Praxis Project

To: Dr. Sherry RobertsonFrom: Gail RichardSubject: Praxis ProjectDate: 11/26/13

Praxis ProjectIntroduction

The WPA Outcomes were considered when developing this assignment. The proposal project helps students to find a fitting response to a rhetorical situation. They must write with a purpose for a specific audience which falls under the heading of Rhetorical Knowledge in the Outcome Statement. Their purpose is to persuade their audience that by adopting their proposal, a defined problem will be solved. To complete this assignment successfully, students must adopt the appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality for their audience.

Another area of the Outcome Statement addressed in this assignment is that of Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing. In doing their research, students must implement a series of tasks including finding, evaluating, analyzing, and synthesizing appropriate primary and secondary sources. By engaging in this activity, they are taught the relationships among language, knowledge, and power.

Due to the collaborative nature of this assignment, students also learn several of the outcomes under the heading of Processes. They gain experience with the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes, they learn to critique their own and other’s works, and they learn to balance the advantages of relying on others with the responsibility of doing their part.

In developing this Praxis Project, I have also considered some of the theorists that have informed my teaching practice: Vygotsky, Elbow, and Weimer. These theorists have shaped many aspects of how I approach my students and their work. First, Vygotsky’s scaffolding is incorporated to ensure the student’s understanding and comprehension. Second, I implement Elbow’s theory of providing low-stakes assignments. Weimer’s theory is considered when I give the students the power to exercise choice in their assignment selection and the way they complete the task.

Vygotsky

When planning daily assignments, I consider two of the main principles of Vygotsky’s work: The More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). I

Gail Richard’s Praxis Project

implement the MKO principle by introducing new genre with its conventions before students are provided with a similar task. I did this with the informal proposal assignment by providing a sample on the overhead and discussing every section with the class. The ZPD principle is utilized by meeting the students where they are and providing cooperative learning opportunities after the new genre is introduced. One way I do this is by providing an abbreviated version of the assignment for students to work on collaboratively, taking care to pair weaker students with stronger ones. By providing the scaffolding, students are able to accomplish mastery of the new genre. In the case of the informal proposal, options for proposals are provided to the students to work on in class collaboratively.

Elbow

One of the steps I implement in my teaching style is an incorporation of low-stakes assignments in the curriculum (Elbow). The goal of low-stakes assignments is to get the students to think, learn, and grow. By providing safe places for the students to make errors or opportunities to learn, they are able to explore and develop their writing beyond their current abilities. One way I foster this in the classroom is to allow the students to work in small groups on a mini-project before requiring them to work independently on a larger assignment. The small assignments that are provided for the students doing the proposal are mini in-class proposals that they can work on together. No grades are given other than a participation grade.

Weimer

Rather than holding all the power in the classroom, I intentionally initiate opportunities for choices to be made by the students. I provided four proposals for the students to pick one they wanted their group to do. They also had the choice of deciding how they were going to divide the work to complete the assignment within the allotted time.

By providing a choice, the students are provided with power which is indicative of learner-centered pedagogy (Weimer). Choice also helps students to take responsibility for the exercises they are going to engage in to accomplish semester goals. Smaller in-class assignments are provided for the students to work on together so they may learn from each other by having opportunities to interact and make knowledge.

Since most students have been trained to be passive dependent learners, it is a challenge to transform them into self-confident autonomous learners so care must be taken to sequence activities that gradually develop learning, intellectual development, and interpersonal skills (Weimer). Even with a gradual adjustment towards autonomous learning, some students still resist learner centered approaches.

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Works Cited

Elbow, Peter. “High Stakes and Low Stakes in Assigning and Responding to Writing.” New directions for teaching and learning 69 (1997): 5-13. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 November 2013.

Weimer, Maryellen. Learner-centered teaching: Five key changes to practice. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.

Gredler, Margaret. “Understanding Vygotsky for the Classroom: Is it too late?” Educational Psychology Review 24.1 (2012): 113-131. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 November 2013.

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RHET 1311 Composition IMinor Assignment # 5

Ms. RichardInformal Proposal

Draft due: end of Class periodFinal Draft due: following class period

Overview

This assignment is an opportunity for you to work together on a small proposal project. The project is low-stakes; therefore, you will get credit if you participate. The assignment is designed for your learning and to provide scaffolding for future assignments. It is my hope that by working collaboratively on this small proposal, you will gain valuable experience in writing in this new genre which we have recently discussed.

Directions

Your group must develop an informal proposal collaboratively for one issue connected with a subject of your choice. The following are examples of possible choices:

Campus Food Campus Safety

Campus Parking Campus Restrooms

As a group, you must decide on the steps you will take to complete this assignment. You may each take a different section to develop, or work together on all the sections. The assignment is due by the end of the class period. You may use your phones or other available means of technology to do research. Keep the rhetorical situation in mind: audience, purpose and your method of delivery. You should consider the appropriate voice, tone, and level of formality required to effectively persuade your audience to adopt your proposal.

Each proposal will be discussed during our next class period. As a class we will analyze each proposal and its parts to determine how effective the proposal is in persuading the audience.

As a reminder, I have included the definitions of the different proposal components below. Your proposal should include all the components. We went over these yesterday with a number of examples. Ask me if you have any questions while working on this project.

After completion of this collaborative project, you will be required to choose your own proposal project and complete it individually for a grade. The individual project will be worth 200 points.

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Parts of an informal Proposal

Header—is set-up in memo format and identifies audience you are writing to.

Subject line—States your purpose in one sentence.

Purpose— identifies and states problem clearly.

Problem— gives more details and background information about the kinds of problems caused.

Solution—the goal of this section is to convince your audience that acting on the proposed solution will solve the problem.

Cost—shows exactly how much the solution will cost.

Conclusion—problem and solution are restated. Writer ends on a positive note encouraging the reader to act on the proposal.

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Documents

Praxis Project