Voice.

I think that voice is a tricky subject to address, especially in teaching writing. I'm not sure if I'm totally sold that voice can be taught, or, that a student's authentic voice can be found through a composition course. It is entirely possible that much of my opinion on this subject relies on the idea of getting out of something what you put into it. And, as freshmen, are they willing to try to tackle the difficult subject of voice? My thoughts: probably not. Here's why.

In class, we talked a lot about freshmen composition and what we are trying to teach them. Through this course, they need to learn the fundamental ideas necessary for developing a well thought out and researched argument. Is this reliant on voice? Not really. In most cases, students are applying a formula to their course: passing = x amount of x type of work. Sometimes, they are more concerned with figuring out what the teacher wants them to do and how the teacher is going to evaluate them than they are with learning the material.

In my Chicana Feminisms class, we discussed education and diversity. To fully encompass diversity in education, not only would we have to offer varying opinions and views of things that have happened, but we would have to offer them in a variety of ways. Is this what students want? Not necessarily. Most of the time, they want to know exactly what is going to be on the test, and exactly what they are going to be required to know in order to pass the course. I'll admit, I'm a pessimist, but it's not impossible to admit that most people are not all that interested in actual learning.

I think that voice, and developing and honing one's voice, relies heavily on learning. Learning how phrasing something one way acheives one reaction while another structure may merit a different reaction. It's a matter of whether you want to simply reach your audience, or, reach your audience in the best possible way. I think that most freshmen, who typically consider their audience to be the instructor of the course, are concerned only with getting it done, and not with how effective they have been in completing the assignment or in reaching their audience.

What to Wear. Or What Not to Wear. Or Whatever.

One of the things that I found most interesting, and that I've thought about, was something mentioned at the very beginning of the Take 20 video. When discussing their initial experiences teaching writing, several of the interviewees mentioned that they remember what they wore, or they recall thinking about what they were going to wear. While it sounds silly, or like something you might observe on a television show, I think there is a logical reason behind this. And I know that it is something that I have considered, especially with concern to next year, when I will be in the classroom.

First, let me say that I turned 21 this year. While that is nothing special, a lot of us Classroom and Document Instructors are young. Or younger. :) And some of us, myself included, are close in age range to the people we will be teaching. When considering appearance and the classroom, it occurred to me that, when I begin teaching, I will need some way to distance myself from my students, otherwise they may not listen to me. Then again, it's possible that, as I appear similar to some of them, they may be able to relate to me more. I'm betting it's more likely that they won't take me seriously.

One of the women made an interesting comment, as she said that she thought that if she dressed to impress, they might not notice that she wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. While we all, in some respect, certainly know something about English, we will never know everything. This woman's comment surprised me, as I think that her anxiety about needing to appear as if she has all of the knowledge is becoming outdated. More often, I encounter teachers and instructors and professors who, when they do not know the answer, will admit it and look it up, offering a correct answer at a later date instead of an automatic, incorrect answer.

I agreed with the woman who said that one of the things that she focuses on in teaching writing is teaching students how to use sources. Most students have only gone to the internet, and in going to the internet, have used Google, or Wikipedia, or some other website, and have not explored the online databases available at the college level. I also admired how one person mentioned that they strive to pull their students away from the idea that this is only a required course that they have to suffer through. It can be something they can enjoy; it can be fun. I think that bringing a positive outlook to the table when teaching writing is essential to ensuring an enjoyable experience.

Composition: Why do we teach it?

As Professor Rickly pointed out during Thursday's class, one of the reasons that we teach First Year Writing is because it has always been taught, starting with Harvard and moving on throughout most all Universities. Obviously, as was mentioned, there was reason to begin teaching writing at Harvard, and that is something that I'm interested in exploring.

As every person enters into education and journeys through some school system, they learn a variety of necessary skills. These abilities compile into a database of knowledge, and it is different for every student. Eventually, if they continue through the education system long enough, they arrive at a University, such as Texas Tech. We could blindly assume that every person has learned and perfected the skills necessary for succeeding both on the college level and in their given profession, but we would probably be wrong.

