Working with the Students

            One of the major things I have learned that I hope to continue working with students is to effectively design an argument. Students will have ideas that they love and believe everyone should agree with but that does mean that they have figured out how to properly articulate these ideas. Throughout the semester they are likely to improve their writing but hopefully they will learn to create and develop arguments as well. Few students have already done this before but they will almost certainly be asked to do so again.
            One way I hope to help them accomplish this would be through in class discussion. Forms of contact zones work well for this idea.  While it may be taboo to discuss current events in certain instances, I feel at least trying to have a constructive class criticism can be helpful. While students most likely cannot successfully persuade other students to their side of an argument, they can still continue to develop their reasons for their decisions. I will not tolerate putting another student down, calling them names in a derogatory or inappropriate way or taking away their voice in some way or form. But, I think as long as the discussions stay productive, I think they can be really helpful for students. Particularly if I or other students try to poke holes in a positive way.
            Another instance would be to bring in examples for the class to discuss. This construction revision is something that can be extremely helpful. Using either my own or former students that are no long taking the class' work would allow them to learn by a different form of discussion what does and doesn't work in writing. Many of them have made the same mistakes throughout the semester on the assignments. Helping them by running through these mistakes and showing them in works will, hopefully, connect it to their own writing. This will help them to focus on fixing the mistakes that have already occurred in their writing. Once they receive a paper or grade that shows they have fixed these initial issues. Then with that feedback, they can continue to begin looking for other areas to improve. This cycle can continue and hopefully improve their arguments overall.
           Finally, introducing aspects of social media into my work can help to connect to why the classes are so important. This flows well into the study of Andragogy we have done this semester. Many students, especially incoming freshman, severely lack understanding of why writing well is so important. Hopefully by showing them both comical and serious posts on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. can help to discuss whether or not people are effective. The ideas can also slide into, would you want to hire or work with someone who writes like this. If students can see how important the writing is in their everyday life, Hopefully they will want to begin to understand how to improve their writing.
            Overall, the different ideas addressed here will help to encourage students to not only believe ideas but encourage them to learn how to defend them. With that knowledge they will also be able to, hopefully, look at other arguments, learn to judge the arguments, agree or disagree. and understand why they feel this way.