How could the five key concepts from "Naming What We Know" be observed in a learning-to-write setting?

In Naming What We Know (Adler-Kassner and Wardle), we read about five threshold concepts that scholars have agreed are "critical for epistemological participation in a discipline" (Adler-Kassner and Wardle, 2015, back cover). 

Concept 1: Writing Is a Social and Rhetorical Activity
Concept 2: Writing Speaks to Situations Through Recognizable Forms
Concept 3: Writing Enacts and Creates Identities and Ideologies
Concept 4: All Writers Have More to Learn
Concept 5: Writing is (Also Always) a Cognitive Activity

But, what does that really look like in a typical, learning-to-write classroom, especially not in a composition/English class?

When it comes to writing, there is always a social factor that comes into play. Whatever gets written, always has an intended audience (reader). In a classroom, students learn how to form their work through word choice (jargon), style, and format (as simple as MLA vs. APA), just to name a few, because when a reader reads their writing (most likely the instructor, for a grade, and peers, to fulfill workshop requirements), they will be expecting to see certain characteristics that pertain to the specific discourse.

Any good writer will argue that they have yet to learn so much. Why? Well, when does one master an art like writing? Writing is a life-long process that many students wish had a magic formula but fortunately, with practice, it gets easier to produce. Not only with practice though. Feedback is a crucial aspect of writing. In classrooms, it is usually produced during workshop activities and after an instructor grades the writing. Hopefully, an endnote is left to ensure the writer knows how/where they can better their writing to be a better participant of their discourse. 

In my opinion, reflection and free/quick writes (low-stake writing assignments) are the greatest cognitive exercises for students. Reflecting on how their writing occurs, promotes metacognitive recognitions like figuring out what they may not yet know. 




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