The comp theory/practice course for new TAs I teach as part of my WPA duties will be fully online this year, so I'm re-thinking everything, especially assignments. Curious, fellow WPAs: what types of writing do you assign in your course? #WPAlife #TeamRhetoric
More details: the class is two weeks long. In the past, writing a Philosophy of Composing and the syllabus, schedule, and assignments have been the major assignments, in addition to discussion boards, responses, etc.
Due to the pandemic, we are using a standard syllabus, schedule and assignments this year. Some elements of the syllabus can be tailored to new TAs' preferences (such as the grading system), but most of the syllabus they will be using as-is.
I'm considering using only informal writing assignments, in addition to the tweaks they'll need to make to the syllabus/schedule/assignments. I'd like to use some sort of journal/reflective writing part of the informal writing--something they would continue into the fall.
We're all operating on low bandwith as is. What we'll be asking them to do this year--a hybrid course, essentially--is hard even in the best of circumstances. I keep thinking about what I want them to do and saying to myself, "enough." The daily writing is enough.
This course is a four-hour grad seminar, so I do feel some (internalized?) pressure to have some sort of larger project. But as I interrogate those feelings, it just seems like bullshit this year. My inner voice just keeps saying, this is not the time.
As is probably obvious to anyone reading along, I'm writing myself (Tweeting myself) into something here. Writing it down in this way is convincing me of what I should do.
Clarification: when I mention they could continue the reflective writing into the fall, I'm referring to the fall practicum. We meet once a week for 80 minutes for practicum during the fall and spring semesters.
One other thing I forgot to mention last night is that one assignment I’m planning for this class is having groups of TAs create short videos for FYC students, in which they explain fundamental course concepts (voice, audience, purpose, rhetorical appeals, etc).
The thought is that these videos could then be used across all FYC sections—that way, there’s a shared pool of reseources for the TAs, especially brand-new TAs.
Because some of the new TAs won’t have much familiarity with rhetoric, the topics we assign them will need to be ones more familiar to them (such as voice and audience). Myself and others will create videos about topics such as kairos, remonstration, etc.
I want to create a YouTube channel for the Composition Program, and TAs and other instructors could pick and choose which videos to share on their Canvas sites. The videos could be used in FYC and our 200 level Advanced Writing courses.
This way instructors can focus on creating “just in time” videos specific to their classes (weekly video updates, explaining elements of assignments their students struggled with). Trying to reduce their labor as much as possible.
