Feedback from 4x4 Faculty-Participants
Connecting with Colleagues in Other Departments
"The cross-disciplinary nature of this has been invaluable. Seeing others’ work and hearing their concerns helps me analyze my own needs. Obviously, we share many concerns and can help one another despite differences in discipline."
"This collaboration has helped me distinguish my own “disciplinary blinders.” At the same time, I think we’ve all discovered places of rich overlap."
"It has given me a window into the curriculum structures of other programs and given me an idea of how we (in my department) could do things differently."
"It’s been enjoyable and challenging, inasmuch as different approaches to writing have caused me to think about how I teach writing."
Working with Departmental Colleagues
"It has helped create a peer culture in our program to think about curriculum more broadly."
"I have had conversations about how to integrate writing more effectively into classes by syllabus redesign. This has been useful."
"This is very helpful – we all talk a lot together anyway and are working through these ideas among ourselves already."
"That has been very helpful. I feel like we have a on-going conversation in my department."
Important Things Learned About Integrating Writing into Courses
"I have gained an appreciation of the need to (and some concrete ideas for how to) conceive of writing assignments, grading/response, and teaching in class as mutually reinforcing parts of a coherent whole."
"Teaching writing as a part of the course through staged, low-stakes assignments that build to higher stakes assignment. Shifting away from mechanics."
"Making it specifically clear to the students what you expect from them and provid[ing] this information in your writing assignments’ criteria."
"The integrating part – truly making it a part of one’s pedagogy on a daily basis."
What’s Left to Learn
"How to make sure that my assignments are working – that is, that students are learning to critically engage the lecture and reading material and that this will be reflected in their writing."
"How to balance use of class time between writing exercises and workshops and discussions/lectures dealing with course material. Too little time!"
"How to teach an integrating course in a large lecture format. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity!"