Composition Forum 27, Spring 2013
http://compositionforum.com/issue/27/

Appendix 7 to Intractable Writing Program Problems: Sample of Types of Professional Development Activities

Elizabeth Wardle

This is an appendix to Intractable Writing Program Problems, Kairos, and Writing about Writing: A Profile of the University of Central Florida's First-Year Composition Program.

Workshops, Presentations, and Reading Groups

Fall 2011

Department of Writing and Rhetoric

University of Central Florida

Wednesday, September 7, 4:30-5:30, TA 304

Brainstorming Session: Keeping 1101 Fresh by Brainstorming New Assignment Ideas

Matt Bryan, Angela Rounsaville, Stacey Pigg, and Elizabeth Wardle

Thursday, September 22, 4:30-5:30, BA 218

Facilitating Effective Take-Home Peer Review

Scott Launier

Wednesday, October 5, 4:30-5:30, ENGR 383

Teaching Students to Code Data for Ethnographies & Autoethnographies

Mary Tripp

Thursday, October 6, 5:00-6:00, TR 541

Reading Group: Readings about diversity to prepare for Malea Powell’s. Readings TBD

Blake Scott and Melissa Ringfield

Thursday, October 13, 10:30-12:00, MAP 406

Guest Speaker: Dr. Malea Powell, Michigan State University

Monday, October 31, 12:30-1:30, PSY 204

Making Lecture a Learning Experience

Nichole Stack

Wednesday, November 9, 5:00-6:00, TR 541

Reading Group: Readings TBD

Blake Scott and Melissa Ringfield

Thursday, November 10, 12-1:00, HPA 272

Applying for a TIP (Teaching Incentive Program) Award

Debbie Weaver

Wednesday, November 30 (TA 304) and Friday, December 2, 11-12:00,HPA 272

Preparing to Teach ENC 1102, Debbie Weaver and Elizabeth Wardle

Spring 2012

UCF Composition Program

Results of the Fall ePortfolio Pilot: A Brown Bag Lunch Discussion

Pavel Zemliansky and the Pilot Teachers

Thursday, January 19 at noon, 3rd Floor Conference Room

Re-Thinking the Discourse Community Assignment: A Working Workshop

Elizabeth Wardle & Debbie Weaver

Wednesday, February 1, 11-12

Why do we teach students about the concept of “discourse community”? What declarative knowledge about this concept should students be able to demonstrate in their assignments? And what aspects of this concept should be transferable to and useful in new writing situations? You are invited to bring your assignment ideas for teaching this concept, and talk with others about innovative ways to approach it.

Coordinated Reading & Thinking Toward 1102 Revision

In the fall, a group of teachers read and talked about possibilities for revising ENC 1102. That conversation led them to conclude that the composition faculty should read and think together further about two issues: rhetoric and how to help further students’ understanding of it, and genre theory and its implications for teaching writing and creating meaningful assignments. Thus, this semester, we are holding a series of integrated talks, reading groups, and workshops so that faculty can think together in a deep way about these two issues. The readings and other materials generated will be posted online in a blog-like site so that teachers who are unable to attend can contribute to the conversation.

Rhetoric, Rhetoric Situation, and Argument: Thinking about the Theory Thursday, February 9, 4:30 Stacey Pigg

Background Reading:

• Lois Agnew, et al., Octalog III: The Politics of Historiography in 2010. Rhetoric Review 30.2 (2011), 109-134.

In this dialogic presentation, Stacey will provide an overview of rhetoric and highlight important rhetorical concepts that can be meaningfully shared with first-year students.

Reading Group on Rhetorical Theory Thursday, February 16, 4:30 Stacey Pigg & Blake Scott

Discuss:

• Lois Agnew, et al., Octalog III: The Politics of Historiography in 2010. Rhetoric Review 30.2 (2011), 109-134.
• Jenny Edbauer, Unframing Models of Public Distribution: From Rhetorical Situation to Rhetorical Ecologies. Rhetoric Society Quarterly 35.4 (2005)

Rhetorical Theory Workshop: Helping Students Understand Rhetoric & Do Rhetorical Analysis Thursday, February 23, 4:30 Stacey Pigg & Elizabeth Wardle

In this interactive workshop, participants will draw on the reading and discussion from the previous two meetings to consider assignments and activities for students.

Rhetorical Situation, Genre, and Invention: Thinking about the Theory Wednesday, February 29, 4:00pm Angela Rounsaville, Stacey Pigg, and Elizabeth Wardle

Background Reading:

• Amy Devitt, Generalizing about Genre in CCC 44.4 (1993)
• Berkenkotter and Huckin, Rethinking Genre from a Sociocognitive Perspective. Written Communication 10:4 (1993)

In this dialogic presentation, Angela, Stacey, and Elizabeth will provide an overview of the claims made by genre theorists, and consider the implications for teaching writing.

Reading Group on Genre Theory Wednesday, March 7, 4:00pm Angela Rounsaville, Elizabeth Wardle, & Blake Scott

Discuss:

• Reiff and Bawarshi, Tracing Discursive Resources: How Students Use Prior Genre Knowledge to Negotiate New Writing Contexts in First-Year Composition in Written Communication 28.3 (2011)
• Nowacek, Chapter 1 Transfer as Recontextualization from Agents of Integration

Genre Theory Workshop: What Does This Theory Mean for Our Teaching? Wednesday, March 14, 4:00pm Angela Rounsaville & Elizabeth Wardle

Background reading:

• Bawarshi and Reiff’s chapter 11 Rhetorical Genre Studies Approaches to Teaching Writing in Genre: An Introduction to History, Theory, Research and Pedagogy

In this interactive workshop, participants will draw on all of the reading and discussion to consider how to create flexible and rhetorically meaningful assignments to students, and help students understand the concept of “genre” in a transferable way.

Open Discussion: Brainstorming Revision Ideas for ENC 1102 Wednesday, April 4, 4:00 pm

Everyone who has engaged in the reading and discussion about rhetoric and genre theory is invited to an open discussion to consider implications for ENC 1102.