While I might argue that these focuses can change as I adapt to the needs of my students each semester (different skill sets in the classroom require different focuses, of course), I generally want my composition course to promote:
- Critical thinking skills (and their application in writing): Put simply, if students can't think critically, they likely won't make it far in college. I would hope they leave my class with a greater sense of scholarly judgement, whether that means critically evaluating a source or structuring an argument in a way that leads to persuasion.
- Grammatical skills: I know sometimes we don't like to say that composition is a course in grammar, but, let's face it: if the student's message is unclear because of errors, his or her paper will suffer in the composition classroom and beyond. This focus on grammar doesn't mean we have to be prescriptive, necessarily; I've found it beneficial to point out a common error and then have the student locate it throughout the remainder of the paper using a highlighter (yes, color usage -- I said it!). Often, once you point it out and ask them to find the remaining issues, highlighting as they go, they say things like "oh, wow, I do that a lot..." And just like that, with their paper covered in neon yellow marks (versus that evil red pen mark we all despise), they usually see how the error ultimately impedes their message. While they'll sometimes make the error again, it usually becomes less frequent in subsequent work. I went off on a tangent there a bit, but the point is that we can find ways to teach grammar that don't involve skill-and-drill or marking an entire paper in red pen. Involve them in the process, and they'll see the light (sometimes).
- The writing and invention process: It's essential to teach students that writing is not always a linear process. It involves so much more, from the very first stages of brainstorming to the end product. I think it's important to relate this fact to students in a practical sense, meaning discussing with them the various ways they'll use writing in their future -- how they'd never want to just write up a memo to their boss, client, etc. without at least a proofread or employing a few drafts, peer review, maybe a little spell-check action, for example. Sometimes, the students just need a reminder of this; other times, you have to go through the steps of these things with the class time and time again. Either way, I feel it's important for them to understand that with each draft, our writing (generally) improves.
I like your chosen areas of emphasis and your pragmatic approach to FYC, and I think your students are lucky to have you. I also like that you are not afraid to emphasize the importance of grammar--not so much for it's own sake but because of the need for clear communication and the need to be perceived as credible within academia and the professional world. In the categories you emphasize, I also see a blend/balance of at least three of the four the "taxonomies" discussed last week in class--what Berlin calls current-traditional, expressivist, cognitive, and social-epistemic rhetorics. You may have mentioned this in an earlier post, but which of these taxonomies do you see as applying to your composition classroom?
ReplyDeleteI like how you point out a consistent error to a student and then give them a highlighter (I think it's a good thing they don't make red highlighters!) to find that mistake throughout their own paper. By doing this, we are making the student responsible for their own work instead of just handing them the answers. It goes back to that old adage, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." It's cheesy, I know, but the idea is the same. We're there to help students because, in the future, they won't have someone there to constantly correct them. They need to be able to do it for themselves.
ReplyDeleteReading your points makes me think about the types of things you see in philosophies of teaching or philosophies of composition. Excellent thinking here. So, you value critical thinking, standard English, process and invention...these things are in line with most composition course goals and objectives. I'm sure you're going to enjoy putting together a syllabus with these things in mind.
ReplyDelete--Dr. Rice