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“MnWE News”
Summer Issue,
July-August 2018
In this issue:
1. NEWS:
FEWER
TEENS THAN EVER
READ BOOKS.
2. METHODS:
“STRUCTURED
SILENCE”
ENCOURAGES
DISCUSSION.
3. WEEK 1
MADNESS: GRAB
STUDENT INTEREST
IN FOUR WAYS.
4. DO YOU
HAVE AN IDEA FOR
THE 2019
CONFERENCE,
“CONNECTING
READING &
WRITING”?
5. About
MnWE:
Forwarding the
News,
Joining/Leaving,
Grad Credit,
Representatives
If you are a
MnWE
representative,
please forward
this email to
colleagues in
English,
Writing and
related fields.
Many new faculty
and writing
tutors may not
be on the email
list.
If you are a
long-term member
of this
listserv, thank
you
for your
continued
participation.
If you are new,
welcome! Our
listserv emails
go to about 2500
English,
Writing, and
related Upper
Midwest faculty.
To join, send a
request to the
editor at
richard at
jewell dot net.
Our website is
at
www.MnWE.org.
Our next
conference is on
“Connecting
Reading and
Writing” at
North Hennepin
Community
College
Fri.-Sat., April
5-6, 2018. You
are welcome to
attend our next
Committee
meeting at UM-TC
in Nicholson 235
Fri., Sept. 21,
or Skype in to
it at
https://join.skype.com/yX9xIb6Icx8L.
-- Richard
Jewell, Editor
1. NEWS:
FEWER TEENS THAN
EVER READ BOOKS.
Do you
work on students
to read physical
books, or have
you already
plunged happily
into the digital
age? A new study
describes a
continuing
change in
reading–and rise
of social-media
reading–among
students. The
American
Psychological
Association
recently
published an
article showing
that 82% of high
school seniors
used social
media but only
two-thirds of
them read a book
for pleasure in
2016.
In 2016,
16% of these
students read a
newspaper,
magazine, or
book daily. In
the 1970s, says
the article, the
figure was about
60%. The 2016
seniors spent
about six hours
per day of free
time on digital
media. In the
1970s, high
schoolers spent
about 1/3rd
that time
looking at
screens.
Findings were
consistent among
races and
genders. While
some of the
current time on
digital media
may be
substantive, it
is noteworthy
that, according
to the authors,
other studies
indicate heavy
social media use
can lead to
mental health
issues.
What can
we, as faculty,
conclude? First,
fewer people
than ever are
moving into
adulthood as
readers of
books. (The
study did not
differentiate
between physical
and electronic
books.) Second,
our libraries
must continue to
increase their
digital services
to thrive.
Third,
other studies
say that
thinking and
reasoning is
enriched by
reading longer
sentences and
thoughts in
books. As a
result, our age
of social media
may be creating
even more of a
gap in thinking
and reasoning
between those
who read books
and those who
depend on social
media in all of
their reading
time. As a
result, we may
need, at the
least, to
encourage more
reading of
digital and/or
physical books.
---
URL:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2018/08/20/for-american-teens-texting-and-social-media-are-replacing-books/?utm_term=.e6d15670b4bc
---
2. METHODS:
“STRUCTURED
SILENCE”
ENCOURAGES
DISCUSSION.
Brookfield and
Preskill’s
article
“Structured
Silence” in
“Tomorrow’s
Professor
Newsletter”
(from their
The Discussion
Book) talks
about using
brief silences
positively to
create more–and
more
democratic–discussion.
The core of it
is that in a
presentation,
after every five
to fifteen
minutes, give
people a couple
of silent
minutes to think
about what
you’ve said.
Then ask them to
write an
anonymous
comment to pass
forward to you.
The thinking and
comments might
respond to such
questions, say
Brookfield and Preskill,
as “What is the
most important
point in what I
just said,”
“What questions
do you have,”
“What is
confusing to
you,” “What
assumptions of
yours have been
confirmed and
what assumptions
challenged,” and
“What important
point of view
might we be
missing right
now?” Then you
can choose
several of the
comments
randomly to
answer and
promise to look
at the rest
before the next
class.
Ideally,
viewing the
cards, you will
find several
more to which
you can respond
at the beginning
of the next
class as an
introductory
review.
According to
Brookfield and
Preskill,
structured
silence works
especially well
with a quiet
class, a group
in which only
several people
regularly
respond, and a
class that is so
disorganized
that you feel
like you are
trying to herd
cats.
