Last Class

I  bid thee farewell! I have a feeling I will show up here again as I continue my project, but currently all I can think of is attempting to finish, so I don't have it in me to say any lengthy goodbyes. I will say that this has been one of the most interesting experiences of my life, as I can without a doubt say that I have never taken a class like this. It has been a hell of a ride, and I look forward to continuing it in the spring as I research the SWCA even further. 

After the Holiday

Ok, I lied. I didn't do any of my list, and now its time to play catchup. The next three days will be a whirlwind as I attempt to finish (mostly) everything before the poster presentation in a few days. 

Tomorrow is the first poster presentations, and I am wondering as to how my classmates' presentations and research have all turned out. It will be interesting to see all the different perspectives and themes. It will also mean that I will have one less day and really do need to get to work . . .

Before the Holiday

So in the upcoming days I will have some much needed rest and I am really, really, really looking forward to it. Did I mention I was looking forward to it? Unfortunately, it won't be all all happiness as I cannot completely ignore my workload, as much as I would like to. Instead, it's time to do my weekly run down of what the heck I need to work on. 

Let's see . . . 

- The meeting with Dr. Gillespie went great and she gave me great ideas as to how to do my poster. Now I just need to walk over to the MAC lab and get it finished. 

- I still need to finish transcribing! 

- I have been working on the ARP, and need to continue working on the ARP. 

- The survey has been distributed, but I need more people to take it! 

- The observation has been typed and needs to be sent in. 

- The poster presentation is next week and this stuff needs to get done ASAP! 

So, once again, to my lament, I will not be simply lounging about during the holiday. As much as I really, really, want to. 

So far, so good . . .

The big news this week is that I have been able to secure interviews with the founders of the SWCA. This is really good news because it was this section of the research project that was really lacking. My goal is that they will be able to tell me a lot more than what I already have about the first decade of the SWCA. 

I will also be visiting FIU's campus to meet with Dr. Paula Gillespie, the director at their writing center. I'm very excited as it will be her research that will probably turn into my multimodal #2 poster about the writing center and the future of its alumni. 

I must say that for some reason the end of the semester feels so far away, yet I know it's only a few weeks away. I don't know what to do with myself, because I have so much to do, but the sheer amount is boggling my mind! 

Burn Notice

Today, I looked through the blogs for my class, and if I had to code them, there would be one significant correlating aspect: burn out. That seems to be the theme going into our last few weeks and I am not immune from it either. I've hit a stall in my project, and I have to figure out how to hit drive once again.

Currently I am stuck in bringing it all together. I have all the pieces there, but I do not know how the entire project is going to come together. Looking at my own previous blogs, perhaps I will get a sense of where this project needs to head to.

The idea that I have in my mind is that I want this project to fill in the gaps of where history seems to be missing from the SWCA context. Unfortunately, I do not know if I have found the material to fill in those gaps. I hope that I have, and perhaps I am just not seeing it, but at this point I'm just wandering the desert on a horse with no name.

So, let's get this sh . . . stuff together:

- I am done with Multimodal 1. I need to finish Multimodal 2 and update the text boxes in it. I need to start Multimodal 3.

- I have transcribed three out of five interviews. I need to code them all.

- I need to schedule interviews with the founding members of the SWCA.

- The ARP needs to be worked on. Specifically, the methodology section and perhaps get a head start on the works cited page.

- I need to make sure the SWCA survey is distributed and I have results by at least November 26th or I will not have time to include it in my poster presentation and my ARP.

- I have notes for the observation. A complete draft needs to be created.

- The poster presentations are in two weeks, so pretty much all of this list needs to be completed in that time span for me to have any chance of finishing my project.

OMG!

Did I mention I'm burnt out?

A Day in the Life . . .

So, literally, the past two days are a blur to me, as my life has been completely thrown by transcribing. To recapture the hazy memories, this blog is a recapturing of the last 48 hours:

Monday:

8:00 AM: Get to school, excited to spend perhaps a couple of hours transcribing and then continue on to the million and one things I have to also do.

9:25 AM: Class time rolls around and some hesitation is starting to creep into my mind, as I've only transcribed 5 minutes of my interview during the past hour.

11:00 AM: Back in the writing lab, more hesitation, as I look at my watch and see that it is almost noon and I had only done 10 minutes of the interview!

12: 05 PM: Considered skipping class to keep transcribing, but figured it was probably only because I was typing slowly that it had taken so long. I resolved to speed it up, get to class and hurry back.

2:00 PM: Started typing away (faster) and reach the 20 minute mark in my interview. It was at this point that my hand started cramping, I reached 6 pages and I began to think, damn, why did I interview for an hour?

3: 25 PM: Brief water and restroom break (actually feel guilty about it). When I get back, had a little moaning session with fellow classmates and it helps to know I'm not alone.

6:00 PM: I close down the writing center, seeing as even the staff has left, and I had just finished my first interview transcription. Head over to the library to start my second interview. . .

7:15 PM: Call a friend and ask to borrow a laptop. Seriously, cannot take sitting in school anymore typing away my life.

8:00 PM: Get home, eat a bowl of soup and muster the nerve to start typing away.

Tuesday:

12:00 AM: Finish my second interview. In total, 3 hours and 6 pages. Shoot me now. Start the third interview transcribing.

2:00 AM: Finally give up, 3 pages in, and call it a night. Even if it is due in the morning, I would need at least 6 hours to even, perhaps, be close to finishing my last interviews.

8:35 AM: On the drive to school, edit the work from the night before in the car. Carpel tunnel syndrome begins to set it. 

12:05 PM: Good news! Extension til 11:59 PM today to turn in interviews transcribed and coded. I begin to breathe . . . 

1:00 PM: I then begin to stop breathing once again, as I start the third interview. 

3:45 PM: Finish the third interview. Total 9 pages, about 4 hours transcribing. 

It's now 4:03 PM and I have 7 hours 56 minutes to finish transcribing my last interview, and to code all four - actually five, as I had forgotten an email interview. As I deserve a much needed break, I'm heading to my weekly kickboxing class. Maybe I can punch and kick all my frustration out and finally finish this part of my project!

