Re: formulaic writing, a different take?

[jwerchan@lima.ohio-state.edu (James E. Werchan)]

mike keene said,

"Taking that one step farther, maybe it means we should rejoice when we get
students who have internalized the notion that the 5 para theme is the
be-all and end-all for writing--for it's those students, exactly those
students, who are ripest for revolt. (And the teachers who inculcate
students with those notions, if any such teachers there be, are actually
playing into our hands.)"

BRAVO!

And I'm also heartened when a student does the same to me.  i.e. I can
yammer on and on about how given example essays work and how their essay
should work, and then, when a student resists and does his/her paper his/her
own way, AND MAKES IT WORK ANYWAY, then I'm a happy man.  It's an odd
satisfaction I feel when I realize a student can do perfectly well IN SPITE
OF what I thought I taught.  Every now and then, in final portfolio
evaluation conferences, I've given an unambiguous A and said, "I haven't
taught you anything; you did this yourself."

I'm OK with that.

james
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                    Dr. James Werchan
(or maybe it's just someone who kinda looks a lot like him)
              Ohio State University at Lima
                    4240 Campus Drive
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