Fusebox <![CDATA[Teaching Writing in College]]> en-us false <![CDATA[1. Welcome to the Teaching Writing in College podcast!]]> fbx/0b6e5268-9cd1-11ed-af84-16a2cd1ac1f8 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 25 Jan 2023 09:55:16 -0700 In this episode, Tom introduces himself, the podcast, and the direction he hopes it will take over time. 576 false 1 full <![CDATA[2. My reaction to ChatGPT: Change grading to emphasize participation]]> fbx/9abc6564-9e79-11ed-8536-16a2cd1ac1f8 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Fri, 27 Jan 2023 12:36:47 -0700 Tom offers one path forward in the face of new developments in artificial intelligence: they can prompt us to hone our teaching practices, which could benefit all our students. 973 false 2 full <![CDATA[3. "Desirable Difficulties" and ChatGPT]]> fbx/8c7b2176-ac88-11ed-85ff-16a2cd1ac1f8 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Tue, 14 Feb 2023 09:56:38 -0700 Tom discusses "desirable difficulties," their benefits for students, and how ChatGPT responded to an assignment with desirable difficulties factored in. Desirable difficulties, as scholar Robert Bjork calls them, are forms of interference that teachers build into their teaching as a way to enhance student performance. They can be as simple as scrambling an outline or withholding feedback to allow students opportunities to engage in problem solving. As a deliberate strategy for teachers, desirable difficulties are "desirable" because they place a load on student cognition that results in better long-term performance, even though they may seem less desirable because students' short-term performance may suffer. Tom likes to write assignment prompts that provide "contextual interference," one of the strategies for incorporating desirable difficulties that Bjork recommends. Rather than outline "what the instructor wants to see" in an assignment description, a writing teacher can specify a genre and ask students to draw on strategies from class and/or their prior knowledge to make decisions about how to proceed. (And practice with different genres, Tom would argue, is one of the most important forms of knowledge development we can offer to students in writing courses.) With proper background work (practice with a framework for analyzing genres, practice with supporting rhetorical strategies, and an analysis of several samples of the genre in which students are asked to write), an assignment that asks students to interpret and write in a given genre can support their knowledge about writing. As it turns out, ChatGPT responded to one of Tom's prompts much the way a student might without a supporting framework for writing in different genres. In other words, it was unable to unravel the "desirable difficulties" that can foster learning. 1210 false 3 full <![CDATA[4. A Transfer Inventory]]> fbx/bf0a8db6-bde0-11ed-a0e7-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 08 Mar 2023 11:40:49 -0700 In this episode on praxis, Tom shares a classroom activity that he calls a "Transfer Inventory": Students rehearse what they have learned in a writing course and then where they might apply it in their other classes. Watch Teaching Writing in College on YouTube: https://youtu.be/C8erj-r8BTk 1164 false 4 full <![CDATA[5. The Elon Statement on Writing Transfer in the classroom]]> fbx/1b491746-cf7a-11ed-be26-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 30 Mar 2023 21:11:26 -0700 This episode covers one of the field's most important guiding documents: the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer. Tom provides a brief overview, along with brief thoughts about the Statement's main points. Additional episodes will break down parts of the Elon Statement, and Tom will likely refer to it often when sharing lesson plans in future episodes. The Elon Statement on Writing Transfer has been a game changer for Tom in the classroom! It deserves a lot of attention. Watch Teaching Writing in College on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EFNtaNHQXu8 1834 false 5 full <![CDATA[6. The Elon Statement on Writing Transfer: Enabling Practice #1]]> fbx/56877888-d95d-11ed-91a1-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 12 Apr 2023 11:10:42 -0700 In this episode, I review "Enabling Practice #1" in the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer. Enabling Practice 1 emphasizes conceptual knowledge about writing, as well as practice with that conceptual knowledge. This episode covers conceptual knowledge and how it can help learners gain expertise in writing. Enabling Practice #1 from the Elon Statement reads: "Constructing writing curricula and classes that focus on study of and practice with concepts that enable students to analyze expectations for writing and learning within specific contexts. These include rhetorically-based concepts (such as genre, purpose, and audience)" The Elon Statement on Writing Transfer could be helpful for any college instructor who feels they have a stake in teaching writing. The Elon Group did really great work as they articulated important elements from cognitive psychology and related disciplines and brought them to the field of writing studies. You can read the full Elon Statement here: http://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/elon_statement_writing_transfer.pdf Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw 1007 false 6 full <![CDATA[7. Lesson plan: PARC]]> fbx/97a1d734-ded8-11ed-b208-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 19 Apr 2023 10:35:35 -0700 In this episode, I share a lesson plan that helps students to use all three "dimensions" I see in the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer: Conceptual knowledge, practice, and metacognitive reflection. The lesson plan is about using PARC--proximity, alignment, repetition, and contrast from The Non-designer's Design Book by Robin Williams. PARC is a very useful tool for helping learners with visual design in their writing. This episode also includes background information that enabled me to develop the lesson in the first place: I recommend that instructors track down important concepts they can use to frame writing for their learners (like PARC) to build a library of knowledge about writing that can inspire and inform lesson plans like this one. 1617 false 7 full <![CDATA[8 What I did at the end of the semester conceptual knowledge, review, and self reflection]]> fbx/4208190a-f40e-11ed-b58c-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Tue, 16 May 2023 10:22:39 -0700 1846 false 8 full <![CDATA[9. How Learning Transfer Works for Me: Anecdotes from 30 Years Ago!]]> fbx/54b00ffe-0601-11ee-b361-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 08 Jun 2023 06:35:15 -0700 1886 false 9 full <![CDATA[10. AI and Learning about Writing (Part I)]]> fbx/b74755e4-210b-11ee-b2d6-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:27:49 -0700 In this first of two episodes about artificial intelligence and teaching writing, I explore an important concept in cognitive psychology about learning. This episode provides some brief&nbsp; implications that could manifest as we consider encouraging students to use AI as a tool for learning or studying.&nbsp;The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20collegeTeaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw In this first of two episodes about artificial intelligence and teaching writing, I explore an important concept in cognitive psychology about learning. This episode provides some brief  implications that could manifest as we consider encouraging students to use AI as a tool for learning or studying. 

