innovative writing pedagogies beyond the humanities

8/14/2019 Innovative Writing Pedagogies Beyond the Humanities

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Innovative WritingPedagogies Beyond

the Humanities


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Agenda

Some basics: Why use writing in non-humanities

classes?

Some specifics: Techniques and assignment ideas.

Some brainstorming: What you can do in your specificclasses.


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Why use writing in non-humanities classes?


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Writing Across theCurriculum / Writing to

Learn people think ideas through most clearly by/through

writing people comprehend and retain information best by

writing about it

writing makes material more relevant and students are

more likely to see connections between themselves andthe material by writing about it

by writing more frequently students become betterwriters and communicators.


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Writing Across the

Curriculum / Writing toLearn Writing, then, should take place at all levels of the

curriculum, not just in humanities courses, and not justas a final paper but in all parts of a course

Bonus: A lot of the writing to learn strategies we willdiscuss have the added benefit of being fun, looseningup the class dynamic, and making it easier for studentsto participate in class discussion


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Specific Techniques,Assignments, and

Examples


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Well consider: Free-writing and focused free-writing

Reflections, journals, blog posts

Assignments that incorporate writing in some capacity,

in one or a few segments of the whole assignment Also, you might consult this list:

http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/
http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/http://blsci.baruch.cuny.edu/faculty/write-to-learn-strategies/


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Free-Writing Pioneered by Peter Elbow in the 70s

The only rule of the game is to not stop writing for anallotted period of time

You can adjust the format in many ways, making it trulyfree (write about anything that comes to mind, i.e. afterdoing a lab) or making it focused (responding to aspecific prompt)

See free-writing prompts in David Grubers Mutualismlab, described here:http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/
http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/


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Reflections, journals, blogposts

Reflections on a difficult reading

Reflections after a mini-lecture

Write down questions youd like to ask the

author/scientists/people profiled in an article, etc. Reflections in the middle of class discussion if its going

slowly or if people arent responding: What are the mainpoints weve covered? What are you unclear on? Whatwould you like to ask a question about?

Reflections after an assignment on the process andconclusions. See David Grubers Mutualism lab for anexample:http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/
http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/


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Assignments thatincorporate writing in

some capacity, in one or afew segments of thewhole assignment

i.e. Professor Grubers Digital Lab Reports

i.e. The Nobel Writing Challenge


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Digital Lab Reports

The Digital Lab Report assignments vary, though they allrequire writing at various stages.

One Digital Lab Report is detailed here:

http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/

Other Digital Lab Report assignments:o produce an annotated video that explains and documents a lab

o produce a radio program like an NPR show that explains and documents a lab

o produce a multi-media timeline that explains and documents a lab
http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/http://cac.ophony.org/2013/01/15/mutualism-a-lab-in-parts/


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Nobel Writing Challenge

This asks students to explain highly complex math or

science in very brief and clear terms. In order to to so, they have to understand the material so

well that they can actually explain it in lay terms.

http://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-

challenge.html This assignment can be reworked for all fields and

courses.
http://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.htmlhttp://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.htmlhttp://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.htmlhttp://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.htmlhttp://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.htmlhttp://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.htmlhttp://www.cuny.edu/research/sr/nobel-science-challenge.html


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Revising and Rewriting:High stakes and Low

stakes

Note: with higher stakes Writing to Learn assignments,like the digital lab reports, giving students opportunitiesto revise and rewrite is central to the success of theassignments and to the students learning process.

Many Writing to Learn strategies are low stakes (free-

writing, for example). Scaffold assignments so that lowstakes opportunities precede high stakes ones.


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Brainstorming

Attendees: how can we bring writing practices into yourcourses and assignments?

innovative writing pedagogies beyond the humanities

Documents