Tuesday, May 1, 2007
farewell apprentice
I had my last session with my 103 student on sunday. I throughly enjoyed this session and I felt this time there was a lot more I had to work with. It wasn't merely because the paper was a lot longer than the other ones. I think I knew how to better speak to the writer with more organization. It felt good to talk about the organization and not be startled by his questions which did not fall in the organization and style category and then move onto grammar issues. Although many times I wished there was a handbook that we had to memorize to know exactly what to do in every tutoring situation, I have actually created that handbook on my own. The best part of the session was when we ran out of time and I still had more to say! Knowing the identity and role of a tutor really helped me have more of a successful time.
Friday, April 13, 2007
This is exactly what i've been looking for!
what should tutors do after training? page six
"once tutors have completed their initial training-whether through workshops, pre-semester meetings or an entire course- the question of how to continue tutor development remains."
it seems as though i have been under a layer of cloudiness, not aware of the truth about writing tutors. i thought that it was those outside people were the only ones who did not know how writering center really worked. but the i think, especially considering my very recent concerns about how i'm supose to teach and how i'm supose to have all the answers, i was still under the wrong impressions about what a tutoring should do. this aritcle discusses the way tutors are supose to be
"rather, certain administrative artifacts from the tutuors' professional roels- namely, texts of introduction and tutorial reports-may be used a s away to combine professionalim w/pedagogy, and, in doing so, enhance tutors' development as both tutors and writers. " (6)
reflecting on peer tutoring and teaching
pg 10
..to become self-reflexive of their writing, a skill i acquired as a peer tutor.
i struggled with how much of a "peer" i could or should be to my students w/o losing their respect.
"once tutors have completed their initial training-whether through workshops, pre-semester meetings or an entire course- the question of how to continue tutor development remains."
it seems as though i have been under a layer of cloudiness, not aware of the truth about writing tutors. i thought that it was those outside people were the only ones who did not know how writering center really worked. but the i think, especially considering my very recent concerns about how i'm supose to teach and how i'm supose to have all the answers, i was still under the wrong impressions about what a tutoring should do. this aritcle discusses the way tutors are supose to be
"rather, certain administrative artifacts from the tutuors' professional roels- namely, texts of introduction and tutorial reports-may be used a s away to combine professionalim w/pedagogy, and, in doing so, enhance tutors' development as both tutors and writers. " (6)
reflecting on peer tutoring and teaching
pg 10
..to become self-reflexive of their writing, a skill i acquired as a peer tutor.
i struggled with how much of a "peer" i could or should be to my students w/o losing their respect.
next
students try to explain the assignment to the tutors, who in turn have to spend a lot of ime questioning the student. The result of what the tutor understands is necessrily an interpretation...the tutors try to keep their comments fairly broad, so as not to lead students down a specific path which might really be a misdirection." (2)
Tutors notice...that the students want to be told what the instructors, and what they must do to be correct...the students seems very impatient and baffled when they are instead met with more questions, instructions about ideas when they know they need help with grammar, or instructions to rewrite the whole paper. (2)
..we all understand that feedback from varying sourcse can be helpful, while at the same time, what matters if the studen tto find he own voice, her own dieas..." (3)
...and the tutors do, but again, w/o being sure what the facult want, the tutors respond to student writing somewhat conservatively and generally." (3)
then, some felt the tutors were giving them generic advice, rather than advice specific to their papers (have you done an outline? etc.) not understanding how there could be a writing process, a theory of writing that supplies general principles that be applied to specific writers' work." (4)
Tutors notice...that the students want to be told what the instructors, and what they must do to be correct...the students seems very impatient and baffled when they are instead met with more questions, instructions about ideas when they know they need help with grammar, or instructions to rewrite the whole paper. (2)
..we all understand that feedback from varying sourcse can be helpful, while at the same time, what matters if the studen tto find he own voice, her own dieas..." (3)
...and the tutors do, but again, w/o being sure what the facult want, the tutors respond to student writing somewhat conservatively and generally." (3)
then, some felt the tutors were giving them generic advice, rather than advice specific to their papers (have you done an outline? etc.) not understanding how there could be a writing process, a theory of writing that supplies general principles that be applied to specific writers' work." (4)
Thursday, April 12, 2007
elligibility of a writing tutor
what is the writing center doing for the community?
after having thought about the importance of the writing center, why students use it, and why people need it, i wonder about how the community view the writing center and how much credibility it has in the eyes of faculty, students, and even the writing tutors.
Nancy Grimm writes about her experience of faculty who did not think her eligible and does not take the work and theories of that are produced from the writing center. She points out that the faculty may be a bit wary of the center's effectiveness.
Interesting parts:
[Writing centers deal with heterogenity and how to master and control it. lack of communication between the tutor and the teacher maintains status quo. and much of what goes on in the writing center stays there. Grimm asks, how much of the theories get put into practice?]
"The relative absence of writing center voice and the conficted nature of writing center institutional positioning has much to do with the hierarchical structure of the academic community, with the notions we internalize about who should speak and who should be listened to, with the ways our relationship within the academic community are mediated by institutional language and practices. "
self-recovery & criticism
We may need to change relationships but it cannot be done easily and there is not a simple solution. Look at the pattern of problems with the immobile society to the problems with issues in relationships.
"for too long writing centers have worked to please others at the expense of defining a clear mission."
