What is andragogy, and how might the approach help in teaching FYC?

What is andragogy, and how might the approach help in teaching FYC?

Andragogy- the education of adult learners.

According to our class, adult learners need to know the reason for what their learning, experience including their errors form the basic foundation for their education, adults feel the need to be responsible for decisions made in their learning (this is a BIG one!), and adults are more interested in learning topics that directly relate to their life/work experience. 

In regards to teaching FYC, I think the classroom as well as the teaching methods and pedagogy, is a bit of a mix of both adult learners and non-adults learners (I'm not talking legal definitions of adult, I mean in terms of maturity and experience). Obviously the students are all likely legal adults, but not all students would fall under the andragogy pedagogical category.

In the FYC classroom, we should incorporate several pedagogical strategies for our students. I think a scaffolding system is necessary here. For instance, you can start the beginning of the year with a more teacher and content center classroom, and then throughout the semester, shift toward an andragogy student centered classroom. I think as students mature and grow over the course of the semester, the students will begin to have more experience in life and in the classroom, and will likely become more wanting of making more of their decisions and be more involved with their learning than at the beginning of the semester. 

The way I see incorprating andragogy in the FYC is like teaching a kid to ride a bike. At first you hold on to the bike for the entire time the kid is on the bike, holding them steady, making sure they're understanding the basic concepts of riding a bike, and then after a few weeks of practice, you begin to slowly take one hand off the bike, then moving to just holding on to the seat, then briefly letting go for just a few seconds before you run up behind the kid and grab onto the bike before the kid falls. Then one day, the kid says, let go, I got this! and you do, and then the kid takes their knowledge, their ability, their skills to ride the bike on their own without falling off. 

This is how I see andragogy being used in the FYC classroom.  

Teaching Philosophy - Updated 11/8/15

Teaching Philosophy 

Good teaching is in a constant state of evolution. Adapting new pedagogical theories and reworking older theories allow teachers to incorporate highly effective tactics in their classroom. I believe that progressive pedagogical theories maintain a solid foundation for teachers at any experience level. Putting the controls of classroom learning back into the hands of the students, allows for better student involvement with the course material and a more interactive learning experience for students. The objective in my classroom is to educate and inspire, and my objective as a teacher is to provide the knowledge, desire for curiosity, and inspiration in any way possible. I believe student-centered learning is the most 

effective pedagogy for engaging students to be actively involved with their education and learning process.

·       I believe in the value of language and its ability to affect students learning and writing capabilities.

·       I believe that teaching and learning involves constant action and reflection.

·       I believe that the most motivational factor for students to learn is being able to connect a new topic or concept to something they already know or value, particularly if this includes technology.

The value in a composition classroom is derived from understanding how to use and structure language appropriately. Composition is concerned with both process (thinking and drafting) and product (written output). Composition engages student’s minds to think critically about how they write, what the write, why it is important they write in a specific manner and arguably, the most important factor of Composition is learning to write for an audience. Learning the foundations for Composition is critical before students even begin to write.

Approaches to the Classroom and Assignments

My role as the teacher during the particular assignments is to offer support and suggestions to students. If a student does not understand the assignment directions or struggles with completing the assignment due to lack of understanding the material, I will provide open office hours for students to meet with me one-on-one to review the material or directions. I am aware that not every student learns the same way, which is why I assist students in any way possible. I envision the teacher’s role to be that of the mentor and mediator in the classroom. If a student requires extra help, the teacher should be willing to adapt the material to help the student as their mentor. While the teacher should maintain an authoritative role in the classroom hierarchy, the teacher should allow students the freedom of open discussion and encourage classroom participation, which would allow the teacher to play the role of mediator. Being the mediator will supply the teacher with a lax authoritative role, providing further explanations, examples and correct information during discussion. This allows students the opportunity to speak more freely and engage more with Composition. As a teacher, I believe outlining specific goals for the class and students is crucial:

Understanding the relationship between Composition and Chosen Field of Work

Ensuring students thoroughly understand the relationship between their chosen field and Composition is imperative. Many students do not believe they will be a significant amount of writing in their career, however, I would encourage students to interview professionals in their chosen field about how much writing they perform on a daily basis. I would also ensure that my students were aware of the multiple scholarly journals for their chosen field (if applicable). Providing students with the opportunity to be actively involved in their chosen field, using and exploring the opportunities for Composition will only motivate them further to continue learning the importance of Composition in their field.

