Writing in the Disciplines Faculty Seminar August 23, 2007Presenters: Alberto Esquinca and Kerrie Kephart, Teacher Education Kate Mangelsdorf and Jonna

Writing in the DisciplinesWriting in the Disciplines Faculty SeminarFaculty Seminar

August 23, 2007

Presenters:Presenters:

Alberto Esquinca and Kerrie Kephart, Teacher Alberto Esquinca and Kerrie Kephart, Teacher EducationEducation

Kate Mangelsdorf and Jonna Perrillo, EnglishKate Mangelsdorf and Jonna Perrillo, English

Nametags and Nametags and IntroductionsIntroductions

Your Department Last thing you wrote(anything-even a shopping list!)

Title of last book read Favorite food

YOUR NAME

Your Department

Building Background 1Building Background 1What kinds of writing do professionals and scholars What kinds of writing do professionals and scholars in your discipline do? Why do you write? For whom in your discipline do? Why do you write? For whom do you write?do you write?

Types of Writing Purposes for Writing Main Audience

Ex: lesson plan To guide instruction to meet learning goals and objectives

Teachers, administrators

Building Background 2Building Background 2What and why do you want your students to write? What and why do you want your students to write? Which audience(s) do you want them to write for?Which audience(s) do you want them to write for?

Types of Writing Purposes for Writing Main Audience

Ex: Reading responses

To practice summarizing, reading for main ideas, and responding critically

Professor & perhaps classmates

Building Background 3Building Background 3What gaps are there between What gaps are there between the kinds of writing scholars the kinds of writing scholars in your discipline do and what in your discipline do and what you want your students to do?you want your students to do?

Students’ Problems

What kinds of problems do What kinds of problems do students have with writing students have with writing for your discipline?for your discipline?

Gaps

Ex: Reading responses are a purely academic genre, not a professional genre.

Ex: Students struggle to write learning objectives for lesson plans that capture key conceptsEx: The lesson plans students

write tend to be “idealized,” and practicing teachers often complete prescribed forms.

Gallery WalkGallery Walk

• Take a walk around and look at what Take a walk around and look at what other groups have written.other groups have written.

• What common themes do you see?What common themes do you see?• What differences do you see?What differences do you see?

Building Background: Building Background: A Summary of ThemesA Summary of Themes

• Commonalities in academic writing across Commonalities in academic writing across disciplinesdisciplines

• Disciplinary differences in academic writingDisciplinary differences in academic writing• Significance of gaps between student writing and Significance of gaps between student writing and

“expert” writing:“expert” writing: How feasible is it to ask How feasible is it to ask

undergraduates to begin to write undergraduates to begin to write like scholars in the field?like scholars in the field?

Is it justifiable to assign forms of Is it justifiable to assign forms of writing that are not like those that writing that are not like those that experts do?experts do?

Building Background 4Building Background 4

Quick Write:Quick Write:

Writing is a critical means of learning how to be/think/act Writing is a critical means of learning how to be/think/act as a scholar in a discipline. Please take a few minutes as a scholar in a discipline. Please take a few minutes to reflect on your own experiences of learning to write:to reflect on your own experiences of learning to write:

• How did you learn to write for your discipline?• What was the most helpful aspect about writing that

you learned through the course of your studies in your field?

• Do you have a funny or sad story about learning to write?

Write individually for 5 minutes, then share your experiences with someone outside your group whose favorite food you also like.

BREAK!BREAK!

Part II: Planning Part II: Planning a Writing Assignmenta Writing Assignment

Purpose and Audience:Purpose and Audience: What are your What are your goals for assigning this writing? Why goals for assigning this writing? Why are you assigning writing rather than are you assigning writing rather than (or in addition to) an exam? How does (or in addition to) an exam? How does this writing assignment connect to the this writing assignment connect to the goals of your course? How can you goals of your course? How can you make this purpose clear to the make this purpose clear to the students? Who will be the audience students? Who will be the audience for the writing? for the writing?

TaskTask: What precisely are you asking the : What precisely are you asking the students to do? For example, do you want students to do? For example, do you want students to show that they understand students to show that they understand major concepts, demonstrate original major concepts, demonstrate original thinking, or practice types of thinking and thinking, or practice types of thinking and writing in your field? Describe the task so writing in your field? Describe the task so that students will understand it. (Tip: that students will understand it. (Tip: Avoid words that might be vague to Avoid words that might be vague to students, such as students, such as exploreexplore or or touch ontouch on. . More specific words are More specific words are compare,compare, contrast, contrast, classify, define, give examples, classify, define, give examples, and so on.)and so on.)


Resources: What texts, observations, Resources: What texts, observations, or experience are the students or experience are the students expected to consult and/or refer to? expected to consult and/or refer to? Should they use only the texts assigned Should they use only the texts assigned for the class? Is library or field research for the class? Is library or field research of some sort expected? How will these of some sort expected? How will these resources help students respond resources help students respond effectively to the assignment? How can effectively to the assignment? How can you help students use these resources?you help students use these resources?


Format: How do you expect the paper to Format: How do you expect the paper to be organized? What headings, if any, are be organized? What headings, if any, are required? What are your requirements required? What are your requirements for length, font size, spacing, graphics, for length, font size, spacing, graphics, and so on? Is a title page necessary? and so on? Is a title page necessary? What citation style, if any, should What citation style, if any, should students use? Will they need to include a students use? Will they need to include a list of references? What is the best way list of references? What is the best way to explain these format requirements to to explain these format requirements to the students?the students?


Students’ Backgrounds: How familiar Students’ Backgrounds: How familiar are students with the type of writing are students with the type of writing you’re assigning? How does it you’re assigning? How does it compare with writing they’ve compare with writing they’ve completed in the past? What will the completed in the past? What will the students find easiest about the students find easiest about the assignment? What will they find assignment? What will they find hardest? hardest?


Process: How long will the students have Process: How long will the students have to complete the assignment? How much to complete the assignment? How much class time, if any, will you allot for class time, if any, will you allot for discussing and completing the discussing and completing the assignment? Will students analyze assignment? Will students analyze models of this type of assignment, write models of this type of assignment, write preliminary drafts, participate in peer preliminary drafts, participate in peer reviews, work with you or a TA in one-on-reviews, work with you or a TA in one-on-one conferences, do revisions, prepare one conferences, do revisions, prepare final drafts, and so on? Are these process final drafts, and so on? Are these process steps required or merely suggested? steps required or merely suggested?


Criteria for Evaluation: In general, what Criteria for Evaluation: In general, what will characterize a successful response will characterize a successful response to the assignment? What aspects of to the assignment? What aspects of the assignment will weigh most heavily the assignment will weigh most heavily in your evaluation? How will you make in your evaluation? How will you make your evaluation criteria explicit? When your evaluation criteria explicit? When will students learn of this evaluation will students learn of this evaluation criteria? Time permitting, draft your criteria? Time permitting, draft your evaluation criteria, making them as evaluation criteria, making them as clear as possible. clear as possible.


For Reflection: Does this type of For Reflection: Does this type of writing have a name in your field? writing have a name in your field? How does this type of writing relate to How does this type of writing relate to the writing that scholars in your the writing that scholars in your discipline do? If it is different from the discipline do? If it is different from the primary types of writing scholars in the primary types of writing scholars in the discipline do, what is your pedagogical discipline do, what is your pedagogical rationale for having students do this rationale for having students do this type of writing? type of writing?


Documents

Writing in the Disciplines Faculty Seminar August 23, 2007Presenters: Alberto Esquinca and Kerrie Kephart, Teacher Education Kate Mangelsdorf and Jonna