“Writing Is a Technology that Restructures Thought.”
Walter S.J. Ong
I really enjoyed this article, especially the section pertaining to oral traditions. Ong’s paper has numerous ideas that are new to me; I look forward to discussing them in class.
Ong maintains that writing is immensely more complex than the mechanical skill many people make it out to be. As Ongs says “[t]he fact that we do not commonly feel the influence of writing on our thoughts shows that we have interiorized the technology of writing so deeply that without tremendous effort we cannot separate it from ourselves or even recognize its presence and influence.” (Ong 19) Ong follows this significant statement by giving examples and historical situations.
In his section discussing oral tradition, Ong surprised me with his extensive knowledge of mnemonic techniques in oral epics. After giving historically relevant data, Ong goes on to describe situations in which writing separates and divides. Among them are: logic and rhetoric, dialect from standard language, the past from the present, and academic learning from “wisdom." This last reason echoes the “gatekeeper” mentality we have read so much about.
I found Ong’s section on print and electronic relevant to my interests, as well as insightful. Ong contrasts the act of writing with the complex processes a computer undertakes even when performing a seemingly simple action. It is unfortunate that Ong ends his paper before fully exploring how the effects of electronic composition varies from those of writing. He hints at the distance imposed by computers, and the possible impact on the human thought process.
“A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing”
Linda Flower and John Hayes
In their essay, “A Cognitive Process Theory of Writing”, Flower and Hayes seek to tear down the commonly held theory that “composing process as a series of decisions and choices” (Flower 273). Flower and Hayes attempt to construct their own model; one not based on stages, but instead a process model.
Using “thinking outloud protocol,” Flower and Hayes attempt to scrutinize the methods writer use when approaching a task. Given that this essay was written in 1981, I can’t help but wonder what changes or improvements computers and technology has contributed to these types of research. Would a writer’s typed “thoughts” be as accurate as those spoken out loud? Does the act of typing rather than speaking cause self editing?
Flower and Hayes present their model as a “tool for researchers to think with” (Flower 284). I would be interested to read more studies using this tool, especially current studies.
Although I feel that Flower and Hayes certainly outline and describe their model in great depth, I’m still not convinced of its usefulness. Before I make my decision, I would like to see more evidence supporting “thinking outloud protocol” as a genuine representation of thought.
"Cognition, Convention, and Certainty: What We Need to Know about Writing."
Patricia Bizzel
Patricia Bizzel investigates the link between writing problems and thinking problems, and argues that a writing problem is a thinking problem. Bizzel looks at how composition specialists regard both writing problems and composition itself. She separates these specialists into two camps, inner and outer-directed theorists.
According to Bizzel, inner-directed theorists believe that there are writing processes “that are so fundamental as to be universal” (Bizzel 389) It would appear that this school of thought shares a lot with Chomsky’s linguistic theories of universal grammar. Inner-directed theorists also hope to isolate these processes in a context devoid of societal influences.
On the other hand, outer-directed theorists do not believe that these structures “can never occur free of a social context that conditions them” (Bizzel 390). Although I tend to agree to some extent with both of these schools of though, I think that Bizzel is correct when she draws from both theories; her ability to integrate these two seemingly incongruous theories is impressive. Bizzel's model strikes me as more accurate than the Flower/Hayes model, I am interested in what everyone else thinks about it.
"Distributed Cognition at Work"
Patrick Dias, et al
According to Dias, et al, distributed cognition is the intellectual interaction between numerous people; more specifically, the fact that "people appear to think conjunction or partnership with others and with the help of culturally provided tools and implements" (Dias 136).
Dias, et al, provides an example in the form of the Bank of Canada. One aspect of this paper I found interesting was the different distributions of intellectual contributions. In some hierarchical situations, such as school, the contribution is skewered, yet in the workplace it is not.
I found this article insulting in its implication for universities. According to Dias, et al, a university's goal is to prepare students for "real" jobs. Their assertions that demand should skewer writing also irritated me.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Barack Obama-sistible!
This is how to make a tongue in cheek campaign music video. That McCain monstrosity had it all wrong. If elections were won based on the awesomeness of a candidate's music videos, then Obama will be our next president for sure.
Annotated Bibliography
Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. 2nd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
In his The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, David Crystal has a chapter dealing entirely with electronic variations of the English language. Crystal examines both text messaging and instant messaging in depth. He includes graphs comparing “netspeak” to speech and writing, and examines where they diverge, and the reasons behind these divergences. Crystal also details the history behind text and the internet, and how it has evolved. He also looks at historical precedents and attitudes towards new technologies in writing, such as the printing press and telegraphs.
Although this chapter may not be providing any new research on text practices, it does provide ample data relevant to my paper, such as attitudes towards texting, and its relation to written and spoken language.
Lewis, Cynthia, Bettina Fabos, "Instant Messaging, Literacies, and Social Identities." Reading Research Quarterly 40(2005): 470-501.
This study investigates digital literacy and instant message use in seven teenagers. In addition to this, Lewis and Fabos investigate the social expectations and ramifications of instant messaging, especially among youths. The authors analyze how the participants change word choice, tones and subject matter, depending on the recipients of the message. Lewis and Fabos realize the importance of researching instant messaging, stating that it is an important aspect of youth literacy.
The research in this study is relevant in many ways to my paper. It examines both social and technical aspects of instant messaging, and looks at other factors that influence IMing.
Lee, Carmen K.M.. "Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong." Computers and Composition 24(2007): 285-301.
