Concepts in Composition Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writing

9780805838206

0805838201

Focused on scholarship in rhetoric and composition over the past quarter-century,Concepts in Composition: Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writingis designed to foster reflection on how theory impacts practice, enabling prospective teachers to develop their own comprehensive and coherent conception of what writing is or should be and to consider how people learn to write. This approach allows readers to assume the dual role of both teacher and student as they enter the conversation of the discipline and become familiar with some of the critical issues. Each chapter addresses a particular theoretical concept relevant to classroom teaching and includes activities to help readers establish the connection between theoretical concepts and classroom lessons. A major premise is that only when prospective writing teachers understand this relationship will they be able to teach effectively. The chapters, designed to facilitate this understanding, include: *an overview of a significant concept in composition that has generated scholarly attention, and in some instances, critical controversy over the past 25 years; *writing assignments and discussion prompts to foster further exploration of the concept; *thought-provoking articles; *bibliographies for further research; and *suggestions for classroom activities to apply the concept in a pedagogical context. The text is enriched by seven chapters authored by invited scholars with expertise in particular concepts of composition. Two appendixes--"Developing Effective Writing Assignments" and "Developing a Syllabus" enhance the pedagogical usefulness of the text.