What are your questions about the readings so far? What aspects of the readings are bothering you?
I have found much of what we have read intriguing and even exciting. There are so many approaches and debates to consider that I often find myself revisiting readings as I gain teaching experience.
I must admit, however, that while I am very interested in the more complex articles (cognitive theory, for example), I wonder how they truly apply to me in my current role. After all, I can't follow students around and study the way they write, and I probably won't know how much of what I've taught them will remain with them past semester's end. Unless Dr. Rice plans to tag freshmen before releasing them into the wild, they will be lost to me (us) forever.
Some of the other articles which interest me really aren't applicable to our 1301 and 1302 curricula. I find ideas I'd like to try...but I can't, because the syllabus doesn't provide much improvisational room. Take this week's reading, for example: I love Johnson's approach to peer critiquing. Anonymous, online peer critiques would be much more effective for one of my sections than face-to-face practice will be, at least initially. But could my students be lured into submitting writings on yet another website? I doubt it; and realistically speaking, I wouldn't have time to keep up with such a venue anyway.
Meanwhile, I often wonder why we don't study more recent materials. Keywords wasn't exactly published last week, and some of the concepts seem to be a bit passe. My research has led me to "fresher" material concerning these concepts, so I'm curious...should the absence of more recent articles from our syllabus be construed as a dismissal of newer scholarship? Since we seem to be so media-oriented in this course, why aren't we reading more articles about relevant tips we can use in the TOPIC-driven environment now?
I guess my broadest questions are: (1) if I become a literature professor when I grow up, how "transferable" will this course's lessons be? and (2) if (as seems likely) I become a literature professor with some composition courseload when I grow up, will this course's readings stand me in good stead, or will they be too outdated for the classrooms of the future?
Cathy
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2 comments:
I think your nervous questions are very real and honest. I also think that the "transferability" of this courses lessons are what you make them. The readings are like that also. By looking at all of it you can gage what type of teacher you want to be and use the lessons and readings as models to guide you.
Cathy,
The ability to transfer this course material will truthfully depend on your use and whatever institution you end up in. Although as professor you will have more flexibility as far as teaching goes, you will still have to incorporate the departments core philosophy. What we are seeing in class really is only a stepping stone for the future. Although the literature is a bit dated, I have to say that I like seeing the "originals." I am new to the program and relatively new to the field, for me it's really helpful to see these older articles and move onto the newer material a little slowly. I feel I have to see the progression in thought and philosphy within composition to be able to integrate everything fully. I equate our current situation to watching the end of a movie without having seen the beginning or middle. I may know results but I do not know how I got there.
Although I do agree with you about it being difficult to relate it to the classroom if we aren't in there. Hope to see you in class on Monday!
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