---
URL:
https://tomprof.stanford.edu/posting/1653
---
3.
WEEK 1 MADNESS:
GRAB STUDENT
INTEREST IN FOUR
WAYS.
Do you
start the first
week of class by
droning on about
requirements and
assignments? Are
there bored or
scared faces? If
you’d like to
give students a
charge of
excitement about
your course,
here are
suggestions for
Week One.
- Ask each
student to tell
everyone his or
her name, year
in school, and
possible future
major. Then ask
students to
write two or
three sentences
describing who
they are as a
student and what
they hope to
accomplish this
semester–something
they then read
aloud. Finally,
ask them to
write what they
would like to
get out of the
course (other
than meeting a
requirement).
- Alternatively,
ask students to
get together in
groups of three
(or two) and
interview each
other to find
out their names,
majors, likes
and dislikes in
school, and
hopes for the
course. Then
have each person
introduce a
group member
using this
information.
- Ask each
student to
create four to
six steps, with
a name and a
picture for each
step, describing
the process of
completing his
or her work in
your type of
course: what,
for example, is
the process–the
steps–of being a
good research
writer, creative
writer, or
journalist? Then
ask the students
to gather in
groups of three
or four and
combine their
processes to
create each
group’s summary
of the process.
(One way to make
this activity
more fun is to
ask students to
report their
actual steps,
not the ones
they think you
want to hear.)
Have someone in
each group
present the
written and
drawn results as
you comment on
their results in
both positive
and helpful
ways.
- Present one or
more
interesting,
even dramatic
case studies in
the subjects
they may be
reading about in
the course. Use
a
problem-background-solution
pattern.
However, don’t
offer the
solution.
Instead, ask
students
individually or
in small groups
to suggest it.
Pause for one or
two short Q-&-A
periods as they
work, or answer
questions each
group might
have. Then ask
them to read
aloud their
solutions.
Finally, offer
the solution
that was used in
the actual case
study.
---
4. DO
YOU HAVE AN IDEA
FOR THE 2019
CONFERENCE
ON
“CONNECTING
READING &
WRITING”?
Do
you have an idea
for the 2019
MnWE Conference
on the theme of
“Connecting
Reading and
Writing”–or
anything else
that interests
you? If you
think you might
but aren’t sure,
feel free to
email me with
your questions:
richard at
jewell dot net.
Our CFP (Call
for Proposals)
will be out in
October.
Do you require
students to
read? If so,
how? Why? How do
you get students
to do their
reading, to
think about it,
and to rethink
it? Is reading a
process for your
students, just
as is writing
and researching?
Do you “teach”
reading to
writing and
literature
students? What
levels of
reading do you
assign? How and
why do you
determine those
levels? What
readings have
you given
students that
seemed too hard,
yet you helped
them complete
the readings?
What readings
should be
avoided or
encouraged?
The MnWE
Conference is
always–no matter
the theme–a
great place to
pick up new
ideas, discuss
them with others
(as an audience
member or as a
presenter),
prepare new
presentations
for future
conferences, and
share successful
presentations
from other
conferences. It
also is just
simply good to
be able to talk
with colleagues.
You can make
connections with
new thoughts,
new friends, and
new or renewed
jobs.
This
year, we’ll meet
at North
Hennepin
Community
College,
Brooklyn Park,
in the northwest
corner of the
Twin Cities
Friday, April
5-Saturday,
April 6. All
English and
Writing faculty
and
students–university,
college, and
high school–are
welcome!
We especially
hope that if you
are a
college-in-the-high-schools
faculty member,
you will come to
share with us
your insights
and ask us
questions.
As always, we
will accept
proposals not
only on the
theme but also
on any subject
having to do
with college
Writing,
English, and
related
subjects.
---
5. About
MnWE (repeated in
each newsletter):
FORWARDING/JOINING:
Please forward
this email to
others,
especially if
you are a MnWE
representative
listed below.
Your newer
full-time and
adjunct faculty
members,
graduate
students, and
writing center
tutors may not
receive it.
If you
are not on the
listserv and
would like to
join it, simply
send your
request and
email address to
richard at
jewell dot net.
