Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Dialogue
A Publication of the San Diego Area Writing Project Fall 2008
love rhetoriC
ers as they see that their profes-
sional knowledge and judgment is
held in less esteem and is seen as
less relevant than “research based”
methods and mandated approaches.
Dialogue
transform their profession through Public Education in America, Mike
their own knowledge and profes- I remember that one of my first Rose works against the negative view
sionalism. semesters teaching I chose the topic of teachers and U.S. public schools
of immigration. Living and teach- Fall 2008
that Hirsch offers. Rose does this
Teachers in the SI write their posi- ing in San Diego, immigration is a Issue No. 21
tion paper with publication in mind. relevant and important issue for my largely by changing the parameters
Publication begins informally in the students and me. My classes at the of the discussion.
Purposeful While he also
writing response group, expands to community colleges were always uses anecdotalWriting
evidence, he is care-
the full SI group, and is archived very diverse with a large Latino pop- ful
ulation. As a new teacher, I would not to universalize the stories he
in the SI anthology. These initial Editors: Stacey Goldblattof
tells. He uses specific examples
stages often become the starting assign my students three to four
academic essays at a time to read as Jennifer
teaching practices that work Moore
only to
place for more formal publication
with broader audiences. Publication homework. My assumption was that suggest
Page Design: Janis Jones
possibilities, not to univer-
in the SDAWP Dialogue gives teach- they would indeed read them and Writing
salize theseAngel: Susan and
anecdotes, Minnicks
not to
ers a taste of working with an editor understand them, and then we would claim universal excellence. Hirsch,
and for an audience of knowledge- have in-depth class discussions Published by the
on the other hand, uses anecdotal
able educators beyond those the about the readings and about immi- San Diego Area
writer has met or knows personally. gration. As Cynthia Brock writes, stories Writing
to claim universal
Project at UCSDdecline
Others go on to publish in edu- she was alerted “to the seductive— in U.S. public schools; this may be
cational journals such as NCTE’s but potentially disastrous—tendency compelling toDirectors:
some, but it makes
Language Arts or English Journal to assume that what I teach is what for sloppy and Makeba Jones
irresponsible argu-
or CATE’s California English. The my children actually learn” (Brock,
ments. We Kim needDouillard
to find more ways
position paper and the possibilities 2001). Reflecting back on my earlier
for publication take teaching beyond teaching, this was me! Just because to understand and expose this kind
the classroom and situate teachers I assigned my students to read, did argumentation.
of UC San Diego This is not to say
as active members of and contribu- not mean they understood what they thatSDAWP
what Rose is doing is not valu-
tors to the larger educational com- read. Yes, they may have read the 9500 Gilman Drive
able and responsibly developed--I
munity. assigned readings, but could they La Jolla, CA 92093-0036
understand the subtle and nuanced think it is; it is, however, to say that
(858) 534-2576
arguments and rhetorical strategies we need to broaden the kinds of
http://create.ucsd.edu/sdawp/
the authors were using? responses made to such arguments.
how much it relies on anecdotal
2 Dialogue, Fall 2008
included racist and sexist insults, and reasonable argument, reason- then asking them to discuss what
again reflecting our culture’s popu- ing, and using appropriate evidence. it is about, students are given a
lar discourse style. I hadn’t yet figured out a way to text and asked particular questions
help my students become thoughtful to help them understand who the
In one of my classes that semester, writers and participants in the con- author is, what was going on at the
a student jumped out of his seat versations that were taking place in time the text was written historical-
and exclaimed, “I am so tired of the academic world. ly and socially, and what motivated
all of these border bunnies jump- the writer to write—which we call
ing across the border!” At that, What changed? I started part-time at context and/or “the rhetorical situ-
three Latina students jumped out of SDSU as a lecturer in The Rhetoric ation” (Bitzer, 1968). Students begin
their seats and one of them yelled and Writing Studies Department to learn that writing doesn’t just
back, “How would you like it if we (DRWS). Yes, I was teaching at SDSU, happen arbitrarily, but that writers
called you a ‘jungle bunny’ since City College, and Southwestern like write in a particular time in history
you are black?” I really thought at many other community college writ- and are prompted to write because
that moment that fists were going ing instructors. At the time, Fall 1998 of something that is going on social-
to start flying! Luckily everyone in DRWS, many changes were taking ly, politically, and/or personally.
immediately calmed down as the place in the curriculum and Student
first student left the classroom. Learning Outcomes for each course. My students
However, I felt horrible wondering I started hearing terms used such as
what I had done wrong and what I “rhetoric,” “rhetorical strategies,” now had models
could do better. My students were “rhetorical situation,” “argument/
engaged and some even passionate claim, evidence, reasons, and war- in their classes of
about their beliefs about immigra-
tion, which to me was great. But,
rants,” “ethos, logos, and pathos.”