The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20college

Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw]]> 993 false 10 full <![CDATA[11. AI and What Are We Teaching?]]> fbx/df5c6cf8-2fd5-11ee-8cbe-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:10:11 -0700 In this second of two episodes about artificial intelligence and teaching writing, I continue exploring an important concept in cognitive psychology about learning--that the mind must focus on what we want it to learn. The same is true of teaching--if we want students to learn something, we have to decide what we want the focus of our teaching to be. This episode provides a discussion of choices about where to focus our teaching energy and a story from Make it Stick that helps explain why.&nbsp; In this second of two episodes about artificial intelligence and teaching writing, I continue exploring an important concept in cognitive psychology about learning--that the mind must focus on what we want it to learn. The same is true of teaching--if we want students to learn something, we have to decide what we want the focus of our teaching to be. This episode provides a discussion of choices about where to focus our teaching energy and a story from Make it Stick that helps explain why. ]]> 1675 false 11 full <![CDATA[12. Short-circuiting AI with Practice]]> fbx/fec1ba2e-50a2-11ee-ac9b-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 05:59:08 -0700 In a recent episode, I covered how using AI can sometimes take the focus away from a learning task and thus short-circuit learning. In this episode, I follow up with the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer and its second "enabling practice": practice itself. Ample varied practice with a given skill can, over time, strengthen memory and aid learning transfer. Providing students with a variety of practice opportunities for every skill we bring into the classroom is an important (and, I would argue, fun) way to engage students and help them develop expertise in writing. In this episode, I compare teaching and learning to exercise--in both cases, we can only benefit if we do it! I even include a brief clip of myself exercising. Join me to discuss one of my favorite aspects of teaching and watch me break a sweat in the process! In a recent episode, I covered how using AI can sometimes take the focus away from a learning task and thus short-circuit learning. In this episode, I follow up with the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer and its second "enabling practice": practice itself. Ample varied practice with a given skill can, over time, strengthen memory and aid learning transfer. Providing students with a variety of practice opportunities for every skill we bring into the classroom is an important (and, I would argue, fun) way to engage students and help them develop expertise in writing. In this episode, I compare teaching and learning to exercise--in both cases, we can only benefit if we do it! I even include a brief clip of myself exercising. Join me to discuss one of my favorite aspects of teaching and watch me break a sweat in the process!]]> 1525 false 12 full <![CDATA[13. Varied Practice with Students over Time: Familiar to Unfamiliar]]> fbx/ced7f372-5e40-11ee-8e80-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:51:33 -0700 This episode follows up on a discussion about the importance of practice--one of the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer's "enabling practices" that can help learners develop expertise and transfer knowledge. In this episode, I provide various examples of a skill I teach often. I call it "familiar to unfamiliar." After a brief background on where it comes from, I provide a variety of examples of how I have been teaching it in first-year writing classes. It's a fun and helpful piece of knowledge about writing that can be used with students at any level, and it transfers readily!I hope you enjoy it!The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20collegeTeaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:https://youtu.be/BkPNKZla9kw This episode follows up on a discussion about the importance of practice--one of the Elon Statement on Writing Transfer's "enabling practices" that can help learners develop expertise and transfer knowledge. In this episode, I provide various examples of a skill I teach often. I call it "familiar to unfamiliar." After a brief background on where it comes from, I provide a variety of examples of how I have been teaching it in first-year writing classes. It's a fun and helpful piece of knowledge about writing that can be used with students at any level, and it transfers readily!

I hope you enjoy it!

The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20college

Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/BkPNKZla9kw]]> 1382 false 13 full <![CDATA[14. Turn Your Entire Class Period into an Exercise in Learning Transfer in Ten Minutes]]> fbx/4baef1b2-710f-11ee-a2a9-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Sun, 22 Oct 2023 12:17:20 -0700 Class time is precious, and it goes without saying that it needs to be dedicated to your curriculum. Although those minutes pass quickly, you can give students an extra benefit by dedicating about 10 minutes of class time to learning transfer. This episode offers some brief discussion and reflection prompts that any writing teacher can use to bookend whatever activities they already have planned. These prompts, inspired by transfer scholar Randi Engle's research on "expansive framing," can help maximize the benefit of class time for your students. The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20collegeTeaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:https://youtu.be/BkPNKZla9kw Class time is precious, and it goes without saying that it needs to be dedicated to your curriculum. Although those minutes pass quickly, you can give students an extra benefit by dedicating about 10 minutes of class time to learning transfer. This episode offers some brief discussion and reflection prompts that any writing teacher can use to bookend whatever activities they already have planned. These prompts, inspired by transfer scholar Randi Engle's research on "expansive framing," can help maximize the benefit of class time for your students.