Lee’s article looks at different ways in which instant message texts are produced by a group of college students in Hong Kong. Although a large portion of Lee’s study focuses on multilingual aspects of instant messaging, he also looks at the text-making practices associated with the use of instant messaging. Lee’s article finishing by stating that the ability to produce IM texts is a different process from that of language learning in the classroom. Lee makes frequent references to code-switching and code-mixing. Furthermore, like many of the articles I am using in my research, he examines social attitudes towards text and instant messages.
Even though Lee may focus on the particulars of instant messaging in a diversely multilingual culture (Hong Kong), he still contributes to overall studies of instant message practices, which I believe will be helpful in my paper.
Hagood, Margaret C.. "New Media and Online Literacies: No Age Left Behind." Reading Research Quarterly 38(2003): 387-391.
Margaret Hagood’s article discussed many concepts and theories relevant to instant and text messaging practices. One of these concepts is active audiencing, which “call into question transmission models that position readers as passive receivers of information and meaning marketed towards particular audience.” (388) Hagood looks at both the role of the audience in messaging, and the reception messaging has received by the media and schools.
Hagood’s integration of multidisciplinary concepts with new media studies will be helpful in my analysis of text and instant messaging.
Bernhardt , Stephen. "The Shape of Text to Come: The Texture of Print on Screens." College Composition and Communication 44(1993): 151-175.
Bernhardt’s essay, although only written 15 years ago, displays many antiquated views towards technological text practices. However, he does have some relevant data, including the differences displayed in readers between printed text and electronic text.
Although Bernhardt’s paper predates much of the texting and messaging I will be researching, he provides an early source in regards to attitudes and research practices.
Lee, Carmen K. M.. "Affordances and Text-Making Practices in Online Instant Messaging." Written Communication 24(2007): 223-249.
While I was researching articles for my paper, the name of Carmen Lee often appeared in regards to instant messaging. In this particular study, Lee investigates the various factors that may influence a user’s choice of language and script in instant messaging. Lee states that studies of instant messaging practices have moved from identifying linguistic features to investigating the social issues that surround them. Lee himself does a combination of the two in this article, and also implores other researchers to look beyond simply English language instant messaging. In his other article that I have listed, "Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong.", Lee looks at instant messaging practices in Hong Kong.
Lee’s article will be useful to me in many ways, he both outlines text making practices in IMs, and also explores societal pressures and implication in regard to them.
In his The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, David Crystal has a chapter dealing entirely with electronic variations of the English language. Crystal examines both text messaging and instant messaging in depth. He includes graphs comparing “netspeak” to speech and writing, and examines where they diverge, and the reasons behind these divergences. Crystal also details the history behind text and the internet, and how it has evolved. He also looks at historical precedents and attitudes towards new technologies in writing, such as the printing press and telegraphs.
Although this chapter may not be providing any new research on text practices, it does provide ample data relevant to my paper, such as attitudes towards texting, and its relation to written and spoken language.
Lewis, Cynthia, Bettina Fabos, "Instant Messaging, Literacies, and Social Identities." Reading Research Quarterly 40(2005): 470-501.
This study investigates digital literacy and instant message use in seven teenagers. In addition to this, Lewis and Fabos investigate the social expectations and ramifications of instant messaging, especially among youths. The authors analyze how the participants change word choice, tones and subject matter, depending on the recipients of the message. Lewis and Fabos realize the importance of researching instant messaging, stating that it is an important aspect of youth literacy.
The research in this study is relevant in many ways to my paper. It examines both social and technical aspects of instant messaging, and looks at other factors that influence IMing.
Lee, Carmen K.M.. "Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong." Computers and Composition 24(2007): 285-301.
Lee’s article looks at different ways in which instant message texts are produced by a group of college students in Hong Kong. Although a large portion of Lee’s study focuses on multilingual aspects of instant messaging, he also looks at the text-making practices associated with the use of instant messaging. Lee’s article finishing by stating that the ability to produce IM texts is a different process from that of language learning in the classroom. Lee makes frequent references to code-switching and code-mixing. Furthermore, like many of the articles I am using in my research, he examines social attitudes towards text and instant messages.
Even though Lee may focus on the particulars of instant messaging in a diversely multilingual culture (Hong Kong), he still contributes to overall studies of instant message practices, which I believe will be helpful in my paper.
Hagood, Margaret C.. "New Media and Online Literacies: No Age Left Behind." Reading Research Quarterly 38(2003): 387-391.
Margaret Hagood’s article discussed many concepts and theories relevant to instant and text messaging practices. One of these concepts is active audiencing, which “call into question transmission models that position readers as passive receivers of information and meaning marketed towards particular audience.” (388) Hagood looks at both the role of the audience in messaging, and the reception messaging has received by the media and schools.
Hagood’s integration of multidisciplinary concepts with new media studies will be helpful in my analysis of text and instant messaging.
Bernhardt , Stephen. "The Shape of Text to Come: The Texture of Print on Screens." College Composition and Communication 44(1993): 151-175.
Bernhardt’s essay, although only written 15 years ago, displays many antiquated views towards technological text practices. However, he does have some relevant data, including the differences displayed in readers between printed text and electronic text.
Although Bernhardt’s paper predates much of the texting and messaging I will be researching, he provides an early source in regards to attitudes and research practices.
Lee, Carmen K. M.. "Affordances and Text-Making Practices in Online Instant Messaging." Written Communication 24(2007): 223-249.
