Volume 1

Introduction: Open Source Composition Texts Arrive for College Writers

collaboration and group work, Volume 1, writing technologies /

Robert Cummings Volume 1 Chapter Description An introduction to the first volume which explains the mission of Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing as an open textbook project.  Alternate Downloads:  You may also download this chapter from Parlor Press or WAC Clearinghouse. Writing Spaces is published in partnership with Parlor Press and WAC Clearinghouse.

Introduction: Open Source Composition Texts Arrive for College Writers Read More »

Navigating Genres

genre and discourse community, rhetorical appeals and argument, Volume 1 /

Kerry Dirk Volume 1 Chapter Description In this chapter, I introduce students to genres as rhetorical responses to reoccurring or similar situations. After defining genre in the context of rhetoric and composition scholarship, I use examples from popular culture, discussion from contemporary scholars, and personal experience to show students how genre awareness requires a rhetorical

Navigating Genres Read More »

Collaborating Online: Digital Strategies for Group Work

collaboration and group work, Volume 1, writing technologies /

Anthony Atkins Volume 1 Chapter Description This chapter focuses on how to work collaboratively on group projects and on how technology can facilitate productive cooperation among group members. Users will learn how to assess a project, choose technologies conducive to review and document sharing, and prepare group projects for presentation. Group members should assess the

Collaborating Online: Digital Strategies for Group Work Read More »

Composing the Anthology: An Exercise in Patchwriting

drafting and revising, Volume 1 /

Christopher Leary Volume 1 Chapter Description A composition teacher shares stories – from inside and outside of the classroom – concerning the dangers and possibilities inherent in “patchwriting.” The article presents examples of patchwriting drawn from poems, anthologies, and prose and argues that it is a useful but underappreciated writing strategy. Alternate Downloads:  You may

Composing the Anthology: An Exercise in Patchwriting Read More »

Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What Were You Thinking?

drafting and revising, Volume 1 /

Sandra Giles Volume 1 Chapter Description This essay explains to students that reflective writing involves their thinking about their own thinking. They may be asked to reflect about their audience and purpose for a piece of writing. They may write about their invention, drafting, revision, and editing processes. They may self-assess or evaluate their writing,

Reflective Writing and the Revision Process: What Were You Thinking? Read More »

I Need You to Say “I”: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing

Volume 1, writing myths and anxiety /

Kate McKinney Maddalena Volume 1 Chapter Description In this essay, I argue against the common misconception that “I” has no place in formal writing. I discuss many theoretical and rhetorical ways (objectivity and intellectual integrity, and clarity and organization, respectively) in which first person, used prudently, can improve written argument. I then show some examples

I Need You to Say “I”: Why First Person Is Important in College Writing Read More »

Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother with Logic?

rhetorical appeals and argument, Volume 1 /

Rebecca Jones Volume 1 Chapter Description Public argument has been compromised by either/or argumentation strategies characterized by Lakoff and Johnson through the metaphor, “argument is war.”  This essay discusses the blocks to ethical argumentation and offers three models: classical rhetoric, Toulmin, and pragma-dialectics that provide theoretical and practical methods for recognizing and inventing good arguments.

Finding the Good Argument OR Why Bother with Logic? Read More »

Why Visit Your Campus Writing Center?

Volume 1, writing center and other resources, writing myths and anxiety /

Ben Rafoth Volume 1 Chapter Description In this chapter, a writing center director and author of books and articles about learning to write invites tutors to tell why writing centers help students become better writers. They explain how the power of conversation in collaborative learning environments helps to expand a writer’s ideas, and we see

Why Visit Your Campus Writing Center? Read More »

Finding Your Way In: Invention as Inquiry Based Learning in First Year Writing

prewriting and invention, Volume 1 /

Steven Lessner & Collin Craig Volume 1 Chapter Description Conventional literacy pedagogy in secondary education uses the five-paragraph essay to train students to be succinct writers capable of performing in pressured situations, such as state mandated tests. We aim to show students of first-year writing practical steps in transitioning into college writing by providing strategies

Finding Your Way In: Invention as Inquiry Based Learning in First Year Writing Read More »