My Day at the Library

Well, I have finished my four interviews and have begun the day of transcribing. I don't believe one day will not be enough and tomorrow I will probably be making round trips to the library between classes to finish all the transcribing that needs to be done before Tuesday.

Today's blog will be rather short as there is only one thing on my mind right now: transcribe, transcribe, transcribe!

On a side note, I have an observation draft due as well on Thursday, but I don't know if on a subconscious level I am hoping to ignore it look enough and perhaps it will go away. So far that hasn't worked, so I really need to do that as well.

Coldplay is playing through my headphones right now, but they are not having the soothing effects that I had hoped they would've had. This was not the time for my school to cancel its yoga classes!

The Bermuda Triangle

In the spirit of elections, today's class focused on the rhetoric that can be employed throughout our multimodal writings. Our professor equated the "triangle of communication" as vital to creating multimodal works that will translate well into our research project.

For example, the elections as portrayed through the context created by the media determines the three points of the triangle. News broadcast by two different networks will create two different news segments. These examples made me analyze my own multimodals.

The first, a brochure, is pretty much complete. We analyzed the first multimodal for audience, text and writer. Below is a copy of the workshop that we did in class that day. The black text is my writing and the read is a fellow classmate's. 

 The loftiest goal I have for this project is to create a 30-second spot for the SWCA. I have a rudimentary knowledge of video production, but coupled with my OCD tendencies, I hope to have a final product that will pass the SWCA's approval. The next step is to create a theme for the segment, ideas for the text and possible music. I think I will make this my multimodal #3 so that I will have the most possible time.

Interestingly enough, I was recently speaking with my professor about possible multimodals and he had mentioned our previous conversations about creating an article for the Southern Discourse. The next day, in the middle of interviewing, my interviewee spoke on the future of the SWCA, and made a little light bulb turn on in my head. Although I will continue with the article, I will be creating themed posters for the SWCA. The writing center at my school has such posters for other programs so I will attempt to draw inspiration from them.

Our next class period is cancelled because our professor is presenting at a conference; I will attempt to utilize the time to transcribe my interviews. At the moment I don't have a computer at home (unfortunately MacBooks don't survive hitting a wall in a car accident), so I have fallen behind in my transcribing. As this assignment is due next Tuesday, I will have to dedicate a day before then to the library. My goal is to finish the checklist I began last week and then begin to focus on the last multimodals and the ARP.

In one of the posters I mentioned previously, there are "Writing Rocks" to inspire students. One recently caught my eye and made me chuckle at how closely it relates to my academic standing. So, in the words of Thomas Carlyle:

"No pressure, no diamonds."

PDA - Public Display of Affection Anxiety

This week has been interesting to say the least. At Tuesday's class, we received the upcoming due dates for our Multimodal Project # 1, interview transcripts, survey results and observation draft. If one ever wished to see a live public meltdown of a complete class, KEN 209B was the place to be, as our professor made all four assignments due in two weeks. 

The realization then came that I although I have been (fairly) good at staying on top of my research, I am really going to have to kick it into high gear if I am going to have any chance of completing all my work before the due dates. So in the spirit of "git-r-done", this blog will be a checklist of what I need to do before the due dates.

- Multimodal Project # 1: This MM will be a brochure for the SWCA. I have a draft and I will need to edit it to make it final for printing and distribution. Excitingly, this brochure will be used for the SWCA, and I am debating whether or not to put my name on it for credit.

- Interview transcripts: I am (still) working on transcribing my first interview! I never knew the process would take this long, and I definitely underestimated the amount of effort it takes into transcribing interviews. I don't know if I am just over analyzing how I transcribe, but this task will be the hardest (and probably take the longest) time completing - especially because I will be doing four interviews next week! Looking on the bright side, four individuals that I have asked to interview have said yes. This weekend will be spent researching a brief biography on each and contextualizing my interview questions to fit within their experience.

- Survey results: My survey is complete and I now need to receive approval to begin distributing it. We had an interesting class last week where we debated the ethics of whom should be asked to take a survey. Applying the debate to my research, I will be emailing the survey to those at the writing center at my school, (possibly) emailing it to members of the SWCA and posting a link on the SWCA website. I need to complete this ASAP; if the results are due in two weeks, I need to get the survey out so people can actually take the darn thing.

- Observation draft: This is where my to do checklist comes to a screeching halt as I have yet to 100% decide what I will be observing. I am leaning towards observing the writing center at my institution and examining how I can apply that to the SWCA.

As Sod's Law predicts, according to my British counterpart, or on our side of the pond, Murphy does, "everything that can go wrong, will", as just this week the due dates for two oral presentations, another research paper and third journalism story have been announced and they are in two weeks as well! I just have to get it together and make sure I control my public meltdowns!

The ARP Approaches

Like the seconding coming, the Academic Research Paper (ARP) is upon me and I have had to buckle down to start putting together a substantial draft to bring in to class. The process of writing the ARP was oddly enough hard and easy at the same time.

Starting with the easy part, the problem statement, research questions and review of literature were based on previous work that I had done - the Research Proposal and the Annotated Bib. The hard part came in when I had to change the language of both documents to fit the context of the ARP. I accomplished this by putting the writing in past tense, removing the first person narrative and organizing/structuring the sections to flow into one another.

After that, the task definitely became harder, as I had to draft the Abstract and Methodology sections. The Abstract section was difficult because it can only be about 120 - 150 words. I've included the draft below:

This research project is intended to present the 30-year history of the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA). Since its founding in 1981, there exists no substantial historical writing on the SWCA. Utilizing the tools of historicism, this project will attempt to contextualize the history of the SWCA throughout a specific time period through text-based research, observations, surveys and interviews. The intent is to then bring together an evolutionary history of the SWCA; discovering its past, establishing its present and looking towards its future. By connecting the three standpoints, this research project will attempt to provide the SWCA with a historical foundation capable of propelling the organization into a vivid future.