The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20college

Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/BkPNKZla9kw]]> 985 false 14 full <![CDATA[15. Writing is Made of Genres, and Genres are Made of ROCSS (Part I)]]> fbx/fe54121e-7f35-11ee-b619-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:27:16 -0700 In scholarship on teaching for transfer from writing studies, a strong emphasis has been placed on knowledge about genre. Arguably, it can be seen as a threshold concept that helps students (or any of us) gain access to knowledge about writing. In this episode, I offer some reasons why genre should be a dominant concept in most writing classes. I also introduce an acronym (ROCSS) that I developed and use in my classes to help students remember how genres work. In future episodes, I'll discuss how and why I settled on that acronym and provide examples of how I use it with students. In scholarship on teaching for transfer from writing studies, a strong emphasis has been placed on knowledge about genre. Arguably, it can be seen as a threshold concept that helps students (or any of us) gain access to knowledge about writing. In this episode, I offer some reasons why genre should be a dominant concept in most writing classes. I also introduce an acronym (ROCSS) that I developed and use in my classes to help students remember how genres work. In future episodes, I'll discuss how and why I settled on that acronym and provide examples of how I use it with students.]]> 2192 false 15 full <![CDATA[16. Writing is Made of Genres, and Genres are Made of ROCSS (Part II)]]> fbx/a8cb3a80-8e20-11ee-afb7-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Tue, 28 Nov 2023 12:02:21 -0700 In this second episode on a series about ROCSS, I use a page from the Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary on my son's bookshelf to talk through the components of the acronym: Recurring Occasion, Content, Structure, and Style. ROCSS offers a powerful and memorable way to describe genres in the classroom, and varied practice with what I call a "ROCSS Analysis"--a brief genre analysis--can help learners understand writing in terms of genre. This episode uses the dictionary entry to describe how ROCSS works, and future episodes will provide further examples of how I use it with my students, how I came up with ROCSS in the first place, and the theories of genre that inform my use of ROCSS. In this second episode on a series about ROCSS, I use a page from the Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary on my son's bookshelf to talk through the components of the acronym: Recurring Occasion, Content, Structure, and Style. ROCSS offers a powerful and memorable way to describe genres in the classroom, and varied practice with what I call a "ROCSS Analysis"--a brief genre analysis--can help learners understand writing in terms of genre. This episode uses the dictionary entry to describe how ROCSS works, and future episodes will provide further examples of how I use it with my students, how I came up with ROCSS in the first place, and the theories of genre that inform my use of ROCSS.]]> 1411 false 16 full <![CDATA[17. Writing is Made of Genres, and Genres are Made of ROCSS (Part III)]]> fbx/31318e9a-b169-11ee-b3d7-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Fri, 12 Jan 2024 09:39:42 -0700 In the third episode in this series, I share a paragraph from Carolyn Miller's influential article titled "Genre as Social Action." It's a passage that has stuck with me for some time and informs my use of various genres--long and short, large and small--in my writing classes. I also go through various genre samples that I have collected over the years and can draw from as I match them up to student needs and interests. Toward the end, I compose a brief 5 or 10 minute class activity to help students practice a ROCSS analysis--to give them a chance to practice using ROCSS, which will help them when they encounter new genres later.Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw In the third episode in this series, I share a paragraph from Carolyn Miller's influential article titled "Genre as Social Action." It's a passage that has stuck with me for some time and informs my use of various genres--long and short, large and small--in my writing classes. I also go through various genre samples that I have collected over the years and can draw from as I match them up to student needs and interests. Toward the end, I compose a brief 5 or 10 minute class activity to help students practice a ROCSS analysis--to give them a chance to practice using ROCSS, which will help them when they encounter new genres later.

Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

]]> 1650 false 17 full <![CDATA[18. Writing Is Made of Genres, and Genres Are Made of ROCSS (Part IV)]]> fbx/b87f9ede-c927-11ee-8565-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Sun, 11 Feb 2024 14:51:18 -0700 In the fourth episode of this multi-part series, I provide a classroom exercise I recently used to demonstrate how additional knowledge about writing can support students' use of ROCSS. In particular, I introduced students to causal arguments (from stasis theory) as a way to generate content for their current projects. Stasis theory can be particularly helpful for students because it is, to my mind, first and foremost a tool for invention. Elements of stasis theory can be found across a wide range of genres--everyday conversations with friends, movie reviews, presidential debates, academic writing, and more. In the podcast, I discuss how I helped students see causal arguments at work in a grant proposal and a press release before offering them an opportunity to use it for invention in their own upcoming projects.&nbsp; In the fourth episode of this multi-part series, I provide a classroom exercise I recently used to demonstrate how additional knowledge about writing can support students' use of ROCSS. In particular, I introduced students to causal arguments (from stasis theory) as a way to generate content for their current projects. Stasis theory can be particularly helpful for students because it is, to my mind, first and foremost a tool for invention. Elements of stasis theory can be found across a wide range of genres--everyday conversations with friends, movie reviews, presidential debates, academic writing, and more. In the podcast, I discuss how I helped students see causal arguments at work in a grant proposal and a press release before offering them an opportunity to use it for invention in their own upcoming projects. ]]> 1546 false 18 full <![CDATA[19. A 30-minute Activity about Student Writing in their Other Classes]]> fbx/6744a8ae-dca8-11ee-89f7-16a2cd1ac1f8 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 07 Mar 2024 10:30:58 -0700 In this episode, I depart briefly from my series on ROCSS (to which I will return in the next episode) to share a fun experience I had with students today. We used David Perkins and Gavriel Salomon's "detect / elect / connect" framework to find opportunities to use skills from our writing class to assignments in their other classes. Writing courses, really, should be thought of as support for other contexts--they're not an end in themselves. What better way to use the material we have learned about writing than as a means to help students be successful with work they are doing in their other classes? This episode talks through an activity I did with students around "detect / elect / connect" and includes some new insights I gained about their work elsewhere. I'm finding it helpful, as a writing instructor, to know more about what students are actually doing in their classes. In this episode, I depart briefly from my series on ROCSS (to which I will return in the next episode) to share a fun experience I had with students today. We used David Perkins and Gavriel Salomon's "detect / elect / connect" framework to find opportunities to use skills from our writing class to assignments in their other classes. Writing courses, really, should be thought of as support for other contexts--they're not an end in themselves. What better way to use the material we have learned about writing than as a means to help students be successful with work they are doing in their other classes? This episode talks through an activity I did with students around "detect / elect / connect" and includes some new insights I gained about their work elsewhere. I'm finding it helpful, as a writing instructor, to know more about what students are actually doing in their classes.]]> 1309 false 19 full <![CDATA[20. Metacognition is a Learned Skill]]> fbx/9109ed16-fe6d-11ee-8900-16a2cd1ac1f8 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Fri, 19 Apr 2024 09:55:54 -0700 For a while now, I've thought of metacognition as something that can and should be taught as a skill. (I was reminded of this by a podcast episode from The Happiness Lab.) In this episode, I share a reflective exercise based on some of the 8 subcomponents of metacognition that were developed by Gwen Gorzelsky, Dana Lynn Driscoll, Joe Paszek, Ed Jones, and Carol Hayes in Chris Anson and Jessie Moore's edited collection titled _Critical Transitions_ and published by the WAC Clearinghouse. In short, naming skills, defining them, finding examples of them in their own writing, and writing narratives about their experiences with those skills can help students gather evidence and examples they can use to think about their own writing and their identity as a writer. They can be applied to (and probably will reflect) various subcomponents of metacognition to enrich students' (and our) understanding of writing and what it means to be a writer.Resources:The WAC Clearinghouse's page for Anson and Moore's _Critical Transitions_: https://wac.colostate.edu/books/perspectives/ansonmoore/The link to the chapter on Metacognition by Gorzelsky, Driscoll, Paszek, Jones, and Hayes: https://wac.colostate.edu/docs/books/ansonmoore/chapter8.pdfThe Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day -- with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/simple-ways-to-feel-great-every-day-with-dr-rangan-chatterjee For a while now, I've thought of metacognition as something that can and should be taught as a skill. (I was reminded of this by a podcast episode from The Happiness Lab.) In this episode, I share a reflective exercise based on some of the 8 subcomponents of metacognition that were developed by Gwen Gorzelsky, Dana Lynn Driscoll, Joe Paszek, Ed Jones, and Carol Hayes in Chris Anson and Jessie Moore's edited collection titled _Critical Transitions_ and published by the WAC Clearinghouse.