The article that we read for last week stated something along the lines that the professor at Harvard began teaching writing courses because he was encountering students that did not know how to write properly. It may have been that they were taught properly and, having no need to use their skills, simply forgot them or ignored them, or, it may have been that they never received proper instruction. Whatever the case may be, they made it to a higher education institute and still needed writing instruction.

First Year Writing is a way of making sure that every student who walks through our doors possesses the necessary skills to succeed. Chances are, they already have a general knowledge of the fundamentals of writing. Our role in all of this is to assess what they already know and build upon it until they have complete knowledge of the necessary skills. But what are the necessary skills? What do First Year Writing students need to know? Obviously, we need to teach them grammar, and how to write a proper paper, propose a good argument, and back it up with evidence. But we also need to encourage them to understand exactly what it is they are doing and how it relates to the field that they are studying.

By teaching our students how to apply the skills they learn in First Year Writing to the areas they are studying, we are teaching them how to adapt different things to their own understanding. They can learn that they have a voice, that the skills they are learning are useful outside of the realm of "English." We could, theoretically, empower them to take knowledge from the different fields that they may be required to study, and apply them to the knowledge they already possess and the things that they enjoy.

Composition: History and Tradition

Although early emphasis in rhetoric and composition seemed to focus mostly on ways of analyzing and arranging texts and responses to texts, I personally lean more toward the contemporary ideas evolving in the past twenty years. I believe that the writing process is highly personal, even when professional, and that a certain level of the individual must be addressed in order for the piece to work. In essence, the writer must have an interest in what they are writing about. Thus, I feel that the social nature of writing is one of the more important concepts of writing. As people, we are highly social, and it is only natural to consider social influence (race, class, gender, politics) when approaching writing.

I believe that there is an inherent need for an expressive voice in composition, and I definitely agree with the shift in the 1960s toward self-expression. The concept expressive voice goes hand in hand with the first one I chose, as it relies heavily on self-expression, and would most certainly address social matters. While this concept is similar to the incorporation of social influence in writing, I imagine expressive voice to be a more direct display of both social and internal workings. I think that it is incredibly important for students to feel comfortable enough with themselves to develop a voice that they are comfortable using in their writing. Doing so will make writing a more enjoyable process for the students, as, if they are encouraged to develop some sort of personal voice, they will feel a different connection to their work.

Another concept that I believe to be of importance was that of grammar when handled both as correct constructions within writing and as the analysis of style. I think this is an important concept of composition because, obviously, correct grammar is necessary, but it adds another side to consider when teaching students about grammar. In my experience, there are a handful of composition students who will love grammar, and there are those who will flee. By considering that there are multiple sides to grammar, and emphasizing grammar as an analysis of style, it will be possible to attract more interest from the students. I feel that most of the concepts of composition rely on one another, and it is difficult to consider them as individual pieces when it takes most of them to make a whole puzzle.

:)

Introduction.

My name is Alyssa Ryan and I am a first year Masters student specializing in American Literature. I was born in Dayton, Ohio, and until a month ago, Ohio was the only place that I had ever lived. I completed my Undergraduate work in English at the University of Cincinnati in Southern Ohio. My interest in American Literature is twofold: I very much enjoy more Contemporary Fiction, especially when exploring Feminist thought, and more recently, I've been looking into Cajun and Creole Literature.

I like to travel, and some of my favorite cities that I have visited include New Orleans, Seattle and Boston. Visiting places with interesting or unique cultures is something I really enjoy. I obviously enjoy reading, although my Undergrad gave me more than my fair share of British Literature. I'm an avid music listener- I enjoy nearly all music except for most Country. I will admit that some of it is decent, but it is not my favorite thing. My current playlists include everything from Leadbelly to Explosions in the Sky, and I really enjoy Radiohead and Modest Mouse.