While I was researching articles for my paper, the name of Carmen Lee often appeared in regards to instant messaging. In this particular study, Lee investigates the various factors that may influence a user’s choice of language and script in instant messaging. Lee states that studies of instant messaging practices have moved from identifying linguistic features to investigating the social issues that surround them. Lee himself does a combination of the two in this article, and also implores other researchers to look beyond simply English language instant messaging. In his other article that I have listed, "Text-making practices beyond the classroom context: Private instant messaging in Hong Kong.", Lee looks at instant messaging practices in Hong Kong.
Lee’s article will be useful to me in many ways, he both outlines text making practices in IMs, and also explores societal pressures and implication in regard to them.
Response to 3/24 Readings
Narrowing the Mind and Page: Remedial Writers and Cognitive Reductionism
Mike Rose
In his essay, Narrowing the Mind and Page, Mike Rose catalogues interdisciplinary studies of cognition, as well as investigating their usefulness in teaching remedial writers. Rose discusses the theories and areas of field dependence/independence, hemisphericity, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, oral-literacy, literacy and society, literacy and cognition, and literacy and language.
Out of these theories, it is clear that Rose finds Piaget’s the most relevant. I found the section dealing with training interesting, as students who were weak in formal-operational tasks showed improvement after training.
Although Rose may not believe that orality-literacy theory holds as much relevance as Piaget’s theory, I found it insightful and interesting. The similarities and differences between oral and written language are fascinating to me, and this field in particular interests me. Rose’s most insightful statement in this segment is that “[w]riting transforms human cognition." (368) As in much his discussion of theories, Rose goes on to caution that racist and biased assumptions have distorted this theory, which seems to be a common theme and occurrence in Rose’s article
The Language of Exclusion: Writing Instruction at the University
Mike Rose
In his second article in this textbook, Mike Rose looks at both attitudes towards remedial composition/students, and the motivation for these attitudes. Rose begins his essay by quoting numerous memos and reports from California that deal with remedial English courses. As Rose points out, many of these quotes contain thoughts commonly held in regards to writing, including that “[w]riting ability is judged in terms of the presence of error and can this be quantified [and that] [w]riting is a skill or a tool rather than a discipline.” (547) These are assumption that have often appeared in our previous readings, aside from the older ones (such as those in the Harvard era), the articles we have read have disregarded such views. So why do non-composition professors and the public still believe that they valid?
Rose goes on to look at current attitudes towards “remedial” writing courses in general; among them is the belief that they are eroding the boundary between secondary schools and college. Throughout his article, Rose gives numerous other examples of the negative attitude towards composition courses, while highlighting the dichotomy between these beliefs and the demand for improved writers in all academic fields.
One of the more revealing parts of Rose’s article deals with a chemist’s reaction to composition studies. The chemist in question dismisses composition studies, thinking that it is merely “ a transcription skill” (555) This is an attitude I commonly encounter, an alarming number of people don’t realize the complexity of writing.
Inventing the University
David Bartholomae
In his paper, David Bartholomae looks at the various obstacles new students face when attending college. He begins by saying that a “student has to learn to speak our language […]to write, for example, as a literary critic one day and as an experimental psychologist the next […]” (624). Bartholomae argues that this, and an inexperienced writer’s difficulty with transitioning between “writer-based” and “reader-based” papers.
Bartholomae insists that when he assigns students a paper entailing literary criticism, he doesn’t expect his students to be literary critics; rather, he expects them to invent themselves as literary critics. I have a problem with this, Bartholomae seems to desire students to simply imitate, and not come up with new ideas of their own.
I did find Bartholomae’s examples of student writing insightful and appropriate, as they did illustrate the very issues that student writers face. I also found his ideas on “commonplaces” relevant, as he did provide numerous examples in the student essays. Bartholomae notes that higher ranking essays are “framed and completed by a commonplace” (640).
Coherence, Cohesion and Writing Quality
Stephen P. Witte and Lester Faigley
Stephen P. Witte and Lester Faigley’s article scrutinizes both the research and methods used in writing instruction. Witte and Faigley mainly look at the two “approaches to this question, examining errors and syntactic features” (235), and note that most of the research doesn’t examine coherence in writing that extends beyond the surface level.
Similarly to what we have seen in numerous other articles, this focus on errors does little to improve student writing. Witte and Faigley cite research that shows this focus doesn’t help, and go on to state that cross-field research shows that cohesive ties determine the quality of a paper.
Witte and Faigley define a cohesive tie as “a semantic relation between an element in a text and some other element that is crucial to the interpretation of it” (236). They go on to list five classes of cohesive ties, and many subclasses (and sub-subclasses). The classes are as follows: substitution, ellipses, conjunction, and lexical reiteration and collocation.
After outlining the five cohesive ties, Witte and Faigley discuss reference cohesion, conjunctive cohesion, and lexical cohesion in regards to how the effect overall coherence in papers. The cohesive ties born out of these different forms of cohesion play an important role in Witte and Faigley’s analysis; they state that “the high rated essays are much more dense in cohesion than the low-rated essays.” (243)
Witte and Faigley end by imploring that more research in cohesion be undertaken. Interestingly enough, they mention that sentence combining offers “much [practice in forming cohesive ties” (249), which would correlate to Hillock’s study of effective composition instruction practices.
Although Witte and Faigley don’t delve too deeply into methods of teaching students cohesion, they do make a very good case for its importance in writing. During a time when the composition field is examining (incorrect) teaching methods long used, research like this is vital in the evolution of composition instruction.