As a comparative literatures major,
what they were
how could I teach them to articulate these terms were foreign to me.
Not only that, but they sounded
expected to do
their ideas within the context of an
academic classroom? mathematical and pretentious. I was as academic
intimidated. I couldn’t understand
I hadn’t yet how looking at texts in this “rhetori- writers.
cal manner” would be interesting
figured out to me let alone to my students. Talk Students are also invited to look into
about taking all of the passion out a text in particular ways. After hav-
a way to of reading and writing I thought. I ing an understanding of the context
help my students would find out that I was wrong. of the text, we can look at the text’s
claim, sub-claims, the evidence, and
become My department defines rhetoric as
follows: “Rhetoric refers to the study,
reasons. I have found that breaking
down a text paragraph by para-
thoughtful uses, and effects of written, spoken graph, or groups of related para-
and visual language.” But what does graphs, helps students understand
writers and this mean to me as a writing instruc- what a text is doing in each section.
tor? This is what I had to figure out. By doing this “charting,” students
participants in Using rhetoric, my teaching started are able to see what rhetorical strat-
the conversations to be about what a text was doing
in terms of rhetorical strategies, or
egies a writer is using. In many
ways, looking at one text closely
that were taking strategies a writer uses, instead of to see how an author makes an
just focusing on what a text is about. argument was very similar to using
place in the This took a willingness on my part mentor texts. But rather than hav-
to rethink my teaching practices. It ing my students copy the author’s
academic world. also required many wonderful col- language and style, I was show-
leagues taking the time to answer ing my students how other writers
Student writing suffered from the my endless questions, showing me create an effective argument. My
same sorts of problems. Even when what they did in their classes and students now had models in their
students were engaged with the how they scaffolded their assign- classes of what they were expected
topic and had something to say, ments. I also attended in 2003 and to do as academic writers.
their essays were mostly a series 2005 the summer Reading Institute
of prior opinions, often unfounded for Academic Preparation (RIAP) Late in my RWS 280 class, we had
and illogical and lacking any sort hosted by SDSU. Both RIAP sum- three readings on whether or not
of reference to the texts we had mer institutes gave me invaluable torture was ever justified. For me,
read. I was discouraged because lessons on how to teach students as well as my students, this was a
even though I was getting stu- to read and write academic argu- very important and emotional issue.
dents engaged and my students ments. One of my students, Kelly, was very
were developing their voices, I was pro-torture, perhaps related to her
unable to teach them the skills and So what does this look like in prac- having a husband in the Marines in
tools they needed that would help tical terms in my writing classes? Iraq. I could see that this would be
them succeed within the context of Well, instead of handing students a touchy issue since I am very much
academic writing: making a valid a text, asking them to read it, and against torture. But here’s what
Congratulations
one of the authors formulated his/her argument,
explain his or her reasons, and use evidence. My
students began to understand how other writers
write, and how they made choices as to which
rhetorical strategies to use. My students not only SDAWP Fellows
understood what each author’s text was about, but
they had “mentor texts” of how to express their
Summer 2008
ideas and opinions. I now believe that I not only
empower my students to express their voice, I also
believe that I empower them to successfully par-
ticipate in academic conversations about important Margit Boyesen Patricia 'PJ' Jeffery
issues. They need this to succeed at the university Ada Harris Elementary Hickman Elementary
level in the kinds of thinking and writing they are Cardiff San Diego Unified
required to do.
in academic
conversations about Cheryl Converse-Rath Lisa Muñoz
Encanto Elementary Miramar College
important issues. San Diego Unified SD Comunity College
Amy Brothers—SDAWP
website, new to me, made someone
2007 very rich. I think again about my ca-
reer. I’ll never get rich as a teacher.
