Category: Graduate

Course Spotlight WRD 540: Teaching Writing

WRD 540 Teaching Writing is a great introduction to those interested in teaching writing after they graduate, it’s in the name! This class gives students tools to understand different methodologies for teaching composition and looks at modern theories of rhetoric, reading, and language acquisition. Dr. Erin Workman has been teaching this course for the last few years and here she provides a new perspective on the course that will be offered this Winter Quarter 2025.   Are there any differences since the last spotlight last Fall?   Everything covered in last year’s spotlight is still relevant, including the hybrid modality with weeks

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Event Preview: MAWRD 2024 Independent Studies, Portfolios, and Final Presentations

This Thursday, June 6 @ 2:00–4:00pm (Central) in SAC 301 and on Zoom, join the WRD department for presentations by MAWRD students Nan Denette, Andrea Hamler, Lara Diaz, and Christian Woodley. Nan, Andrea, and Christian will be presenting their research from their independent studies completed during Spring Quarter 2024. Nan and Lara will share their experiences in the MAWRD program in their final exit requirement presentation. Additionally, several students completed Professional Portfolios highlighting their work in MAWRD; here, Bee Browning shares their perspective on the portfolio process as well.  Get a Sneak Peek of the Presentations We checked in with

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Student Spotlight: Reina Ashley Nomura

Recently, MAWRD student Reina Ashley Nomura completed an Independent Study as part of their coursework in the Teaching Writing and Language Concentration. With knowledge gained in the study, Reina went on to present at DePaul’s 2024 Teaching and Learning Conference and is currently working on a research proposal they plan to submit to the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) soon. Reina’s work focuses on critical university studies, using rhetoric and writing pedagogy scholarship to understand the experiences of faculty and staff in higher education and how these impact teaching and learning.  We chatted with Reina about their experience and how

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Course Recap – WRD 540: Teaching Writing WQ 24

In Winter Quarter 24, WRD 540 Teaching Writing, taught by Dr. Erin Workman, met to help students develop their understanding of how to teach writing. Students from both the MAWRD and MA in English programs and with different educational and professional goals took the class, which inspired a range of discussions and directions.  I met with two students from the course, Reina Ashley Nomura (“RN”) and Lindsay Wilson (“LW”) to gather their perspectives about what the course offers, what they achieved, and their directions moving forward. Reina Ashley Nomura is a student in the MAWRD program, and Lindsay Wilson is

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Course Spotlight – WRD 526: Grant & Proposal Writing

This Autumn Quarter, Dr. Lisa Dush will be teaching WRD 526 Grant & Proposal Writing, where graduate students can learn about developing grant and funding materials both theoretically and practically. By collaborating with local nonprofit organizations, students develop the ability to create specialized documents seeking funding. I checked in with Dr. Dush, who shared some key perspectives on what students can expect from WRD 526.  Course Goals and Learning Outcomes Regarding her goals for the course and what students can hope to learn, Dr. Dush shared, “My primary goal for the course is to give students a situated experience of

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Updated Course Spotlight – WRD 500: Proseminar

What To Expect From WRD 500: Proseminar Every Autumn Quarter, the WRD Department offers WRD 500 Proseminar, the only required course that every MAWRD student must take. The course is designed to introduce students to the theories, concepts, and writing of graduate-level work in writing studies.  This year, Dr. Monica Reyes will lead Proseminar on Mondays from 6:00 to 9:15 pm. We checked in with Dr. Reyes in order to help new WRD students understand what to expect from WRD 500. The Value of a Required Course Because all MAWRD students take Proseminar within the first half of their program,

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Course Recap – WRD 531: Digital Storytelling 

This past Winter Quarter, Dr. Lisa Dush taught MAWRD’s sixth iteration of WRD 531: Digital Storytelling. This course gives students the opportunity to craft short digital personal experience narratives (DPENs) and to learn about how such narratives are circulated for organizational and community-building purposes. Exploring the processes, norms, and ethics of digital storytelling, this course enables students to  better conceptualize and execute digital storytelling projects in both personal and professional contexts. I had the opportunity to take WRD 531 this past quarter, and below I share some of the main class components and takeaways articulated by Dr. Dush, MAWRD student

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Updated Course Spotlight – WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum

Overview of WRD 551 & TAP WRD 551 functions as the companion course to WRD’s Teaching Apprentice Practicum (TAP), a program that gives MA in WRD and ENG students the unique opportunity to teach a section of WRD 103, one of the two courses in DePaul’s First-Year Writing Program. As they teach using a shared syllabus, TAP instructors meet weekly in WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum during Autumn Quarter to discuss composition pedagogy,  share classroom experiences, and prepare for upcoming WRD 103 class meetings. WRD’s Director of First-Year Writing, Prof. Erin Workman, teaches WRD 551 and summarizes the class as

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Exit Requirement Q&A

The first presentations for the new exit requirement will be given in Spring Quarter 2024.  Learn more about why the decision to change the exit requirement was made and get some insider knowledge on what the Graduate Committee is hoping you will achieve with your presentation. I sat down for a question and answer session with MAWRD Director Jason Kalin, who helped illuminate some information that will be helpful going forward in your own presentations.  Decisions about the graduate program are made by the Graduate Committee, which is a subset of the tenure-line faculty. The Graduate Committee comes to a

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Alumni Spotlight: Kristin Fleming

MAWRD alumna Kristin Fleming (’22) spent her time in WRD strengthening specific writing skills while enjoying a range of courses in rhetoric as well. Today, Kristin works as a Senior Medical Writer, where she is able to combine her interests for technical writing and science. Read on to learn more about Kristin’s time at DePaul, and how MAWRD prepared her for her current and future career moves. Why did you decide to pursue a degree in WRD? I wanted to pursue a degree in writing that strengthened my technical skills while also indulging in my love of theory. I had

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