Composition Ideas and Thoughts

What features of the electronic portfolio pedagogy facilitate  knowledge transfer? In Electronic Portfolios 2.0 , the authors also point out the benefits of reflection and underline the link between “students’ reflective practices with their school performances” (p 6). When students are asked to think about their own writing and reflect on it, they are practicing much bigger concepts. When working on a particular assignment, it is important that students understand the purpose of the assignment in relation to the other assignments. When they are able to underline the links and draw connections, knowledge transfer occurs. Reflections provide an opportunity to reflect and make these connections. If implemented correctly, the portfolio is a documentation of the students’ metacognitive progress, not just an example of their writing process. In Ch. 8 in Critical Transitions , the authors explain the role of metacognition and how it aids in transf...

Reflection on the readings from the first six weeks of the term. I remember hearing "writing transfer" in 220A (Teaching College Composition) and thinking to myself how irrelevant that term is for me since I'm in the TESOL program and that class was just to get the Composition certificate. I also remember getting frustrated with myself because I had such a hard time creating assignments that would transfer ideas from my imaginary composition course to my imaginary students' other classes.  After taking a closer look to the importance and effectiveness of teaching for transfer, I now understand that my future ESL (English as a Second Language) students will benefit so much if I structure my classes as I read about these past six weeks. Not only are they writing in a different language, but every culture has a different understanding of what an academic paper should look like so that is a challenge all on its own for ESL students. However, if I structur...

How do Teaching for Transfer, Writing about Writing, and Transfer as Recontextualization deal with the obstacles facing the transfer of writing knowledge?   As research has been suggesting, students don't naturally take what they learn in one class and apply it for another class' assignment. And why would they? How is the literature review for their BIO 100 class similar to their personal narrative in their RPTA 122 class or the rhetorical analysis in their CHDV 143 class? Once students are made aware of these similarities or how to effectively write to think, writing skills learned in one class can surely be used in another. Teaching for Transfer stresses the importance of breaking down the tools of writing and making them clear to first year composition (FYC) students. By being explicit, students will better understand how writing has similar themes and concepts, despite the genre. Writing about Writing, termed by Downs and Wardle (2007) underlines the importance ...

This week, we read two studies ( Critical Transitions: Writing and the Question of Transfer Ch. 8 and Ch.7) and then we were asked to think about how that will impact our own collection  of data as we complete our course project. Did I mention that I have never conducted a research project? This entire idea of collecting data is overwhelming to me and I fear that I am not going to collect what I need or how much I need. I'm afraid of missing something crucial but on the other hand, I have to start somewhere. This is my Shitty First [Run] and I will only get better with feedback.  Quite frankly, the methods sections we took a look at this week are not any more complex than the ones I've read before for my other TESOL classes. However, because this is kind of a newer field for me, they made me realize that I will have to put forth a lot of effort to catch everything! Switching between the close/far lens will require more retrospective effort because in the moment, I...