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WID Faculty Writing Fellows – Winter 2013
WID Co-directors:
Ian MacKenzie, English - 3D.10 ext. 1313 imackenzie
Anne Thorpe, Humanities / English – 5E.9 ext. 1628 athorpe
WID Fellows W2013:
Anna De Aguayo, Anthropology—4D.7, ext. 1453, adeaguayo
Kate Payne, English—3D.3-1, ext. 1285, kpayne
John Veroutsos, Electronics Engineering—2H.8, ext. 5101, jveroutsos
Robert Stephens, Humanities/Philosophy—4D.13-A, ext. 1330, rstephens
Veronique Millet, French—4C.2, ext. 1486, vmillet
Overview:
I.
Readings and Online Discussion:
The readings are either from John Bean’s Engaging Ideas, or available under Resources on the WID
website at http://writing.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/resources . Bean is the primary text we will use this
semester, but we have also listed some supplementary readings for each week, ones that will be of
interest if you would like to delve more deeply into any of the topics. We do not expect you to read
everything; rather, skim a bit here, dive in deep there, according to your interests.
Below you’ll find a list of guiding questions for each week. The moderator(s) for the Forum
discussion choose one or two of these questions to start the online conversation – or, potentially
formulate new or related questions. Moderators do not have to be authoritative; they just have to
kick-start the dialogue. Other Fellows can then develop the thread, or introduce a different
question to move the discussion in another direction. In the spirit of “writing to learn,” you should
be making a contribution to the Forum conversation each week –be brief or lengthy, but be there!
The character of the Forum discussions in past sessions has been informal, exploratory, funny, and
very collegial – in short, no tie required. The Forum is located at
http://writing.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/groups/writing-fellows-winter-2013/
II.
Meetings:
Our group meetings will take place on Wednesdays 4-6 p.m. on the dates below, room TBA.
Sometimes we’ll discuss in greater depth topics raised in the Forum discussions, as the specific
moderators see fit; other meetings may prioritize the development of portfolio materials. Bring a
mug; we’ll have coffee, tea, and snacks on hand.
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III.
Consultations and Portfolio Development:
Along with the specific readings detailed below, each week you should be working on your portfolio
materials. There are individual consultations inserted at several points that are meant to advance
your work in this area, and as we move though the session, several different weeks are identified
exclusively for portfolio development. Shortly after the end of the session, you should be ready to
upload your portfolio to the website.
Tentative Schedule
Week 0 Jan. 17-18 and Week 1: Jan. 21-25
Getting Started
As we start the semester, Ian or Anne will meet with you to get a preliminary sense of your
interests and concerns. We’ll also get you set up to read and write on the Forum. Bean’s Chap. 1
provides a concise overview of the range of topics we’ll cover in our readings and discussions; as you
read, keep track of questions you want to raise in your first consultation.
Readings:
Bean Chap. 1, “Using Writing to Promote Thinking”
Linking Thinking and Writing Moderators: Anne and Ian
How have assumptions about language and writing informed the nature of writing instruction
over time? Is writing a purely mechanical skill, deployed to communicate preconceived ideas and
arguments? Or is it a form of thought in and of itself, a unique cognitive process that is both
communicative and generative? What have been your characteristic attitudes and habits as an
academic writer? What has your attitude been toward students as developing writers?
Readings:
Bean, Chap. 2, “Writing Related to Critical Thinking” and Chap. 7, “Informal Exploratory
Writing”
Emig, “Writing as a Mode of Learning”
Supplemental Resources:
Bazerman, “Writing to Learn”
Weinstein, “Honoring a Student’s Thinking”
Carter and Ferzli, “Writing to Learn by Learning to Write in the Disciplines”
*Individual Consultation #1 – Make an appointment in WEEK 0 or 1
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Week 2: Jan. 28-Feb 1
*MEETING #1 – Jan. 30 4-6p.m.*
A Genre-Based Approach to Writing in the Disciplines Moderators:
What is the relation between writing and critical thinking in your discipline? What habits and
practices characterize the writing that is typical in your field? What are the principle genres that
communicate knowledge? What communicative conventions govern judgments about knowledge in a
community of your peers? Are you willing to experiment with the use of alternative genres to enhance
student learning?
Readings:
Bean Chap. 4, “Using a Range of Genres”
Excerpts from Russell, Kaufer and Young, “Writing Communities: Local Knowledge, Local
Practices”
Supplemental Resources:
Bazerman, “The Life of Genre, the Life in the Classroom”
Week 3: Feb. 4-8
Portfolio Development I: Melding Writing to Learn and Critical Thinking
Moderators:
Reflective writing on writing and critical thinking in your field. Development of several “writing
to learn” or active learning activities that facilitate exploring ideas and articulating the problems specific
to your field.
Readings:
Bean Chap. 8, “Designing Tasks for Active Thinking and Learning”
plus one of Chap. 9, “Reading Difficult Texts” or Chap. 10, “Use of Small Groups” or
Chap. 11, “Critical Thinking in Lectures and Discussion,” as relevant for your teaching.