With the Abstract section (fairly) done, I began to tackle the Methodology section. I must admit I have had a hard time with this section, and I can't really place my finger on why that is so. The methodology should be a section in which I discuss my text-based research, interviews, survey and observations. One problem that I realize I have is how concisely I am writing. Sometimes I write one sentence that I think adequately describes one of the four categories and I want to leave it that way. I will have to work on expanding the text so that it is both descriptive and concise. 

So far, our assignment has been to get the first three sections done, as we are not yet to the point where we could complete the entire paper. We will be having a workshop in class this week on all the ARPs and that should be, pardon my scotch, a helluva session!  

Survey Workshop Part Deux

As the last blog started my journey with surveys, this one will continue into the foray as well. We've all signed up to SurveyMonkey and my hunch that seeing the questions on the site would help proved right. SurveyMonkey has so many different options and it was extremely helpful to just go into the site and explore the possibilities.

We continued the workshop format for class and had a rotating setup so that we all worked on each other's survey. The comments were varied and random, to be honest, but at the same time made me realize how every individual is different, so I have to create a survey that can be applicable to all them. A surmountable task, but one that must be done to create a survey that will actually produce results.

Below are some of the questions that have made it into my survey:

• Which category describes your position?
• How many hours per week do you spend at your school's writing center?
• How informed are you and your writing center coworkers about the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA)?
• How well utilized (read, discussed, used for training, etc.) is the SWCA's publication, Southern Discourse, at your writing center?
• The SWCA hosts annual conferences that are designed to bring the entire region together. What two cities located within the region are most convenient for you to attend?
• Which of the following local events would you most like to see the SWCA host in the future?
• What feature would you most like to see added to the SWCA website?  

Each will have options (duh!), but I'll leave that to be seen by those that take my survey. The next step is to have the survey approved, and sent out into the writing center world!  

Survey Workshop

This week we started to work on surveys, and I have a few ideas running through my mind. Below was my original draft and a print screen of the notes I took on it when I had a workshop in class with fellow classmates and my professor. I also sat down the director of the writing center at my school and worked on it with him to discover the possibilities of this survey.

The screen shot showcases my original ideas on how to draft a (possible) survey. The next step will be to log on to SurveyMonkey and find out the question types and formats available. I think that my seeing how the survey can be setup on SurveyMonkey will help move my survey to the next level as well.

Looks like my "pet project" has just transformed from a 500 lb tiger needing taming to a spry little monkey that needs training.

Research Wrap

Going along the last blog’s theme, below will be a research wrap for the articles I have been reading. Two were some pretty heavy theorizing material that I had to wrap my head around and the others were documents from the International Writing Center Association's website.

Theorizing the Writing Center: An Uneasy Task (Peter Carino)

Really, with this article, Carino wasn't kidding when he said it would be an uneasy task. The amount of information was overwhelming. The article starts with Carino’s assertion that the writing center field (at the time) was moving away from only practice, to theory as well. Writing center theorists have two agendas: bringing practice through theory and using theory politically to define the writing center not only to composition studies, but to identify it within the academic world, thus establishing a center's disciplinary status and its role within the institution. Carino brings in theory from several authors (North, Warnocks, Knoblauch & Brannon, Bruffee, Ede, Lunsford, Gillam, Murphy, Hobson) and analyzes each one for how they really contextualize into the writing center realm. To be honest, I have no idea how any/all of this information will be applicable to the SWCA. If anything, I learned more than I ever thought I would about writing center theory. Having 3+ pages of notes will have to do, as it would be especially easy to get lost within Carino's article.

The National Writing Centers Association as Mooring: A Personal History of the First Decade (Joyce Kinkead)

The manner in which Kinkead approached the history of the NWCA is very similar to how I am approaching the SWCA. In her notes section, Kinkead writes that this was a keynote address at the first NWCA conference in 1994. One of my (possible) goals for this project is a presentation at the SWCA conference. It is important to note that the National WCA is now the International WCA. I will use Kinkead's article to compare and contrast how the SWCA has evolved. It is my intention that with such an approach I will be able to investigate the SWCA more deeply. I had spoken to my professor how to find primary research, and Kinkead's utilization of minutes, conference programs, etc. will be an amazing addition if I could find them.

The other articles I read were from the IWCA website and they included such topics as what a writing center is, how it operates, how to start one and branching out of such ideas. They will be used more for my own background knowledge, as I am approaching this research project intended with an audience that is familiar about the writing center field.

Looking ahead, the next "pet projects" will starting my surveys and getting into gear with my interviews. Now, although I joke about it being my pet project, it is only joking made out of terror, as I know my pet is really a 500 lb tiger that I really need to start taming.

Saturday Night Fever

My cheesy chicken & rice casserole bakes in the oven; Frost battles Nixon in front of me on HBO; and I look over my notes on the SWCA in amazement of my Saturday night. A few weeks back, our professor joked about having an assignment due on a Saturday night, 11:59 PM, and if whether that would get in the way of our "nightlife". The answer I gave him then, is even more poignant now - after all I am writing this when I should very well be replicating Travolta, not in dance moves per se, but in living out my youth. I guess those days are over! Or, at least they will be, until I finish these damn degrees.

Today has been a microcosm of how I have attempted to research the SWCA. I deliberately scheduled my work for this week to be Friday and Saturday mornings, so I would have afternoons/evenings available for research and school work - possibly freeing my nights. Unfortunately, as Burns says it better than me, the best laid plans . . .

I have this unnerving need to often look up any subject that is brought to my attention. This is not such a good trait when you are attempting to read writing center theory. Such is my ADD mind: as CNN plays in the background, Pete Dominick appears with his new segment, and I start looking up Rick Sanchez; the host brings in Arianna Huffington as a contributor, and I start looking up her biography, the Huffington Post and read a blog by the Greek writer; as I read the Huff, I remember that she had been a panelist on Bill Maher, and I start looking up the controversial host; I watch clips of Real Times, hearing the cover up story of Pat Tillman from his brother Rich, and begin to look up the Tillman controversy; I feel the weight of the clock on my shoulders and realize I have just spent three hours looking up all these random topics - and confirm that really I can't lay out a plan for the life of me.

