English 339 | Vangeli Hadjimichael

 The Schendel essay talks about why we focusing on sentence level errors in papers is actually not the best idea. She surveys a whole bunch of writing center tutors and asks them how much time is actually spent working on grammar and mechanics and the numbers were generally relatively high. She then asked how the tutors would go about teaching said mechanics and grammar.  The Bib article begins with a history of grammar tutoring, and then goes on to talk about the more modern ways. Like the Schendel essay, Bib also surveys different writing tutors to see what they focus on in their writing.  Peh's piece talks about proofreading during the pandemic. When everything moved online, and actual meetings were difficult, a lot of people with sentence level concerns simply asked for proofreading. Peh says that the the way to go about it is to go over the first few paragraphs of the paper, to help the writer learn how to recognize on their own. I really appreciated the way Peh goes...

 Chapter 2 talks about what actually happens during a session, and how to go about doing it well. Important points to remember are to introduce yourself (duh), and give the writer control over their paper. Ask them questions about it, the writing is theirs, now yours. instead of correcting individual grammatical issues, point out trends, and have them learn to recognize and fix them on their own. Keep tools and resources nearby.  It's good to have structure in your sessions, Manage the writer's expectations by having them list their goals for the session. Always be an active listener and respond to what the writer is saying. Wrap up sessions a bit early to provide for time for feedback and reflection. Chapter 3 talks about tutoring through the writing process. It's stated that the linear form of prewriting, writing, and revising is inadequate for tutors. "writing is recursive," so people go back to earlier parts of their paper to rewrite them. The process of disco...

 Chapter one focused on professionalism in the writing center, and the different hats that workers at the writing center wear. Formality is a must. Avoid negativity towards professors, grades and writers. Dress professionally and arrive on time. There are 7 different hats. Ally, Coach, Commentator, Collaborator,  Writing Expert, Learner, and Councilor. They will all be worn in different situations that arise. Chapter 6 focused on Writing Centers in the information age. Now that we're in the digital age, writers can have both synchronous and asynchronous forms of help in the Writing Center. Examples of synchronous online tutoring are: via text, phone call, web conferences (like Zoom and Skype), and social media. For asynchronous, you can: email, provide databases, and have an online classroom. There are many advantages to asynchronous tutoring: it's easier to schedule, collaboration, anonymity, and having written records.  Chapter 8 is all about research. It's important to...

The Green article was about Code-Meshing, which is allowing the mix of different language dialects in a way that's most comfortable to writers. Green talks about her experiences with language and then compares her different codes in terms of when they are used, concluding that Standard American English was the one she had to use the least. Camarillo talks about how Writing Centers are inhospitable to non-white students. Like Green, Camarillo states that non-white students have to adopt a white standard in order to succeed. However, trying to "white-ify" the students' writing will only prove detrimental. A way to improve this could be the impalement more communication between writer and tutor, or change the physical environment of the room. The first part of the essay is a story of one's experiences working her first semester at a university. Then, it talks about struggles due to an identity as an LGBT, black, disabled woman are discussed a bit later too. Then they...

 Summary:      North's article laments the notion that writing centers are seen as remedial, or a "fix-it shop." He states that a writing center should change the writers, not their just their work. He argues that writing centers shouldn't abide my a curriculum, but instead should help writers write. He concludes that " the essence of the writing center method... is talking (North, 443)."     Lunsford argues that a single authority teaching writing is detrimental, and that through collaboration is the best way to write. However, it's difficult to do properly, and must be done with caution (needing a way to for students to share a common goal, and spread the work evenly). Comment:     I liked both articles. I think it's interesting how both of them realize that writing centers have problems, and both offer a different way to fix them, both equally valid. I think Lunsford's way is more fun, because I like collaborating with others ad bouncing i...