[Teaching_Composition] NEW MODULE
Pat McQueeney
teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
Fri, 5 May 2006 23:42:58 -0500
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Desperation can sometimes build community, as we've learned at my school =
this semester. Three occurrences have caused faculty to cooperate at =
new levels and in different ways. On this posting, I want to mention =
the work of my colleague Dr. Kami Day, because I think that the way she =
promoted the addition of a sexual orientation clause to our =
non-discrimination policy provides an effective model for community =
building at the grassroots level.
After Kami and her small cadre of faculty and interested students ran =
into barrier after barrier, she began to figure out ways to add =
stakeholders and supporters. In a very well crafted email, she used a =
rogerian approach to invite members of the faculty association (NEA =
affiliate) to set aside their own biases or convictions about peripheral =
issues (such as gay marriage) and think about their students and =
colleagues who deserved the same protections as ethnic minorities and =
the several other protected groups in our discrimination policy. In =
other words, she recognized that some of us wouldn't be willing to =
support homosexuality, so she emphasized that we didn't need to. All =
she wanted was for teachers to come forward to help extend protection to =
their colleagues and students who identified themselves as gay. =
Instantly, she broadened her base.
She then went a step further and listed a series of ways to buy in to =
the effort. We could participate in rallies, attend board meetings, =
talk to other faculty, send letters to the board, contact other groups =
to support the cause, or just participate in online conversations. With =
this strategy, she gave enough options that people who would never go to =
a rally could still have a buy-in by writing letters. In the end, she =
created the strangest coalition you could imagine with our faculty =
association taking the lead--and being able to claim the credit in the =
end. Arch-conservative faculty joined with raving liberals because, =
when it comes down to it, we really do believe our motto: "Students =
come first."
People who were only marginally involved now proudly claim ownershop of =
that rewritten policy, and, more importantly, they are more attentive to =
non-discrimination generally--all as a result of being asked to do just =
a little because, as Kami said, "It's the right thing to do."
Mary Pat McQueeney=20
Johnson County Community College English Overland Park, KS=20
http://staff.jccc.net/pmcqueen=20
"Good writing is hard work!" ~~Snoopy
=20
=20
The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto =
("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and =
is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or =
entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and =
state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader =
of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that =
retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is =
strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please =
immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently =
delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you.
=20
=20
-----Original Message-----
=20
From: teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com on behalf of Chris =
Anson
Sent: Thu 5/4/2006 1:45 PM
To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
Subject: [Teaching_Composition] NEW MODULE
=20
A lot of teaching goes on in what some theorists have called a tacit =20
domain. We're certainly conscious of planning class sessions, =20
designing assignments, choosing reading material, leading =20
discussions, grading papers, and helping students in the learning =20
process. But without opportunities to engage systematically in =20
reflection, we often forget to ask ourselves how we know something is =20
really working in the classroom, or whether our trusted assignment is =20
really the best way to engage students, or whether this form or that =20
form of small-group work leads to the strongest gains in student =20
ability or learning. As Socket (1987) puts it, tacit knowledge "finds =20
expression in the knower's performance without a self-conscious =20
awareness," although it may still be "describable and observable by =20
others." At this level of inquiry, then, the processes of teaching =20
are embedded in our daily routines, and we assess them according to =20
the principles of "intuition in action"-that is, "an immediate =20
experience of a teaching situation in its entirety, without any need =20
or possibility of distance, analysis or sequencing" (Johansson & =20
Kroksmark 2004).
Theories of instructional development suggest that once we move =20
outside the realm of our own classrooms, a lot changes. By virtue of =20
sharing what we do with others, we're pushed to reflect more fully =20
and systematically on our own teaching, which often leads to =20
"reflective inquiry" or even informal action research-investigating =20
our own methods to find out how successful they are, and then =20
actively experimenting with new methods.
In this month's module, Amy Hawkins leads us in a discussion of the =20
ways that collaborative, community-based faculty development can lead =20
to improvements in our teaching, our expertise, and our students' =20
learning. Amy's module describes a number of strategies that can =20
create a culture of interest in teaching. The challenges of creating =20
such a culture are not trivial, including fighting against the belief =20
that time spent doing things outside the classroom is "extra," and =20
not part of one's instructional workload, or that sharing one's =20
teaching with others means giving up on the autonomy and =20
instructional privacy that so many teachers enjoy. But as Amy =20
persuades us, faculty development is about both self-improvement and =20
improvement for the good of a community. Please visit Amy's module at =20
the TeachingComp Web site: http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/tc/ =20
and then come back to this list to share your thoughts.
