Some Questions to Consider

After some thought, I believe I'll take the next couple of posts to explore some questions the WAC and WID present, the basics of the pedagogy, and some problems it faces overall within the university academic and political climate. After that, I'll go back to looking at how we can expand the conversation before dipping into some practical applications. Expect at least one post a day for the next two weeks--barring any major kerfuffles or other life interferences.

There are five basic questions these pedagogies want us to consider, all of which have to do with how instructors--and not just writing instructors--prepare our students both for their post-secondary education and post-university careers. I'm going to present the questions here in a list. What I would like to see in the comments section is a conversation that attempts to answer these questions, and, perhaps, my later posts will cause you to come back to this one to add to the conversation. This is the appetizer to what WAC is--creating communication and conversation. On to the questions!


•What is the purpose of first year writing courses?
 
•What is the purpose of the writing instructor?
 
•How do instructors prepare students for the multiple discourses of the university?
 
•Can writing instructors prepare students for the multiple discourses of the university?
 
•How can universities become more interdisciplinary in their approach to the teaching of writing?


So, now, let's start talking! I look forward to seeing your answers!