Not to be deterred - I was going to read these damn articles if they killed me - I decided to get out of the house and walk down to Starbucks, only a mile or so down the road. This was the life-saver for me, as it has been the most amazing weather, and during my walk, I realized that as much as I have organized the areas around me, I had still not "Aryanne-proofed" my apartment. I, unfortunately, am not strong willed enough to resist the crack-like temptation of the Internet, and thankfully the sterile location of the coffee shop allowed me to get about 4 hours of work done uninterrupted.

To ensure I did not relapse, I did not take my laptop, and as a result most of my notes are handwritten and in the margins of the text. This then will be what my Saturday night will be spent on: transcribing the 7 pages of handwritten notes and my interview from last Monday.

So, at last, au revoir to my Saturday nights - and bonjour to a different kind of fever.

My First "Official" Interview

This past Monday I completed my first interview with the president of the SWCA. He is also the director of my school’s writing center, so it was a great opportunity. On the whole, the interview went well, but this blog will focus on specific areas that need improvement and others that could be expanded to make better.

First, although I took notes throughout the interview, I did not sit down afterwards and gather my thoughts. I think I really should have done this because it parallels the method that I followed while writing the Annotated Bib. With the interview fresh on my mind, there may have been specific incidents, words, phrases, etc. that I could have written down. For the upcoming interviews, I will do my best to complete this last step, as it may lead to new observations.

An issue that I had was how to read my questions. While the interview was ongoing, I was attempting to think or look down at my next question, while still paying attention and taking notes. This didn’t work very well, until I looked down and realized (insert smack in the head here) that the page, when pressed down, allowed me to read the typed questions underneath. With this new revelation, I was able to see the questions, and still take notes.

Another aspect that I need to fix is time management. It is possible to “feel” how long an interview is, but I would like to know the exact time length. I thought bringing out my cell phone would be rude, and looking down at the voice recorder might distract the interviewee, so I have decided to fix my wristwatch. With good time management I will be more in control of the interview.

Steps that I completed well were in establishing rapport with my interviewee, obtaining informed consent to record the interview and utilizing the techniques offered by our professor’s handout. I really would like to ask the interviewee for suggestions and critique, but I don't think you are supposed to be asking your interviewee that! On the whole, I believe the interview flowed smoothly, and I hope my future interviews work as well. The next step will be writing my “Thank You” email and transcribing the interview.

One down, I don’t know how many more to go!

Applying My Research Tools

In a previous blog, I had written of my need to make changes in my research method. Wendy Bishop's The Research Writer at Work; or, Managing Your Data Before it Manages (to Overwhelm) You has resonated in my mind ever since I read it. In particular, it is her second emphasis on how to not let your research overwhelm you that has stuck in my head. After staying up til 4 A.M. to finish my Annotated Bib, I knew changes had to be made. That was the Annotated Bib; if I follow the same trajectory, the Research Paper would surely be the end of me. It's about time I utilize the invitations that Bishop extends throughout her article.

The first invitation was to "give up buying something this week", and utilize the money towards "materials that will help you organize your writing life" (100). Without a doubt, I need folders. I have about 20 articles, and they are starting to jump out of the paper clips I currently have them in. With folders I will be able to organize them into categories, or perhaps with one large binder I will organize them into sections. Also, the interview section is fast approaching, and I need a legal pad where I can have all my notes in one place. With my research organized, perhaps I won't feel that it is taking over my life.

The second invitation was to "take a personal inventory" (105), specifically of the physical location that you are writing in. Currently, I am tapping away on the keys of the library computer, but at the time of reading Bishop's article I was sprawled on the couch, snacking away, with the TV blaring in front of me, and the iPod sounds drifting in from the bedroom. All this and more contrasts with the environment Bishop invites her readers to create. Ironically, I don't need to purchase any of the furniture Bishop advises; I just have to get my lazy butt over to my office corner and clean my own desk up.
  

Contents of my desk: everything but my research material.


Yes, the picture shows the absolute mess that was my desk. In all its glory, that is a my blow dryer, cold medicine, 1-month-old newspaper, air filter and every other loose end of my life on predominate display. No where will you find research material, computer or any other "desk" material that should be there. My task today was then to clean it up and fulfill Bishop's invitation. And so I did. It only took 20 minutes, which just goes to show how lazy I was being, and now I have the area I should have been working in the past month.

Now only to keep it this way.


Bishop's last invitation is to ask other writers how they write. I will probably accomplish this task throughout the week, as I really am interested in finding out how others are going about their research paper. She specifies to ask on "space and physical layout" (106), areas that I have had issues on, and hopefully their advice will gear me towards the right way.

I had been thinking on writing this blog for weeks now, ever since that first reading of Researching Writer at Work, but it was our last class session that inspired me to do so. It was a mini-therapy session for most of us, as we all exclaimed the highs and lows of our current research project. Most of us have had the same issues I have written about here, and it made me realize I am not alone, and I really should change before my research manages, in the words of Bishop, to overwhelm me.

Observing the Law Cafe

It's Thursday, a breezy, sunny day in South Florida that directly contrasts with the previous 100% chance of rain on Wednesday. 11:30 AM is not the busiest time for the Law Cafe, and as a result, my fellow observer and I are the only two customers in the cafe. A bit of a chill hangs in the air as I order my cafe con leche with, unfortunately, a marble loaf, seeing as they are fresh out of Cuban toast. As I sit down, I cannot help but contrast the bustling motion of the outside with the intense quietness of the cafe. Behind me I hear coffee brewing, the intermittent sounds of the AC blowing - and then suddenly - the harsh tap, tap, tap of bright red heels breaks the silence of the cafe, as a female law student breezes in with a blurring blaze of a matching red silk shirt and orders her lunch. I hear the snatches of Spanish spoken between the student and the workers; bits and pieces between the loud, hissing sound of the espresso machine.

Looking out once more into the breezeway, Pink Floyd breaks into my head, Gilmour's voice singing "two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year." With a second glimpse, I see it: the law students swimming around in the breezeway, my viewing them through the glass divider, all suspended in a liquidated haze. I question for a moment who is in the fish bowl, me or them, but my thoughts are once again suspended as a brash young man, dressed in business attire, wearing a powerful red shirt, walks straight up to counter with a resounding order for a Red Bull - no sugar please. With the first sip, I can see the drink running through his body, as he quickly pays his tab and walks out with the same blurring motion that he had entered in.