The Importance of Writing Clearly and Effectively

Students must learn the importance of writing clearly, effectively, and appropriately in their careers and their daily life. Being an effective writer is vital for every student, it allows for open and clear communication inside and out of the workplace. There is no substitution for good writing skills.

Providing a Solid Foundation of Composition: Purpose and Function

Teaching students the solid foundations of Composition such as, appropriate formats and document designs, writing to the appropriate audience and most importantly for students, composing a proper resume, offers students the knowledge and ability to use these skills even after my class has ended. Knowing foundations of Composition will always provide students a step in the right direction in life.  Implementing technology based and teamwork assignments encourages students to adapt to situations they will encounter in their chosen career. With a hands-on and project-based learning approach, students will be able to move outside of the classroom to work with real-world examples of Composition. I plan and organize each day with my students to teach them multiple facets of Composition and always allow time for students to practice writing. I always encourage students each day to ask questions, seek answers, work with a team, be understanding of others and never belittle another for difference of opinions.

Motivation and Encouragement

Encouraging students to be open is vital in my classroom. Students who are open to others opinions and ideas, as well as being open to different situations, strategies and theories that they may not necessarily agree with encourages students to handle situations suitably and work as a team to find the right solution or answer.

Because teaching is in a constant state of evolution, teachers should always be aware of new pedagogical theories and methods to incorporate in their classroom. Effective teaching should be focused on the students learning the material, and the teacher should be flexible to adapt their teaching styles to promote extensive learning the best way possible. By learning and experimenting with pedagogical practices and with the foundations of Composition, students receive life-long skills they can and will likely use on a day-to-day basis. I practice every day to keep an open mind, open ears and open eyes to my students, their questions and their preferred learning styles. I do my best to adapt the course to fit my students, rather than requiring the students to mold to fit an outlined course.

Based on your teaching philosophy (which may change over time), what are types of assignments which you would include in a FYC syllabus?

Based on your teaching philosophy (which may change over time), what are types of assignments which you would include in a FYC syllabus? 

As we've talked previously in class, and from my own teaching experience, one of the hardest things to accomplish is answering student questions such as: "Why is this important?" "How will this help me in my future?" "Why do I need to know this stuff?" "Why are we handwriting when we have computers (computers do everything for us)?" In essence the first goal of any English class should be to engage the students, nearly in any way possible. So with this, I would begin the semester with a series of guided free-writes leading to non-guided free-writes. This would allow students to simply write. I would start by giving a quote, a word, a picture, or any other type of text and ask the students to write their thoughts for 5-10 minutes. Just write, it doesn't matter how you write, what you write, or even if it makes sense, just simply write. Then we might share and discuss some of the students' writing. After a few sessions of this, once the students were used to the practice, I would then let them write on any topic they want. The purpose is to have students writing, in any manner, on any topic. This is to offer students the realization that they do actually have something to say, and that they can write for a purpose.

I would then use Op-Ed articles. I love these because it gets students interacting with each other rather than with me. I would have students respond, in writing to each piece, then they would share with the class. I would hold Socratic seminars using these Op-Ed pieces as our focus text to encourage students to not only think and engage critically with the texts at hand, but also to think and engage critically with their peers. One thing I've always really enjoyed about Op-Ed texts and socratic seminars is that it challenges the student to think, simmer, stew, brew over the text, then formulate a response. It allows students time to gather their thoughts coherently and write them down; but when doing socratic seminars, students have to think more quickly, and respond to their peers verbally, also, with coherence and clarity. If I was to take it a step further, I would have students respond in writing to their peers verbal question and then read their response aloud.