But wait. Today we agreed upon a
As I look over my notes of the day to give some continuity to the begin- basic belief that money cannot buy
write this log, I ask myself, “What is ning of this day. happiness. We had a really rich day.
the purpose of a daily log? We were
all there, participating.” Ted’s demonstration requires us "There are no corners in
to tap into some core beliefs, as he this writing institute"
The dictionary states that logs are shares ways he helps high school —SDAWP Leader, Summer 2007
written to record performance or seniors know themselves better in
progress. The performance was ac- order to write more compelling per-
cording to schedule. Journaling, sonal statements. Student writing I hear this
sharing, demonstrations, food, writ- shows improvement from the be- from my seat
ing group discussion, reflection, ginning to the end of this work. We in the circle:
announcements. My log could be a find unity around a basic belief, and visually exposed,
terse list to show our work. But the again demonstrate our diversity as
thoughts hidden.
progress—if we could quantify the we share our own writing.
progress of our professional think-
ing during these days, it would be… Trish shares her use of technology I write in corners.
a very big number. and visual images to engage stu- I'm a corner thinker.
dents in curricular content. We hear I speak out when
I am struck by the diversity of pro- students’ poems connected to photos
I've gathered my thoughts.
fessional practice, and yet the grow- and see the words made into mov-
ing feeling of unity in this group. We ies. We see possibilities for helping I don't cut corners;
teach at very different schools, from all students build knowledge about a I inhabit them . . .
elementary to university levels. Our topic, using images, words, and mu- habitually sit quiescent.
students are poor or rich, English sic. We add to our knowledge, and
speaking or English newcomers,
struggling with literacy or not. We
write about the Trail of Tears.
Am I a mouse, quivering?
come from different places, diverse Ted says, “I kept thinking, there’s No. Timid has never been
experiences, and disparate ideas. got to be a way to get more [of their a part of my profession.
stories], so I began using ‘This I Be- I'm boldly quiet in my
The morning binds us together as lieve.’” Trish says, “I saw the movies corner of the world.
we listen to journals: Kendra, Su- made without movie cameras, and
san, and some others formed some said, ‘I could do that.’ Now that I know
sort of slippery bond yesterday after what can be done, I know what ques- Wait!
digging in messy trash, looking for tions to ask.” Again we are unified The world
Kendra’s wallet. I feel thankful for in our common goal of sharing and has no corners.
a group that sticks together. Linda learning. Both Ted and Trish have Its textured face
forms varied habits
shares relief over projects finished. picked up an idea—a radio program,
My stress level spikes as my mind a computer program—and modified
runs over my list… at some point I it for use in their classrooms. Both of mind and endeavor,
will feel relieved, too. Cara writes of have connected us to new possibili- which we trim
clearing the clutter from her mind, ties for our own classrooms. We go to into submission.
and I remember to breathe. Trish, lunch with minds already full. The innate curiosity
of learners
a technological explorer, shares
that the first time she surfed the net During our writing response group,
was like being swept away by a tidal we marvel at the value of sharing is circumscribed;
wave, and I renew my appreciation our words and getting feedback. We an artificial geometry
of the willingness of this group to respond to poetry, an abstract, and subduing the natural
take professional risks. Allen shares position papers. We begin in the text, landscape of learning.
thoughts of riding public transporta- work our way out to laughing and
tion, contrasting train culture with telling stories, and then return to the
bus culture. I think of how teachers text. Are all the groups such a won- I am a quiet gatherer.
touch the world, both in and out of derful mix of challenge and support? Someday
the classroom. Iris shares a story Although our writing voices are quite I will gnaw through
close to her heart—her son’s mar- diverse, our unity toward purposeful the woven lines
riage—and I think of intersections, shaping of words is inspiring.
crossroads, and wonder where we that
are headed after these few weeks Reflection and announcements at the tie learners down.
together. Linda shares her “caught end of the day bring us back togeth- —Amy Brothers
poem” log. Our words, gathered er. The clean-up begins. Traffic gets
from yesterday into a unified poem, checked on sigalert.com… should we
Still on the stone bench We all need to take a break from the
bird songs drift in on the breeze daily grind and make time to write.
butterflies float by Otherwise, are we really practicing
Writing what we preach?
