September 9

The assigned reading was about writing process and tutoring process. In class, we drew from scholars' descriptions of these processes as a way to think where, when and how writing coaches can work with writers. We characterized the writing process in terms of three stages with full acknowledgment of the fact it is recursive - and chaotic (a complex social process that interacts with individual circumstances and psychology). Even though the stages are a linear sequence, there are particular kinds of moves that writers make within the different stages - and we listed some of the moves within each stage.

You then brainstormed a list of "tutorly moves" - strategies or actions coaches might make to support writers at points of impasse or confusion.

During the last moments of class (and this is the part I meant to spend the most time on - but we ran out of time) we began making connections between points in the writing process, characteristic problems that arise at that point - and tutorly moves (I need a better word for that).

Writing Process & Coaching Ideas Sheets. I've typed up three charts - one for each stage - with the beginning of your input. They are posted at google.docs - anyone with the link should be able to edit these documents (Angela told me the link doesn't work - give me a day or so to fix this). Go take a look - add your groups (and your own) observations & strategies. I am 100% aware that the formatting is not the best - any revisions/rearrangements to make this document easier to use would be appreciated. The idea is that we will begin to put together - as a class - a list of strategies to use for some of the many issues that arise at different points in the writing process. Through creating this list you have a chance to "rehearse" some of the moves you might make in a session- that way, those moves might be available to you when you need them.

Thanks for your good contributions to the class discussion - and please solidify some of that good work by putting it on the Idea Sheet.

For Tuesday:

Blog 2: Describe your writing process. So you write the same way for "school" as the way you write for your self? What points in each of your processes might benefit from coaching?

Read: McAndrew and Reigstad, 30-69.