When Doug Downs and Elizabeth Wardle published their article “Teaching about Writing, Righting Misconceptions” in June 2007, they challenged the field to imagine a new approach to first-year composition. Their groundbreaking new reader, Writing About Writing, does exactly that, by encouraging students to draw on what they know in order to contribute to ongoing conversations about writing and literacy. Class-tested by thousands of students, Writing about Writing presents accessible writing studies research by authors such as Donald Murray, Mike Rose, and Deborah Brandt, together with popular texts by authors such as Malcolm X, Sherman Alexie, and Junot Díaz. Throughout the book, friendly explanations and scaffolded questions help students connect to readings and — even more important — develop knowledge about writing they can use at work, in their everyday lives, and in college. The conversation on writing about writing continues on the authors' blog, Write On: Notes on Writing about Writing (a channel on Bedford Bits, Bedford/St.Martin's blog for teachers of writing).

Writing about Writing: A College Reader

Reference

Wardle, Elizabeth

Downs, Douglas

Words, Language & Grammar

Bedford/St.Martin's

Writing about Writing & VideoCentral for English

Writing about Writing & i-claim

Clauss, Patrick

Naming What We Know examines the core principles of knowledge in the discipline of writing studies using the lens of “threshold concepts”—concepts that are critical for epistemological participation in a discipline. The first part of the book defines and describes thirty-seven threshold concepts of the discipline in entries written by some of the field’s most active researchers and teachers, all of whom participated in a collaborative wiki discussion guided by the editors. These entries are clear and accessible, written for an audience of writing scholars, students, and colleagues in other disciplines and policy makers outside the academy. Contributors describe the conceptual background of the field and the principles that run throughout practice, whether in research, teaching, assessment, or public work around writing. Chapters in the second part of the book describe the benefits and challenges of using threshold concepts in specific sites—first-year writing programs, WAC/WID programs, writing centers, writing majors—and for professional development to present this framework in action. Naming What We Know opens a dialogue about the concepts that writing scholars and teachers agree are critical and about why those concepts should and do matter to people outside the field.

Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies

Adler-Kassner, Linda

Utah State University Press

Discover who you are as a writer as Writing about Writing shows you how you how writing works.

Writing about Writing & Writer's Help 2.0, Hacker Version (Twelve Month Access)

Hacker, Diana

Since its initial publication, Writing about Writing has empowered tens of thousands of students to investigate assumptions about writing and to explore how writing works. It does so by making writing itself the subject of inquiry. Unique to Wardle and Downs’ approach, the text presents “threshold concepts” about writing―central ideas that writers need to understand in order to progress. As they come to a deeper understanding of these threshold concepts, students are able to transfer their understanding to any writing situation they encounter. 
 This new edition has been refined and improved based on input from instructors using the text. Now with more explicit instruction to support academic writers, a new Part One explains the value of investigating writing, introduces threshold concepts and the notion of transfer, details the elements of genre and rhetorical reading, and offers a guide for conducting writing studies research at a level appropriate for undergraduates. The readings chapters have been updated and streamlined, and as in past editions they are supported with introductions, scaffolded questions, and activities. An extensive Instructor’s Manual by teacher-trainer Matt Bryan provides support for teaching with a writing-about-writing approach.

Writing about Writing

Achieve for Writing about Writing (Six-Months Access)

Writing, Research & Publishing Guides

Loose-Leaf Version for Writing about Writing

Downs, Doug

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