Category: Section 1 Rethinking Your Writing
-
RYW Chapter 2 and the Slow Conversion of a Cognitivist
Rethink the roles of affect and metacognition in learning writing I came to the “habits of mind” table late, reluctantly, skeptically, slowly, and perhaps still only partially. Like many conversions, especially the grudging ones, I had to follow my students to get here. The Decoder Project and Epic Fails Early in the course redesign…
-
Three Sample Syllabi Incorporating RYW’s Reflective Practice Approaches
Rethink your assignments My first composition textbook as a new graduate teaching assistant was state-of-the-art—and a significant mismatch for the way I wanted to teach. That was the first and last time I used a syllabus that followed a textbook’s path for designing a writing course: Chapter 1 leads to Essay 1, Chapter 2 leads…
-
Five Fundamental Truths About Learning Writing
Rethink how we describe the work of “writing” to our students One crucial goal I had as I wrote RYW was “Don’t mislead students about learning writing — even by implication.” Most teachers I know struggle with the question of how to simplify the practice tasks we give to learners without getting so reductive that…