Exposing Yourself to Students: You are a Source! I like to start the semester with a popular ice-breaker activity—two truths and a tall tale. During my first TA orientation, the TA director (Randall McClure) used this activity to get us talking. From that activity I learned that Dr. McClure had in fact been involved in … Continue reading Two Truths and a Tall Tale: An Ice-Breaker Activity by Michael MacBride
Analyzing Poetry and Songs by Scott Hall
Find a song that has been recorded by several artists (at least 4) over the past 30-60 years (or re-recorded/re-mixed in a new style by the same artist). Listen to each version of the song and take notes about the style. Style includes sounds, vocal delivery, pacing, beat, structure, and lyrics. YouTube is a good … Continue reading Analyzing Poetry and Songs by Scott Hall
4 Poems by Richard Robbins
St. Francis and the Birds —a painting by Stanley Spencer The parade will go no further than the wall, where the gardener shields her eyes, the ducks, hens, and geese scuttle toward his frock, each dove and jay leaning forward on the low tiled roof to watch the boy lead each one, saint and bird, … Continue reading 4 Poems by Richard Robbins
Rhetorical Empathy in the Writing Classroom by Erin Kunz
When developing a college composition course, content and methodology are always important considerations, but as instructors we also must consider how we can develop good practices in order to foster an intellectual environment. We try to create community for our students, but because of a number of issues—resistance, apathy, and misunderstanding, to name a few, … Continue reading Rhetorical Empathy in the Writing Classroom by Erin Kunz
Beyond the Research Paper: Exploring New Genres for Original, Authentic Inquiry by Jeremy Corey-Gruenes
After sequestering myself in my home office for nearly four hours on a Saturday morning—using headphones and a closed door to counteract the distractions of domestic life—I emerge, over-caffeinated but relieved, announcing to my wife and daughters that I've graded 10 research papers, my quota for the day. "How were they?" my wife asks. "OK. … Continue reading Beyond the Research Paper: Exploring New Genres for Original, Authentic Inquiry by Jeremy Corey-Gruenes
A Fresh Look at Peer Response: Improved Writing and Talk That Hits the (Common) Core by Neil Witikko
The Students Five minutes have passed in third hour, and the students in Composition I are hard at work in teams of three and four. Most groups are scattered around the classroom, finding what privacy they can away from the other peer groups. One team of four is working just outside the door of the … Continue reading A Fresh Look at Peer Response: Improved Writing and Talk That Hits the (Common) Core by Neil Witikko
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