In essence, I really follow Bloom's (revised) Taxonomy:

Maybe it's just a high school teacher concept, but it's something that legitimately works. You can start from the bottom and work your way up, or you can mix and match. I prefer to mix and match in my lessons. I think 99% of our daily life comes from the understand and remembering category, but as you work your way up the pyramid it becomes more difficult. Applying these concepts to real life events (this is why I LOVE Op-Ed pieces), analyzing and evaluating the OP-Ed pieces, finding holes in the author's arguments, agreeing/disagree and explaining why, and then creating your own response to it, or even creating your own Op-Ed piece.

For a way to work this into literature, because I read short pieces of poetry, NF and F pieces in my 1302 course, I've found a Norton Anthology from 2010 that has some of the most beautiful poetry and short Fiction pieces in it. I've used this in my high school lesson plans, but they can easily be adapted for higher level thinking at the college level since that's what it was originally geared towards. For example, this is one of my favorite poems:

"From the Diary of an Almost Four-Year-Old" By Hanan Mikha'il 'Ashrawi 

Tomorrow, the bandages
will come off. I wonder
will I see half an orange,
half an apple, half my
mother's face
with my one remaining eye?

I did not see the bullet

but felt its pain

exploding in my head.

His image did not

vanish, the soldier

with a big gun, unsteady

hands, and a look in

his eyes

I could not understand.

If I can see him so clearly

with my eyes closed,

it could be that inside our heads

we each have one spare set

of eyes

to make up for the ones we lose.

Next month, on my birthday,

I'll have a brand new glass eye,

maybe things will look round

and fat in the middle ---

I've gazed through all my marbles,

they made the world look strange.

I hear a nine-month-old

has also lost an eye,

I wonder if my soldier

shot her too --- a soldier

looking for little girls who

look him in the eye ---

I'm old enough, almost four,

I've seen enough of life,

but she's just a baby

who didn't know any better.

We would read this poem and annotate, stanza by stanza, writing down our thoughts, feelings, and comments for each stanza. Then read it again. Then I might asks the following questions:
1. How was the speaker injured? (Understanding and Applying)
2. What words in this poem would not ordinarily be part of the vocabulary of an average four-year-old? Does the use of such language detract from the poem's impact? (Applying, Analyzing and Evaluating)
3. Discuss the effect of the words "a look in/ his eyes/ I could not understand" (II. 13-15) (Understanding, Analyzing, and Evaluating)
4. Discuss the various meanings of "look him in the eye" (I. 33). (Understanding, Analyzing, and Evaluating)
5. The speaker contrasts her almost four years of experience with the innocence of a nine-month-old baby. What impact does this have? (Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and Creating)

Writing topic: Armed conflict creates "collateral damage." Define this term. Under what circumstances is such damage morally justified or plainly immoral?  (Understanding, Applying, Analyzing, Evaluating, and (most importantly) Creating)

'Ashrawi, Hanan Mikha'il. "From the Diary of an Almost Four-Year-Old." Literature: The Human Experience. 10th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010. 163-64. Print. 

Additionally, we can also do this for Non-Fiction and Fiction pieces. 

My goal, ultimately, would be to have students engage with texts in a multitude of ways, from reading and writing about it, to talking about it, analyzing and evaluating it, to then creating their own piece of written work. I don't think there is any one specific task that precedes another, necessarily, and I don't think FYC should be taught just by doing one thing, or in a step-by-step process. I think each lesson should encourage reading, writing, thinking, talking, and creating. It's not just about working through a written text, it's about engaging and without sounding too much like John Lennon here, we should be involved with the text.

What is the most difficult thing to teach in the teaching of writing, and how do you go about teaching that?

What is the most difficult thing to teach in the teaching of writing, and how do you go about teaching that?

This question is a bit more complicated that just picking one specific area that is most difficult to teach when teaching writing. It really depends on your audience is, and what their prior knowledge and skills of writing are. I say this because I would imagine a Kindergarten teacher's response will differ from a middle school teacher's, from a high school teacher's, from a FYC teacher's and from a graduate level teacher. But being that this course is about FYC, obviously that is what the question is geared towards.