In sharp contrast, the next customers are miles away from the business student now high on the elixir of Red Bull. An old man walks in, his leathery hands clutching at a plastic bag filled with a can apiece of chick peas and chicken noodle soup. The student behind him, who may not be physically the same age as the older man, portrays the same aura of a large weight upon his shoulder, slowly exhaling and wiping his brow as he enters the Law Cafe. He sits beside us, now equipped with a cup of coffee, staring into the contents as if Carly Simon's clouds were to soon appear. Each spend about 10 minutes in the cafe, clear their table and step out back into the breezeway to continue with the drudgery of their day.

I hear a tap upon the glass and look up from my notes, only to connect eyes with a law student peering into the cafe. As we are the only customers in here, I am a bit startled; looking at my fellow observer with what was probably a comical apprehensive look. The student takes no notice of us, and as he continues on with his peeping Tom exercise, I myself go back to observing those in the breezeway.

In the rectangular space - bordered with the Law Cafe and the Law Library on its east and west side, a parking lot to the north, and the south facing the rest of the University - I see only a few unisex couple sitting together, the rest larger groups of same-sex studiers; book sellers touting they have "Everything You Need to Pass the Bar"; tables filled with predominantly white and Latino students; the banished corner of smokers, blowing their anxiety and frustration out with nicotine; a Navy recruiter wearing a sharp white suit with matching heels saunters by; a large "Summer in Spain" banner hanging above all the intense niches of conversation each student seems immersed in; all culminating in a constant motion reminiscent of a bee hive. Even from inside the Law Cafe, I sense this air that the law students seem to exude, an aura that is impenetrable, austere, neurotic - and those that don't exude such an air, seem lost to the overwhelming motion, the lost souls that must be source for Pink Floyd appearing in my head. 

As I wind down my observations, lunch hour has fast approached, and the Law Cafe is now bustling with activity. Surrounding us is a cacophony of Spanish and English; a student dressed to the T contrasts with the athletic wear another exhibits, while the one behind expresses his thoughts with a BE BOLD written, actually quite boldly, on the front of his t-shirt; the workers are now much more hurried, filling orders, making food. Gathering up my material, saving my last notes, two bodybuilders walk in with a cocky gait all their own. Their passionate debate - on the merits of a shake they are drinking - is interrupted by the first business student I had observed. As quickly as he walks in, he walks out, his voice trailing behind him, "You know what I want". The only evidence he had walked in is the dollar left behind in one of the bodybuilder’s hands. Neither seems to mind the interruption, and continue on feverishly with their conversation, finishing their order and walking out. I walk out behind them, one voice louder than the other carrying back to me, "That shit makes me hungry." Yes, well, substituting tangible food for a liquid diet just might make you hungry. I guess no one ever said admittance to a law school was the guarantee of genius.

The "Official" Annotated Bibliography

Going with the previous of specific journaling, I will include my Annotated Bib in the same manner I included my Research Proposal. The last blog was extremely helpful while writing because I had done a major portion of the work by writing my thoughts on the articles as I read. I will without a doubt keep this a part of my research project as I continue to read more research material.

Unfortunately, the Annotated Bib did gave me far more trouble than the Research Proposal did. As a result, I finished at 4 AM. Interestingly enough, as I was writing Annotated Bib, I progressively became sicker. How this is possible, I do not know, but when I started Saturday morning I did not have so much as a sore throat, and by the time I went to bed I had a fever, cough and fatigue. Go figure. So, in all its glory, my "Official" Annotated Bibliography:

The SWCA: An Annotated Bibliography

History

Hanlon, C. (2005). History on the Cheap: Using the Online Archive to Make Historicists out of Undergrads. Pedagogy: Critical Approaches to Teaching Literature, Language, Composition, and Culture, 5 (1), 97-101.

History on the Cheap is an article in the Pedagogy journal written by Christopher Hanlon. The article describes the author’s frustration with his students and their lack of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects. While thinking of the subject, Hanlon writes of his challenge to compel students to write essays that encourage him to read further and at the same time showcase the student is “possessed of something like specialized knowledge” (p. 97). Hanlon then infers that if a student searches throughout the archives of history, they will be able to find their own answers, and not rely on a professor’s prompt throughout an essay. Hanlon points out several instances in which his students have utilized online archives to wield a thought-provoking and original piece of writing. Hanlon does provide a warning, in which he states that without proper contextualization, connections or judgment about the historical texts, a student may soon find themselves on the wrong path (p. 101). Even with such a possibility, Hanlon speaks favorably of the concept, arguing it empowers students to create interesting work.

In the same manner that Hanlon argues for his students to create thought-provoking work, he himself has created an interesting article that fulfills his intended purpose. In proposing such an innovative idea, Hanlon is able to connect to his audience. As a reader, I was compelled to analyze Hanlon’s argument throughout my own academic background, and found many of his ideas to be true. It has only been in the research project I am currently undertaking that I have been asked to find my own topic. It was throughout other articles as I researched the SWCA that I came across the term historicist and was able to utilize Hanlon’s writing as a spring point into discovering the process I am undertaking. My project entails researching the SWCA’s evolutionary history. Before reading Hanlon’s article, I did not know that there existed such a term to describe my project, in which I would be attempting to contextualize the history of the SWCA to a specific time period.  Now aware of the significance of what my research project is attempting to do, I will be better equipped to not get lost along the way.

Moore, R. H. (1950). The Writing Clinic and the Writing Laboratory. In R.W. Barnett & J. S. Blumner (Ed.), The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (pp. 3 – 9). New York, NY: Longman.

