This week’s readings are all focused on working with and working as multilingual writers in the space of a writing center. I’ve kept the schedule relatively light this week – just to help folks touch base with one another and make sure your on track with everything – so the agenda this week is pretty straightforward.
Here are the tasks for this first week group discussion (follow the links for a more detailed explanation):
1. Talk about the material
In your groups, I encourage you to talk about the readings–find connections, share your experiences with the concepts addressed-really think through the implications of it all. As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, I want the group discussions to be a productive space for everyone, so I’ve included some guiding questions below to help spark some thoughts. You can definitely talk about these in your group (or in the dialectical journal), but you can also talk about other things as well.
Possible Topics for Reading Discussion
- As mentioned briefly above, in the readings this week, we are considering various factors of language acquisition and identity that might influence someone’s experience as both a tutor and writer in the writing center.
- In Matsuda’s short, “Writing Involves the Negotiation of Language Differences”, he explores the relevance of language to one’s writing experiences. In addition to thinking through these implications in a general sense, he also grounds his discussion in specific recommendations for teachers (and tutors) with these concepts in mind.
- In “Tutoring Multilingual Writers: Addressing the Dilemma of Voice and Identity”, Kanjing He writes about experiences as a multilingual writing center tutor while also including some perspectives from other multilingual writers gathered from interviews and research. All of these perspectives are considered with a particular focus on questions of voice, identity, and grammar.
- And finally, Amy Jo Minett’s, “Earth Aches by Midnight”, offers numerous examples and strategies for how to help writers develop their writing with second-language learning in mind. These approaches are valuable for both writers and tutors looking to improve their approaches to writing (and helping others with their writing).
- What from these texts stands out to you? Why?
- How are the experiences of others represented and are they done so with care?
- What do you view as potentially problematic?
- What do you view as being especially important and relevant?
- Do any of your experiences either support or complicate the ideas brought up in the readings?
- Do you think the suggestions offered in the various texts are helpful? Are they only helpful in certain contexts and/or do they fail to take into account other factors or influences? How do you view the readings either speaking to or working with one another? What might the authors be overlooking and/or oversimplifying in their goal to offer practical suggestions for writing center work?
- Do you have any additional suggestions or approaches that you could offer in these circumstances?
- How do your own experiences in align with what you’ve read this week? How are they different? How are all of the concepts addressed in the readings this week influenced by the institutions and influences out of which they emerge? What material considerations do they elide? That is… what isn’t addressed in these discussions/articles?
2. Talk about your research
Last week, I had everyone brainstorm concepts or issues you find interesting about the discipline or field you are discussing alongside Writing Centers.
- For this, I want all of you to revisit and share that brainstorming process and talk about it. If you have changed directions, then share that with your group members.
- Have everyone jump on Wikipedia, any of the Writing Center journals, or Google Scholar and do a little cursory research for one another.
- Ideally, everyone should search the terms, concepts, or possible directions and follow the links while talking about connections they see and/or find interesting.
- Share links and sources with one another to help develop possible directions to go with your research.
3. Touch base with one another about individual consultations and anything else
So, over the last few weeks, I have been answering questions and meeting with many of you to help make sure that you’re feeling good about everything moving forward. I want to make sure, though, that there is also space for you all to help one another – to share whatever conversations we’ve had with your group mates and/or bring up any other questions you have about the assignments, the schedule, the course, etc. So, with all that in mind… take some time to discuss the individual consultations, additional work options, major research project, etc. to make sure you’re feeling good and bring up and concerns you might have (which you can then share with me).
I especially recommend using this time to help one another set up a plans for yourselves to the complete the course assignments with as little stress as possible. Maybe help one another set up a timeline so as not to be overwhelmed in Week 8 or Finals Week.