CCCC Reflection

Short reflection on CCCC Conference in Atlanta, GA (April 6-9,2011)

I began my time at this conference by attending two pre-conference workshops: one on game studies and one on using multimedia in the classroom. Both were okay--probably the best idea I got from either one of the workshops was to play a debate "card" game to introduce composition students to concepts of argumentation. The next day, April 7, I first video recorded a "literacy history" for the Digital Archives of Literacy Narratives (DALN), which compiles the literacy histories of people all over the country; it's organized by composition scholar Dr. Cynthia Selfe. I talked about my background in reading and writing: everything from remembering my mother reading to my sister and I when we were little to my current efforts as a teacher to incorporate new digital technologies in my classroom. (This literacy narrative, entitled "My Literacy Life," is located online at http://daln.osu.edu/handle/2374.DALN/2341). I then attended four sessions: one on distance learning in community college classes; one on writing centers; one on student video projects; and then a special interest group on "Writing Center Spaces." I could relate to the distance learning session; the presenters told of stories of the difficulties of engagaing online students, particularly at the developmental level. I also enjoyed the special interest group because it gave me and Gordy (my Century colleague) some ideas for how to present at our special interest group the next day. Friday April 8, I attended four sessions: one on using social networks; one on audio response methods in the classroom; one on texting in the classroom; and one on hybrid classrooms. The one on audio responses was most useful to me because it helped me understand how much more extensive my responses to students could be if they were audio-based. Unfortunately, the one on texting--an up-and-coming field in comp studies--was overly theoretical and extremely disappointing. Later that evening, Gordy Pueschner and I facilitated our special interest group on "Two-Year College Writing Centers." We had about seven participants total, but we still managed to cover a lot of questions pertaining to two-year college writing centers. The over-arching question we asked was this: is it time to update the current TYCA policy on two-year college writing centers? Most of those people present agreed that it was. Gordy jotted down people's ideas for a wiki that we plan to distribute to those who wish to continue our discussion online, and I facilitated most of the discussion within our group. Saturday, I attended the TYCA Breakfast, and then two more sessions: one on graphic narratives and one on issues in teaching basic writing. Neither session was exceptional; both were mediocre, although I probably learned more from the second session on basic writing. On the whole, I have to question how useful this CCCC conference is to me--even though it has a lot of content, and some of it was fun and interesting, most of it seems driven towards helping the university professor, not the community college instructor (like myself). The presentations tended to be highly theoretical and "talky"; they involved little engaging or active learning, and I found this disappointing.