Fat Tax

Fat Tax

Two years ago, the Cleveland Clinic stopped hiring smokers. It was one part of a “wellness initiative” that has won the renowned hospital — which President Obama recently visited — some very nice publicity.

SOFM Faculty Development

Thoughts on my Day w/Business Faculty:

Revisit the thread from fall 2008 called: Re: "My Students Can't Write" workshop...

Sample Posting:

I really like the idea of unpacking this notion of what students can or can't do and to think with faculty about why we couch our concerns with student writing in these terms. At the same time, I wouldn't want to get my colleagues into a "gotcha" situation. I wonder if reframing it a little might be helpful. Here's a rough version: "When We Say 'Our Students Can't Write': A Workshop in Pedagogical Translation." It's not as provocative or as catchy as your original, but it might also allow participants to hold onto (for the forces of good) some strong beliefs about what students need to learn how to do as writers in their courses. Then the workshop might be about helping participants to revise one or two class plans this semester to work on one or two things they name with their students for a very short (ten minutes) period of time, using a range of strategies that you all brainstorm together. This way, participants can do something with their concerns besides voicing them.

You've probably already thought about this, also, but I wonder if you workshop could be the first in a series in which you more directly address what students "can do" and "can't do." As others have said, many of us often find it challenging but satisfying to be able to identify strengths in student writing. Teaching "up to" strong work can be easier for us than teaching to eliminate deficits or fill in significant gaps. To create balance in the writing universe then, how about a follow up workshop called "What My Students Can Do: Shameless Bragging Across the Curriculum." (WPA List, nw2108@COLUMBIA.EDU, 9/29/08)

Genre articles

Artemeva, N. & Freedman, A. (Eds.). (2006). Rhetorical genre studies and beyond. Winnipeg, MB: Inkshed Publications.

Allan Luke's "Genres of Power? Literacy Education and the Production of Capital" (_Literacy in Society_308-38.)

Michael Carter's "Ways of Knowing, Doing, and Writing in the Disciplines." College Composition and Communication 58.3 (February 2007): 385-418.

Tardy, Christine. Building Genre Knowledge. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor Press,

forthcoming in 2009.

ENGL 230

See thread: “Tech/Business Writing” from WPA-L, Nov. 6, 2008.

Online Writing Teaching

A couple general references:

How to Be a Great Online Teacher :Kay Johnson Lehmann (2004)

Lessons from the Cyberspace Classroom: The Realities of Online Teaching:
Rena M. Palloff, Keith Pratt (2001)

The Online Writng Classroom: Susanmarie Harrington, Rebecca Rickly,
Michael Day, Eds.(2000)

Plans for WTNG 100H

It might be interesting to begin with the question, on the first day: What does it mean to be a citizen? Or, what does citizenship require? This could serve as an interesting framing question to which we could return at the end of the term.

I like the idea of thinking about what I want students to do by the end of the term and organizing the class around this. In a way, this seems to me a question of objectives. But, I think that I need to spend more time thinking about what I want students to be able to do. There is a temptation to ask what you want students to read or to write. These are easier, in some ways, to pin down. But to ask what you want students to do is a bigger question. And in some ways, you can't decide what they should read or write until you have nailed down what you want them to do.

To be able to identify arguments as well as the premises and ideologies behind arguments.

To be able to construct arguments.

IDEA: Reading groups. Have students read a political manifesto type book (of their own political orientation or the other?) in book groups and talk about it and/or write a book review? Possibly over thanksgiving?

Readings for Monday, 4/13

For this Monday, please read the following, in the Axelrod and Cooper Concise Guide to Writing (our textbook):

"More Testing, More Learning" (Patrick O'Malley) p. 226-229

Basic Features: Proposing Solutions (233-234)

"Cannibalism: It Still Exists" (Linh Kieu Ngo), p. 129-132

Basic Features: Explaining Concepts (136-138)

No need to post anything or write blog entries. Just read carefully. These essays are models of two of the genres we are working on--Proposals and Concepts. As we near the end of the term, we're coming full circle and so I thought it would be helpful to see how other writers have handled the genres you all are producing. 

Have a good weekend.

mm