is not instrumental (how to use a piece of software), but rather
pedagogical (how to teach within the general new media framework). You will therefore
be introduced to questions of the overall teaching apparatus we work in as well as the logic
of new media and not just in how to use the tools of new media.
This course asks you to consider writing pedagogy not as a series of divorced moments within
English, but rather the juxtaposition of some of English and composition studies' major pedagogical
movements. In other words, we won't ask how writing pedagogy should be either
cultural studies based or new media based, but rather how it is both.
Assignments:
1. Interview (100 pts) You will conduct an email
interview with someone who wrote a guide entry in the Tate collection or who was mentioned in the entry. The purpose of the interview is to gain further insight into a specific pedagogy from experts in the field. See me if you have questions about how to contact.
Interview is a 8-10 question query into the specific are of writing pedagogy you have targeted. You are to ask about:
Issues
Problems
Pedagogical approaches
Contexts
The interview is for you to learn something from this person. Thus, you donŐt ask
why the person is in the field or who influenced her; instead you ask about
the practices you have read about in association with this person - the theoretical
and/or practical approaches this person is connected to in the discipline.
To request an interview with someone, state who you are, what university you attend, the course
you taking, and politely ask the individual if she will participate in the interview.
Be prepared to not be answered by some people, so have back-ups ready. Do
not wait more than two days for a response. If there is no response, try someone else.
The interview should be written up not as a Q and A format, but rather
as a complete narrative with introduction and observations gained from the work you've conducted.
2. Textbook Review (100 pts) You will write two reviews of
two textbooks ordered and examined. Place your orders
with the appropriate publisher by the end of first week. Textbooks are given to instructors for free.
Orders are placed online with the publisher:
Ablongman.com, Bedfordstmartins.com, Prenhall.com, WWNorton.com.
You must chose two of the following textbooks to look at:
Internet Invention - Greg Ulmer (Longman)
Writing About Cool - Jeff Rice (Longman)
Literacy, Technology, and Society: Confronting the Issues - Gail Hawisher and Cynthia Selfe (Prentice)
City Life - Richard Marback and Patrick Bruch (Longman)
Picturing Texts - Cynthia Selfe, Lester Faigley, Diane George, and Anna Palchik (Norton)
Seeing & Writing 2 - Donald and Christine McQuade (Bedford)
Convergences - Robert Atwan (Bedford)
Writing in a Visual Age - Lee Odell and Susan Katz (Bedford)
The World is a Text: Writing, Reading and Thinking about Culture - Jonathan Silverman and Dean Rader (Prentice Hall)
Everything's an Argument - Andrea Lunsford and John Ruszkiewicz (Bedford)
Textbook - Greg Ulmer, Robert Scholes, Nancy Comley (Bedfords)
CyberReader - Victor Vitanza (Longman)
Good Reasons with Contemporary Arguments - Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer (Longman)
Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students - Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee (Longman)
Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World - Christine Alfano and Alyssa O'Brien (Longman)
No duplications without permission from me. Send an email to the class listserv stating which you are reviewing. First claimed, first get.
3. Syllabus (200 pts)
You will compose a syllabus to be used next semester. Its assignments and principles will be based on work done in this class.
4. Assignment/Performance (200 pts)
You will design and complete a major assignment for your course. The assignment must involve
technology directly (using weblogs/websites) or indirectly (teaching technology oriented assignments even
if they are on paper - mystory, temporal juxtaposition). You must give yourself time as well in order to properly complete your own assignment. Do not wait until the final week to do your own assignment.
5. Presentations (150 pts/ 50 pts each)
You will do three presentations accordingly:
Presentation on two textbooks (accompanied by handed in reviews)
Presentation on syllabus
Presentation on assignment you designed and completed
6. Technology (300 pts)
The English DepartmentŐs goal is for you to use technology
in your courses. We live in a culture that depends on technology
in a variety of ways for making meaning and for composing. However, the practices needed to use these technologies have mostly not been invented yet. Thus, it is important for you now to get hands on experience with these technologies, to work with them, and to map out how you might use them in a writing course. The following requirements are meant for you to become familiar with technology and writing, but also for you to think about you might use these tools in your own courses. Our purpose is not busy work. I.e. use these tools to your advantage.
Blog: (100 pts) Everyone will keep a blog and use it to post semi-daily thoughts on pedagogy/reading.
All blogs will be linked to one another on a blogroll (listed on the course site and on your own blog).
The reason for keeping a blog: To write daily and think daily about pedagogy. In addition,
blogs will be used for note taking. You are encouraged to merge note
taking with thoughts. While blog posts the day of class are fine, do not try to fulfill
the blog requirement by only posting the day of class.
You may create a free blog at Blogger.com or Motime.com.
Del.icio.us: (100 pts) Everyone will keep a de.licio.us account. The reason is for you
to bookmark sites of interest for use in class/one's own thinking.
Your links should be pedagogical, theoretical, technological, or related in any other way. You must comment on what you are linking to and why on the listserv or on your blog (or both). While links created on the day of class are fine, do not try to fulfill this requirement by only posting the day of class.
Listserv: (100 pts) For communication among ourselves and for you to consider for your own courses. You must participate actively on the listserv (i.e. 2 posts per week). While email posts the day of class are fine, do not try to fulfill the email requirement by only posting the day of class.
Failure to complete one or any of these assignments in detail and with effort will result in a grade of failure of the course. Every assignment must be completed. If you only do technology assignments on the day of class, you will not get credit for this part of the course.