In short, naming skills, defining them, finding examples of them in their own writing, and writing narratives about their experiences with those skills can help students gather evidence and examples they can use to think about their own writing and their identity as a writer. They can be applied to (and probably will reflect) various subcomponents of metacognition to enrich students' (and our) understanding of writing and what it means to be a writer.

Resources:
The WAC Clearinghouse's page for Anson and Moore's _Critical Transitions_: https://wac.colostate.edu/books/perspectives/ansonmoore/
The link to the chapter on Metacognition by Gorzelsky, Driscoll, Paszek, Jones, and Hayes: https://wac.colostate.edu/docs/books/ansonmoore/chapter8.pdf
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: Simple Ways to Feel Great Every Day -- with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee: https://www.pushkin.fm/podcasts/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/simple-ways-to-feel-great-every-day-with-dr-rangan-chatterjee

]]> 1913 false 20 full <![CDATA[21. Want to Help Your Students with Citations? Follow the Penny Principle (Part I)]]> fbx/f58eadaa-0f0a-11ef-8c48-16a2cd1ac1f8 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Fri, 10 May 2024 13:21:30 -0700 Earlier this week, I came across a discussion on Facebook that questioned assumptions about citing sources--especially in an academic way. Importantly, a lot of students who take our classes might not cite sources in an academic setting once they leave college, so why all the (sometimes intense) emphasis on academic formats like MLA or APA? This episode introduces a skill I call "The Penny Principle"--the idea for which I borrowed from Nickerson and Adams' 1979 study in the journal Cognitive Science titled "Long-term Memory for a Common Object." By asking participants in various ways to recall features of a penny, Nickerson and Adams found that the human brain only remembers characteristics of everyday objects that it needs to use the object successfully. Several years ago when I first read the study, I though it could apply to writing source citations. I also use The Penny Principle with students as they practice real-world genres of writing, which don't always use formal source citations.This episode is divided into two parts: Part I provides background about my thinking and then share the lesson plan I usually use to introduce students to the "Penny Principle." Part II explores a collection of activities that I use throughout the year--some longer, some shorter--to provide students with opportunities for varied practice.The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20collegeTeaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw Earlier this week, I came across a discussion on Facebook that questioned assumptions about citing sources--especially in an academic way. Importantly, a lot of students who take our classes might not cite sources in an academic setting once they leave college, so why all the (sometimes intense) emphasis on academic formats like MLA or APA? This episode introduces a skill I call "The Penny Principle"--the idea for which I borrowed from Nickerson and Adams' 1979 study in the journal Cognitive Science titled "Long-term Memory for a Common Object." By asking participants in various ways to recall features of a penny, Nickerson and Adams found that the human brain only remembers characteristics of everyday objects that it needs to use the object successfully. Several years ago when I first read the study, I though it could apply to writing source citations. I also use The Penny Principle with students as they practice real-world genres of writing, which don't always use formal source citations.

This episode is divided into two parts: Part I provides background about my thinking and then share the lesson plan I usually use to introduce students to the "Penny Principle." Part II explores a collection of activities that I use throughout the year--some longer, some shorter--to provide students with opportunities for varied practice.

The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available on Google or Apple Podcasts:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/u/1/search/teaching%20writing%20in%20college

Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw]]> 2062 false 21 full <![CDATA[22. GenAI Could Turn Education into an Illusion, but Do We Have to Let It?]]> fbx/02b2359c-4745-11f0-9a5d-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 11 Jun 2025 21:34:19 -0700 In this long overdue episode, I offer thoughts in response to a recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education called "In the Age of AI, Is Education Just an Illusion?" In the article, author Dan Sarofian-Butin compares the current state of teaching in higher education to the concept of kayfabe in the world of pro wrestling, in which fans and wrestlers alike pretend that it's real but know that it's not. Sarofian-Butin expresses frustration that, in the AI imbued culture we now live in, students too often pretend to write their own assignments and teachers are left to pretend that they are grading students' written work. This episode responds to that frustration by asking questions that point to strategies that can place the classroom emphasis back on student learning.&nbsp;The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available onApple Podcasts:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw In this long overdue episode, I offer thoughts in response to a recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education called "In the Age of AI, Is Education Just an Illusion?" In the article, author Dan Sarofian-Butin compares the current state of teaching in higher education to the concept of kayfabe in the world of pro wrestling, in which fans and wrestlers alike pretend that it's real but know that it's not. Sarofian-Butin expresses frustration that, in the AI imbued culture we now live in, students too often pretend to write their own assignments and teachers are left to pretend that they are grading students' written work. This episode responds to that frustration by asking questions that point to strategies that can place the classroom emphasis back on student learning. 

