Re: turf problems related issue

[Stephen Newmann <newmann@msmary.edu>]

Neal, whether we "should" or "not" I definately do not welcome even the 
opportunity to "grade" students writing as a writing center person.  I 
hate it enough as a classroom prof.  --stephen

On Thu, 1 Feb 1996, Neal Lerner wrote:

> Steve's post brings to mind a wild notion (thanks, Steve, and happy 
> birthday!):  If the WC has a better view of a student's process of 
> creating a draft, if the WC can give more valid "formative" evaluation 
> (thanks, Jim!) than can the classroom teacher at times, if we're serious 
> about approaches to summative evaluation as embodied by portfolios, *and* 
> if giving a grade really is power in many institutions, then shouldn't 
> the WC rightly have some say in the evaluation/assessment of students' 
> work?  Do any of you folks work in such a system?  Do I risk giving Eric 
> Crump a migraine by even proposing such a system?
> 
> 	Neal Lerner
> 	nlerner@acs.bu.edu
> 
> On Wed, 31 Jan 1996, Stephen Newmann wrote:
> 
> > a related issue here is that sometimes in the w.c. I will see several 
> > drafts of an essay that the prof who assigned it will only see the final 
> > draft of.  In the several drafts I see there is occasionally a marked 
> > improvement.  I see that improvement and the effort that went in to it 
> > and the learning that has taken place re: writing.  I'm likely to think 
> > more highly of the final product than would the prof who will only see 
> > the final draft and thus miss much (if not all) of the effort and 
> > improvement that occured.  My w.c. estimation of the quality might be 
> > inflated as a result.   --stephen
> >  *====================================================================*
> >  |   Stephen Newmann                                                  |
> >  |   Department of Rhetoric & Writing     VOICE: (301) 447-5006       |
> >  |   Mount Saint Mary's College           E-MAIL: NEWMANN@MSMARY.EDU  |
> >  |   Emmitsburg, Maryland USA 21727-7799                              |
> >  *====================================================================*
> >  
> > 
> > On Wed, 31 Jan 1996, Neal Lerner wrote:
> > 
> > > There something bugging me about this "role conflict" that some of you 
> > > folks are describing.  I agree with Karen in that I'd like to think that 
> > > when I conference with my comp students, I pretty much take the same 
> > > approach as I would in the WC with someone else's students.  Heck, with 
> > > my own students I even have a somewhat better idea of the expectations and 
> > > criteria!  Nevertheless, I've had those conferences where a student of 
> > > mine says, "Just tell me what I have to do to this paper to get an A" (Wow, 
> > > can you hear that sound of Eric Crump slapping his forehead?).  And I 
> > > suppose I resist that request in much the same way that I resist the 
> > > request in a WC conference to "tell me if you think this is an A paper."  
> > > Am I miscontruing the original intention of this thread?
> > > 
> > > 	Neal Lerner
> > > 	nlerner@acs.bu.edu
> > > 
> > > On Wed, 31 Jan 1996, Karen L. Morris wrote:
> > > 
> > > > While I can see that teachers who tutor their own students could have a 
> > > > conflict in roles, we have sucessfully done it at Concordia:  both 
> > > > Lynnell and I have tutored our own students (as well as she tutoring mine 
> > > > and I hers).  We also have had our students tutored by the student tutors 
> > > > in the center.
> > > > 
> > > > Partially, I think it should be the student's choice.  Some students want 
> > > > the input from the instructor, and it becomes like an office-hour visit.  
> > > > 
> > > > Both Lynnell and I are experienced tutors and teachers, and I think we're 
> > > > both clear on the roles and keeping them separate.  I know that when I 
> > > > work with one of my own student's papers, I focus on the writing and 
> > > > don't evaluate.
> > > > 
> > > > I'd be interested in hearing other people's experiences on this issue.
> > > > 
> > > > Karen
> > > > 
> > > > karenm@teleport.COM  (ears up, whiskers clean, and still purring) 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
> > 
>