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

WE, AS COMPOSITION TEACHERS, NEED AN ETHIC OF CARE FOR WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO SAY/WRITE IN THEIR WRITINGS.  WE NEED TO TEACH STUDENTS THAT WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY/WRITE IS VALUABLE AND MATTERS IN THE WORLDS BEYOND OUR CLASSROOMS.  STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW THAT WHAT THEY ARE WRITING IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LARGER WORLD AND THAT THEIR WRITINGS HAVE A PURPOSE BEYOND SIMPLY TO BE EVALUATED AND GRADED.  IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CRAFT WRITING ASSIGNMENTS THAT SERVE THESE LARGER PURPOSES FOR STUDENTS, AND IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE RESPOND TO STUDENTS' WRITING IN A MANNER THAT SHOWS THAT WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY/WRITE TRULY MATTERS AND CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO OTHER READERS AS WELL.  STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW THAT THE WRITINGS THEY ARE PRODUCING ARE GOING TO EFFECT, MOVE AND CHANGE READERS BEYOND OUR CLASSROOMS.  I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THAT WE CREATE COMPOSITION COURSES THAT SERVE THESE PURPOSES FOR STUDENTS AS THEY GROW AS WRITERS AND COMMUNICATORS.

I WOULD LOVE TO START-UP A CENTER FOR WRITING STUDIES THAT ADVANCES THE CONCEPTS OF COMPOSITION TEACHING ADVANCED ON THIS BLOG.  THIS WOULD BE A CENTER THAT IS STUDENT-CENTERED AND ADVOCATES FOR STUDENT WRITING THAT IS PURPOSEFUL AND CREATIVE.  THIS WOULD BE A CENTER THAT TEACHES ADVOCACY WRITING, SOCIAL JUSTICE WRITING, TRANSFORMATIVE WRITING AND VISIONARY WRITING, AND ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN WRITING PROJECTS ALONG THESE LINES.  THIS WOULD BE A CENTER THAT ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO VIEW THEIR WRITINGS AS REVOLUTIONARY AND PASSIONATE AGENTS FOR CHANGE IN THE WORLDS AND COMMUNITIES THAT THEY INHABIT AND THE LARGER WORLD BEYOND THE CLASSROOM.  STUDENTS WOULD BE TAUGHT TO SEE THE RADICAL POTENTIAL OF WRITING TO TRANSFORM AND REENVISION THE WORLD AROUND THEM.  

AS TEACHERS OF COMPOSITION, WE CAN TEACH STUDENTS TO CREATIVELY AND PURPOSIVELY USE THEIR WRITINGS TO REIMAGINE THEIR WORK IN OTHER CLASSES AND TRANSFORM THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO THE WORLDS THAT THEY INHABIT.  THIS INCLUDES TEACHING AND ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO BE AS CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE IN HOW THEY IMAGINE WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY WRITE AND TEACHING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE POSITIVE AND TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF WRITING IN ENACTING SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CHANGES. WE NEED TO TEACH STUDENTS TO IMAGINE WRITING AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR CHANGE AND FOR IMPROVING THE WORLDS THAT THEY LIVE IN AND THE LARGER WORLD BEYOND OUR CLASSROOM.  WE MUST GIVE THEM CREATIVE AND PURPOSEFUL ASSIGNMENTS THAT ALLOW FOR SUCH CREATIVE REENVISIONING.  AS ALREADY MENTIONED ON THIS BLOG, STUDENTS ARE BRIMMING WITH FRESH AND EXCITING IDEAS ABOUT HOW THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES CAN BE IMPROVED AND TRANSFORMED, AND WE MUST TEACH THEM THEY CAN USE WRITING TO DO EXACTLY THAT -- TO ENACT THE CHANGES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE WORLD.  WE MUST TEACH THEM TO UNDERSTAND AND USE THE CREATIVE POWER OF WRITING TO CHANGE THE LARGER WORLD BEYOND OUR CLASSROOMS AND GIVE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITIES TO USE THEIR WRITING TO CREATIVELY REENVISION THAT LARGER WORLD.

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ AND CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING MANIFESTO BY JAMES SLEDD, AN ADMIRABLE COMPOSITIONIST WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2003.  

DISCIPLINARITY AND EXPLOITATION: COMPOSITIONISTS AS GOOD PROFESSIONALS

www.louisville.edu/journal/workplace/issue7/sledd.html

WE, AS COMPOSITION TEACHERS, NEED TO TEACH STUDENTS TO BE STRONG AND PASSIONATE ADVOCATES THROUGH THEIR WRITINGS.  THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR ADVOCATES IN OUR WORLD TODAY, AND WE NEED TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO USE THEIR WRITINGS PASSIONATELY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE OPPRESSED AND MARGINALIZED PEOPLES OF THE WORLD.  THIS IS PART OF MY VISION OF CREATING A COMPASSION READER THAT INTRODUCES STUDENTS, IN PART, TO THE WORK OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WORKERS AND INSPIRES STUDENTS TO USE THEIR WRITINGS TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ISSUES AND CONCERNS THAT ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO THEM.  GOOD ADVOCATES ARE ALSO STRONG DOCUMENTARIANS, AND WE NEED TO TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO USE THEIR WRITINGS TO DOCUMENT WHAT NEEDS CHANGED IN THE WORLDS THAT THEY INHABIT AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE INVOLVED IN.  WE CAN TEACH STUDENTS TO USE THEIR WRITINGS PURPOSIVELY TO ADVOCATE AGAINST THE INJUSTICES AND OPPRESSIONS THAT THEY SEE IN THE WORLD TODAY.  WE NEED TO CREATE COURSES IN ADVOCACY WRITING THAT INSPIRE STUDENTS TO USE THEIR WRITINGS TO CHANGE, IMPROVE AND TRANSFORM THE COMMUNITIES AND WORLDS THAT THEY LIVE IN AND THE LARGER WORLD BEYOND OUR CLASSROOMS.