Academic Argument as Process

Kathi R. Griffin, Instructor of English and Director of the Richard Wright Center for Writing, Rhetoric, and Research – Jackson State University During our first discussion of a reading in Comp I this fall, a student asserted, “I’m entitled to my opinion!” and his classmates whipped their heads in my direction: “Yes, you are,” I said, and they relaxed, “but,” […]

The Problem with “Winning” in Academic Argument

Amber Nichols-Buckley, Instructor of Writing 100/101, Department of Writing and Rhetoric, University of Mississippi Academic writing is often described as a kind of conversation…This metaphor of writing as conversation has several strengths.  It highlights the social aspects of intellectual work, the ways in which academic writing responds to the texts and ideas of others.  It suggests that the goal of […]

Words of Wisdom

Lisa Reid, English Dept. Chair/Senior English Teacher, St. Aloysius High School Well, I thought I had it right. Over the years, I have worked furiously to set up an effective peer response system for my senior English students. I failed miserably at my early attempts, but bolstered by ideas from Transitioning workshops, I persevered. In the last year I had […]

Playing “Catch Up”

Mike Schwartz, English Teacher, Independence High School I think that the primary concern for high school English teachers is how to meet the new common core standards with the renewed emphasis on written expression.  For years, the primary focus of English instruction was to teach the specific skills that we knew would be assessed on the SAT multiple choice test, no more […]

My Challenge

Gretchen Bunde, Instructor, University of Mississippi Department of Writing and Rhetoric I guess I’m supposed to avoid favoritism in the classroom.  But I can’t help it–I love analysis.  As a student, it was my favorite type of writing.  I enjoy analyzing an author’s choices, whether they occur in the form of precise diction, expertly developed ethos, or strong organizational choices.  […]