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last.updated 9.2.07

Writing & the Teaching of Writing

Purpose

Today's class will help us establish a foundation for the work that we will be doing this semester. The writing opportunity and the following discussions will help us to consider what the point of the language arts classroom is and how we might achieve those goals.

Before Class

• Read Soven, Chapter 1 (1-9) & Chapter 2 (11-23)
• Read Alsup & Bush, Chapter 2 (39-79)

FreeWrite

What gets taught in the language arts class? Why is it important that we ask students to learn this material?

Rhetoric

The teaching of composition is closely related to the rhetorical studies. Therefore we will look at several rhetorical concepts and discuss how this vocabulary fits within the converation about the language arts class.

Discussion

After the writing opportunity, we will work together to determine what the goals of a writing course can be and what they should be. This discussion may help you add to the goals that you already have and it may help you to think about why you have chosen the goals that you have (and not others).

Activity

With these goals in mind, you will work in groups to examine the first two narratives that Alsup and Bush present in chapter 2 (pp. 49-50, pp. 55-57). As a group use your respective goals to explain how you would approach these two situations. Take notes on the different responses that members of your group generate and be prepared to share your overall responses with the rest of the class.

As a group, you may want to start with the following questions:

• Does the problem start with the student or with the instructor's pedagogy?
  • If the problem starts with the student, how do you work with this individual?
  • If the problem starts with the pedagogy, how do you think the instructor should approach this situation? How should the instructor revise the pedagogy in the future?