WHO WE ARE:
“MnWE” is
“Minnesota
Writing and
English,” an
organization
with a
coordinating
committee, a
listserv, and an
annual spring
conference by
and for college,
university, and
high school
English and
writing faculty,
graduate
students, and
related academic
and literary
scholars,
writers, tutors,
and others in
the Upper
Midwest. Our
purpose is to
bring together
these
communities in
Minnesota,
Wisconsin, north
and central
Iowa, and the
eastern
Dakotas. Our
website is
MnWE.org; our
geographical
center is
Minneapolis-St.
Paul. Over 2500
faculty, tutors,
and graduate
students are on
the listserv.
Our listserv
members come
from public and
private two-year
colleges, state
universities,
private
four-year and
graduate-degree
colleges, high
schools, and the
Universities of
Minnesota,
Wisconsin, and
North Dakota.
Our activities
are led by a
large, active
committee of
representative
members listed
below.
GRADUATE
CREDIT:
Anyone may earn
one graduate
credit from
Southwest
Minnesota State
University for
attending one
MnWE Conference
day and writing
a related
research paper
(up to three
times). For
questions about
this course—“Eng
656: MnWE
Practicum”—please
contact lisa
dot lucas at
smsu dot edu
or see
www.smsu.edu/academics/programs/english/?id=11637
.
HOW TO REMOVE
YOURSELF FROM
THE LIST:
If you want to
be removed from
this listserv,
please do so
yourself,
following
directions at
the very bottom
of this email.
If you try
without success,
then send an
email to
richard at
jewell dot net
indicating (1)
this problem,
(2) your
specific email
address copied
from the
directions at
the bottom of a
MnWE mailing,
and (3) your
request for
removal.
FORMATTING,
INVITATION, &
CREDITS:
These listserv
emails usually
are formatted in
a simple way
using html. If
you cannot read
them, please go
to the link at
the top to see
them on the web.
If you
have any
questions, we
invite you to
email any of us
on the
committee. You
also are always
invited to
attend any of
our five MnWE
Committee
meetings per
year. You also
are invited to
offer
suggestions—or
volunteer your
leadership—for a
special or
double section
at the annual
conference.
This
newsletter is
written
primarily by
Richard Jewell
without
copyright so
that anyone may
quote,
paraphrase, or
forward any or
all of it
freely. We ask
only that you
give credit to
the “MnWE
Newsletter”
and/or “www.MnWE.org“;
and when you use
material that
has been quoted
or paraphrased
in this
newsletter from
other sources,
please be sure
to give proper
credit to the
original
source.
REPRESENTATIVES:
Representatives,
please
forward each of
these emails:
many of your
writing and
English
colleagues may
not be on this
listserv.
Potential
volunteer
representatives:
We always
appreciate
hearing from you
if your school
has no rep. See
the
“Representatives”
list below, and
if no one at
your school is
on it, please
volunteer! Email
richard at
jewell dot net.
We are
especially
looking for reps
from Greater
Minnesota,
Canada, Iowa,
North and South
Dakota, and
Wisconsin.
---
---
Richard Jewell,
Larry Sklaney,
Danielle
Hinrichs,
and Gordon and
Beata Pueschner,
Coordinators
Anthony Miller,
2019 Site
Coordinator
Alexander
Champoux, 2018
Site Coordinator
Richard
at jewell
dot net
- (612) 870-7024
larry
dot
sklaney
at
century
dot edu
- (651) 747-4006
danielle
dot
hinrichs
at
metrostate
dot edu
- (651) 999-5960
a
dot
miller at nhcc
dot edu
gordon
dot
pueschner
at
century
dot edu
- (651) 686-4468
beata
dot
pueschner
at
anokaramsey
dot edu
- (651)
686-4468
champ147
at umn
dot edu
MnWE.org
Minnesota Writing & English
A Consortium of
Colleges &
Universities
|
Mission:
Transforming
writing and
English
into teaching
and learning
experiences
using
methodologies
that serve
students best.
Vision:
Bringing
scholarly ideas
and practical
pedagogy
together
to
create our
futures.
.JPG)
Donald Ross of
the University
of
Minnesota and
Taiyon Coleman
of St. Catherine
University run a
breakout session
about
literature.
Geoffrey Sirc of
the University
of Minnesota
runs a small
breakout after
his keynote
presentation.
MnWE started in
2007.
The cofounders
were Richard
Jewell, here
giving a welcome
after lunch, and Donald
Ross, first
picture above.
During a 2016
breakout,
Beata Puschner
presentson improving
classroom
inclusion of ELL
students.
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