Triad M Writing and Rhetoric
Spring 2018
Intersections: Situations and Genres"
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Think of it this way: If I want others to join me in advocating for change in how student aid or debt is handled--interest rates, repayment, eligibility, etc., my research has helped me understand the issues fully and identify specific possible ways that action might lead to change. I also have learned that those affected or most interested in my focus constitutes what I might call my audience. But in that audience, might be full time students, part-time students, soon-to-be college students, graduates struggling with repaying, part-time students, and, of course families of students. So same problem or focus, all members of this group potentially could help solve/ameliorate the issue, join my cause, but NO WAY that I could write/design/compose any single piece of text that would reach all of them or that would affect all of them in the same ways. So based on my full understanding of this "situation," I begin to explore what might be three of the most effective ways to "deliver" my appeals, and what forms/conventions would different segments of the audience most likely respond to best? There I am asking the genre questions. And this assignment asks you produce the equivalent of three different texts, in distinct genres. What do we mean by equivalent? We'll discuss...
The Project
Short version:
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Early semester: research to learn, discover, explore--what interests you?
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By mid-semester: research to learn, discover more--I've decided on a focus I want to continue to research because...I want to advocate for change or attention or interest...
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Last half of the semester: As I learn more about my focus and as I explore more about who else might join me, I learn about potential audience(s); I learn more about the "situation" surrounding my focus, about my potential readers. I begin to identify possible genres that reach my target audience; I learn about how those genres work; I learn about how to use some of what I've learned in my research in order to design and compose the best kinds of texts. I work on design, drafting, revising, etc.
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At the end of the semester: I have at least three different genres, three or more texts/documents that are clearly addressing the same focus but that are clearly designed for different segments of my audience. I have used lots of what I've learned from my research, some for some readers, some other for other readers.
I now have a sense of how writing is social and rhetorical.
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By this point in the semester, you will understand that you are identifying how you want to sue what you are learning from your research, and from each class in our learning community, to advocate for, organize, and/or finding the significance of actions. More details will be given as we progress through the course.
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This graphic emphasizes the ways that research as learning is always part of a larger cycle of knowing and acting in a specific situation. Be careful about the graphic becoming the only way students see the project. Challenge yourself to draw connections away from the wheel at various points to describe what you are doing, etc.
The Process
Your focus/issue is the focal point of your entire project. This is your opportunity to have complete creativity. You identify the focus because of the work you do in your first Discovery Logs which will help guide you in this step.
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Your next step will be to learn more about the focus; you will use some of what you learn through research in the writing you will do.
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You will also research to learn about the situation/context of your focus and potential readers.
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Research your issue so that you can figure out what you wanting to show. This will lead you to do more research to understand the conversation surrounding your issue.
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The next phase of research will give you an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
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Your proposal will explain the following...
Basically, based on the research you perform throughout the semester you will create three writing projects, which take into consideration the needs of three different audiences you wish to address. By this point in the semester, you will understand that you are identifying how you want to use what you are learning from your research, and from each class in our learning community, to advocate, organize, and/or finding the significance of people, events, and ideas. More details will be given as the we progress through the course.