Rather than a “how to” course on how to “fix” basic writers, this course will consider the various subjectivities of the to “basic writers.” Although most compositionists will look the other way, basic writing is foundational to the whole enterprise of rhetoric and composition in the country. We’ll look at some of the better representations and we will also look at advertising for basic writing materials and assess their appropriateness. Grab all the basic writing texts you can from the publisher reps. If you have not already taught any facet of the writing for less traditionally prepared students, I will expect you to attend at least two classes here or even better at a local community college. Because at least two of our texts follow particular programs, I will try to make arrangements for us to look at the archives here on the beginning of the EOP and SSS Programs as well as the Instructional Center. There is also a very useful video on the era of the start up of these programs and their main players. Vigorous discussion, reports on other works in the area, and some preliminary archival work on our own programs will be the basis for evaluation.

TEXTS:
Branch, Kirk. “’Eyes on the Ought to be’: What We Teach about When we Teach about Literacy.” Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2007.
ISBN 157273714X (pbk)
DeStigter, Todd. Reflections of a Citizen Teacher: Literacy, Democracy, and the Forgotten Students of Addison High. Urbana: NCTE: 2001.
ISBN 0-8141-2971-4

Lamos, Steve. Interests and Opportunities: Race, Racism, and University Writing Instruction in the Post-Civil Rights Era. Pittsburgh, PA: U Pitt P, 2011.
ISBN 978-0-8229-6173-7 (pbk)

Ritter, Kelly. Before Shaughnessy: Basic Writing at Yale and Harvard, 1920-1960. Carbondale, IL: SIU Press, 2009.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8093-2924-3 (pbk)

Shaughnessy. Mina. Errors and Expectations. New York: Oxford, 1977.
ISBN: 0195025075 (pbk)

Soliday, Mary. The Politics of Remediation. Pittsburgh: U Pitt P, 2002.
ISBN: 0822941864 (pbk)

Stanley, Jane. The Rhetoric of Remediation. Pittsburgh, PA: U Pitt P, 2010.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8229-4386-0

Sternglass, Marilyn S. Time to Know Them. Matwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 1997.
ISCN 0-8058-2723-4 (pbk)