Week 4: Feb. 11-15
*MEETING #2 – Feb. 13 4-6 p.m.*
The Politics of Literacy I: Whose Grammar?
Moderators:
Whenever we talk about student writing, concerns are quickly raised regarding literacy,
grammatical competence, and correct usage. What do we need to know about grammar in order to
facilitate and evaluate our students’ writing? How should we respond to problems in clarity and
mechanics when we encounter them?
Readings:
Bean Chap 5, “Grammar and Correctness” and Chap. 16, “Commenting on Student Papers”
Supplemental Resources: Matsuda and Cox, “Reading an ESL Writer’s Text”
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Week 5: Feb. 18-22
The Politics of Literacy II: What is at Stake?
Moderators:
What does research in linguistics, sociology and writing studies tell us about literacy? Is there in
fact evidence to support fears of a decline in communicative abilities? Has writing instruction in higher
education changed effectively as student populations expand and diversify?
Readings:
Rose, “The Language of Exclusion”
Zammel, “Strangers in Academia: Interpreting the Experiences of Professors and ESL Students”
Supplemental Resources:
Bartholomae, “Inventing the University,” or “The Study of Error”
Leki, “Coping Strategies of ESL Writers”
CCC Statement on Second Language Writing and Writers
Week 6: Feb. 25-March 1
*MEETING #3 – Feb. 27 4-6 p.m.*
Scaffolding and Formal Assignment Design: Process and Product
Moderators:
What kinds of formal assignments facilitate good thinking and writing? What are the discrete
skills involved in high-stakes assignments in your domain? How can we design the assignment to allow
the student to develop those skills? How can we build in opportunities for teacher and peer feedback
that improves thinking and writing?
Readings:
Bean Chap. 6 “Formal Assignments” and Chap. 3, “Helping Writers Think Rhetorically”
Supplemental Resources:
“Assignment Scaffolding,” U of T Centre for Teaching and Learning
Petrucci, “Writing to Learn… Linguistics Classroom”
Week 7: March 4-8
Portfolio Development II: Revising or Creating Formal Assignments
Integrating scaffolding, conferencing or peer review in revised or new formal assignments.
Reading:
Bean Chap. 15, “Coaching the Writing Process”
*Study Break March 11-15*
Individual Consultation #2: Make an appointment for Week 7, 8, or 9
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Week 8: March 18-22
*MEETING #4 – March 20 4-6 p.m.*
Readings and Online Discussion:
Grading, Evaluation Criteria and the Souls of Teachers and Students
Moderators:
What are the dilemmas you face as you put a grade on student work in your courses? Are you
satisfied with the way you contextualize evaluation and grading, both for yourself and your students?
How would you characterize attitudes and practices where evaluation is concerned within your
department? Have you used rubrics, grids, checklists or other tools successfully to clarify your
evaluation practices? What other strategies and tools have worked for you?
Reading:
Bean Chap. 14, “Develop and Apply Grading Criteria”
Week 9: March 25-29
Portfolio Development III: Developing Strategies and Tools for Evaluation
Continuation of discussion of previous week. Adding formative evaluation strategies and tools
to your portfolio.
*DINNER MEETING* – Guest Speaker and Date TBA
Week 10: April 1-5
*MEETING #5 – April 3 4-6 p.m.*
Writing Technologies: Stepping into Multimodal Composition Moderators:
Have you already integrated new communication technologies into your courses? Do these
technologies in fact increase student engagement and learning? By integrating new technologies, are
we enriching or needlessly complicating the learning environment?
Reading:
Takayoshi and Selfe, “Thinking Multimodally”
Supplemental Resource:
Yancey, “Made Not Only in Words”
Week 11: April 8-12
Portfolio Development IV: Integrating New Technologies
Continuation of last week’s discussion on-line. Portfolio development.
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Week 12: April 15-19
*MEETING #6 – April 17 4-6 p.m.*
Readings and Online Discussion:
Inquiry Versus Info-dump: Better Research Thinking and Writing in Any Discipline
Moderators:
What should excite and interest students about doing research in your field? What research
skills are required for competent practitioners? What kinds of projects and assignments can best elicit
that excitement and hone those skills? What alternative approaches to research might engage your
students more directly?
Reading:
Bean Chap. 13, “Sequencing Assignments to Teach Undergraduate Research”
Supplemental Resource:
Bizup, “BEAM: A Rhetorical Vocabulary for Teaching Research-based Writing”
Week 13: April 22-26
Portfolio Development: Inquiry-based Research activities
Continuation of last week’s discussion on-line. Portfolio development.
Week 14 and 15: April 29-May 10
*MEETING #7 – May 1 4-6 p.m.*
Readings and Online Discussion:
Where Can WID Take Us? Looking Back, Looking Forward
What are the key WID concepts you’ll retain from readings, discussions and portfolio
development as you move forward? Can you envisage future projects that you could undertake either
individually or collaboratively?
Reading: Monroe, from “Writing in the Disciplines”
Individual Consultation #3 – Make an appointment for Week 14, 15 or after end of classes