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last.updated 2.12.06

 

Writing as a Process

Purpose

In composition studies and language arts, writing pedagogy is commonly taught as a process; this approach shifts the students' and teacher's attention away from just the final product and focuses on the strategies that students use to compose this final document over time. We will discuss the process approach, examine theoretical positions that challenge it, and start developing pedagogical strategies for teaching writing.

Before Class

  • Read Soven, Chapter 3 (25-64)
  • Submit PAB entry #2 in the body of an email through Blackboard Messages by the beginning of class
  • English 555: Submit Proposal to instructor as a hard copy at the beginning of class.

Discussion–Soven

  • What questions do you have about Soven's chapter?
  • To refresh our memories, what does it mean to teach writing as a process? why is this considered pedagogically sound?
  • Thomas Kent, as advocate of a post-process approach to teaching composition, argues:

    • Because writing partakes of the give-and-take and sometimes the rough-and-tumble of communicative interaction, and because this interaction is thoroughly hermeneutic [or interpretative], writing cannot be reduced to a system or a process that can be codified in any meaningful way.... Because the hermeneutic guesses we make when we write a specific document may not work when we write a second similar document, we can never be sure that the process or system we used initially will prevail a second time around (2002, p. 148).

What does Kent mean by this statement? What do you think about Kent's theoretical stance? How might you adopt or adapt his theory into your composition pedagogy?

  • What are some of the pedagogical practices Soven offers for teaching the writing process? What other suggestions can you provide for teaching this process?
  • Of this list of suggestions which of these suggestions do you find to be most sound? why? Which ones are the most problematic? why?

Activity–Teaching the Writing Process

For this activity you can work alone, in pairs, or in group of three. Develop a ten day unit in which you will...

  • briefly explain the purpose of the unit and the assignment that the unit culminates with
  • outline what you will for each of the ten days highlighting how you will adopt a process (or post-process) approach. As you develop your day-to-day pedagogy, think about what Flower & Hayes, Soven, and Kent have said about the writing process. Develop pedagogical strategies that reflect your response to these discussions.
  • write a justification for how you addressed the writing process in this unit.

At the end of class submit the work that you have done; an evaluation of this work will be factored into your process grade.