Mike Rose
In his essay, Narrowing the Mind and Page, Mike Rose catalogues interdisciplinary studies of cognition, as well as investigating their usefulness in teaching remedial writers. Rose discusses the theories and areas of field dependence/independence, hemisphericity, Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, oral-literacy, literacy and society, literacy and cognition, and literacy and language.
Out of these theories, it is clear that Rose finds Piaget’s the most relevant. I found the section dealing with training interesting, as students who were weak in formal-operational tasks showed improvement after training.
Although Rose may not believe that orality-literacy theory holds as much relevance as Piaget’s theory, I found it insightful and interesting. The similarities and differences between oral and written language are fascinating to me, and this field in particular interests me. Rose’s most insightful statement in this segment is that “[w]riting transforms human cognition." (368) As in much his discussion of theories, Rose goes on to caution that racist and biased assumptions have distorted this theory, which seems to be a common theme and occurrence in Rose’s article
The Language of Exclusion: Writing Instruction at the University
Mike Rose
In his second article in this textbook, Mike Rose looks at both attitudes towards remedial composition/students, and the motivation for these attitudes. Rose begins his essay by quoting numerous memos and reports from California that deal with remedial English courses. As Rose points out, many of these quotes contain thoughts commonly held in regards to writing, including that “[w]riting ability is judged in terms of the presence of error and can this be quantified [and that] [w]riting is a skill or a tool rather than a discipline.” (547) These are assumption that have often appeared in our previous readings, aside from the older ones (such as those in the Harvard era), the articles we have read have disregarded such views. So why do non-composition professors and the public still believe that they valid?
Rose goes on to look at current attitudes towards “remedial” writing courses in general; among them is the belief that they are eroding the boundary between secondary schools and college. Throughout his article, Rose gives numerous other examples of the negative attitude towards composition courses, while highlighting the dichotomy between these beliefs and the demand for improved writers in all academic fields.
One of the more revealing parts of Rose’s article deals with a chemist’s reaction to composition studies. The chemist in question dismisses composition studies, thinking that it is merely “ a transcription skill” (555) This is an attitude I commonly encounter, an alarming number of people don’t realize the complexity of writing.
Inventing the University
David Bartholomae
In his paper, David Bartholomae looks at the various obstacles new students face when attending college. He begins by saying that a “student has to learn to speak our language […]to write, for example, as a literary critic one day and as an experimental psychologist the next […]” (624). Bartholomae argues that this, and an inexperienced writer’s difficulty with transitioning between “writer-based” and “reader-based” papers.
Bartholomae insists that when he assigns students a paper entailing literary criticism, he doesn’t expect his students to be literary critics; rather, he expects them to invent themselves as literary critics. I have a problem with this, Bartholomae seems to desire students to simply imitate, and not come up with new ideas of their own.
I did find Bartholomae’s examples of student writing insightful and appropriate, as they did illustrate the very issues that student writers face. I also found his ideas on “commonplaces” relevant, as he did provide numerous examples in the student essays. Bartholomae notes that higher ranking essays are “framed and completed by a commonplace” (640).
Coherence, Cohesion and Writing Quality
Stephen P. Witte and Lester Faigley
Stephen P. Witte and Lester Faigley’s article scrutinizes both the research and methods used in writing instruction. Witte and Faigley mainly look at the two “approaches to this question, examining errors and syntactic features” (235), and note that most of the research doesn’t examine coherence in writing that extends beyond the surface level.
Similarly to what we have seen in numerous other articles, this focus on errors does little to improve student writing. Witte and Faigley cite research that shows this focus doesn’t help, and go on to state that cross-field research shows that cohesive ties determine the quality of a paper.
Witte and Faigley define a cohesive tie as “a semantic relation between an element in a text and some other element that is crucial to the interpretation of it” (236). They go on to list five classes of cohesive ties, and many subclasses (and sub-subclasses). The classes are as follows: substitution, ellipses, conjunction, and lexical reiteration and collocation.
After outlining the five cohesive ties, Witte and Faigley discuss reference cohesion, conjunctive cohesion, and lexical cohesion in regards to how the effect overall coherence in papers. The cohesive ties born out of these different forms of cohesion play an important role in Witte and Faigley’s analysis; they state that “the high rated essays are much more dense in cohesion than the low-rated essays.” (243)
Witte and Faigley end by imploring that more research in cohesion be undertaken. Interestingly enough, they mention that sentence combining offers “much [practice in forming cohesive ties” (249), which would correlate to Hillock’s study of effective composition instruction practices.
Although Witte and Faigley don’t delve too deeply into methods of teaching students cohesion, they do make a very good case for its importance in writing. During a time when the composition field is examining (incorrect) teaching methods long used, research like this is vital in the evolution of composition instruction.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
It's Rainin' McCain
This is the newest entry in my presidential candidates music video saga. This is the best anti-viral video I have ever seen. This is even more unhip than Hillary and the band.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Response to 3/10 Readings
Mechanical Correctness as a Focus in Composition Instruction
By Robert J. Connors
In his essay, Robert J. Connors details the historical events and pressures that lead to the restructuring of “rhetoric” to “composition”. As all the papers we are reading this week deal with the popularity of relying on grammar in composition, I felt that a historical context was appropriate. Before the Civil War, written rhetoric classes hearkened back to an ancient tradition, from the 1860s on, written rhetoric dealt mainly with finding grammatical errors and correcting them.
