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Articles Conference Reviews |
2007I35WingardSession I. 35: “New Identities, New Approaches in WAC/WID”
Everyone on this panel was associated with the University of Missouri in some way: WAC director, writing teacher, graduate student. The first speaker described an attempt to join the University’s WAC program with the Missouri Writing Project, a branch of the National Writing Project, and attempted to theorize the connection in terms of extending the writing done by students at the University to the setting of a summer workshop for secondary teachers. The second speaker reported on “digital technologies and WAC/WID” and recommended that WPAs update themselves with regard to digital technologies. For example, she pointed to the WAC Clearinghouse, which has only 12 items listed on digital technology, that only 3 of 31 writing programs listed there stress digital technologies in their programs, and that only one of those programs incorporates a reference to digital technologies in its mission statement. She offered some ways in which WPAs could update themselves in this area: use Web2.0 to keep track of information and to keep records; use social networking software such as MySpace to communicate with students; start blogging. The third speaker studied the effect of personal writing in fycomp courses on personal writing in WID courses. She reported on several themes that emerged from her study: “The Personal as Solution: Personal writing and journals can be used as a place for students to discover their interest, leading them into academic and research papers; The Personal as Connection: Personal writing was [frequently] connected to the course material; The Personal as Journal: Many teachers [of WID courses] required both structured and unstructured journals that required students to make connections between personal experience and course concepts; The Personal in Context: Personal writing helps students see themselves and [sic] social, cultural and historical constructions; The Personal as Problem: Students are unaccustomed to personal writing in college; The Personal as Role-Playing: Some teachers asked students to write from a future identity.” Here conclusions and implications were that “There is a pressing need for better definitions for different types of journals, and research on the benefits and drawbacks of each, [and] [t]hough not necessarily a part of the discourse of other disciplines, personal writing has a role in WAC as a write-to-learn strategy. The fourth speaker reported on some resistance to WAC at a smaller state university in Missouri on the grounds that it implies that “anyone” can teach writing. He rehearsed some counter-arguments to such resistance, but they were all familiar arguments. Overall, I offer this comment from Tom Miller of the U. of Arizona, which appeared on the WPA listserv in the week following the Conference. The immediate context of the list discussion was presenters “reading papers” vs. “giving talks,” but his comments serve as an apt coda to this particular session: We have all seen people make better use of our precious time together. I went to a session with Marty Townsend's students and colleagues. They gave presentations, not "talks." They gave out handouts that presented the substance of their arguments in a form that could be understood and retained. They included Powerpoint presentations with pictures to engage us attention deficited. The visuals highlighted the main points and put human faces on the issues involved. The speakers were quick, and the session allowed time for people to build a conversation around the issues involved. People compared stories, made connections, and networked. About 25 people attended this session, and indeed the interchange between panelists and audience was rich, fruitful, and extensive: Marty Townsend finally had to shoo everyone out so that the next session could set up. Comments? |