The Teaching Writing in College podcast is available onApple Podcasts:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309


Teaching Writing in College is also available for viewing on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

]]> 1494 false 22 full <![CDATA[23. Want to Help Students with Citations? Follow the "Penny Principle!" (part II)]]> fbx/b560199a-552b-11f0-a40a-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 14:08:33 -0700 Teaching Writing in College is now available on Spotify! (Please see below.)Episode 23 is a continuation of a discussion in Episode 21 about what I call the "Penny Principle"--a name I have given to a method for learning (and teaching) source citations that I derived from Nickerson and Adams' 1979 study in the journal Cognitive Science. In this episode, I walk through a few lesson plans I've used over the years to give students varied practice with source citations and formatting using any given format. Toward t he end, I share a list of 18 ideas for practicing the Penny Principle that can be implemented throughout the semester. Instructors could use them in 5-minute, 10-minute, 15-minute, or even 30-minute practice sessions.Teaching Writing in College is available onApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw
Teaching Writing in College is now available on Spotify! (Please see below.)

Episode 23 is a continuation of a discussion in Episode 21 about what I call the "Penny Principle"--a name I have given to a method for learning (and teaching) source citations that I derived from Nickerson and Adams' 1979 study in the journal Cognitive Science. In this episode, I walk through a few lesson plans I've used over the years to give students varied practice with source citations and formatting using any given format. Toward t he end, I share a list of 18 ideas for practicing the Penny Principle that can be implemented throughout the semester. Instructors could use them in 5-minute, 10-minute, 15-minute, or even 30-minute practice sessions.

Teaching Writing in College is available on


]]> 2097 false 23 full <![CDATA[24. Summer Reflection Series, Episode 1: Students Can Be Accomplished Novices, and So Can Teachers]]> fbx/551f1dce-62cd-11f0-808e-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 22:17:28 -0700 In this first episode of my summer reflection series, I explore the need for both learners and teachers to position themselves as "accomplished novices"--people who are not complete novices, but also who are not absolute experts. In the space between those two extremes, one can develop a fruitful mindset for learning by acknowledging and valuing prior knowledge and experiences while also recognizing that there is always more to learn. While we might encourage our learners to position themselves that way in relation to our subject matter, we can also adopt that position ourselves to develop our craft as teachers. From there, we can continue to develop our expertise in teaching. In this first episode in this series, I pick a teaching skill I would like to investigate, implement, and practice. In future episodes in this series I will report my progress and then continue reporting on it during the school year.Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwFind Teaching Writing in College here:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege In this first episode of my summer reflection series, I explore the need for both learners and teachers to position themselves as "accomplished novices"--people who are not complete novices, but also who are not absolute experts. In the space between those two extremes, one can develop a fruitful mindset for learning by acknowledging and valuing prior knowledge and experiences while also recognizing that there is always more to learn. While we might encourage our learners to position themselves that way in relation to our subject matter, we can also adopt that position ourselves to develop our craft as teachers. From there, we can continue to develop our expertise in teaching. In this first episode in this series, I pick a teaching skill I would like to investigate, implement, and practice. In future episodes in this series I will report my progress and then continue reporting on it during the school year.




Find Teaching Writing in College here:

Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege

]]> 1295 false 24 full <![CDATA[25. AI Has a Context Problem (Summer Reflection Series, Episode 2)]]> fbx/104f6886-68d4-11f0-8cd3-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 24 Jul 2025 14:20:44 -0700 Parsing the differences between writing from genAI and writing from people can be frustrating or intimidating. But it can also be fruitful for thinking about how humans and machines handle (or don't handle) context. In this episode, I use the rhetorical concept of "presence" from Chaim Perelman to compare a piece of my own writing to a piece from ChatGPT. This comparison helps highlight different ways in which I, as a human, would approach descriptive writing versus how ChatGPT does. The differences I find highlight the problem of context for writing by humans and machines alike. This episode will be a springboard for a follow-up about adjustments I’d like to make to the way I teach the rhetorical skill of "presence" in my classes.Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwFind Teaching Writing in College here:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege Parsing the differences between writing from genAI and writing from people can be frustrating or intimidating. But it can also be fruitful for thinking about how humans and machines handle (or don't handle) context. In this episode, I use the rhetorical concept of "presence" from Chaim Perelman to compare a piece of my own writing to a piece from ChatGPT. This comparison helps highlight different ways in which I, as a human, would approach descriptive writing versus how ChatGPT does. The differences I find highlight the problem of context for writing by humans and machines alike. This episode will be a springboard for a follow-up about adjustments I’d like to make to the way I teach the rhetorical skill of "presence" in my classes.




