Promoting the Teaching with Writing online course

                             DePaul University – School for New Learning

Teaching with Writing in Any Course: An SNL Professional Development Course

2014-2015

To reserve your place, please email snlwriting@depaul.edu

Course Location:  Online

Times/Dates: 

Section Five: 4/13/15 – 5/24/15

Faculty:

Steffanie Triller Fry

Writing Instructor

E-mail:  striller@depaul.edu

Phone: 312-362-7631

Course Description:

This online course (six-modules) for teachers in any discipline focuses on making the most of writing as a tool for teaching and learning in undergraduate and graduate courses. In the course, teachers will explore practical ideas for in-class writing assignments that initiate discussions and provide quick input regarding student learning. Teachers will also learn strategies for developing assignments and providing feedback while maximizing efficiency and minimizing frustration. Opportunities to share ideas and receive coaching on current writing assignments and ways of giving feedback are included. This course does not have prerequisites; however, those taking it should have undergraduate or graduate courses that they wish to develop or revise and experience teaching at the college level that they can draw upon for discussions.

What Prior Participants Have Said:

“The mathematician Paul Erdös spent much of his life essentially homeless, staying with one colleague after another, arriving on a doorstep unannounced, ready to collaborate, saying, “My brain is open.”   People who take this course should arrive at it with their brains open. Be prepared to be surprised by how many things you’re already doing right, how many others you’re doing that can hamper students’ progress, and best of all, how many genuinely useful ideas and techniques you will learn from the readings and from your classmates.” – Carolyn Allen

“Be honest about the fact that all of us can still learn -- even if we have been teaching for many, many years. People have to be open to new ideas and willing to share their flaws as well as their strengths.” – Jane Wagoner

“First, take it! Do plan your schedules so you can delve into the assignments--they prompt reflection and imagination. Post your assignments early enough in the week so you can get the advantage of feedback from others.” – Catherine Marienau

“Be prepared to spend a good amount of time on the course, but it is truly worth the time. If you are debating about taking the course seriously consider changing your schedule so you can. It will make teaching easier and more rewarding.” – Barbara Donnelly

“Like any online class, keep up and read a little at a time.   Trying to read everyone's posts and write your own all at once is a little overwhelming and you will miss a lot of the benefit if you can't read your classmates' posts.” – Liz Leavy

 “Take it!  I would advise future students to have a particular course in mind that they would like to revise or improve upon and to use that course as the focus in the class.” – Cynthia Milsap

“My only advice is to keep up with the readings.   Maybe, create your own Idea Log -- to list good ideas from the readings and from postings by classmates. There is so much great info each week and it goes by so fast." – Pat Szczerba

“Don’t underestimate the time it will take to complete the modules.” – Kenya Grooms

 “Make a commitment to the course--the time, the sharing, the analysis of your own work.” – Rebecca Russell

“I will say, pace yourself, a lot of reading and discussion participation, and be open to changing the way you teach.  I know my concern about this class was that it was going to require me to increase my time teaching and grading.  However, much to my surprise, if I change a few things, I may be able to help my students improve their writing without increasing my workload.” – Lu Rocha

Learning Strategies & Learning Resources: This online class will use discussions, peer collaboration, readings, videos and a variety of forms of feedback as learners practice applying what they are learning to their teaching.

Required Text (will be provided free to participants):

Gottschlak, Katherine and Keith Hjortshoj. The Elements of Teaching Writing: A Resource for Instructors in All Disciplines. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

Additional selected readings will be available online.

Assessment:

All assignments and discussions in this course will be marked complete or incomplete at the end of each module. There are 14 discussions and 2 assignments in the course, and all must be completed to earn the course completion certificate.