Amy Hawkins is Director of Composition at Columbia College in =20
Chicago. She received her BA from the University of Michigan in Ann =20
Arbor, where she majored in American culture; her MA in Popular =20
Culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio; and her PhD in =20
English (Composition and Rhetoric) from Wayne State University in =20
Detroit. Her areas of interest include ethnography as a pedagogical =20
approach to the writing classroom, computers and composition, popular =20
culture, and GLBT writing/studies. Amy has recently co-authored (with =20
Suzanne Blum Malley) a composition textbook titled Translating =20
Culture: A Rhetoric for Ethnographic Writing in the Composition =20
Classroom.
Our thanks again to Cindy Haller for helping us to think about and =20
share practices for teaching source integration. We got off to a slow =20
start, but a lot of great ideas emerged once we starting focusing on =20
this topic.
So . . . let's consider ourselves a community of learners as we =20
engage in some more faculty development.
Chris Anson, Moderator
--=20
Chris M. Anson
Professor of English
Director, Campus Writing and Speaking Program
Interim Director, Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital Media
Box 8101 (OR) 131G Tompkins
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8105
(919) 513-4080
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~theansons/Portcover.html
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Desperation can sometimes build community, as we've =
learned at my school this semester. Three occurrences have caused =
faculty to cooperate at new levels and in different ways. On this =
posting, I want to mention the work of my colleague Dr. Kami Day, =
because I think that the way she promoted the addition of a sexual =
orientation clause to our non-discrimination policy provides an =
effective model for community building at the grassroots level.<BR>
<BR>
After Kami and her small cadre of faculty and interested students ran =
into barrier after barrier, she began to figure out ways to add =
stakeholders and supporters. In a very well crafted email, she =
used a rogerian approach to invite members of the faculty association =
(NEA affiliate) to set aside their own biases or convictions about =
peripheral issues (such as gay marriage) and think about their students =
and colleagues who deserved the same protections as ethnic minorities =
and the several other protected groups in our discrimination =
policy. In other words, she recognized that some of us wouldn't be =
willing to support homosexuality, so she emphasized that we didn't need =
to. All she wanted was for teachers to come forward to help extend =
protection to their colleagues and students who identified themselves as =
gay. Instantly, she broadened her base.<BR>
<BR>
She then went a step further and listed a series of ways to buy in to =
the effort. We could participate in rallies, attend board =
meetings, talk to other faculty, send letters to the board, contact =
other groups to support the cause, or just participate in online =
conversations. With this strategy, she gave enough options that =
people who would never go to a rally could still have a buy-in by =
writing letters. In the end, she created the strangest coalition =
you could imagine with our faculty association taking the lead--and =
being able to claim the credit in the end. Arch-conservative =
faculty joined with raving liberals because, when it comes down to it, =
we really do believe our motto: "Students come =
first."<BR>
<BR>
People who were only marginally involved now proudly claim ownershop of =
that rewritten policy, and, more importantly, they are more attentive to =
non-discrimination generally--all as a result of being asked to do just =
a little because, as Kami said, "It's the right thing to =
do."<BR>
<BR>
Mary Pat McQueeney<BR>
Johnson County Community College English Overland Park, KS<BR>
<A =
HREF=3D"http://staff.jccc.net/pmcqueen">http://staff.jccc.net/pmcqueen</A=
><BR>
<BR>
"Good writing is hard work!" ~~Snoopy<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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<FONT FACE=3D"Arial" SIZE=3D"1">The information contained in this e-mail =
and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County =
Community College ("JCCC") and is intended to be confidential and for =
the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information =
may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or =
other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended =
recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution =
or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received =
this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and =
immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any =
attachments thereto. Thank you.</FONT>
</DIV>