Connors gives several reasons for this reliance on error hunting. The foremost of these reasons is that early professors had to grade an absurd amount of papers. It would be impossible to actually read and comment on this amount of papers, so teachers opted for the quicker route.
Another factor that contributed to this error correcting attitude was the current sociolinguistic climate of the United States. As Connors says, “the deterioration of English at the hands of uneducated frontiersmen was what these Easterners excoriated most violently, building a linguistic base for class distinctions.” (Connors 63-64) Thank you very much east coast (I’m looking at you Dr. J).
I thought that this essay gave pertinent information and context in regards to the development of the modern rhetoric and composition classroom. Recent trends have us moving away from this seemingly anal retentive method of teaching, but I believe we still have a long way to go.
Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues
Peter Elbow
Elbow writes about the types of writing that college students are expected to produce. He argues that students should be taught how to write in more than just an academic style. One of the methods of writing Elbow argues for is that of relaying about their own experiences, according to Elbow this will in turn lead to improved academic writing.
One segment in particular stood out to me, "Thus, although we may be unsatisfied unless students can write about what they are learning in the professional discourse of the field-majors, anyway-we should be equally unsatisfied unless they can write about it not using the lingo of the discipline." (Elbow 137) Although I agree with this to a certain extent, there are some cases in which it is impossible to avoid using highly specialized language. For example, physicists can't be expected to write lab reports in a style that would be comprehensible to the average person. On the other hand, I believe that certain types of scientists (such as doctors) should be able to communicate to their audience (such as patients) details and risks, in a way that the reader understands. As always, a writer should be mindful of her audience.
Another part of Elbow's essay that I enjoyed was his list of discourses. His description of the "genial slightly talky British tradition" made me laugh, and although his list is far from complete, it still gives a good overview of discourse. Elbow also highlights specific techniques used in academic discourse, saying that "[d]ouble negatives and irony are both ways of saying something without saying it." (Elbow 145)
Responding to Student Writing
By Nancy Sommers
Nancy Sommers investigates both the methods teachers employ when writing responses to student’s papers and the effectiveness of these responses. Sommers gives an examples of a response a student may find confusing; she also looks at what comments students are most likely to response to.
The part of Sommers article that intrigued me the most dealt with the use of a “Writer’s Workbench” program. Having never used this program, I would be interested in how accurate it is. My personal experience with the grammar feature of Microsoft Word fills me with apprehension as to the effectiveness of “Writer’s Workbench”, but I would still like to see it in action. I thought Sommers’ jab at composition instructors was humorous, as she says, “the calm, reasonable language of the computer provided quite a contrast to the hostility and mean-spiritedness of most of the teachers' comments.” (Sommers 149) I would love for the “mean-spirited” (not my initial choice of words) teachers of the world to be replaced with artificial intelligences.
Grammar, Grammars, and the Teaching of Grammar
By Patrick Hartwell
Patrick Hartwell thoroughly catalogs almost everything relating to grammar and the teaching of it. Hartwell draws from numerous disciplines to explain the different meanings associated with grammar, and provides three definitions for grammar, taken from another essay, early in his essay. Grammar can be “the set of formal patterns in which the words of a language are arranged in order to convey larger meanings”, “the branch of linguistic science which is concerned with the description, analysis and formulization of formal language patterns”, and lastly, “linguistic etiquette” (Hartwell 206-207)
Hartwell observes differences in sentence construction among native and non-native speakers. Hartwell seems to adopt Seliger’s opinion that “[r]ules are of no use […] but some people think they are, and for these people, assuming that they have internalized the rules, even inadequate rules are of heuristic value, for they allow them to access the internal rules they actually use” (Hartwell 220). Hartwell links this to teacher’s overuse of grammatical rules, even though there is abundant evidence that this method of instruction doesn’t work.
By Robert J. Connors
In his essay, Robert J. Connors details the historical events and pressures that lead to the restructuring of “rhetoric” to “composition”. As all the papers we are reading this week deal with the popularity of relying on grammar in composition, I felt that a historical context was appropriate. Before the Civil War, written rhetoric classes hearkened back to an ancient tradition, from the 1860s on, written rhetoric dealt mainly with finding grammatical errors and correcting them.
Connors gives several reasons for this reliance on error hunting. The foremost of these reasons is that early professors had to grade an absurd amount of papers. It would be impossible to actually read and comment on this amount of papers, so teachers opted for the quicker route.
Another factor that contributed to this error correcting attitude was the current sociolinguistic climate of the United States. As Connors says, “the deterioration of English at the hands of uneducated frontiersmen was what these Easterners excoriated most violently, building a linguistic base for class distinctions.” (Connors 63-64) Thank you very much east coast (I’m looking at you Dr. J).
I thought that this essay gave pertinent information and context in regards to the development of the modern rhetoric and composition classroom. Recent trends have us moving away from this seemingly anal retentive method of teaching, but I believe we still have a long way to go.
Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues
Peter Elbow
Elbow writes about the types of writing that college students are expected to produce. He argues that students should be taught how to write in more than just an academic style. One of the methods of writing Elbow argues for is that of relaying about their own experiences, according to Elbow this will in turn lead to improved academic writing.
One segment in particular stood out to me, "Thus, although we may be unsatisfied unless students can write about what they are learning in the professional discourse of the field-majors, anyway-we should be equally unsatisfied unless they can write about it not using the lingo of the discipline." (Elbow 137) Although I agree with this to a certain extent, there are some cases in which it is impossible to avoid using highly specialized language. For example, physicists can't be expected to write lab reports in a style that would be comprehensible to the average person. On the other hand, I believe that certain types of scientists (such as doctors) should be able to communicate to their audience (such as patients) details and risks, in a way that the reader understands. As always, a writer should be mindful of her audience.