Monarchs mostly now —Becky Gemmell
I almost didn't come today,
foreshadowing Kings and Queens SDAWP 2001
Not because Balboa Park is faraway
of summer Shakespeare
(because I love Balboa Park)
now I am washed.
—Heidi Paul
SDAWP 1998
W
My foot sinks into the beige-colored sand
Callused feet assault from day to day
E
R riters’ I could taste the salty air and
hear the rhythmic sound of
the crashing waves
Camp
2 In the burning stand, a crab sits
ready to attack
0 Diving down, grabbing grainy
0 handfuls of sand, and
7 feeling it trickle through
your fingers
Silver flash of fish in the water
Keep Guard
by Paloma Acosta, Grade 12 Sunset stretching in an
endless line
He guards his precious collection, across the horizon
even from the soft, delicate rays of sunlight.
A new world starts
He can't possibly understand that his myriad
of knick-knacks and strange assortments beneath
are considered trash flavored trash by the skeptical beyond
eye, devoid of imagination. below
To him, he protects priceless treasures.
the ocean's surface
But to the rest of the world, he keeps guard over
Ode to Horses!
by Eugenia Tzeng, Grade 4
When I wake up
first thing in the morning
I look
out the window
Oh! My!
You are a beautiful horse!
Looking right in my eye!
It must be a dream
Of a horse with eyes
that blink perfectly
and a bumpy back.
Oh, what a beautiful,
perfect, amazing
horse.
8 Dialogue, Fall 2008
A million metal bugs,
hustling under a
rustling, polluted breeze.
It's 8:14 and they're already
paranoid and rushing
on their concrete sea,
to get where they need to be.
Fumbling between 91.4 and 101.3
and their morning routines,
never noticing the miracles in
the sky of God's jeans.
A washed out denim dream,
the color of Omi's eyes,
ripped and leaking golden ink
onto a strawberry field,
a quilt of green and singing trees,
onto an infected society that
injects and rejects
and collects
everything with their machines.
Rainbow Revelations
by Cinnamon Roy, Class of 2007
Red is a fire truck cling clanging its way to a house engulfed in flames.
Orange is a racer back worn-out shirt dripping with sweat.
Yellow is a water polo ball soaring past the goalies fingertips into the net.
Green is an evergreen forest slowing fading while gasoline seeps between its roots.
Blue is a crashing wave whose foamy fingers carry surfers to shore.
Indigo is a starry starry night in which galaxies swirl and stars meander across the sky.
Violet is a morning glory proclaiming its beauty to other garden flowers.
What is a Poem?
by Charlie Mann, Grade 5
A poem is a finger prodding the hearts of those who read it A poem is a candle of words melting into oblivion,
A poem is a river flowing and peaceful until it transforms into a puddle of description
A lantern, glowing and fire lit Poems are snowflakes, each one unique
A coyote, padding its way through a lonely desert Poems are music, letting off notes
Poems are eagles, spreading their wings and gliding smoothly of harmony, description and metaphors
A poem is a bubble growing larger until it pops A sunrise glowing in its splendor
A poem is a man trekking across an icy wasteland A sunset, humbly dropping out of sight
“When they use their native lan- He already knows how to negoti- to compare within the “comprehen-
guage in the classroom it becomes ate the many functions of language sion,” “analysis,” and “evaluation”
a crutch.” within a different culture, and he levels of thinking.
brings that knowledge to the class-
How many times have those of us room table when he begins to learn Any objections to a linguistically
who work with English learners, or English, if we choose to let him. experienced and flexible student
for that matter, those who follow the with high level thinking skills?
English-only political debate in our So why should we, his teach-
country, heard this tired compari- ers, make this choice? By pro- In addition, the ability to compare
son? What’s so bad about a crutch, moting native language use at the and contrast two languages gives
anyway? Is it that we automatically same time that a student acquires a bilingual person a higher level of
associate the word “crutch” with English, we allow for significant what Ben-Zeev (as cited in Baker,
the word “injury”? cognitive achievement. Drawing on 1996, p. 136) refers to as “commu-
nicative sensitivity.” Baker explains
I’d like to suggest that under no circumstances “communicative sensitivity” as a
heightened awareness of when to
is a student’s native language harmful
n
use which language:
m
language. The use of both is to
provide time, balance, safety, and ...teachers must stop thinking of a
healthier progress in the long run.
