More Notes from NCTE 2008

Hmmm, my twin, Michael Day, and I must make quite a pair. Someone at the conference likened us to the character "Day Walker" from the movie Blade. Ok, so now I have to admit I have never seen the movie, but I think I need to see it now so I will know whether this "likening" is, well, something I like or not!

While Blade didn't win any awards from NCTE, President George W. Bush most certainly did! He won the 2008 "Double Speak" Award for (are you ready?): "aspirational goal." Go, Bush!

Oh, yeah, and Paul Matsuda, editor of Research in the Teaching of English, told the group that they needed submissions. So, if you're considering where to send your work for publication, don't forget this very important journal! (Hmmm, ok, so I need to get my LILAC paper in order and submit it!!).

The Executive Committee Retreat began at 1pm Sunday, led by none other than our own Chuck Bazerman. For strategic planning, he said, we need to identify issues we (may?) be able to make headway on in the current climate (political, professional, economic, personal).

We spent about 30 minutes (or so) on the first question: What are longstanding or emergent concerns of our organization (or subgroups thereof)? What needs need to be met?

My group (Group #3) came up with the following list of concerns (in no particular order):

• Technology for presenters/attendees at conferences should be assumed
  
• Assessment and accredition: "outcomes-based" decision making
  
• Mandates for such things as dual enrollment/credit, e.g., high school-to-college
  
• Research, research, research! We need research on just about everything, especially longitudinal studies on assessment, etc. Of course, we also need funding for such studies…
  
• Internationalization—pressure to internationalize, but often without sufficient knowledge and greater awareness/change to writing programs in this country as well as directing writing programs in other countries.
  
• Public discourse—what place does it have in our classrooms and in our lives and in our scholarship and beyond?
  

So, other groups composed their lists as well, and we used GIANT sticky notes to list them all on the walls of the room. Here are some of the lists from other groups:

Group #1

1. Economics
   
   1. Equity – space, technology
      
   2. dual credit/enrollment
      
   3. adjunct and hiring issues
      
   4. course load/workload issues
      
2. Defining the field
   
   1. basic writing "issue"
      
   2. defining first year course
      
   3. under siege (for instance, dual credit enrollment)
      
   4. how to make ourselves relevant (avoid business model)
      
   5. authority issues
      
   6. globalization/internationalization
      
   7. building our credibility as a field.
      
3. access
   
   1. Tuition
      
   2. access to higher education
      

Group #2

1. Conditions are eroding
   
   1. Adjuncts
      
   2. "Master" core syllabi (standardization of courses)
      
   3. Raising course caps
      
   4. We need research (longitudinal studies) to convince the "powers that be" to do X (public discourse)
      
2. Dual enrollment issues
   
   1. Integrity
      
   2. Research
      
   3. Etc.
      
3. Conferencing strategies to meet the needs of younger or "poorer" or whatever members
   
   1. Equitable professional development for all (not just for those who can afford to come to our annual conferences)
      

Group #4

1. Relationship between comp/rhet and English as a language
   
   1. Mono-linguistic assumptions
      
   2. Where is comp/rhet located?
      
      1. Organizational chart
         
         1. Contingenet/adjunct labor
            
2. Working conditions
   
   1. Adjunct faculty
      
   2. Workload issues
      
   3. (Research – impact on student learning?)
      
3. Assessment/accreditation
   
   1. Teacher preparation
      
   2. Second language learners
      
   3. Dual credit
      

Everyone there pretty much agreed that we need to do a better job representing "us" to the public. PR – public (mis)perception(s). Makes this a good time for:

1. Research: because of mandates that affect US: our teaching, our courses, our field. Era of outcomes-based decision making. Public climate that (may) be willing to engage in rational conversations? Public funding for research?
   
2. Conferencing, professional development, access, etc.: Economic situation; "green"; ubiquitous technology (the technology is here NOW to make it happen)
   
3. 2^nd language issues
   
4. Globalization: 3 and 4 go together. Because of the global nature of our population and the internationalization of business, we need to be more concerned and better prepared.
   
5. The first-year course as a "sub-prime mortgage" idea – d ual credit/enrollment/AP score exemptions; adjunct faculty reliance; class size; workloads; freezes on new hires; research on effectiveness, definition, etc.
   
6. PR – why NOW?
   

 

NCTE will be sponsoring The National Day on Writing, October 20, 2009 (see http://www.ncte.org/action/dayonwriting for more information!). NCTE will host 21^st century literacies, local as well as national spaces.

 

[Don't ask me why I thought of this as we were discussing the Day on Writing, but it's in my notes: I thought about doing a "how to write a FaceBook profile" project with my 1101 class in the Fall 2009 – the next time I'll be teaching first-semester comp. I could invite my students to pick a theme/topic and write about it. For instance:

 

    ENGL 1101 Fall 2009

    How to Write a FaceBook Profile

• Technological how-to
  
• What kinds of things to include/exclude. Why?
  
• How to attract…? (what does your profile say about you?)
  
• Lots more things to think about here!]
  

Anyway, that was all I wrote down about the retreat, but it was a lively afternoon!!