Find Teaching Writing in College here:

Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege



]]> 1865 false 25 full <![CDATA[26. Adjusting a Lesson Plan to Accommodate Student Learning vis-a-vis genAI (Summer Reflection Series, Episode 3)]]> fbx/413a2afe-6d65-11f0-90d8-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:50:10 -0700 As a follow-up to episode 25, I outline changes to one of my existing lesson plans to keep student learning focused on the rhetorical strategy of presence. This episode includes a brief rehearsal about how context is central to writing, a brief anecdote of successful teaching with the rhetorical concept of presence, and a before/after explanation of how I plan to adapt an existing lesson plan to support student learning in the context of AI. And as I was putting the slides together, I fortuitously developed a framework for supporting student learning in the context of AI: Learn the Tools, Use the Tools, Practice the Tools, and Reflect on the Tools (LUPR). I might elaborate on or revise this framework as I continue to think about student learning in the context of AI.Teaching Writing in College is available:&nbsp;YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege As a follow-up to episode 25, I outline changes to one of my existing lesson plans to keep student learning focused on the rhetorical strategy of presence. This episode includes a brief rehearsal about how context is central to writing, a brief anecdote of successful teaching with the rhetorical concept of presence, and a before/after explanation of how I plan to adapt an existing lesson plan to support student learning in the context of AI. And as I was putting the slides together, I fortuitously developed a framework for supporting student learning in the context of AI: Learn the Tools, Use the Tools, Practice the Tools, and Reflect on the Tools (LUPR). I might elaborate on or revise this framework as I continue to think about student learning in the context of AI.

Teaching Writing in College is available: 

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege]]> 1217 false 26 full <![CDATA[27. genAI Prompts Me to Make Adjustments in the Classroom (Summer Reflection Series, Episode 4)]]> fbx/38ace442-73ca-11f0-a2bc-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 13:08:01 -0700 In this continuation of reflection on my teaching, I present (briefly) the basic routine I use for developing lesson plans: review, launch, deliver, apply, and close (RLDAC). From there, I share two full lesson plans that I described in episode 26: one that I have traditionally used to introduce learners to the rhetorical concept of presence from Chaim Perelman, and the other an adjusted version that focuses on the concept of presence but adds an element of writing with genAI. Both of my lesson plans follow RLDAC, which is a great communication tool for conveying course content in the classroom. RLDAC has really been a game changer for me, and I'd like to share that story in the near future on the podcast. I'd also like to record an episode soon where I develop a lesson plan about AI in real time.Teaching Writing in College is available:&nbsp;YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege In this continuation of reflection on my teaching, I present (briefly) the basic routine I use for developing lesson plans: review, launch, deliver, apply, and close (RLDAC). From there, I share two full lesson plans that I described in episode 26: one that I have traditionally used to introduce learners to the rhetorical concept of presence from Chaim Perelman, and the other an adjusted version that focuses on the concept of presence but adds an element of writing with genAI. Both of my lesson plans follow RLDAC, which is a great communication tool for conveying course content in the classroom. RLDAC has really been a game changer for me, and I'd like to share that story in the near future on the podcast. I'd also like to record an episode soon where I develop a lesson plan about AI in real time.

Teaching Writing in College is available: 

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege

]]> 1454 false 27 full <![CDATA[28. What do Students Need to Know about genAI? (Summer Reflection Series, Episode 5)]]> fbx/1656f4ea-7a0b-11f0-a487-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 12:07:40 -0700 As my start date for fall semester draws nearer, I've started thinking in more detail about the kinds of knowledge students need to help them with writing. The distinction Doug Downs and Elizabeth Wardle made in 2007 concerning the need to *learn about* writing--as opposed to *learning to write*--has resonated with me for a long time. And now, I'd argue that the same idea applies to AI--it's not that writers need to learn how to write with AI, but rather that they need to learn *about* AI. With that in mind, I talk through a set of rhetorical skills, or knowledge about writing, that I typically bring to my writing classes and then reflect on what knowledge I can add about AI in the upcoming semester.Show notes:Downs, D. &amp; Wardle, E. (2007). Teaching about writing, righting misconceptions: (Re)envisioning “First-year Composition” as “Introduction to Writing Studies.” College Composition and Communication, 58(4), 552-584.Teaching Writing in College is available:&nbsp;YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege As my start date for fall semester draws nearer, I've started thinking in more detail about the kinds of knowledge students need to help them with writing. The distinction Doug Downs and Elizabeth Wardle made in 2007 concerning the need to *learn about* writing--as opposed to *learning to write*--has resonated with me for a long time. And now, I'd argue that the same idea applies to AI--it's not that writers need to learn how to write with AI, but rather that they need to learn *about* AI. With that in mind, I talk through a set of rhetorical skills, or knowledge about writing, that I typically bring to my writing classes and then reflect on what knowledge I can add about AI in the upcoming semester.

Show notes:
Downs, D. & Wardle, E. (2007). Teaching about writing, righting misconceptions: (Re)envisioning “First-year Composition” as “Introduction to Writing Studies.” College Composition and Communication, 58(4), 552-584.



Teaching Writing in College is available: 

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege

]]> 1382 false 28 full <![CDATA[29. Inviting Students to Reflect on genAI (Summer Reflection Series, Episode 6)]]> fbx/b8233fa8-81d2-11f0-8937-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 25 Aug 2025 09:44:07 -0700 As a follow up to episode 28, I made a plan to introduce reflection about genAI on my first day of classes. I start by reviewing a post I encountered on social media that got me thinking in more detail about asking students to reflect on genAI. From there, I present the new lesson plan and then offer several more ideas for learning about genAI as the semester progresses. And, let's face it: I'll be learning along with my students. As the accomplished novice that I am, I not only need to enhance my own knowledge about genAI, but I also need to know what students are thinking about it. This lesson will help me, as a writing instructor, begin that journey this semester in a more intentional way this semester than before.Teaching Writing in College is available:&nbsp;YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege As a follow up to episode 28, I made a plan to introduce reflection about genAI on my first day of classes. I start by reviewing a post I encountered on social media that got me thinking in more detail about asking students to reflect on genAI. From there, I present the new lesson plan and then offer several more ideas for learning about genAI as the semester progresses. And, let's face it: I'll be learning along with my students. As the accomplished novice that I am, I not only need to enhance my own knowledge about genAI, but I also need to know what students are thinking about it. This lesson will help me, as a writing instructor, begin that journey this semester in a more intentional way this semester than before.