I've never taught FYC, so I honestly don't know what the most difficult thing to teach in teaching writing will be, however, I highly doubt it varies drastically from the challenges I faced as a high school teacher. I also doubt my answer will stray from what the most difficult concept for me was as a FYC student. So my answer is editing. Not revision, but simple editing for grammar, syntax, clarity and cohesion. While my background stems from essay and technical writing, I can imagine the struggle to teach editing skills is probably shared with creative writers as well. 

The reason I say editing is probably the hardest thing to teach when teaching writing is because if a student can't write well in the first place, and they do not understand or know how to write better, then how can they edit their own work to make it better? This was a struggle I faced as a young writer. I simply could not see the mistakes I was making that my teachers clearly could. 

The big red circle around a word/phrase/sentence with a question mark was traumatizing. I didn't understand what my teacher didn't understand about my sentence. When I would gather the courage to ask, my teacher would say something like, "this doesn't make sense" or "I don't understand what you mean here," and my response would always be: "what don't you understand about it? How does it not make sense?" So my struggle, as I'm sure I share with many writers is, not understanding what someone else doesn't understand about my work.

To me, teaching editing skills should be taught both first and last. I think with a solid knowledge of grammar skills, a firm grasp on syntax, and high exposure to quality essays written with concise and clear language is necessary before a student even begins to write an essay, because this allows for editing to actually happen during the writing process. Then, after the essay is written, a student should be able to go back and read through their essay to edit their work. 

Of course easier said than done. Because what if the student doesn't have a firm grasp of grammar and syntax and hasn't had much exposure to well written texts? Then what? How are you supposed to teach writing with clarity when a student can't determine what high quality writing looks like. I say this because as a high school teacher I once laid out three example paragraphs. One was written in I guess what you would call "cultural language" using letters and numbers to replace whole words, using double negatives, etc. the second example was a piece that looked like a thesaurus threw up on a piece of paper (and the content itself, even if you knew the words, didn't make much sense), and the third example was of high quality writing with standard (undergraduate) college appropriate language. I asked my students to choose the best piece, the one that would be considered high quality written work. Many of them chose the thesaurus vomit and said they chose it because "if it uses big words, it must be right."

So I had to explain to my students that just because a person uses big words doesn't mean it's good writing. So I showed them an alternate version of the thesaurus vomit text using lower level language and they all said "ohhh... that doesn't make any sense! We choose number 3 instead." 

There are many different ways to teach editing, just as there are many different ways to teach writing. And again, I think it really depends on your audience for exactly how you teach these concepts. For instance, if you're teaching a room full of math and science majors, it's probably best to break down the writing and editing process as a formula or instructions: your thesis statement is like the number one. It goes into everything. Everything always has the number one in it. Or maybe consider the thesis statement as an atom. Atoms are everywhere and in everything. (I don't know honestly, I'm not a science or math major, but I think you get my point here.)

So, if you're teaching creative students, perhaps from the liberal arts side, you might consider teaching writing and editing as a picture, like a tree. Your thesis statement is the trunk, everything must connect to it. Then you have your large branches which are your body paragraphs, and you have these smaller branches that connect to the large branch that is your supportive evidence for that particular paragraph. 

Lastly, always always always make your students read their work aloud. I don't have a clue where I first learned this, and I'm sure most of us know to do this, but reading our work aloud allows our brains to actually focus on each word on the page, but when we read silently our brains can and often will skip or fill-in-the-blank for something that's missing. 

To recap: I think the most difficult thing to teach when teaching writing is editing. And you go about teaching it by ensuring your students have a firm grasp of good grammar and syntax and have been exposed to high quality writing. Then once your students have this, have them read their papers aloud to a peer, so they will catch things that they didn't before, and their peer will also be able to ask questions about parts they didn't understand. If you want to make it even better, have a peer read their work aloud.