INCORPORATING WRITING INTO YOUR ASSIGNMENTS
DR. MORGAN REITMEYEROCTOBER 7TH, 2011
Writing Reticent to Writing Intensive:
FOR THE NEXT TWO MINUTES WRITE ANYTHING THAT COMES
TO MIND. YOUR GOAL IS TO KEEP THE PEN MOVING THE WHOLE TIME. THIS
CAN BE SILLY.
Writing Warm Up
•WHAT WAS YOUR UNDERGRADUATE WRITING EXPERIENCE?
•HOW DID YOU LEARN TO WRITE WITHIN YOUR DISCIPLINE?
Directed Personal Writing
Some of Our Freshman’s Fears…
Just getting an average grade when I feel I have worked a lot more on my papers than a lot of other students.
I fear that my writing will be unimpressive. I also fear sitting down to write the paper itself.
People not liking what I wrote. Sounding dumb.Realizing when i write, that all my emotions are
released.The biggest fear I have about writing is having
incorrect grammar, and thinking that the teacher won't like what I wrote.
Not being able to properly explain my ideasThat I will do it complete wrong and off topic.
Learning to write is learning to…
How to express yourself of anything that would take more than just thinking it over in your head.
Communicate your thoughts eloquently.Analyze the world around you.Become a successful person.Leave your beliefs behind for future
generations to analyze.Struggle with something I have to do; doesn't
come natural.Rewrite.
•WHERE HAS WRITING TAKEN PLACE IN CLASS BEFORE? WHAT WERE THE PROBLEMS AND SUCCESSES YOU ENCOUNTERED?
•WHERE DOES WRITING CURRENTLY EXIST IN YOUR CLASSES?
What are your goals?Jot down:
•WHAT IS ONE CLASS YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCORPORATE MORE WRITING INTO?
•WHAT ARE THE WRITING SKILLS YOU WANT TO EMPHASIZE FOR STUDENTS?
•WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
Jot down:
COUNTGENRE GOALS
CRITERIATESTING
Quick Tips for Crafting Assignments
REFLECTIONFREE WRITING
BLOGGING WIKIPEDIA ENTRY
CASE STUDIESGROUP WRITING
WRITING TO TEACH
7 (mostly) Painless Writing Suggestions
Blogger
Cheap (free), intuitive, and fairly common. Many of your students may have encountered blogging during high school, or may blog in their spare time.
Wordpress
More difficult to use, but offers more dual purpose options. I can use my site as a blog (if I wanted) and a location for class information, notes, and resources.
Regis WritingMorgan’s Class SiteWilly’s Class Site
Wikipedia
By engaging wikipedia students are able to reflect on class content, develop writing skills, and become more information savvy.
Wikipedia There is also “wiki” software
(like wikispaces) that allows groups to collaborate on various projects.
Track contributions and create evolving definitions throughout the semester.
Case Study
Interesting, focused, and creating a series of talking points for one or more sessions of your course. This activity is winner.
Observation of public locations does not require IRB Bus station Park 16th street
Observations of public online spaces (such as blogs or open forums) is also an IRB grey space…
Group Writing
Collaborative writing provides students with the chance to compose and edit, to negotiate content, to peer review work at a different level, and work as a community. Group work can be hard to negotiate , but it’s worth it when students are able to reflect on this process.
Google Documents FileScribdSharepoint
Writing to Teach
This process is great because it encourages students to think outside the box, explain complex ideas simply, and have fun.
Aim for a specific age group.If at all possible allow
students to test their texts.Can you combine this with a
presentation?
•%50 OF REGIS COLLEGE FACULTY HAVE TAUGHT RCC 200•INCREASE YOUR AWARENESS AND CONFIDENCE IN TEACHING WRITING•INCREASE YOUR OWN SKILL AT WRITING
Teach RCC 200 because…
•SMALL CLASS CAPS (17 THIS YEAR, HOPEFULLY REDUCED BACK TO 16 IN THE FUTURE)•$550 TO TAKE STUDENTS IN TO THE COMMUNITY•TRAINING IN SPRING (AND ADDITIONAL STIPEND) •STIPEND FOR THE SEMESTER•RECRUIT FOR YOUR MAJOR (ENGLISH HAS 60 SOME MAJORS) •PLAY WITH CONTENT OF YOUR CHOOSING (BIGFOOT, RUSSIAN HISTORY, JAZZ, SCIENCE FICTION… )
And More!
Fin!