I wonder if Lunsford's terms are tongue-in-cheek in this article (esp. "Burkean Parlor Centers"). I always thought that a writing center was a mix of all three, especially collaboration. Yes, we "store" knowledge, but not to keep it from students; we also try to draw out what the student already knows. But this exchange of information can only happen within a dialogue, collaboration.
She seems to be taking a lot from Freire's book Pedagogy of the Oppressed in this article. The Storehouse Center idea sounds a lot like his banking concept. She also seems afraid of the collaboration becoming a hegemonic (that one's for you, Janice) environment where the status quo is never challenged. She wants to avoid the tutor/teacher centered learning environment, but she doesn't propose a student-centered one, either. Control rests with the "negotiating group." Sounds lovely, but how to put it into effect? All I get is "be careful" about collaboration. Any thoughts?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
North articles - notes for my classmates
So, this idea of an "idea" of a writing center intrigues me, especially since I had no "idea" what the writing center was or what all those shiftless-looking people did in there as an undergrad (hence my never visiting). I think North is on the right track in at least revisiting his own idea of what a writing center is and should be after ten years of pondering. We should all reevaluate our stances (on everything) once in a while to avoid becoming stale and moldy with out-dated ideas.
I have never thought of our writing center as an "institutional conscience," but that seems an apt description of what we are at least trying to do. Bridging off of what we discussed Thursday in class, it seems that for most classes that require writing (other than composition courses), the actual act of writing is never taught or discussed. It seems, though, that instead of being "that small nagging voice that ostensibly reminds the institution of its duties regarding writing," we are a catchall for students who are lost and cannot find directions from their profesors. I've often wished that professors in other disciplines, even professors of Literature, would get as much instruction on how to create a clear and effective writing assignment that I got as a TA teaching ENGL 1010.
At the moment, I don't see us nagging anybody about any duties to writing at the moment, but I wonder if even this idea is too . . . well, idealistic. The kind of nagging North proposes would require an audience with working ears, and that would require some kind of cross-discipline community of faculty, and this seems to be the same discussion that I've seen in articles from the 1970s. Disenchanted yet?
I have never thought of our writing center as an "institutional conscience," but that seems an apt description of what we are at least trying to do. Bridging off of what we discussed Thursday in class, it seems that for most classes that require writing (other than composition courses), the actual act of writing is never taught or discussed. It seems, though, that instead of being "that small nagging voice that ostensibly reminds the institution of its duties regarding writing," we are a catchall for students who are lost and cannot find directions from their profesors. I've often wished that professors in other disciplines, even professors of Literature, would get as much instruction on how to create a clear and effective writing assignment that I got as a TA teaching ENGL 1010.
At the moment, I don't see us nagging anybody about any duties to writing at the moment, but I wonder if even this idea is too . . . well, idealistic. The kind of nagging North proposes would require an audience with working ears, and that would require some kind of cross-discipline community of faculty, and this seems to be the same discussion that I've seen in articles from the 1970s. Disenchanted yet?
That other blog . . .
BTW friends, that other blog on my profile, "Jamie can haz blog!" Well, I was just messing around when I was creating this and accidentally created a non-existent blog. There's nothing there, so just ignore it until I can figure out how to destroy it for all eternity.
Launch!
Yippee! Now I have a forum for all of my amazing mind-blowing random thoughts so every loser on the planet can see and go WOW!! She must be an amazing person in real life, not just cyber-life. (Coming off a little sarcastic about the blogging thing yet?)
Anyway, this whole thing, started by a class I am currently taking at MTSU (thanks, Professor Blues Man) is an experiment in self-exlploration. Specifically, me exploring my growth as a writer, writing-center tutor, and teacher of writing. So I figure, what better way than to write, i.e. blog, my every thought?
First thought of the blog - ready? - Absolutely NO Fletch quotes on Jamie's Random Thoughts. Ever. No exceptions. There will be no discussion of ball bearings, steak sandwiches, f***ing tacos, and under no circumstances is anything to be charged to the Underhills.
Now that that's out of the way, I feel that I am ready to do this thing.
Anyway, this whole thing, started by a class I am currently taking at MTSU (thanks, Professor Blues Man) is an experiment in self-exlploration. Specifically, me exploring my growth as a writer, writing-center tutor, and teacher of writing. So I figure, what better way than to write, i.e. blog, my every thought?
First thought of the blog - ready? - Absolutely NO Fletch quotes on Jamie's Random Thoughts. Ever. No exceptions. There will be no discussion of ball bearings, steak sandwiches, f***ing tacos, and under no circumstances is anything to be charged to the Underhills.
Now that that's out of the way, I feel that I am ready to do this thing.
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