For many, composition and technology means fulfilling writing assignments on the computer, the tablet or various other electronic devices. It may even mean students submit typewritten work digitally and receive feedback via the internet. For those instructors more at ease with and knowledgeable of technology, students are required to use discussion boards and create blogs which they must attend to throughout a semester.
According to Jody Shipka, in her book Toward a Composition Made Whole, the idea that technology only include the latest electronic advancements is narrow. She argues that chalk, pens, the chalkboard or whiteboard, and even the light switch should be considered as technology that affect student writing. She goes on to say that other aspects, such as what students and teachers wear, the sound of their voice, the gestures that they make, deserve attention in the writing classroom. These are important during conversation and should not be ignored when it comes to writing.
Shipka further argues that the writing process is neglected and should be taken into consideration when assessing student progress with writing. This can serve to empower students, particularly those who doubt their abilities as writers. This can help them and their instructors realize how far they have come and that they are capable of producing. She advocates for different methods of delivery, having allowed students to produce writing on various surfaces such as on ballet slippers and on a t-shirt
Admittedly, I was initially a bit skeptical while reading this text. I found Shipka’s methods innovative and believe that students should leave a classroom feeling empowered. I believe that allowing students the autonomy to choose their delivery methods will motivate them to be engaged with their assignments and work even harder than if they were required to use traditional methods, such as the student who painstakingly wrote her paper on a t-shirt. What I found hard to believe is that all English departments would agree with instructors who choose to deviate from the norm, particularly in cases where first year composition courses are departmental, meaning in order for students to successfully complete a course, they must pass the final exam which is written and graded, not by the instructors but the department. In the case of Muffie, the student that delivered her message through dance, how would she pass a departmental English course? After meticulously working on her project, keeping notes, and being interviewed more than once by her instructor, should she have more to prove to the department head? Having read these chapters and particularly Muffie’s story, I believe that she can produce typewritten research essays. That she successfully completed her assignment within a short period of time proves that she can learn how to write thesis statements, topic sentences and proper conclusions. The question is however, does that matter? Particularly for a student like her who will not need such skills in order to be successful. (Her senior thesis is a dance).
What I took away from Shipka the most is that instructors and those who make up the objectives for composition courses should be more sympathetic to those students who struggle the most with writing. There is more sympathy for students who struggle with math. Many, students and instructors alike, view math as a temporary evil that students must put up with for one or two semesters and not have to think about again in college or beyond. However, the same cannot be said for writing. .
My question for those of you who teach is, how would you prepare a student like Mufie to pass a course beyond yours that requires the traditional methods of composition?
RESPONSES:
ReplyDeleteThomas Peele INSTRUCTOR MANAGER
Hi Rhode-Elise,
You make an interesting point about Shipka’s text when you write that she’s concerned (among other things) with the idea of assessment. Could you explain more about this idea of assessment and how a better understanding of students’ process will help students and instructors get a better sense of their growth?
I like your point that allowing students to choose their delivery methods will increase their engagement with the project. Shipka doesn’t really touch on that, and it’s a notoriously hard thing to document. Other than student surveys, course completion rates, and GPA, it’s hard to measure engagement other than anecdotally.
Your point about Muffie is a good one. Do we know enough about the others kinds of writing that she’s required to do to understand how comprehensive her knowledge of writing is? I don’t know. It’s always telling when students take this first year course when they are seniors, about to graduate. The course is designed to help students navigate their academic careers, so it’s awkward when they’ve already accomplished that and are STILL required to take the course.
Could you explain more about the correlation between finishing the project on time and being able to compose the various parts of an essay? I don’t see that her ability to do one indicates her ability to the other. I’m also curious about her future needs for writing. I imagine that in a career as a dancer you move pretty quickly (around the age of 30) from a dancer to an administrator, someone who writes grants and the like.
Rhode-Elise St. Jacques
I have the privilege of working with the same students over a period of time. This allows me to see how far they have come and where they still need help. As their tutor, this goes beyond having students write multiple drafts of the same work. I do recognize, however, that that may be difficult for instructors to do in one semester. When I point out to students how much they have grown, this helps to boost their confidence.
As for finishing the project on time and writing an essay, I guess I'm being subjective. Being able to get her fellow dancers on board and keeping track of their various schedules and coming up with this concept in the time that she did is more difficult than writing an essay, especially since she is not only relying on her availability and motivation.
Muffie and students like her can write essays. Many students are afraid of essay writing but is just a skill, not some innate capability gifted to certain people. Also I like your point that once her dance career is over, Muffie will have to rely on other skills, such as writing.
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Raquel Coy
I agree with you Rhode-Ellis. Fear is often the leash holding back students like Mufie, and I think break through that fear using Shipka’s approach is half the battle won already. I do have a concern about how/if Mufie would translate those skills she learned into a traditional mode of writing.
James Dunn
I like the idea of allowing to students to choose their delivery methods too. Yet, I wonder where would we draw the line. What happens when a student decides that he/she wants to write his essay, for an instance, on a body part? Could a tatoo be considered a form of composition? Would composing a text (graffiti) on a side of building be an acceptable delivery method? As I walk through the streets of Brooklyn, I often see painted murals about young men who have been killed. These murals tell stories. They represent, in some ways, the long form obituaries that we see online and in print.
JD