Academics versus Writing Centered Classes - 1784 Words

One of the biggest debates in composition theory seems to be the notion of fostering the â€Å"creative impulse† versus â€Å"structure† in the writing classroom. We have run into this argument time and again in class, and it is waged on a larger scale in the â€Å"Bartholomae and Elbow Debate† in terms of academic versus writing centered classes. In class we have discussed â€Å"structure† as grammar, and the â€Å"creative impulse† as the desire students have to break the rules of language in their own creative endeavors. Bartholomae and Elbow provide us with natural extensions of this argument in their own debate. The â€Å"academic classroom† according to Bartholomae is more beneficial to students, as they gain a sense of intertextuality and learn how to write and†¦show more content†¦Their writing, as well as that of other authors, made me want to respond (as all great writing should do). And yes, I actually felt the need for ac ademic writing, writing that would respond to literature, that would take different paths to discover meaning in it. Elbow presents some important concerns with the way that academic writing is handled in the University system, and I have certainly experienced some of these problems first hand. It is important not to let a few antiquated teaching methods scare one away from all academic writing, however. â€Å"I must fight the tradition of treating these readings as monuments in a museum, pieces under glass.† (Elbow 491). It can definitely be said that many teachers of literature do just that. Students are not allowed to question the validity of what has been written in any way and in a very Modernist approach, there is one correct hidden meaning that we may gain access to in a text, and if a student comes up with anything else, they are wrong, and they have insulted a work much greater than them in the canon. This is not the way to introduce students to academic writing. This method will only serve to do exactly what Elbow says, make students â€Å"skeptical and distrustful† of their own power over language. The teacher must not have the ultimate say in how a piece of literature is interpreted in the classroom. Rather, they should be a guide. Elbow’s concern is thatShow MoreRelatedStudent-Centered Learning Methods vs. Teacher-Centered Learning Methods1198 Words   |  5 PagesStudent-Centered Learning Methods vs. Teacher-Centered Learning Methods Abstract The different types of student-centered learning methods are described and compared to teacher-centered approaches. Different studies were researched with mixed results. Student-centered methods, when applied to secondary education students and above, provide social and emotional value to the students and improve reasoning and creative ability. 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