Week 10: Final Terms

Five final terms in syllabus

Modes of discourse- Alexander Bain says there are four different types: exposition, narration, description, and argument

Collaborate- the act of working together for a common goal or product. 

Discourse Community- David Bartholomae discusses becoming part of a specialized academic group by assembling and mimicking its language

Voice- Jacqueline Jones Royster discusses that it is “a central manifestation of subjectivity”; it must operate symphonically because of the complex processes that we use to create it

Process vs. Product- process is the way a composition is created and product is the final artifact that comes from the process

Plagiarism- the intentional (or unintentional) use of another person’s work while claiming it is your own

Rhetoric- the study of speaking or writing. Audience, speaker, and purpose should be considered when analyzing or writing. The appeals: logos (logic), pathos (emotion), and ethos (speaker’s credibility)

These final terms are tied into my syllabus as well. This class has given me a fresh take on teaching writing. I’ve always considered myself a decent writing teacher to students who were more academically inclined, and even to struggling students (ESL, students with disabilities, students who need some one on one attention, etc.).  But I always feel like the “average Joe” in public schools can be put at a disservice. They are kind of forgotten at times: they run through the motions, complete the assignments, get a B on the essay and are satisfied. I am hoping that by teaching with a variety of forms of composition I will service all kinds of writing students and ultimately pushing them to their maximum potential.