Service Learning

Service learning is one of the best ways for students to learn. Unfortunately, I don't feel that a 1301 Composition class is where that kind of learning should take place. In my view, 1301 is a basic course that students take to learn basic communication skills and techniques that are necessary for college. The three hours per week that is typical for this kind of course can barely cover the content they need. We only meet 1 1/2 hours per week. It's going to be almost impossible to overcome the lack of time available for service learning.

I've had students do many kinds of service learning projects, from making quilts for the homeless to organizing a walk-a-thon to raise money for cancer research. They were all worthy projects. The problem was that to be done well, they required huge amounts of time on the part of the student. A freshman with a full class schedule may not have the organizational and prioritizing skills to complete a successful project.

In addition, the tie-in to composition can be fairy difficult. If you want to teach students how to write an argumentative paper, it can be hard to combine that with a service project. In my experience, many students also mistake their research paper for a discription of their project. While this kind of description can be a necessary skill, it does not prepare the student to argue an issue, using support and examples from research.

Theory. What is it good for?

The problem I've always had with theory, whether it was a theory of reading or writing, literature or education, is its practicality. How can I use this in my teaching, researching, or writing? If I can't see a connection fairly quickly, then I'm tempted to dump it in the "never going to use this again" file in my brain (This file is deleted as soon as I sleep or no longer need it for an upcoming test or paper.).

I know that I should have a thorough awareness of how composition has developed and why it has changed over the years. These readings make sense to me, even though their use to me is that I shouldn't make the same mistakes that have occurred in the past. If only our politicians could learn from our own history as easily. Nevertheless, much of composition theory seems more concerned with artifice than the art of teaching.

In a sense, studying theory is like looking at a beautifully crafted Faberge egg. The theorists have devoted hours of work to create a wonderful theory, built carefully using only the best rhetoric and practice. My problem is that I need to make an omelet, and while delightful to behold, the Faberge egg is neither tasty nor nutritious.