Expressive Pedagogy
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Expressive Pedagogy is an approach to the teaching of writing that emphasizes the writer as the central figure.[1]The approach explores the writer's development through written works and reflective analysis to highlight the changes between an individual and their behavior towards the surrounding world.[1] The practice emerged around the late 20th century, originally viewing it as a workshop practice.[2] Later iterations focused on the relationship between expressivism theory and practice. Modern practices of expressive pedagogy emphasize the writer's voice and personal experience.[3]
Expressive pedagogy within the classroom include the absence of traditional textbooks, favoring books as guides as opposed to standards, and the introduction of writing assignments such as freewriting, reflective writing, and discussions among small groups.[4]
History and progression[edit]
The Expressive Pedagogical approach emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as an alternative to traditional rhetorical practices. These traditional practices encouraged adherence to Standard American English (SAE) and rigid grammatical rules and served the purpose of preparing mainly male university students on the G.I. bill to enter a post-war American workforce and fill vacant positions in areas such as management and manufacturing. Traditional rhetorical practices framed writing and rhetoric as the means to an end, as opposed to a medium of expression.[2]
Expressive Pedagogy focuses instead on the writer and their experiences. Following James Berlin’s rhetorical triangle approach to rhetoric, this expressive approach places the writer in the middle of the triangle, prioritizing their perspective and considering how their outlook has been shaped by their personal experiences and development. Regardless of the writing style being employed, Expressive Pedagogy encourages writers to have a strong voice, even in research-based writing.[2]
The foundational texts of Expressive Pedagogy theory mark a shift into a student-centered learning approach. Referred to as “anti-textbooks”, these works by writers such as Ken Macrorie, Peter Elbow and William Cole cover of different sets of skills that these authors believe will produce more meaningful and communicative writing. These anti-textbooks function as guides for students to develop individualistic writing practices, differentiating them from traditional textbooks' customary rules and formalities. Instead, these texts serve as a tool that propels writers to explore their own relationship to writing and the writing process, and how it all affects the final textual product.[5]
These works emphasize the intricacies of the writing process, advocating for the importance of self-discovery in helping writers achieve an insightful perspective that is thought to strengthen their abilities to successfully communicate with an audience.[1]
Notable works include Ken Macrorie’s Telling Writing (1970), which encourages students to journal as a way of supplementing their writing through the documentation of their experiences and development. Macrorie believed students can become better writers by learning to express their own points of view and recreating their experiences in telling details.[6] Other works such as Peter Elbow’s Writing Without Teachers (1973) frame writing as a way of creating meaning and identity, encouraging practices such as free writing and peer reviewing. These collaborative practices are believed to strengthen one’s writing by exposing it to a variety of diverse perspectives, culminating in more communicative and aware writing.[2]
Organizations and movements[edit]
In 1949, the Conference on College Composition and Communication was formed within the NTCE. This sub-organization is dedicated to writing research and theory, aiming to create a collaborative space for professionals to develop and diversify the field of writing and composition studies. They hold annual conferences where professionals come together to discuss the aforementioned topics in panels and discussion groups.
Application to the college writing classroom[edit]
The pioneer of freewriting, Peter Elbow, shared in his handout Uses and Benefits of Freewriting and Low Stakes Writing different ways in which professors can apply freewriting in their classroom. Being freewriting one form of Expressive Pedagogy.[7] Freewriting can be applied during different moments inside the classroom and depending on when, it would determine the outcome.
For example, instructors can apply freewriting at the beginning of the class period for a time between 5 to 10 minutes. Doing so will help students to draw the attention to the class topic and information discussed in previous meetings.[7]
Applying freewriting at the end of the class promotes students to analyze and recap the ideas that they just learned.[7]
Students can have their freewriting notes in their journals since they are reflecting on their personal ideas and thoughts. It falls under the professor's judgment to collect these journals or just check that students are writing. If the instructors choose not to collect these notes, they can ask for a weekly letter, written to a peer, where the students explain the concepts of the class. This way professor can collect this peer letter and check if students are understanding the subject.[7]
Teachers and professors can also instruct their students to summarize for them, for 5 minutes at the end of the class, the main ideas of the class. Peter Elbow saw this as an opportunity for the instructor to collect students’ ideas and sort what part of the class has been retained inside their minds and what is not.[7]
In addition, Peter Elbow suggested what he called low stakes writing[8] as another way to embrace Expressive Pedagogy. The main idea of low stake writing is to make students feel comfortable when freewriting, encouraging them to write with their own voice and vocabulary the ideas of the class. Peter Elbow was a firm believer that students only fully comprehended a lesson when they could express it in their own words the class material.[7] It also helps to have these assignments not graded or just a small portion of their grade, that way students don't feel obligated to please the professors with their writing and explore their own ideas.[8]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Burnham, Christopher (2001). A Guide To Composition Pedagogies. Oxford University Press. pp. 19–35. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 1964-, Tate, Gary. Rupiper Taggart, Amy, 1973- Schick, Kurt (2001). A guide to composition pedagogies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-512536-3. OCLC 41488887. Search this book on
- ↑ Elbow, Peter (25 June 1998). Writing without Teachers (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195120165. Search this book on
- ↑ Pola, Michel Beth, "Expressivist Pedagogy in the High School English Classroom: A Handbook for Curricular Integration" (2003). All Graduate Projects. 178. https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/graduate_projects/178
- ↑ Woods, William F. (1981). "Composition Textbooks and Pedagogical Theory 1960-80". College English. 43 (4): 393–409. doi:10.2307/377128. ISSN 0010-0994.
- ↑ Woods, William F. (1981). "Composition Textbooks and Pedagogical Theory 1960-80". College English. 43 (4): 393–409. doi:10.2307/377128. ISSN 0010-0994.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Elbow, Peter. "Uses and Benefits of Freewriting and Low Stakes Writing" (PDF). Peterelbow.com.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Elbow, Peter. "HIGH STAKES AND LOW STAKES IN ASSIGNING AND RESPONDING TO WRITING" (PDF). Peterelbow.com.
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