Course Schedule:

Module One: “Why can’t they write?” and other perennial questions about student writers

Outcomes:

?         Have an overview of research findings that address common questions about and frustrations with student writing

?         Understand how this course will answer questions and give teachers in a variety of disciplines strategies for working with student writing in their courses

?         Try low-stakes writing assignments

Readings:

• “Introduction” (pages 1-11) in The Elements of Teaching Writing: A Resource for Instructors in All Disciplines
• Write or Die (http://writeordie.com/#Web+App)

Assignments:

• Discussion 1.1: Introductions and Being a Beginner
• Discussion 1.2: Experiencing Freewriting and Responding to the Readings
• Assignment 1.3: Muddiest Point

Module Two: Using Writing for Teaching and Learning

Outcomes:

Examine assumptions about having to choose between teaching content and teaching writing

Understand what low-stakes writing is and why it is useful

?         Identify at least two low-stakes writing assignments that you can use in a course

Readings:

?         Chapter 1, “Integrating Writing and Learning in your Course Design” in The Elements

?         View “Classroom Assessment Technique: Muddiest Point” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvT6RmuZigw

?         Chapter 5, “Informal and Preparatory Writing” in The Elements, pages 76-84

?         “Low-Stakes Writing Assignments” on the SNL Writing Resources Wiki at https://snlwriting.pbworks.com/w/page/55496216/Low-Stakes%20Writing%20Assignments

Assignments:

?         Discussion 2.1: Writing vs. Content

?         Discussion 2.2: Low-stakes Writing

Module Three: Course Design and Assignment Sequencing

Outcomes:

Identify writing assignments that are aligned with course learning goals

?         Sequence writing assignments to support student learning

Readings:

?         “The Complexity of Research Writing: What Teachers Should Appreciate About Students’ Difficulties with Term Papers” from John C. Bean’s Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom

?         Chapter 7 in The Elements

?         View “Alternatives to Term Papers” (http://www.lawrence.edu/library/instruct/alternatives.shtml) from Lawrence University.

?         Read pages 40-46 in The Elements

Assignments:

?         Discussion 3.1: Identifying course learning goals

?         Discussion 3.2: Research papers

?         Discussion 3.3: Sequencing assignments

Module Four: Assignment Design

Outcomes:

?         Evaluate what students need to know to complete an assignment and can provide scaffolding when necessary

?         Design or redesign assignments that target desired learning and set students up for success

?         Use revision to support student learning

Readings:

?         Pages 29-40 in The Elements

?         Pages 62-72 in The Elements

Assignments:

?         Assignment 4.1: Drafting an Assignment

?         Discussion 4.2: Peer Revising Draft Assignments

?         Discussion 4.3: Assigning Revision

Module Five: Feedback that Support Student Learning (and Does Not Take All of Your Time)

Outcomes:

?         Understand the importance of feedback for student learning and have a variety of strategies for providing feedback

?         Understand why editing student papers helps no one and have strategies for responding to student papers with many errors

?         Provide feedback on student papers that promotes learning

Readings:

?         View “Beyond the Red Ink: Students Talk about Teachers’ Comments”

?         Chapter 3 in The Elements

?         Chapter 6 in The Elements

?         Pages 72-75 on “Methods for Structuring Peer Revision” in The Elements

?         View “No One Writes Alone: Peer Review in the Classroom, A Guide for Students”

Assignments:

?         Discussion 5.1: Response to the Readings

?         Discussion 5.2: Practicing

?         Discussion 5.3:  Your Feedback Plan

Module 6: What’s next?

Outcomes:

Know about resources available for continuing to learn about working with student writing

?         Have a plan for continuing to experiment with using writing for teaching and learning

Readings:

?         Read Chapter 10 in The Elements

Assignments:

?         Discussion 6.1: Your Plan

?         Discussion 6.2: Making a Date

About the Instructor:

Steffanie Triller Fry has taught in college writing classrooms for over ten years. She has served as Writing Instructor and Writing Program Administrator at DePaul University's School for New Learning for more than half of that time. She received her M.A. in Literature from DePaul University and will receive her M.F.A. in creative writing from Lesley University in the summer of 2015. Her writing has earned her a Vincentian Endowment Fund Grant, a Steans Community-based Research Faculty Fellowship, and a DePaul TLA Assessment of Student Learning grant. For more about her current projects, see https://depaul.digication.com/steffanie_the_writing_instructor.