To remove native language leaves
student’s native language as a “crutch”
the learner vulnerable at best, and
in the worst situations—without a
—something temporary and throw-away,
voice. needed only by an “injured” person.
Both crutches and native languages
are shortchanged in this metaphor, due to their operating in two lan- sitivity to the social nature and com-
spoken so often in irritation, impa- guages and probably two or more municative functions of language’
tience, or intolerance. More impor- cultures” (Baker, 1996). Second, (Baker, 1996).
tantly, we don’t consider the harm he explains a switching mecha-
done when equating an English nism. “Because bilingual children To allow for these positive out-
learner with one who is injured. switch between their two languag- comes, teachers must stop thinking
I’d like to suggest that under no es, they may be more flexible in of a student’s native language as
circumstances is a student’s native their thinking” (Baker, 1996). The a “crutch”—something temporary
language harmful to his learning, third advantage, he claims, is that “a and throw-away, needed only by an
nor is his lack of English proficiency bilingual may consciously and sub- “injured” person. Evidently, a stu-
a deficit. In fact, he’s an entire lan- consciously compare and contrast dent on his way to bilingualism is
guage ahead of those of us who are their two languages” (Baker, 1996). in better “linguistic health” than his
“highly educated” but monolingual. Bloom’s taxonomy places the ability monolingual counterparts!
Dialogue, Fall 2008 11
Despite my awareness of the poten- in English, a neighbor’s quick trans- when we’ve accustomed ourselves
tial advantages of bilingualism, I lation is an efficient way for all stu- to calling all of the shots, to mak-
used to be part of the “crutch” camp dents to gain the same background ing the most important decisions for
of thinking. I could justify why knowledge and be able to move them.
students should have marginal use forward collectively.
of their native language in content Since the perceived threat of native
areas other than English, since the Though moving ahead with the language use often originates from
content is more the focus than the same knowledge base might seem our own fears, not from any substan-
language. But in English class I a desirable situation in our class- tiated concern that it will impede the
believed that since the content was rooms, there is one major obstacle content being studied, it is critical
the language, English should be in the way: our own anxieties. We that we learn to accept our own dis-
used at all times by everyone. That might worry that when we let stu- comfort. Stephanie Jones, in study-
puts everyone on an equal footing,
I reasoned.
Though moving ahead with the same
In reality, the English language is
only “the content” of the English
knowledge base might seem a desirable situation
class in the broadest sense. There in our classrooms, there is one major
are many sub-contents happening
within that subject area. Let’s sup-
pose that we’re discussing literary
terms like metaphor and imagery.
While an English Learner might
obstacle in the way: our own anxieties.
dents use their native languages,
m
ing the alternative language prac-
struggle to articulate the purpose of we’ll no longer be able to con- tices of young girls in a high-poverty
such devices in English, she could trol them. We are warned in our U.S. neighborhood, asserts that, “far
certainly learn what they mean in teaching credential programs and from a harmonious, predictable, and
her language if we allow for a by our administrations that without shared vision that the idealized con-
quick translation. Won’t that get classroom control, all may be lost. cept of classroom ‘community’ might
her on an equal footing with her How can we be expected to control evoke, classrooms that open spaces
classmates much more efficient- students when we can’t even under- where students’ multiple ways with
ly? Won’t it be easier for her now stand what they’re saying? What if words are centered and engaged
to learn the English words, since the animated Korean conversation in meaningful, productive learning
the concepts are already in her is really about the overhead mark- are often sites of conflict” (Jones,
head? Additionally, the classmate er stain on Mrs. Merideth’s face 2006). We often equate “peaceful-
who translated or explained the instead of the theme of the book we ness” in our classrooms with “quiet.”
words to her has just reinforced just read? Learning, however, means active—
his own knowledge of the vocabu- and at times loud and confronta-
tional—meaning-making. It is natu-
ral for conflict to exist as students
Everyone benefited from the exchange,
n
struggle not only with language
even the teacher, who can proceed meanings, but with their beliefs and
identities and those of others. This
with the lesson knowing that metaphor conflict, as Jones suggests, might
very well be productive and even
and imagery were introduced and understood. necessary.