Re: Lists for Professional Writing Class

[Marj Rush Hovde <os1 -at- MACE -dot- CC -dot- PURDUE -dot- EDU>]

L3 writes:

>I will also be teaching a tech writing class this semester. I've
>wondered about the utility of student subscription to techwr-l. How
>did you reach the decision to use the list as a learning tool.

Two factors (at least) led me to decide to have students participate
in lists:
        1.  I have noticed that my students seem to have little grasp
of the complexity of workplace writing, of the constraints under which
writers work.  I have also noticed that they don't really believe me
when I tell them about the complexity, but they do believe it when I
invite a guest speaker from outside the workplace to come in and tell
them what they will face.  The other way they come to understand the
complexity is when they have internships/practicums/summer jobs of
their own.  So, I was hoping the list would provide them an initial
sense of what they will face.

        2.  I have been reading this list for a while now, and I have
learned a great deal from it.

>What ways will you support and incorporate list reading into the class
>experience?

I haven't figured it out exactly.  I hope to introduce the list to
them early on in the class.  (We'll be meeting in an externally
networked computer classroom, so I hope that will make things more
accessible.) As the semester moves on, I hope to bring up issues that
the students have seen discussed on their lists.  I may even give
extra credit for thoughtful questions they post.

>Elizabeth King
>University of Arkansas - Little Rock
>ejking -at- ualr -dot- edu
>voice 501.227.9412

>Thanks!


Marj Rush Hovde
os1 -at- mace -dot- cc -dot- purdue -dot- edu