Course Description
Reviews the major theories of composition, especially those of the modern and postmodern eras. Examines how cultural factors such as education, history, politics, ideology, gender, race, and ethnicity affect the theorizing about composition. Encourages students to construct their own theories of composition by entering into a collaborative cultural and intellectual process.
Course Overview
Going to school is one of our most fundamental learning experiences. We learn not only the curriculum taught in the schools, but also how school is “done.” We learn how to act as students, and we learn how teachers act too. Over time, we internalize all of these ways of learning and teaching. Later, when people become teachers, they act out of these experiences. These educational experiences become the foundation for the theories by which teachers teach.
Thus all educators teach based on theories of learning. However, not all teachers are conscious of what those theories are from which they operate. The best teachers, however, not only understand and can name those theories, but have learned to question, experiment, and rethink their theories of learning. These teachers work from a conscious pedagogical position, one that they develop over time through reading, reflection, and research.
The central focus of English 833: Theories of Composition is to help you explore the history and development of the field of Composition Studies and its major theories. We will then use this knowledge base to examine the newest, cutting edge theories for teaching writing today so that you can develop your own personal theory for how best to teach composition.
Course Philosophy
I design this and every course based on current pedagogical theory as well as my personal beliefs about teaching and scholarship. The works of Mikhail Bakhtin and Lev Vygotsky lead me to believe that learning takes place through social interaction. For this reason, active in-class discussion is essential by every class member. To facilitate this socially-based learning, students in this class will read and share their writings with each other. The work of other people in this course is just as valuable as works published by professional authors, and we will treat it as such. For this reason, adequate time will be allocated to read and discuss everyone’s writing for the class. As the teacher of this course, I will strive to make sure that all voices are heard and that no one voice is privileged, not even my own voice. Following the work of Kenneth Bruffee, Lisa Ede, and Andrea Lunsford, I’ll ask students in this course to work collaboratively on some projects to increase opportunities for dialogic thought.