Another part of Elbow's essay that I enjoyed was his list of discourses. His description of the "genial slightly talky British tradition" made me laugh, and although his list is far from complete, it still gives a good overview of discourse. Elbow also highlights specific techniques used in academic discourse, saying that "[d]ouble negatives and irony are both ways of saying something without saying it." (Elbow 145)
Responding to Student Writing
By Nancy Sommers
Nancy Sommers investigates both the methods teachers employ when writing responses to student’s papers and the effectiveness of these responses. Sommers gives an examples of a response a student may find confusing; she also looks at what comments students are most likely to response to.
The part of Sommers article that intrigued me the most dealt with the use of a “Writer’s Workbench” program. Having never used this program, I would be interested in how accurate it is. My personal experience with the grammar feature of Microsoft Word fills me with apprehension as to the effectiveness of “Writer’s Workbench”, but I would still like to see it in action. I thought Sommers’ jab at composition instructors was humorous, as she says, “the calm, reasonable language of the computer provided quite a contrast to the hostility and mean-spiritedness of most of the teachers' comments.” (Sommers 149) I would love for the “mean-spirited” (not my initial choice of words) teachers of the world to be replaced with artificial intelligences.
Grammar, Grammars, and the Teaching of Grammar
By Patrick Hartwell
Patrick Hartwell thoroughly catalogs almost everything relating to grammar and the teaching of it. Hartwell draws from numerous disciplines to explain the different meanings associated with grammar, and provides three definitions for grammar, taken from another essay, early in his essay. Grammar can be “the set of formal patterns in which the words of a language are arranged in order to convey larger meanings”, “the branch of linguistic science which is concerned with the description, analysis and formulization of formal language patterns”, and lastly, “linguistic etiquette” (Hartwell 206-207)
Hartwell observes differences in sentence construction among native and non-native speakers. Hartwell seems to adopt Seliger’s opinion that “[r]ules are of no use […] but some people think they are, and for these people, assuming that they have internalized the rules, even inadequate rules are of heuristic value, for they allow them to access the internal rules they actually use” (Hartwell 220). Hartwell links this to teacher’s overuse of grammatical rules, even though there is abundant evidence that this method of instruction doesn’t work.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Response to 3/3 Readings
Donald M. Murray’s paper “Teach Writing as Process Not Product” packs a lot of information and advice into a three page paper. Murray lists the three stages of the writing process: prewriting, writing and rewriting. I particularly enjoyed his advice on how to get students to rewrite “by shutting up” (Murray 5). Out of Murray’s ten implications, I found number six, mechanics come last, to be the most useful. Students often fret over minor surface errors when they have yet to construct a coherent paper.
Janet Emig’s essay “Writing as a Mode of Learning” operates under the assumption writing is vital to the learning process, and that “higher cognitive functions, such as analysis and synthesis, seem to develop most fully only with the support system of verbal language – particularly, it seems, of written language.” (Emig 7) Emig uses evidence from numerous fields, ranging from psychology to linguistics, to assert that writing is a vital part of the learning process, one that reinforces knowledge, and helps students to create connections between concepts.
Sondra Perl’s essay “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” analyzes a study of college writers. I believe that this study answered the three questions posed at the beginning, “(1) How do unskilled writers write? (2) Can their writing processes be analyzed in a systematic, replicable manner? And (3) What does an increased understanding of their processes suggest about the nature of composing in general and the manner in which writing is taught in schools?” (Perl 17)
I thought the code that Perl uses was adequate for recording the student’s composition process; however, it took a lot of flipping back and forth for me to decipher what was going on during Tony’s composition session. In regards to the miscue section, I recognized a lot of these mistakes from sessions at the Writing Centers. We encourage students to read their papers out loud in order to spot mistakes, for example, many students will “read in” articles, markers and vocabulary that is missing.
Given the time this was written (1979), what effect would composing on computers have on their research? With the advent of personal computers and word processing programs, revisions can be nearly instant, and in many cases never recorded. On a side note, I would be interested to read about how computers have revolutionized composition and writing in general.
Nancy Sommer’s article “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers” complements Perl’s essay. One aspect I found insightful was Sommer’s assertion that “the linear model bases itself on speech” (Sommer 44). Sommer goes on to talk about the five parts of a discourse that we studied last week, pointing out that the last two, memoria and pronuntiatio, don’t apply to composition at all.
I thought that some of the student terminology was adorable, “scratch it out and do over again” and “slashing and throwing out” (Sommers 46) were my favorites. However, these terms all give a keen insight as to the revision process of the students. One quote that I found especially interesting was “I throw things out and say they are not good. I like to write like Fitzgerald did by inspiration, and if I feel inspired then I don’t need to slash and throw much out.” (Sommers 46) This reminded me of the composition as an art or a science debate that we went over a few weeks ago.
The segment that talked about students focusing on repetition and vocabulary choice interested me, many of the students (especially ESL) I help at the Writing Center cite this as something they would like to work on. With the use of computers, and Microsoft Word in particular, this sometimes has a humorous result. ESL students will use the thesaurus and pick the biggest, most intelligent sounding word, not realizing that it either doesn’t apply, or that it is ridiculously archaic.