Teaching Writing in College is available: 

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege]]> 1553 false 29 full <![CDATA[30. Handwriting, Practice, Participation, and Cornell Notes]]> fbx/c7d66118-8769-11f0-a3cd-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:28:04 -0700 Electronic technologies have been embedded in classrooms for decades, but the emergence of genAI has prompted some professors to resort back to handwritten assessments, such as bluebooks and notes. The concern, of course, is cognitive offloading--that an overreliance on genAI for learning tasks short-circuits the learning process by taking away opportunities for cognitive processing.&nbsp; In this episode, I present a few studies from the decade before genAI that show how electronic technologies can be detrimental to learning, which prompted me to ask students for daily handwritten notes for participation. However, my method still needed improvement: I also relate how, last year, I stumbled upon the Cornell note taking method, which has important learning strategies built in. Toward the end, I provide a sample to show what it looks like in my classes with students' practice with conceptual knowledge and metacognition. The Cornell note taking system makes it easy for students to review their notes and use them later, and it's also easy for teachers to assess them.Show notesBrookings Institution synopsis of 3 handwriting vs. screen studiesDynarski, S. M. (2017, August 10). For better learning in college lectures, lay down the laptop and pick up a pen. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/for-better-learning-in-college-lectures-lay-down-the-laptop-and-pick-up-a-pen/Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing TaskNataliya Kosmyna, Eugene Hauptmann, Ye Tong Yuan, Jessica Situ, Xian-Hao Liao, Ashly Vivian Beresnitzky, Iris Braunstein, Pattie MaesGet the paper "Your Brain on ChatGPT" in PDF format:https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872Research team's web page for the study at MIT:https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/your-brain-on-chatgpt/overview/Official Web site for "Your Brain on ChatGPT":https://www.brainonllm.com/Teaching Writing in College is available:&nbsp;YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege Electronic technologies have been embedded in classrooms for decades, but the emergence of genAI has prompted some professors to resort back to handwritten assessments, such as bluebooks and notes. The concern, of course, is cognitive offloading--that an overreliance on genAI for learning tasks short-circuits the learning process by taking away opportunities for cognitive processing.  In this episode, I present a few studies from the decade before genAI that show how electronic technologies can be detrimental to learning, which prompted me to ask students for daily handwritten notes for participation. However, my method still needed improvement: I also relate how, last year, I stumbled upon the Cornell note taking method, which has important learning strategies built in. Toward the end, I provide a sample to show what it looks like in my classes with students' practice with conceptual knowledge and metacognition. The Cornell note taking system makes it easy for students to review their notes and use them later, and it's also easy for teachers to assess them.

Show notes

Brookings Institution synopsis of 3 handwriting vs. screen studies
Dynarski, S. M. (2017, August 10). For better learning in college lectures, lay down the laptop and pick up a pen. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/for-better-learning-in-college-lectures-lay-down-the-laptop-and-pick-up-a-pen/

Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task

Nataliya Kosmyna, Eugene Hauptmann, Ye Tong Yuan, Jessica Situ, Xian-Hao Liao, Ashly Vivian Beresnitzky, Iris Braunstein, Pattie Maes

Get the paper "Your Brain on ChatGPT" in PDF format:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872

Research team's web page for the study at MIT:
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/your-brain-on-chatgpt/overview/

Official Web site for "Your Brain on ChatGPT":
https://www.brainonllm.com/

Teaching Writing in College is available: 

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege


]]> 1312 false 30 full <![CDATA[31. AI Policy, My Teaching Improvement Report, and More]]> fbx/d2023c7e-8da0-11f0-a705-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:17:10 -0700 After my first week of teaching this semester, it's time for a report. I promised to share my AI policy, which will be first up in this episode. I'll also share my classroom "coaching" report. Earlier this summer, I discussed the possibility of adapting the way in which my favorite workout trainers try to motivate me to stay focused for the duration of my workouts. Did I do a good job during the first week in keeping my students focused on writing practice? I'll also share briefly how I used Cornell notes and how I feel I made a mistake in my presentation that may have disrupted students' working memory. I'd also like to discuss briefly what I plan to do this coming week--it's still early in the semester, so I need a way to get students to buy into the applicability of writing courses to other things they are doing: not just in an abstract way, but as concretely and immediately as possible. Join me on this journey!Perkins, D. N., &amp; Salomon, G. (2012). Knowledge to go: A motivational and dispositional view of transfer. Educational Psychologist, 47(3), 248–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.693354Teaching Writing in College is available:YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege After my first week of teaching this semester, it's time for a report. I promised to share my AI policy, which will be first up in this episode. I'll also share my classroom "coaching" report. Earlier this summer, I discussed the possibility of adapting the way in which my favorite workout trainers try to motivate me to stay focused for the duration of my workouts. Did I do a good job during the first week in keeping my students focused on writing practice? I'll also share briefly how I used Cornell notes and how I feel I made a mistake in my presentation that may have disrupted students' working memory. I'd also like to discuss briefly what I plan to do this coming week--it's still early in the semester, so I need a way to get students to buy into the applicability of writing courses to other things they are doing: not just in an abstract way, but as concretely and immediately as possible. Join me on this journey!

Perkins, D. N., & Salomon, G. (2012). Knowledge to go: A motivational and dispositional view of transfer. Educational Psychologist, 47(3), 248–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2012.693354

Teaching Writing in College is available:

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

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Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
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]]> 1917 false 31 full <![CDATA[32. Success with Teaching vis-a-vis AI]]> fbx/2adb3934-c967-11f0-8eec-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:55:38 -0700 In this long overdue episode, I'm excited to share my own recent classroom success. After coaching and encouragement on my part, notetaking on my students' part, and then asking students to pull their laptops out periodically for several drafting sessions for their rhetorical analysis papers, the result was very little AI use. On this episode, I'll talk through how I feel I know and how I went about it.Teaching Writing in College is available:YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege In this long overdue episode, I'm excited to share my own recent classroom success. After coaching and encouragement on my part, notetaking on my students' part, and then asking students to pull their laptops out periodically for several drafting sessions for their rhetorical analysis papers, the result was very little AI use. On this episode, I'll talk through how I feel I know and how I went about it.


