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last.updated 10.7.07

Writing as a Process (?)

Purpose

In composition studies and language arts, writing pedagogy is commonly taught as a process; this approach shifts the students' and teacher's attention away from just the final product and focuses on the strategies that students use to compose this final document over time. We will discuss the process approach, examine theoretical positions that challenge it and continue to develop pedagogical strategies for teaching writing.

Before Class

• Read Soven, Chapter 3 (25-64)
• Read Kent, "Paralogic Rhetoric" [BB]
• Submit PAB entry #4 to the Blackboard Discussion Board by the beginning of class
• English 555: Submit Proposal to instructor as a hard copy at the beginning of class.

Freewrite

Please take out a piece of paper and respond to the following prompt:

What did you think Erin Pastore did well? What suggestions would you give her for improving her teaching of a pedagogy course like English 455/555? Other comments that you would like to her.

Your response will be collected and given to Ms. Pastore.

Discussion–Process and Post-Process

• What questions do you have about Soven's chapter?
• To refresh our memories, what does it mean to teach writing as a process? why is this considered pedagogically sound?
• What questions do you have about Kent's chapter?
• What are the five assumptions that Kent makes to support his argument?
• What then are the two pedagogical implications that result from these assumptions?
• As a class, we will develop a unit that reflects a process approach. How would we revise this unit to reflect a post-process approach?