According to Sommer and the quotes from experienced writer that she has collected, experienced writers focus less on local issues, such as vocabulary, and more on global issues, including organization and audience.
Although they may be more difficult to read than our other assigned articles, I like the scientific research papers we read in this class. Maybe I am reverting back to the late 19th century viewpoint that “valuable” fields have quantifiable data, but I still like seeing data backed up by numbers and graphs.
I found the results of Hillocks meta-analysis to be extremely telling. The fact that the study of grammar “has no effect on raiding the quality of student writing” (Hillocks 160) is profound in its implications. For most of my primary and secondary education, grammar was heavily featured in my English classes. Hillocks advise that “[t]eachers concerned with teaching standard usage and typographical conventions should teach them in the context of real writing problems” (Hillocks 160), and I would have to agree. Out of all the methods investigated by Hillocks, sentence combining and inquiry seem to be the most useful and easily integrated into teaching curriculum.
Janet Emig’s essay “Writing as a Mode of Learning” operates under the assumption writing is vital to the learning process, and that “higher cognitive functions, such as analysis and synthesis, seem to develop most fully only with the support system of verbal language – particularly, it seems, of written language.” (Emig 7) Emig uses evidence from numerous fields, ranging from psychology to linguistics, to assert that writing is a vital part of the learning process, one that reinforces knowledge, and helps students to create connections between concepts.
Sondra Perl’s essay “The Composing Processes of Unskilled College Writers” analyzes a study of college writers. I believe that this study answered the three questions posed at the beginning, “(1) How do unskilled writers write? (2) Can their writing processes be analyzed in a systematic, replicable manner? And (3) What does an increased understanding of their processes suggest about the nature of composing in general and the manner in which writing is taught in schools?” (Perl 17)
I thought the code that Perl uses was adequate for recording the student’s composition process; however, it took a lot of flipping back and forth for me to decipher what was going on during Tony’s composition session. In regards to the miscue section, I recognized a lot of these mistakes from sessions at the Writing Centers. We encourage students to read their papers out loud in order to spot mistakes, for example, many students will “read in” articles, markers and vocabulary that is missing.
Given the time this was written (1979), what effect would composing on computers have on their research? With the advent of personal computers and word processing programs, revisions can be nearly instant, and in many cases never recorded. On a side note, I would be interested to read about how computers have revolutionized composition and writing in general.
Nancy Sommer’s article “Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers” complements Perl’s essay. One aspect I found insightful was Sommer’s assertion that “the linear model bases itself on speech” (Sommer 44). Sommer goes on to talk about the five parts of a discourse that we studied last week, pointing out that the last two, memoria and pronuntiatio, don’t apply to composition at all.
I thought that some of the student terminology was adorable, “scratch it out and do over again” and “slashing and throwing out” (Sommers 46) were my favorites. However, these terms all give a keen insight as to the revision process of the students. One quote that I found especially interesting was “I throw things out and say they are not good. I like to write like Fitzgerald did by inspiration, and if I feel inspired then I don’t need to slash and throw much out.” (Sommers 46) This reminded me of the composition as an art or a science debate that we went over a few weeks ago.
The segment that talked about students focusing on repetition and vocabulary choice interested me, many of the students (especially ESL) I help at the Writing Center cite this as something they would like to work on. With the use of computers, and Microsoft Word in particular, this sometimes has a humorous result. ESL students will use the thesaurus and pick the biggest, most intelligent sounding word, not realizing that it either doesn’t apply, or that it is ridiculously archaic.
According to Sommer and the quotes from experienced writer that she has collected, experienced writers focus less on local issues, such as vocabulary, and more on global issues, including organization and audience.
Although they may be more difficult to read than our other assigned articles, I like the scientific research papers we read in this class. Maybe I am reverting back to the late 19th century viewpoint that “valuable” fields have quantifiable data, but I still like seeing data backed up by numbers and graphs.
I found the results of Hillocks meta-analysis to be extremely telling. The fact that the study of grammar “has no effect on raiding the quality of student writing” (Hillocks 160) is profound in its implications. For most of my primary and secondary education, grammar was heavily featured in my English classes. Hillocks advise that “[t]eachers concerned with teaching standard usage and typographical conventions should teach them in the context of real writing problems” (Hillocks 160), and I would have to agree. Out of all the methods investigated by Hillocks, sentence combining and inquiry seem to be the most useful and easily integrated into teaching curriculum.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Dissonance Blog
When I first started looking at possibilities for my paper, I found it hard to narrow my topic. I found that both my interests and the range of areas composition encompasses are extensive. Although I find the numerous roles new and changing technologies play in regards to how we compose and process information compelling. I also find myself interested in new methods of composition instruction in today’s multilingual world.
In regards to recent technological developments, there are many reasons why I am interested in this particular field of research. While I was growing up, I saw the internet evolve from the early days of Usenet to the complex World Wide Web we use today. Discourse has developed from primitive message boards to the complex and varied formats found on blogs, social networking sites (such as Friendster, Myspace, and Facebook), online news sites and journals, and instant messaging services. The amount of users accessing the internet has grown from thousands to over a billion (1), resulting in a wide variety cultures contributing to dialogue on the internet.
The means by which news is reported has changed dramatically in the past decade. A recent poll (2) shows almost half of Americans view the internet as their primary news source. Other interesting aspects of this study include: very few Americans consider blogs reliable, three in four Americans believe the internet has improved the quality of journalism, and 69% of Americans believe that media companies have become too large and powerful to allow for competition. I find it interesting that although many people are looking to the internet for reliable news, most of them do not trust blogs. Given that many news websites are run by the same media companies who broadcast, I find it very interesting that people believe news websites to be more reliable. Is it because it is written, as opposed to being read by plastic haired anchormen? Or is it the seemingly “independent” nature of the internet itself?