"Because writing centers are in the subordinate positionm, i strucutre my argument to focus on how writing centers might initiate change in the relationship, offering four self-help axioms to move writing centers into dialogue with compositiona andcreate a less comfortable but more scholarly and ative role for writing centers within their institutions." (527-528)
after having thought about the importance of the writing center, why students use it, and why people need it, i wonder about how the community view the writing center and how much credibility it has in the eyes of faculty, students, and even the writing tutors.
Nancy Grimm writes about her experience of faculty who did not think her eligible and does not take the work and theories of that are produced from the writing center. She points out that the faculty may be a bit wary of the center's effectiveness.
Interesting parts:
[Writing centers deal with heterogenity and how to master and control it. lack of communication between the tutor and the teacher maintains status quo. and much of what goes on in the writing center stays there. Grimm asks, how much of the theories get put into practice?]
"The relative absence of writing center voice and the conficted nature of writing center institutional positioning has much to do with the hierarchical structure of the academic community, with the notions we internalize about who should speak and who should be listened to, with the ways our relationship within the academic community are mediated by institutional language and practices. "
self-recovery & criticism
We may need to change relationships but it cannot be done easily and there is not a simple solution. Look at the pattern of problems with the immobile society to the problems with issues in relationships.
"for too long writing centers have worked to please others at the expense of defining a clear mission."
"Because writing centers are in the subordinate positionm, i strucutre my argument to focus on how writing centers might initiate change in the relationship, offering four self-help axioms to move writing centers into dialogue with compositiona andcreate a less comfortable but more scholarly and ative role for writing centers within their institutions." (527-528)
distrust of writers
perhaps writers don't come to the writing center because they do not know the purposes of the writer center. perhaps it's because they have a misunderstanding of tutors. Or they've previously had not so good tutors.
[my friend said im afriad to go to writing center because i think i'll go and my tutor will think i'm stupid... my other friend said with her two experiences- her first tutor came up with her thesis and the second one the tutor would not answer her questions and said he coudln't help her with the grammar because that would be giving away the answers...]
http://www2.blogger.com/link_requestid=%22 ... distrust
how do we change these views and perceptions especially when writers may have a good reason not going to the writing center?
[my friend said im afriad to go to writing center because i think i'll go and my tutor will think i'm stupid... my other friend said with her two experiences- her first tutor came up with her thesis and the second one the tutor would not answer her questions and said he coudln't help her with the grammar because that would be giving away the answers...]
http://www2.blogger.com/link_requestid=%22 ... distrust
how do we change these views and perceptions especially when writers may have a good reason not going to the writing center?
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Purpose
It seems like there's not enough confidence in the tutors to really be proud and certain of the purpose of their job. What is the purpose of the writing center??
We've have been discussing how students are having a harder time writing scholary material for professors and we explored reasons of why that is. Today's secondary education do not encourage writing which require the writer to be knowledgeable. In Bartholmae's article "Investing in the University", he uses the example of describing baseball to an eskimo to explain the level of writing that college students are used to writing. More and more students are needing help with not only the basics in writing and organization but to develop skills of analysis and "scholarly academic writing". I've noticed that our writing center brings in many freshmen students who need help with their english and core papers. I think as more and more students get to know more about the uses of the writing center and how they can use it, more upperclassmen will come to the center with their more academic required papers.
why do writers need the writing center and tutors?
interesting quotes "The writing center... it develops tutor's own writing, interpersonal skills, and teaching abilities."
But I can resist their efforts. In the classroom, I can’t get away from making assignments, and as long as I make them, no matter how englightened or open-ended they may be, they’re still mine.
"introduces middle person, the tutor inhabits a world somwhere between writer and teacher."
I think this implies that the tutor is in effect on a different level from the student. But not necessarily on a higher level.
This passage goes on to compare teachers from writing tutors: " In the center, writers may try to invest me with authority but I can resist their efforts. In the classroom, I can’t get away from making assignments, and as long as I make them, no matter how englightened or open-ended they may be, they’re still mine.
We've have been discussing how students are having a harder time writing scholary material for professors and we explored reasons of why that is. Today's secondary education do not encourage writing which require the writer to be knowledgeable. In Bartholmae's article "Investing in the University", he uses the example of describing baseball to an eskimo to explain the level of writing that college students are used to writing. More and more students are needing help with not only the basics in writing and organization but to develop skills of analysis and "scholarly academic writing". I've noticed that our writing center brings in many freshmen students who need help with their english and core papers. I think as more and more students get to know more about the uses of the writing center and how they can use it, more upperclassmen will come to the center with their more academic required papers.
why do writers need the writing center and tutors?
interesting quotes "The writing center... it develops tutor's own writing, interpersonal skills, and teaching abilities."
But I can resist their efforts. In the classroom, I can’t get away from making assignments, and as long as I make them, no matter how englightened or open-ended they may be, they’re still mine.
"introduces middle person, the tutor inhabits a world somwhere between writer and teacher."
I think this implies that the tutor is in effect on a different level from the student. But not necessarily on a higher level.
This passage goes on to compare teachers from writing tutors: " In the center, writers may try to invest me with authority but I can resist their efforts. In the classroom, I can’t get away from making assignments, and as long as I make them, no matter how englightened or open-ended they may be, they’re still mine.
Monday, April 2, 2007
strategy to tutor 'voice'
There are certain strategies that one can use in order to help a writer find his own voice. Many times writers do not know how to distinguish his own voice in writing. It is natrual and easy to speak because one has been doing it all their lives but writing comfertably is harder to do. Some strategies used:
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