The Writing Clinic and the Writing Laboratory is an article by Robert H. Moore written originally in 1950. Throughout the article, Moore does not write of writing centers, but instead makes a distinction between a writing clinic and a writing laboratory. Both of these are based on remedial work, in which diagnosis and remedial measures are dispensed. The author argues that in practice the two are interchangeable, but that for the article’s purpose, he would create theoretical distinctions. He then lays out the differences and similarities between the two. The clinic is a place to supplement remedial devices and should be geared toward intelligent and eager students who will utilize the self-help that is dispensed. In the clinic there are three methods of diagnosis of a student’s writing: the writing may be brought in and analyzed; the student may write a paper to be analyzed (Moore argues this will not be fully efficient because the student will fix the paper); or the student may undergo a diagnostic test. Once such steps are completed, remedial measures are then outlined, but the clinic will not be responsible for the supervision of such measures.  Continually, the lab has many of the same proponents, but is likely geared towards students part of a larger group, often who came under compulsion (and must be subsequently released), although some may have come for voluntary assistance. Another variation is the supervision that will be enacted between instructor and student in the form a working relationship.

Moore’s article was surprising in its emphasis on remedial work, and must then be analyzed through historical lenses, drawing parallels and distinctions between the audience it was written for and the audience it is currently being read by. By placing importance on the context in which it was written in and the distinctions that were made between clinic and lab, one can gain a greater understanding on the issues that were surrounding the writing center field throughout the 1950s and how it is applicable to the historical periods that followed it. It very might well have met the demands of its intended audience in the 1950s, but as a reader 60 years later, the presentation of the writing center as a remedial “fix-it” shop does not fit into the mold of the writing center mission I have come to know.  These aspects must then be evaluated throughout the history of the SWCA and how the association fits into the context. This article is written about 30 years before the association was formed, so it may have had influence on the young organization. The questions that must then be asked are how the SWCA may have accepted or repudiated Moore’s claims; what the SWCA believed to be the mission of writing centers, and how they fit into the contexts of clinics v. labs; essentially, this article has made me question what would have been the historical background that predated its founding. 

Carino, P. (1995). Early Writing Centers: Toward a History. In R.W. Barnett & J. S. Blumner (Ed.), The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (pp. 10 - 21). New York, NY: Longman.

                Early Writing Centers is an article written by Peter Carino in The Writing Center Journal. Carino presents a limited, but enlightening history, of writing centers. He traces the laboratory method to an early 1900s teacher in St. Louis. Moving forward through the first decades of the 20^th century, Carino writes of the growing trend towards utilizing the lab method throughout high school and post-secondary education. In 1934, the University of Minnesota and the University of Iowa establish separate facilities for lab instruction. Distinctions that are made by Carino are the tie that the Minnesota lab has to a classroom and the independent facility established by Iowa. Throughout the 1940s, a large growth to the education population can be seen after WWII, and centers for writing continue to grow. Carino asserts that the University of Denver and other institutions were creating places with a description similar to the model seen today; while other universities adhere to remedial pedagogy, as shown by Moore’s 1950 article, and assumed by many in the field today. After 1955, Carino writes, little discussion is shown in the field until Dorothy Whitted article on tutorials in 1966. It is at this point in the article, that Carino assumes the rest is history in the field of writing centers, and does not continue into the 70s and beyond.

Equally important throughout Carino’s article is the distinction he makes between diachronic and synchronic history (two aspects I had to research in order to understand his article). The previous history that Carino had presented is an example of diachronic history, in which I had to look up, and according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is relating with any phenomena as it occurs or changes over a period of time.  The diachronic history of writing centers that was presented in the article is not complete because Carino contends it is too reliant on the selection and arrangement of the events. A more accurate analysis may be provided by Carino’s utilization of synchronic history, in which Carino presents events concerned in a limited time and does not rely on historical antecedents. Carino presents three essential questions that have concerned early clinics and labs in relation to the labs and centers today.

Although Carino asserts the history that he presents in his article is limited and hazy, I would contend that for a first-time researcher on the writing center field he is able to draw an abstract history that will enlighten said researcher. Carino’s article is able to able to create a historical trial that showcases the branches of the field forming, how throughout history writing centers’ themes change and shift, and how it can be analyzed through a diachronic and synchronic historical context. His breakdown will prove useful for research on the SWCA’s own evolutionary history. Three subfields that are mentioned in Carino’s article that should be asked and answered for the SWCA are the questions of clientele, staff and institutional identity. In particular, his examination on writing centers made me think of the possibilities on how such contextualization, of a diachronic and synchronic history, can be applied to the SWCA.

Summerfield, J. (1988). Writing Centers: A Long View. In R.W. Barnett & J. S. Blumner (Ed.), The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (pp. 22 – 28). New York, NY: Longman.

                Writing Centers: A Long View is an article written by Judith Summerfield recounting her personal experiences with writing centers. She begins the article by assuming the roles of flight and perch, as exemplified by William James. Summerfield equates that parts of our lives are lived in flight, or as participants, while at other times, life is perched, and we are spectators. Throughout her life Summerfield can find her in flight and perched periods. It is during the 1970s, a time of change in university policy and a new atmosphere that Summerfield sees the writing center “as integral to . . . political, social, and pedagogic experiments” (p. 23). Throughout this time of doing, reading and writing, Summerfield cannot stop her questioning nature and is compelled to ask why? ; subsequently she is “rotated” out of her position at the writing center. 

               

                At this point, Summerfield begins to questions the lessons that can be learned from those early days. From her perched state, Summerfield concludes that two stages emerged from the workshop experiment. First, the one-to-one tutoring aspect showcases the differences between all of us. Second, the workshop experiment recognizes “the social nature of language and learning” (p. 25). With such a large possibility for growth, the writing center can be seen as a community – a possibility that can lead to problems within an institution. This was the point in which Summerfield’s own history had been “rotated”, and she offers a cautionary tale on questioning nature of students united. Even with such a warning, Summerfield argues for the “gathering of minds” and cautions against any aspect that may stop such a feat (p. 28).

