Well... hmm. Obviously just the name of the course, Issues in Composition, made me a bit apprehensive about the class. At this point in my academic career I was not looking forward to yet another class that was going to require massive amounts of writing – and then bam! Cannibalism... that topic in itself achieved a great task... getting me interested in what the class was going to have to offer: something other than – what can sometimes be described as – the mundane task of essay after essay. Nice hook, Kevin! That was a very interesting couple of days of discussion.
Our discussions on rhetoric were very insightful as well. It was eye opening to say the least to know that everyday in our day to day lives we are trying to persuade others. Its funny, last night I was sitting outside on my porch and I heard the little girl next door begging her dad to let her stay outside until 8:30. She was using bargaining (please, Daddy, I will clean my room and clean out the bottom of my closet) which, unbeknownst to her, she was using an appeal to her daddy’s pathos with her emotional appeal... yes, I actually had that thought run through my mind as she begged and plead with him! He, in return, appealed to her ethos by threatening to spank her if she said please again. Denied! She failed in her use of rhetoric to persuade dad to let her have her way. lol!
This course will benefit me as I begin to teach composition in the classroom. It has given me insight into ways to make writing a less daunting task for students... there are many cool ways to get students to realize that writing is not always about the 5 paragraph model – I know that structure is how I am most comfortable writing, but at the same time, I need to work on breaking out of that shell as well. Not only will my students grow as writers, but I will too. There is always room for growth and fine-tuning the skills we have as writers.
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I share most of your opinions about this class! I was dreading it at first, but it was quite a pleasant surprise! I think about persuasion all the time now, too! I think this class will help us in our future teaching careers, it has given us a different perspective than most of our education classes.
ReplyDeleteHaha I love your story about the little girl, mostly because I remember that I used to do that! But I definitely think that shows how much people use rhetoric and persuasion without even realizing it!
ReplyDeletehaha bam cannibalism is right! The title of this class is really deceiving. I hope students at Angelo State look into what Dr. Garrison really has to offer because I am happy walking away from this class with a completely new understanding of composition.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree!! This class was an interesting surprise from the beginning, and one that will stick with me and help me in my teaching career as well as my writing one.
ReplyDeleteI agree, as well. I was surprised by this course. The title really made me think it would be another boring writing class, but all the discussions incorporated into class have really sparked my interest. I think it has really helped me with my writing and has prepared me to be a better teacher.
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