COMPOSITION STUDIES BY DIANE K. OLSON, PHD, WRITING, TEACHING AND CRITICISM

WHEN THOSE OF US WHO TEACH CRITICAL PEDAGOGY IN OUR COMPOSITION COURSES THINK THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR STUDENTS, INSTEAD LET US ASK OUR STUDENTS, THROUGH OUR WRITING ASSIGNMENTS, WHAT THEY THINK NEEDS CHANGED IN THE WORLDS THAT THEY LIVE IN.   STUDENTS ARE BRIMMING WITH FRESH IDEAS ABOUT WHAT NEEDS CHANGED AND IMPROVED ABOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCES, IF ONLY WE WOULD ASK THEM.  STUDENTS COME INTO OUR COURSES WITH EXTENSIVE HISTORIES AS STUDENTS IN OTHER WRITING COURSES, AND WE NEED TO ASK THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY VIEW AS NEEDING IMPROVEMENT AND CHANGE ABOUT THEIR PRIOR WRITING EXPERIENCES AND ABOUT THEIR PAST EDUCATIONAL/INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCES.   I THINK WE WILL FIND THAT STUDENTS HAVE A LOT TO SAY/WRITE ABOUT  THEIR EXPERIENCES AS WRITERS AND LEARNERS AND WHAT NEEDS CHANGED ABOUT THOSE EXPERIENCES.  EVERY STUDENT HAS A DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL AND WRITING HISTORY AND WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THOSE INDIVIDUAL HISTORIES WHEN WE ARE THINKING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION THROUGH OUR COMPOSITION COURSES AND THE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS THAT WE DESIGN FOR OUR STUDENTS.  WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE KINDS OF WRITING ASSIGNMENTS THAT LET STUDENTS EXPLORE WHAT THEY WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY WITH THEIR EDUCATIONS AND HOW THEY WOULD CHANGE THE WORLDS THAT THEY LIVE IN FOR THE BETTER.  WE NEED TO CREATE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO CREATIVELY IMAGINE AND ENVISION HOW THEY CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL WORLDS THAT THEY LIVE IN. LET US IMAGINE STUDENTS AS CO-CREATORS AND PARTNERS IN INSTIGATING THE INSTITUTIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL CHANGES THAT WE SEEK IN THE WORLD.