               

                Summerfield’s article offers a personal account on the field of writing centers in the 1970s and 80s that parallels the description of writing centers in The Idea of a Writing Center. Unfortunately, it is her own enthusiasm that brings about her ousting from the writing center. Thus, the personal history that Summerfield weaves is perhaps a microcosm of the writing center field in the 70s and 80s. Branches of ideas that will connect the SWCA to this article are the microcosm representation. If Summerfield is correct in her presentation, the decade before the inception of the SWCA was a flowering of writing center idealism. In the oncoming decade, the tides have shifted; the same decade that was the SWCA’s first decade. Drawing from such conclusions, one must question the challenges that were faced by the SWCA, how they interacted with the evolving field of writing centers and how the 70s and 80s decades had any effect on subsequent periods.

Theory

North, S. M.  (1984). The Idea of a Writing Center. In R.W. Barnett & J. S. Blumner (Ed.), The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (pp. 63 – 78). New York, NY: Longman.

The Idea of a Writing Center is an article written by Stephen M. North concerning his frustration with the state of writing centers in 1984. North laments the misconceptions that surround writing centers, often not only at the hands of the entire university, but at the ignorance exhibited in the English field towards the writing center. North does not agree with any notion that the writing center is a fix-it shop, nor a skills center, and it does not deal with mechanical problems. North then begins his (militant) argument for the old writing center as offset of curriculum, but the new writing center as defining itself on the writers it serves. North asserts the job of a writing center s “to produce better writers, not better writing” (p. 69). From this point on, North systematically presents what the foundations of writing centers should be, how it interacts with the institution and the importance of writing tutor and tutee relationships. Throughout the last pages, North outlines the mentality of writing centers in the 1980s. He proposes the difficulty in the possibility of research in writing centers; makes a distinction that writing center work is not considered fundable; and argues the writing center field can often be considered professional liability.

Throughout the article, North makes it a point to state that he did not wish to present himself as overly argumentative or as to having a defeatist attitude.  As much as the author did not want to “sound” that way, he sure did come across actually in such manners. One can understand such a viewpoint, for if read in the historical context it is presented in, North is attempting to present ideas that offer revolutionary viewpoints on writing centers. Faced with a history, and subsequent condition, in which he does not agree with, North must militantly argue for his new standpoints on writing centers. The article was especially useful on it presentation of specific areas such as the origins and themes of writing centers, how they relate (or possibly may not) to a campus and the mentality of the 1980s writing center field. In the perspective of the SWCA, I will have to research how the association fits into North’s idea. North’s article is written in 1984, three years after the SWCA’s inception, and must then be analyzed how it has influenced the association’s beginning years, and subsequent history.   

North, S. M.  (1994). Revisiting “The Idea of a Writing Center”. In R.W. Barnett & J. S. Blumner (Ed.), The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (pp. 79 – 91). New York, NY: Longman.

                Revisiting “The Idea of a Writing Center” is an article written by Stephen M. North to combat his own arguments in an article written ten years prior, The Idea of a Writing Center. North begins his article by presenting the movie Dead Poets Society as a small idealized representation of what teaching is and can be. In a similar pattern his first article “presents its own kind of jeopardy” (p.81). North’s intended audience had been a general one, but believes its greater impact has been on those associated with writing centers. By focusing on specific passages, North creates amendments to his previous essay. Specifically, North focuses on passages that pertained to student’s motivation, the anthropological viewpoint of the writing center and the ritual of writing, the relationship of the writing center to faculty and a debate between the writing center as the consciousness or the conscience of writing for a university. North continues that with the passage of time, he has come to an amended idea of what a writing center should be. In the framework of his previous passages, he stipulates four distinct situations ideal to any writing center. North concludes that his amended idea of what a writing center should be is not a final product, because of all the possible branching of new introductions.

                North’s 1994 article seems to be written by North 2.0; this new version of North is radically different and writes in a completely different style. He seems more open-minded to the idea of change and his amendments propose a different modus operandi for writing centers. As opposed to his previous article, North writes for an audience that is particularly vested in the field of writing centers, and not for a general purpose. With such a change, North is able to focus his message, specifically his amendments, on how it will affect writing centers and how they operate. His article, in addition to other presented on theory, have created a timeline on writing center ideas. These ideas have been hard to grasp, and will require diligence to understand them completely. I write this to illustrate North’s idea of consciousness with that of conscience; one that I will have to research fully because it will be applicable to the evolutionary history of the SWCA.  Even from first readings, I can see that North’s ideas are influential and it is significant how his first article was written in 1984, and then subsequently revisited in 1994. This rewriting aspect shows a progression in how writing centers were examined; from such an examination I will attempt to find any current North writing that showcase the continuing evolution of writing centers.

Lunsford, A. (1991). Collaboration, Control, and the Idea of a Writing Center. In R.W. Barnett & J. S. Blumner (Ed.), The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing Center Theory and Practice (pp. 92 – 99). New York, NY: Longman.

Collaboration, Control, and the Idea of a Writing Center is an article written by Andrea Lunsford to discuss the art of collaboration. Lunsford theorizes that collaboration can have adverse affects on writing centers, for it “reflects a broad-based epistemological shift, a shift in the way we view knowledge” (p. 93). Throughout her own experiences, the author believes collaboration would be a downfall to both her representation of writings centers: “The Center as Storehouse” and “The Center as Garret”. Ironically, her research pointed her in a different direction, as she highlights seven claims on the affects of collaboration. Even with such research backing up collaboration, Lunsford is hesitant with collaboration, because she feels collaborative environments and tasks are hard to create, collaboration comes in a variety of modes and must be cautious as to not reproduce a traditional model. Lunsford then advocates for the creation “of the writing center as Burkean Parlors, as centers of collaboration” (p. 98). Such collaborations would be the creation of a third representation of writing centers and prove to be the future of collaboration – an alternative that challenges the status quo.
Lunsford’s article continues the debate into the theoretical foundations of what a writing center should be. In this essay, she debates the theory of collaboration and if it can be applied to the writing center. If such a collaborative stage were to be set, the possibilities are endless, particularly the focusing on changing the status quo. Such a theory based article will be applicable to the SWCA’s own proposition on theory. Throughout its 30-year history, the SWCA will have texts of its own practices, ideas, theories – all these and more will have to be contextualized through the articles that were begin written in the same period. By analyzing the evolving practice of the SWCA and how it related to prominent theory of the time, I will be better equipped to understand what the SWCA is truly about.

