This semester I have been exploring how different theories allow me to explore the writing center as an object of study. Different theories allowed me to look at different aspects of the writing center, helping to approach big picture issues or more narrow foci depending on the theory. All theories bring certain things into focus…
Writing Instructor & Scholar
Tag: Networks
ENGL 894 Reading Notes: Ambient Rhetoric (Week 15)
After a brief hiatus, I am back with my final reading notes of the semester. Finishing the course with Rickert made a lot of sense. Ambient Rhetoric brought together a lot of the theories and concepts we have discussed from the semester and also connected well with the other course I’m taking this semester, Classical…
Case Study 3: Ecology of the Writing Center
My first case study examined the writing center broadly using Foucault’s archaeological method. My second case study examined my specific writing center in light of Spinuzzi’s activity theory and Latour’s actor-network theory. These theoretical frameworks allowed me to examine either the discursive writing center (Foucault) or my specific writing center (Spinuzzi and Latour) in interesting…
Case Study–Re-proposing My Oos
For my case study project, I have been examining the writing center as my object of study. Depending on the affordances of the various theories I have been seeking to apply, I have looked at the writing center broadly as a concept–a pedagogical principle of one-to-one writing instruction that focuses on helping students be better…
894 Reading Notes: Ecology of the Mind and Affordances (Week 10)
This week’s readings had me going “hmmm” and “yes!” The “hmmm” was my primary reaction to Gregory Bateson’s Steps to an Ecology of the Mind. Bateson’s text really challenged me, showing me the complexity of concepts that seem simple like “difference.” Ultimately what I took to be the most important concepts from his chapter was…
Case Study #2: Analyzing Action and Agency in the Writing Center with Spinuzzi and Latour
In my first case study which used Foucault’s archaeological method to analyze the writing center, I was able to focus on the discursive writing center, thinking about the ideal writing center versus actual local practices, therefore, examining the network of scholarship, ideas, and practices of writing centers. This method was very helpful for this big…
894 Reading Notes: Latour/ANT (Week 8)
I decided on a different approach for this week’s reading notes because I felt like terminology was so important for understanding Latour’s theory. Thus, I have decided to define what I see as major terms for this theory using quotes from Reassembling the Social. Intermediary: “what transports meaning or force without transformation: defining its inputs…
Case Study #2 Outline: Spinuzzi & Latour
Distinction between previous theoretical analysis through/application of Foucault which allowed examination of the discursive writing center and the present analysis using Spinuzzi and Latour, which allows for an activity or action focused network, bringing into focus a specific or local writing center as a network Spinuzzi: Nodes-situatedness & relationships network as a whole made up…
894 Reading Notes: Hypertext & ANT (Week 7)
As I was planning my readings notes for this week, I decided to start looking for images for inspiration to determine what to focus on since my thoughts were pretty scattered. When I typed in “hypertext” into an image search, I came across this image: What struck me when I first saw it was that…
894 Reading Notes: CHAT (Week 6)
In “Re-situating and Re-mediating the Canons: A Cultural-Historical Remapping of Rhetorical Activity” Prior et al. describe their project of resituating the rhetorical canon using cultural-historical activity theory as “fundamentally rhizomatic” (23). Thus, I have deemed it appropriate to have a rather rhizomatic post myself, with various offshoots of ideas/ notions that occurred to me as…