Another aspect of technology I am interested in is the numerous changes brought about by advancements in the internet, both in the manner and the speed information is processed. The progress and growth of online games can be attributed to this. The first multiplayer role-playing games were simple text based games known as MUDS. These games usually utilized the Telnet application, and consisted of worlds described in written text. Users would type in commands and dialogue, all the while exploring the world. With high speed internet came graphic games, such as Ultima Online, and the extremely popular World of Warcraft. These games have their own vocabularies, full of acronyms and slang. I thought about looking at the new dialect that is developing; it occurred to me that it may be linked to internet (and youth) slang in general.
Similarly, The Las Vegas Review Journal article “Dis maks my teacha cry” (3) interested me with its treatment of an emerging written vernacular. Although the educators interviewed in the article agree that the practice of using text speak in academic writing isn’t widespread, I would be curious as to if it will become more common in the future. Furthermore, I wonder if there is a discernable difference in the results a written vernacular (such as those found in online games and text messaging) has on student’s writings. Would the fact it is written influence them more or less? One segment of the article that I found especially revealing was the fact that “under the pressure of taking the timed English portion of the state exams, students may accidentally revert to the conventions of textspeak even when they know it's not appropriate.” This, in addition to the fact that teachers have noted freshman tend to revert to textspeak more often than older students, suggests to me that this is the beginning of a trend.
Although the issue of nonstandard dialects rises from different foundations than texting and internet vernaculars, they share some features in common. In “Students struggle to leave dialects at home”(4), the issue of teaching students who use nonstandard dialects at home is discussed. As someone who is interested in applied linguistics, I would like to focus on methods identifying problems and features in these students’ writings, and techniques for teaching these students. I am also interested in how nonstandard spoken and written dialects can relate to written dialects (such as textspeak and others).
1. Internet World Stats, http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
2. Zogby Poll: 67% View Traditional Journalism as "Out of Touch", http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1454
3. “Dis maks my teacha cry”, http://www.lvrj.com/living/15833917.html
4. Students struggle to leave dialects at home, http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_8294134
In regards to recent technological developments, there are many reasons why I am interested in this particular field of research. While I was growing up, I saw the internet evolve from the early days of Usenet to the complex World Wide Web we use today. Discourse has developed from primitive message boards to the complex and varied formats found on blogs, social networking sites (such as Friendster, Myspace, and Facebook), online news sites and journals, and instant messaging services. The amount of users accessing the internet has grown from thousands to over a billion (1), resulting in a wide variety cultures contributing to dialogue on the internet.
The means by which news is reported has changed dramatically in the past decade. A recent poll (2) shows almost half of Americans view the internet as their primary news source. Other interesting aspects of this study include: very few Americans consider blogs reliable, three in four Americans believe the internet has improved the quality of journalism, and 69% of Americans believe that media companies have become too large and powerful to allow for competition. I find it interesting that although many people are looking to the internet for reliable news, most of them do not trust blogs. Given that many news websites are run by the same media companies who broadcast, I find it very interesting that people believe news websites to be more reliable. Is it because it is written, as opposed to being read by plastic haired anchormen? Or is it the seemingly “independent” nature of the internet itself?
Another aspect of technology I am interested in is the numerous changes brought about by advancements in the internet, both in the manner and the speed information is processed. The progress and growth of online games can be attributed to this. The first multiplayer role-playing games were simple text based games known as MUDS. These games usually utilized the Telnet application, and consisted of worlds described in written text. Users would type in commands and dialogue, all the while exploring the world. With high speed internet came graphic games, such as Ultima Online, and the extremely popular World of Warcraft. These games have their own vocabularies, full of acronyms and slang. I thought about looking at the new dialect that is developing; it occurred to me that it may be linked to internet (and youth) slang in general.
Similarly, The Las Vegas Review Journal article “Dis maks my teacha cry” (3) interested me with its treatment of an emerging written vernacular. Although the educators interviewed in the article agree that the practice of using text speak in academic writing isn’t widespread, I would be curious as to if it will become more common in the future. Furthermore, I wonder if there is a discernable difference in the results a written vernacular (such as those found in online games and text messaging) has on student’s writings. Would the fact it is written influence them more or less? One segment of the article that I found especially revealing was the fact that “under the pressure of taking the timed English portion of the state exams, students may accidentally revert to the conventions of textspeak even when they know it's not appropriate.” This, in addition to the fact that teachers have noted freshman tend to revert to textspeak more often than older students, suggests to me that this is the beginning of a trend.
Although the issue of nonstandard dialects rises from different foundations than texting and internet vernaculars, they share some features in common. In “Students struggle to leave dialects at home”(4), the issue of teaching students who use nonstandard dialects at home is discussed. As someone who is interested in applied linguistics, I would like to focus on methods identifying problems and features in these students’ writings, and techniques for teaching these students. I am also interested in how nonstandard spoken and written dialects can relate to written dialects (such as textspeak and others).
1. Internet World Stats, http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm
2. Zogby Poll: 67% View Traditional Journalism as "Out of Touch", http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1454
3. “Dis maks my teacha cry”, http://www.lvrj.com/living/15833917.html
4. Students struggle to leave dialects at home, http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_8294134
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