Revising Rhetorically: Re-seeing Writing through the Lens of Audience, Purpose, & Context

Thursday, October 22, 2015    7-9pm EST (optional discussion 8-9pm)
slides      resources

TeachingArgumentsWhen students revise their writing rhetorically, they practice the situational awareness and responsiveness that characterize real-world communication. They try to see their compositions through their readers’ eyes, making choices about what works based on considerations of audience, purpose, and occasion. In this interactive session, we will explore ways to help students make revision decisions by applying rhetorical reading strategies—such as descriptive outlining and “the doubting and believing game”–to their own writing. We’ll also examine strategies for helping students analyze their image as writers and negotiate the different voices in a written conversation.

Recommended Reading: Teaching Arguments: Rhetorical Comprehension, Critique, and Response

JenniferFletcherDr. Jennifer Fletcher is an Associate Professor of English at California State University Monterey Bay, where she coordinates the undergraduate program for future English teachers. She is the author of Teaching Arguments: Rhetorical Comprehension, Critique, and Response and co-author of Fostering Habits of Mind in Today’s Students: A New Approach to Developmental Education. Jennifer leads professional development sessions for high school teachers throughout California as part of a nationally recognized academic preparation initiative, the California State University’s Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC). She also serves on the ERWC’s Steering Committee. Before joining the faculty at Monterey Bay, Jennifer taught high school English for over ten years in Southern California.