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Class Discussion Lead

Discussion Lead (10%, 10 points)

Because ENGL5454 is a graduate seminar devoted to the theory and practice of college composition and because graduate seminars tend to build knowledge through dialogue, inquiry, and shared exploration, this semester will include taking responsibility for leading class discussion one afternoon. We will determine which afternoon at our first class meeting on August 28. And, as we do so, we will add names here and also on the class schedule, thereby firming up a plan for the next several weeks.

9/11 Rachel
9/18 Cassie
9/25 (drafts and conferences; no discussion lead)
10/2 Kira
10/9 Ray
10/16 Bessie
10/23 Luana
10/30 Savannah
11/6 Carli
11/13 Caroline
11/20 Katherinna

Discussion leading will take approximately 30 minutes near the start of class (as such, plan for 30 minutes, though it may go over or under slightly). It may focus on an issue, a reading, or a set of readings; it may adapt a variety of activities involving writing, textual interpretation, consulting new texts, articulating connections or questions, defining terms, problem solving, making and doing, and so on. You could, for example, consult Cult of Pedagogy's "The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies," or you could adapt a highly participatory turn-taking model, such as a talking circle, or you could pick up on a well-established disciplinary formulation, such as write-pair-share, prompting us to write, then to pair, then to share from our small groups new insights or new questions. The goals with discussion leading are to 1) have a plan, 2) follow that plan within reason (extemporaneous detours are welcome and customary in responsive teaching situations), 3) guide the class through the discussion, and 4) express what you hoped participants to gain from the discussion (i.e., disclose takeaways).

As you prepare, when you create a lesson plan document or any other guiding materials, make sure they are in your Google Folder before the start of the class session. If you want to prepare and use slides, add them to your Google Folder, and we can project them from that location during the class session. Finally, if you prepare and circulate paper-based instructions, make sure these, too, are in your Google Folder (for all of these, name the file DL-description-yourlastname.

Grading

Discussion leading is weighted at 10 points (10%) of your overall grade for the course. It will be evaluated on a credit/no credit basis. That is, you will earn full credit, provided you adhere with the parameters listed above.

Contact Information

Derek N. Mueller, PhD
Associate Professor of Rhetoric and Writing
Director of Composition
Department of English
Virginia Tech
Office: 315 Shanks Hall
Spring 2020 Office Hours: T, 12-3
Phone: +1-734-985-0485
dmueller@vt.edu
http://derekmueller.net/rc/

"[W]hat we teach our students is a consequence of what we understand writing to be" (215). Mary Lou Odom, Michael Bernard-Donals, and Stephanie Kerschbaum, "Enacting Theory: The Practicum as the Site of Invention," Don't Call It That: The Composition Practicum

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