A long time goal has been to teach composition and to do so required an understanding of composition theory. In this class we discussed and reviewed several perspectives of composition theory including postmodernism, social constructionism, constructivism, and expressionism. In the course I also learned about the historical trends and shifts in composition theory such as the shift from focusing on the finished project to focusing on the writing process. As a teaching assistant in the next semester, I would use themes learned in this class, especially the writing process and how it is recursive and how writing students construct understanding through collaboration.

 

If not for the bright students sitting to my left and my right each Monday night in this class, I might not have made it through. Sometimes the concepts were difficult to digest. For instance, cognitivism theory that concerns how and why the choices are made by the writer during the writing process. However, through discussion and in-class exercises and the help of amazing classmates, the concepts became clear.

 

Two research essays were required: one about a composition researcher or theorist and one about a form of composition. For the first essay I chose to write about Beth Hewett and her view on the future of online writing courses. The second essay looks at the use of multimedia in teaching composition and the importance of multimedia literacy. These essays show an ability to understand the history and theory of composition, analyze rhetorical situations, choose appropriate rhetorical strategies, use technology to invent and deliver texts, and an attention to editorial detail and citation.