David Hammontree, English
An ongoing debate in writing pedagogy involves the role of critical analysis and civic literacy in the writing classroom. One view sees that since most political arguments are targeted at the mainstream, these issues should be analyzed at a rhetorical level in a writing classroom. Another view posits that too much emphasis on politics detracts from actually teaching writing. My discussion will focus on how we can best balance our good intentions, exposing students to political and civic issues without going beyond the scope of our courses or engaging in ideological battles. I will share some of the promising practices, effective strategies, and resources I use to address moral and ethical issues in specific classroom contexts. The presentation will also address the role of persuasion and influence in terms of civic engagement and touch on student awareness of political and social issues.
