[Teaching_Basic_Writing] Re: Teaching_Basic_Writing digest, Vol 1 #666 - 1 msg

[Tom Henry]

Jay,

Thank you so much for your response. You're absolutely right to be
skeptical about online instruction in basic writing.  I am skeptical, even
as the author of the module (see my explanation to Joanna in the archives)

And, you're right... I think that we might have to "ground" the purpose
and scope of basic writing as a field before such an endeavor is indeed
warranted, practical, and ethically acceptable... In a sense, we have to
ask if basic writing is "writing" at all... Granted, I make light of the
fact that our departments and technological determinism are pushing us
towards online instruction in bw... a coming attraction for many of us,
even at the university level teaching "basic skills"... regardless of our
identification of the problem, the content of the course, or its students.

Now, there are many approaches to basic writing (you're right). 
Primarily, I think there is an error-based approach (seems to be fostered
by pedagogies of "drilling")... and a "writing" approach (encouraging
writing in these courses).  One of the first articles in one of the first
issues of the Journal of Basic writing deals with this issue head on...  I
believe that it is David Bartholomae who asks if we should focus
definitively on error or if should we simply approach basic writing as a
"writing" class (with less drill)... Some people use both approaches...
Good or bad? I don't really know for sure...

For a writing-based approach there are several options:
a Reading approach (a la reading and response)
a Process-Approach (a la the writing process in papers)
a Product (or Post-Process) Approach (a la 6-trait standards, etc.)
a Collaborative-Approach (a la collaborative writing)
a Cultural Studies/Pop-Culture Approach (a la pop media analysis)
a Classicist Approach (a la teaching argument to basic writers)
a Neo-Platonic (or Old Expressionist) Approach (a la Murray/Macrorie)
a New Rhetoric Approach (a la Richards, Basic Language proposal, etc.)
a Cognitive Approach (a la piaget/vygotsky's models)
a Social Construction approach (or Social Epistemic) (a la secondary
source incorporation and some collaborative work)
an Expressive Approach (a la personal writing & journaling)
a Creative Approach (a la creative writing - poetry/fiction)
a Social Expressive Approach (a la Sherrie Gradin)
And, there are others...

For an error-based approach there are few options as well:
a Worksheet/Workbook approach
a Grammar Mini-Lession approach (students teach each other grammar)
a Peer-Reviewing approach (usually practiced with worksheets, where
students peer review each other's work for error)
an Environmental Approach (a la allowing students to proofread and
recognize error in texts)
a Lecture approach (similar to Grammar Mini-Lessons; teaching grammar)
a mnemonic approach (a la memorization of sentence patterns, forms, rules
to prevent error)
a copying approach (students copying texts and performing stylistic
examination to prevent error and recognize the "college" style as it
appears without error)

Just to name a few...

Heck, I'm just using James Berlin's taxonomy to break down just a few
different writing approaches... but, even that's dated... And, some people
have to deal with ESL students in their classes, and that's a whole other
can of worms...

But, you are right that not all basic writing courses are created equal...
And, this brings many concerns to light... especially in online
instruction... So, I guess that I need to ask:

Is generalizing basic writers needs a good idea in the construction of a
basic writing course?

Is this part of the "identity" problem (e.g. who are basic writers)?

Tom