Rationale:  As a teacher, you will develop (or already have) opinions on what constitutes good pedagogy.  Teachers are sometimes asked to articulate those opinions and beliefs during interviews and for principals, board members, parents and students.  Professionals are not only able to articulate those opinions on those occasions, but are also willing to share their opinions with others in the profession.  Papers for publishing in scholarly publications or for presenting at conferences are the mediums for sharing.  You may choose either medium for this course requirement.

Steps for Successful Completion

• Respond to the "Call for Proposals" (below).  See the sample proposal for an example.  I will respond to your proposal and return it to you well before the first draft of the paper is due.

• On a scheduled date, you will turn in a draft of your paper as well as a reflection on your progress.  The reflection should also discuss how you have written your paper to meet the needs/expectations of your audience.  I will respond to it and return it to you.

• On a scheduled date, you will turn in a second draft of your paper as well as a reflection on your progress.  The reflection should also discuss how you have written your paper to meet the needs/expectations of your audience. There may be peer revision, and I will again read and comment on your paper.

• On a scheduled date, you will bring in a draft of your paper for editing as well as a reflection on your progress. The reflection should also discuss how you have written your paper to meet the needs/expectations of your audience.  There may be class activities involved here.

• The final draft as well as a reflection on your paper will go in your portfolio.  The reflection should also discuss how you have written your paper to meet the needs/expectations of your audience. 

Call for Proposals

(adapted from the 2007 SUNY Council on Writing Conference)

Highly politicized demands for educational accountability and standardization have led to calls for large- scale, institutional writing assessments, and left scholars, instructors and administrators to struggle with fundamental questions: Is there a relationship between learning to write and measurable outcomes? What can conventional assessment methods really tell us about student writers? What goals should drive writing assessment? What assumptions about writing and about composition pedagogy are embedded in these assessment initiatives, and what are the implications for instruction, scholarship and curricular design? And ultimately, what will these developments mean for student writers and writing instructors at the high school and college level?  We invite papers, workshops, and roundtables that address these and related questions about writing, writing instruction, and writing assessment.

We are especially interested in proposals on the following topics:

· alternative and authentic assessment
· the development of writing abilities over time
· theories of writing and writing assessment
· methods of grading
· assessment and issues of difference
· standards and outcomes for writing instruction
· accountability, assessment, and adjunct faculty
· the effects of assessment on classroom practice

In addition, we welcome proposals addressing the following questions:
· How do we assess creative writing?
· How do we use technology to assess writing?
· How might one assess a Writing Center?
· What is the impact of high-stakes writing tests for high school students on college writing instruction?
· When writing occurs across the curriculum, are common standards possible? Who determines these standards?

Please submit a 250-word abstract for a 20-minute presentation or 15 page paper.
 

Questions?  Please ask them in class so that everyone may benefit from the clarification.