Preparing for the Annotated Bib

With the due date for my Annotated Bib upon me, this blog will focus on thoughts running through my head about the articles I have read so far on the writing center field:

History on the Cheap (Christopher Hanlon)

Hanlon's article made me think that I had never before not been given a prompt and made to write on that said prompt. Then again, this is exactly what has been asked in Multigenre Research and Writing. No one has been given a prompt and we are searching for historical significance. Hanlon has some powerful quotes and makes one think of the innovation of his idea. This is also the second time I have encountered this term (historicist) so I will need to do more research on it.

Writing Clinic & Writing Lab (Robert H. Moore)

The article was unexpected the portrayal of the center as a remedial "fix-it" shop. It is important to remember the context it was written in and the distinction made between clinic and lab. These aspects will be important for the SWCA for me to find out how the assc. fits into the context. Is Moore's history a part of the SWCA history? Interesting side notes were his writing of places charging a service fee; also his emphasis on the role of faculty.

Early Writing Centers (Peter Carino)

Carino's article was enlightening and informational for the (possible) history of writing centers. He traces writing centers in several forms throughout the 20th century. I especially liked his use of "diachronic" v. "synchronic"; his breakdown will prove useful for research on the SWCA's own evolutionary history. Throughout his historical trail one can see branches of the field forming; the writing center themes change and shift. Three sub fields that will be applicable to the SWCA's evolutionary history will be the questions on clientele, staff and institutional identity. 

Writing Centers: A Long View (Judith Summerfield)

Summerfield's article offers a personal account on the field of writing centers in the 70s and 80s. Her initial description of the writing center goes along with the concept presented in The Idea of a Writing Center. Unfortunately, it is her own enthusiasm that brings about her ousting from the writing center. Thus, the personal history that Summerfield weaves is perhaps a microcosm of the writing center field in the 70s and 80s. If Summerfield is correct in her representation, the decade before the inception of the SWCA was a flowering of writing center idealism. In the oncoming decade, the tides had shifted; the same decade that was the SWCA's first decade. Drawing from such conclusions, one must question the challenges that were faced by the SWCA, how they interacted with the evolving field of writing centers and how the 80s decade may have had any influence on subsequent periods.

The Idea of a Writing Center (Stephen M. North)

As much as the author did not want to "sound" militant or appear defeatist, he sure came across that way, thus making the article was especially useful. Specific areas will have to be the origins of the themes of writing centers, how they relate (or don't) to the campus and the mentality of that time. For instance, he specifically mentions how writing centers are work that may be unfundable, research inhibiting and professional liability. Much of this has changed (I believe), so this will be a large aspect of the evolutionary history. In the perspective of the SWCA, I will have to research how the association fit into North's ideas.

Revisiting "The Idea of a Writing Center" (Stephen M. North)

Without a doubt, this article is written in a completely different style than his previous one. He seems more open-minded to the idea of change and his amendments propose a radical shift. These articles are creating a timeline for me and present what was going on at the time with writing centers ideas. These ideas have been a little hard to grasp, and will require diligence to understand them completely. Especially challenging was the idea of a writing center as a consciousness with that of conscience. I will have to research this fully and perhaps ask the director at my university what it all means. Equally important will be my task of bringing this subject matter to the SWCA and how it all relates. His first article was in '84, then '94; it may be helpful to find current writings and research how he himself has evolved.

Collaboration, Control and the Idea of a Writing Center (Andrea Lunsford)

Lunsford's article continues the debate into the theoretical foundations of what a writing center should be. In this essay, she debates the theory of collaboration and if it can be applied to the writing center. Lunsford's research suggest the challenges are worth it and can come to fruition through the creation of a third writing center idealism. With such a collaborative stage set, the possibilities are endless, particularly the focusing on changing the status-quo. Such a theory based article will be applicable to the SWCA's own proposition on theory. Throughout its 30-year-history, the SWCA has to have had its own practices, ideas, theories - all these and more will have to be contextualized through the articles that were being written in the same period.

So there you have it! The ramblings of a over-worked, sleep-deprived and under-the-weather student who still has at least 10 articles to continue reading. I think these are very substantial and will prove to be the bulk of my annotated bib. Until then, I'm sure I will be agonizing and analyzing every aspect of the assignment!

The Yada Yada

This week’s lesson involved the power of observation. It involved an awkward 15 minute session in which we all just stared intently at each other and around us - but at the same time tried desperately not to make eye contact. We were told to "observe" the classroom and take notes. My notes ranged from the gender and ethnic makeup of the class, to the conversation blurbs that hang above our heads, and in between I wrote of the design scheme of the room, bags and toenails of girls in the room. Random? I know, but one can't help what they observe in a specific time span. At the end of the period, I had learned some random facts about our classroom: only one person was wearing a hat, only one person did not have some sort of bag, two were wearing bright colors . . . yada yada yada, you get the point. The list could go on forever, because every person is going to observe something new, something different, than the person before them. Such observation made me realize the vast differences in how we all perceive the world, specifically how I observe it. 

One of the aspects that will be a future part of research project will be an observation. I had not given much thought as to how this would be applicable to the SWCA, so the classroom observation made me realize I need to start brainstorming on how I will observe a tangible aspect of the SWCA. One idea that I have is to observe the writing center at my university, but how I will relate that to the SWCA has not yet been enlightened to me. 

The last challenge to our observation routine was to write a poem on said observation. I do not know why, but I am terrified of creative writing - probably because I am horrible at it! Although I may write well, my creative bone marrow has been sucked dry, much in the same way that although I may be Brazilian, I cannot play a lick of soccer. Thus, with such a rambling introduction, I would like to include my observation poem at the end of this blog:

I spy with my little eye

Something beginning with a C

Hanging in every class in our school

Its eyes boring into me

I spy with my little eye

Something beginning with a B

Orange, zebra, black and tiny

Each reflective of one’s personality

I spy with my little eye

Something beginning with an H

Round and round it goes

Asking students for a spin

I spy with my little eye

Something beginning with . . .

You know what?

I’m tired of this game

Every letter of the alphabet I could say

And still, it would never end