Today in class, we created assignments that attempted to reach some of the goals of post process composition theory. I imagined mine as a semester-long project that would hopefully tie together many of the composition aims we have discussed.
1. Set an overarching theme for the course. In high school, I participated in History Day; each year, the project had to address certain themes such as Rights and Responsibilities, Frontiers and Pioneers, etc. I think such themes would give students enough leeway to choose topics in literature, history, philosophy, psychology, sciences, or other disciplines while still providing some sort of framework.
2. Have students pick topics inside these themes with sufficient classroom instruction about how to choose a topic (broad vs. specific, comparative vs. critical, etc.).
3. Students turn in any sort of freewriting pertaining to their topic (outlines, brainstorming webs, rants, etc.) to be evaluated as pass or fail (student turned in approximately one-three pages or student turned in nothing).
4. Classroom instruction turns to finding and evaluating proper sources. Students begin to search for appropriate sources.
5. Students turn in an annotated bibliography, which, in my opinion, asks them to think critically about their sources and how they apply to their papers.
6. Students turn in an abstract/prospectus with any additional annotated sources they have found.
7. Students turn in the first draft of the paper, which receives extensive comments from the teacher.
8. Several class days are devoted to workshopping these drafts.
9. Though only one more draft (the final one) is required, students will be given the opportunity to have any subsequent drafts evaluated.
10. The instructor sets up one-on-one tutoring meetings with the students to open a student-teacher dialogue, allow the student to defend his or her ideas, and work on strategies to refine the writing.
11. Student turns in a final draft of the essay.
12. This will ideally lead to a number of auxiliary assignments, including letters, editorials, flyers, debates, speeches, and creative projects.
13. At the end of the course, a class conference is held and each student gives a presentation, allowing the students to be awarded for their intellectual work and giving them the opportunity to teach each other about their topics. They might include a poster, PowerPoint, or video and incorporate both the academic (research) and non-academic (functional and creative) components of the assignments.
14. The final consists of a portfolio of all materials compiled for class. The portfolio also includes a short reflective paper about the student's project, revision (as it is affected by workshops, drafts, one-on-one meetings, etc.), and what was learned.
Please let me know what you think!
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2 comments:
Hi Val,
As usual, your insights inspire me and get me thinking. The only thing I disagree with was the thought expressed the other day that a well-written assignment not following the assignment instructions should get a good grade -- then why give an assignment? I think it's a slippery slope to go that direction. That student should test out of freshman comp and go to a creative writing class where his interest and ability will be a better fit. I do absolutely love students stretching themselves and seeing that ability should be encouraged and praised, but there's a value in following assignments and respecting instruction, especially if others in the class choose to also go their own direction -- then the assignment literally cannot be graded. That being said, I agree we have to encourage students to express themselves, but they have to learn that writing in the world -- and their place in the world -- will often have a context to it. As far as your blog today, I think it's very good:
1. Love the theme idea, and they could talk to people who are descendents locally or at least get local lit from museums to capture the voice and tone form that era.
2. I like the idea of a focus. I wrote a D-Day paper in high school that haunts me to this day because I could have focused on just Omaha Beach and developed the narrative further. Great point.
3. I see great value in freewriting as an assignment, preferably to start a course (why you are taking this, what you hope to get out of it, what you'd like writing about, how you view writing, what you think you'll be writing about in the "real world."
4. Sources are important, and so is discussion. This is a big part of my assignments, too.
5. I like the idea of a lit review on any assignment because we see the thesis or angle they will take and can make suggestions both for expansion or narrowing, or additional info.
6. Love the idea of the abstract. Gets them thinking as well as giving us an idea about where they might be headed.
7. First draft feedback is so important -- critical, almost. It's like being on a path, you go down a wrong fork, and you have to "undo" so much. This is an important tool in our own toolbox that we should use.
8. I'm a big workshop proponent so you are preaching to the choir. The only thing I'd add is to bring in a writer of that genre who is maybe published or teaches that area (history, for example) who can give a perspective or expertise in your workshop.
9. I love revision, and I occasionally get pieces from students who realize what they wrote might be publishable now that they have a broader understanding or deeper interest. So a good iea.
10. Oops. I lecture in 28 minutes, I have to get to class! I'll pick up 10 to 14 tonight. Thanks for sharing these thoughts, what a through and well-thought-out post!
I guess my gut reaction to the example Nimi gave in class about the student who wrote a good paper and got a poor grade for not following directions was a product of having my empathy string pulled...:)!
Though I have never really had problems following directions, I have had many friends throughout my education who, for some reason or another, had similar problems. One friend of mine wrote a 20-page history paper of the utmost quality and received a "0" for not following the instructions (which called for 10 pages). He was just really interested in his topic and wanted to go over and above. Instead, he failed the class. I admit, he should have spoken to his professor first and cleared this with her (students might be amazed how much this can accomplish, and I wish they would make more use of their professors).
It's a shaky ground, but I tend to empathize with students (maybe too much!) about possible issues like this. To me, good, workable writing is more important than following a set of arbitrary instructions. I do understand the need to follow assignment directions because it 1) establishes a sense of order in class; 2) simulates the expectations of business and academic writing; and 3) gives the teacher a set of clear cut and pre-elucidated statements by which to evaluate the work. Following directions is a specific component of freshman composition academic discourse. I'm thinking more like a creative writer here, however, I see problems that can arise from having this viewpoint. My feeling is that in a class, I would like to be able to gauge the quality of student work in a flexible manner. If they didn't follow directions and still wrote something that approaches the purpose of the assignment, just in a different way (hey, he can think for himself!), then I don't think that student deserves to get a bad grade (maybe not a perfect grade, though). If the student didn't follow directions and did a poor job (because of this or for another reason), then I would give him/her a grade that reflects the poor quality of the writing.
When grading freshman personal statements, the assignment called for two pages, double spaced, 12 point font. This is especially crucial for PSs because the student has such a short amount of space to try to do a lot of stuff. Also, no scholarship foundation wants to read 800 ten-page essays about "why I'm great." So, when I came across several students who only wrote one page, I usually gave them a 60-75, depending on the quality of their writing. In most cases, their writing only one page was a reflection of resistance and indifference to the assignment. One student had only written one page and some change; however, I was surprised by how much he was able to do in that space. There was definitely room for elaboration, but his writing, critical thinking, rhetorical skills, and ability to express a distinct voice was apparent. I gave him an 85. So I guess what I'm saying is that I understand it's tricky ground and that some situations will necessarily be more strict than others. Still, I'd like to be able to give my students the benefit of the doubt. If they can amaze me by escaping the confines of my assignment and still produce excellent writing, that is an instance where I could learn from my students. I suppose one way to avoid this sort of messiness is to give students plenty of options that still exist in some sort of conceptual framework.
In other news, thanks, Bob, for your comments on my assignment. You had some really excellent suggestions that will be helpful. The idea of bringing in an expert to the workshops is a great one. I really appreciate the feedback because I want to develop this into a mock-syllabus to use in my teaching philosophy. Looking forward to 10-14.
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