Writers Notebook 44

This professional writing class consists of students who have achieved certain levels of academic success that allow them to take this course. The course is student led and facilitated by the instructor. Students are often asked to separate into small groups that correspond to their school of study and discuss a topic that pertains to a certain writing community or skill. The classroom approach is similar to that of Texas Wesleyan’s classroom next. The classroom next theory focuses on the students constructing their own knowledge through group discussion.
The search for what students need to know to work effectively in this course and the depths of knowledge required is wide ranging. Students need to know the basic fundamentals of writing which include sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar. Knowledge of a specific field is not required. A large depth of knowledge is not necessary to be successful in this course. It is essential that students have a deep knowledge of their own specific field of study and use the tools taught in this classroom to improve their writing.
The writing and other forms of work for this classroom are completed in small discussion groups, at the library, or at home. The rules for this class are just like the rules in the real world. Each person must respect the other students and appreciate their point of view even though they may not agree. Questions are asked in classroom forums and answered by the instructor and often within each group. The forms of communication are simple. They include pen, paper, e-mail and open discussion.
This class has opened up the world of writing. Quite often students are subject to one form of writing in their discipline. For me it is history. I am accustomed to writing short paragraphs about specific historical events and long research papers. I never gave any thought to genre, writing discourse communities, or my actual feelings on writing. The writing focus I have achieved in this class will serve me well in my future endeavors.