Teaching Writing in College is available:

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege]]> 1425 false 32 full <![CDATA[33. What I Did to Start a Conversation about AI with My Students in Spring 2026]]> fbx/2a69b1b2-eff3-11f0-93c3-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:13:31 -0700 In this episode, I share a short lesson plan I used to begin a conversation with students about AI on the first day of classes. I showed them an AI-generated ad that stirred some controversy, we had a brief discussion regarding students' judgments about the ethics of AI use, and then I also introduced some of my own. I hope you find this short(er) episode helpful! In this episode, I share a short lesson plan I used to begin a conversation with students about AI on the first day of classes. I showed them an AI-generated ad that stirred some controversy, we had a brief discussion regarding students' judgments about the ethics of AI use, and then I also introduced some of my own. I hope you find this short(er) episode helpful!]]> 524 false 33 full <![CDATA[34. Infuse Some Sanity into Your Teaching in the Age of AI]]> fbx/0efb627e-fb0e-11f0-9c2b-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 16:23:44 -0700 In episode 34, I consider another way of looking at my success with AI in the classroom: through assessment. To my mind, AI has imposed a great deal of guesswork into assessment of student writing: "Did my student write this, or was it written by AI?" Since AI is here to stay as part of just about anyone's writing ecosystem, it's important to focus on what really matters: "Is writing being written in a way that still helps it meet audience expectations?" I offer a brief overview of how I try to tackle that question, using the rhetorical concept of evidence as an example. Are my students using evidence in a way that seems to fit with a given genre? Using the term "evidence" with my students as a key term for knowledge about writing and having classroom activities about how evidence might vary depending on a given genre has set me up to make assessment a little bit easier, whether AI played a role in the writing or not.Teaching Writing in College is available:YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege In episode 34, I consider another way of looking at my success with AI in the classroom: through assessment. To my mind, AI has imposed a great deal of guesswork into assessment of student writing: "Did my student write this, or was it written by AI?" Since AI is here to stay as part of just about anyone's writing ecosystem, it's important to focus on what really matters: "Is writing being written in a way that still helps it meet audience expectations?" I offer a brief overview of how I try to tackle that question, using the rhetorical concept of evidence as an example. Are my students using evidence in a way that seems to fit with a given genre? Using the term "evidence" with my students as a key term for knowledge about writing and having classroom activities about how evidence might vary depending on a given genre has set me up to make assessment a little bit easier, whether AI played a role in the writing or not.

Teaching Writing in College is available:

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege]]> 879 false 34 full <![CDATA[35. Transparency in Writing in the Age of AI]]> fbx/02a702e4-06da-11f1-b0be-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:41:24 -0700 Questions about whether and how AI is used in writing and other communication seem to be an important part of the writer/audience relationship. In this episode, I walk through my effort to include transparency as a form of knowledge about writing. With transparency as a frame, this semester I have shared two strategies with my students that can help them be transparent in their use of AI.Teaching Writing in College is available:YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege Questions about whether and how AI is used in writing and other communication seem to be an important part of the writer/audience relationship. In this episode, I walk through my effort to include transparency as a form of knowledge about writing. With transparency as a frame, this semester I have shared two strategies with my students that can help them be transparent in their use of AI.

Teaching Writing in College is available:

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege]]> 1013 false 35 full <![CDATA[36. The STAR Criteria and Thinking about Evidence Rhetorically]]> fbx/6bb9aa44-2222-11f1-b980-ba5fa9561315 https://app.fusebox.fm/data/show/l8xEP4jWp3/feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 09:57:53 -0700 For episode 36, I share a helpful acronym from Richard Fulkerson called the STAR criteria. STAR can prompt learners (or all of us) to ask: is my support sufficient, typical, accurate, and relevant? STAR can also be helpful for writing transfer. While I've used the STAR criteria to help students make decisions about support or evidence they might use in an essay, Substack, report or any other written assignment based on genre, I've also used it to help students make decisions about how they support reflection about their own writing in metacognitive assignments. To my mind, metacognitive reflection is a skill in its own right, and appropriate support can and should come from the student's own writing life. STAR can help students This episode walks through how I have used the STAR criteria recently, both for writing practice and for reflection.Teaching Writing in College is available:YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUwApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&amp;si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodfSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgwSocials:Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.comFacebook: Teaching Writing in CollegeBluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.socialYouTube: @teachingwritingincollegeMastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege For episode 36, I share a helpful acronym from Richard Fulkerson called the STAR criteria. STAR can prompt learners (or all of us) to ask: is my support sufficient, typical, accurate, and relevant? STAR can also be helpful for writing transfer. While I've used the STAR criteria to help students make decisions about support or evidence they might use in an essay, Substack, report or any other written assignment based on genre, I've also used it to help students make decisions about how they support reflection about their own writing in metacognitive assignments. To my mind, metacognitive reflection is a skill in its own right, and appropriate support can and should come from the student's own writing life. STAR can help students This episode walks through how I have used the STAR criteria recently, both for writing practice and for reflection.

Teaching Writing in College is available:

YouTube (video): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-writing-in-college/id1667922309

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUWbbrcygqkZvxqdPCqhuzu0yyx5trJUw&si=ZnTI_Q3dItN5rodf

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4TxG7hTN6qaJHN9euDBIZU?si=ur3jQve0TdyeSLKVyLsNgw

Socials:
Email: teachingwritingincollege@gmail.com
Facebook: Teaching Writing in College
Bluesky: @teachingwriting.bsky.social
YouTube: @teachingwritingincollege
Mastodon: mastodon.social/@teachingwritingincollege]]> 1064 false 36 full