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<FONT FACE=3D"Arial" SIZE=3D"3">-----Original Message-----</FONT>
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<FONT FACE=3D"Arial" SIZE=3D"3"><BR>
From: teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com on behalf of Chris =
Anson<BR>
Sent: Thu 5/4/2006 1:45 PM<BR>
To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com<BR>
Subject: [Teaching_Composition] NEW MODULE<BR>
<BR>
A lot of teaching goes on in what some theorists have called a =
tacit <BR>
domain. We're certainly conscious of planning class sessions, <BR>
designing assignments, choosing reading material, leading <BR>
discussions, grading papers, and helping students in the =
learning <BR>
process. But without opportunities to engage systematically in <BR>
reflection, we often forget to ask ourselves how we know something =
is <BR>
really working in the classroom, or whether our trusted assignment =
is <BR>
really the best way to engage students, or whether this form or =
that <BR>
form of small-group work leads to the strongest gains in =
student <BR>
ability or learning. As Socket (1987) puts it, tacit knowledge =
"finds <BR>
expression in the knower's performance without a =
self-conscious <BR>
awareness," although it may still be "describable and =
observable by <BR>
others." At this level of inquiry, then, the processes of =
teaching <BR>
are embedded in our daily routines, and we assess them according =
to <BR>
the principles of "intuition in action"-that is, "an =
immediate <BR>
experience of a teaching situation in its entirety, without any =
need <BR>
or possibility of distance, analysis or sequencing" (Johansson =
& <BR>
Kroksmark 2004).<BR>
<BR>
Theories of instructional development suggest that once we =
move <BR>
outside the realm of our own classrooms, a lot changes. By virtue =
of <BR>
sharing what we do with others, we're pushed to reflect more =
fully <BR>
and systematically on our own teaching, which often leads =
to <BR>
"reflective inquiry" or even informal action =
research-investigating <BR>
our own methods to find out how successful they are, and then <BR>
actively experimenting with new methods.<BR>
<BR>
In this month's module, Amy Hawkins leads us in a discussion of =
the <BR>
ways that collaborative, community-based faculty development can =
lead <BR>
to improvements in our teaching, our expertise, and our =
students' <BR>
learning. Amy's module describes a number of strategies that =
can <BR>
create a culture of interest in teaching. The challenges of =
creating <BR>
such a culture are not trivial, including fighting against the =
belief <BR>
that time spent doing things outside the classroom is "extra," =
and <BR>
not part of one's instructional workload, or that sharing =
one's <BR>
teaching with others means giving up on the autonomy and <BR>
instructional privacy that so many teachers enjoy. But as Amy <BR>
persuades us, faculty development is about both self-improvement =
and <BR>
improvement for the good of a community. Please visit Amy's module =
at <BR>
the TeachingComp Web site: <A =
HREF=3D"http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/english/tc/">http://www.mhhe.com/s=
ocscience/english/tc/</A> <BR>
and then come back to this list to share your thoughts.<BR>
<BR>
Amy Hawkins is Director of Composition at Columbia College in <BR>
Chicago. She received her BA from the University of Michigan in =
Ann <BR>
Arbor, where she majored in American culture; her MA in =
Popular <BR>
Culture from Bowling Green State University in Ohio; and her PhD =
in <BR>
English (Composition and Rhetoric) from Wayne State University =
in <BR>
Detroit. Her areas of interest include ethnography as a =
pedagogical <BR>
approach to the writing classroom, computers and composition, =
popular <BR>
culture, and GLBT writing/studies. Amy has recently co-authored =
(with <BR>
Suzanne Blum Malley) a composition textbook titled Translating <BR>
Culture: A Rhetoric for Ethnographic Writing in the =
Composition <BR>
Classroom.<BR>
<BR>
Our thanks again to Cindy Haller for helping us to think about =
and <BR>
share practices for teaching source integration. We got off to a =
slow <BR>
start, but a lot of great ideas emerged once we starting focusing =
on <BR>
this topic.<BR>
<BR>
So . . . let's consider ourselves a community of learners as =
we <BR>
engage in some more faculty development.<BR>
<BR>
Chris Anson, Moderator<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
--<BR>
Chris M. Anson<BR>
Professor of English<BR>
Director, Campus Writing and Speaking Program<BR>
Interim Director, Ph.D. in Communication, Rhetoric, and Digital =
Media<BR>
Box 8101 (OR) 131G Tompkins<BR>
North Carolina State University<BR>
Raleigh, NC 27695-8105<BR>
(919) 513-4080<BR>
<A =
HREF=3D"http://www.home.earthlink.net/~theansons/Portcover.html">http://w=
ww.home.earthlink.net/~theansons/Portcover.html</A><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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