Gaff & Allen

Gaff's main argument is that we need to diminish the walls of pretense and confusion that have surrounded the academic world and made students feel left on the outside, not sure how to get in. He states that explaining and letting students discuss some of the oddities of academic discourse in class will at least allow them to choose for themselves whether to be a part of that world or not, rather than just leaving them confused about what is even required.

Allen has similar frustrations about the setup of academia and its exclusivity, but a different tactic for resolving it. He argues that when students are taught to write expository works, they lack confidence and interest to do so and they are unable to make any new meaning. He shows through his experience how his teaching students to write personal narratives has had an enormous effect on their writing as well as in their lives as a whole. That task allows them to create meaning from things the know and have experienced, which makes them feel like they have something to contribute to the world and therefore can be part of the academic world.

I think that both of these authors present important ideas, but I especially found myself drawn to Allen. I found the personal narrative method and the results he got enthralling. As I read, I tried to think of how I could incorporate his ideas into my own classes. My students have just written personal narratives, and I would love to think of a way to tie that experience with the rest of the writing they will do this semester and beyond. One thing I am unsure about with this method though is how to also teach students skills of writing in different registers/tones for different audiences and how to correct grammar and form while still remaining their editor (not "corrector") and encouraging them to have confidence to write. A lot of my students wrote their narratives in a very casual, conversational voice, while others had good stories to tell but lacked grammar/spelling skills and good form. I am trying to think how to help students correct these types of things (to help prepare them for academia), while also encouraging that who they are and what they have to say are important and needed.