News from DePaul University's Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse
Overview of WRD 551 & TAP WRD 551 functions as the companion course to WRD’s Teaching Apprentice Program (TAP), a program that gives MA in WRD 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, TAP instructors meet weekly in WRD 551: Teaching Apprenticeship Practicum to discuss composition pedagogy and share classroom experiences.
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Recently the WRD department welcomed speaker Todd Ruecker to discuss his research on working with multilingual writers in the composition classroom. Ruecker is an Assistant Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at New Mexico University and author of Transiciones: Pathways of Latinas and Latinos Writing in High School and College, an ethnography focusing on the writing practices of several Latino students as they transition from high school to college. Ruecker’s research focuses on the increasing diversity of the writing classroom and the role institutions and instructors play in making classrooms more engaging and successful environments for multilingual writers.
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The WRD department is home to DePaul’s First-Year Writing Program and offers coursework and opportunities for students interested in teaching writing at the college level. WRD majors can work in the University Center for Writing Based Learning, and at the graduate level the MA in WRD offers the Teaching Apprenticeship Program to prepare students with hands-on experience instructing students in writing. If you’re looking to work as a writing instructor, this post will introduce you to some resources to help you in your job search and professional development.
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Shannon Kelley, a 2014 graduate of the MA in WRD program, currently resides in Portland, Oregon where she works as a writing instructor at Chemeketa Community College and Clark College. After graduating from DePaul she went immediately into work teaching various levels of writing, allowing her to mix her WRD education while drawing on her past experience in corporate communications. We had the pleasure of getting in contact with Shannon to hear all about her time at DePaul and beyond. Read on to hear more about Shannon’s experience.
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On Friday April 21, Dr. Kristin L. Arola from Washington State University visited DePaul to present a talk titled “Slow Composition: American Indian Rhetorics and Mindful Making Practices.” This talk was part of the WRD Department’s Writing and Rhetoric Across Borders Speaker Series. Arola’s described the implementation of a composition theory based on story, what she referred to as “story as methodology.” By using an American Indian lens, Arola discussed our current conceptions of the composing process and opened up new critiques on how to improve. Pointing out the current fast-paced nature of rhetoric in our society, Arola advocated for
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Sarah Hughes, a 2012 graduate of the MA in WRD program, was recently accepted into the Joint Program in English and Education at the University of Michigan! Ultimately, Sarah’s goal is to attain a tenure-track faculty position in Composition & Rhetoric. WRD was able to catch up with Sarah and learn more about the PhD program she’ll be starting in Fall 2017 as well as her research plans. Congrats, Sarah! Can you tell us about the Joint Program in English and Education at Michigan and why you chose it? The Joint Program in English & Education is a Composition and Rhetoric
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Kyla Patterson, a 2017 graduate of the BA in Writing, Rhetoric, & Discourse program, recently received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship! WRD was able to catch up with Kyla and learn about where she will be going and what kind of work she will be doing as a Fulbright Scholar. Beginning this autumn, Kyla will be traveling to Czechia (also known as the Czech Republic in the recent past) to participate in an English Teaching Assistant Program. As the name of the program suggests, Kyla’s main responsibility will be teaching English to elementary-aged children in Czechia for at least twenty hours
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WRD recently caught up with Michelle Flory, a 2015 alumna of the M.A. in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse program and the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate program. Currently, she works as a full-time developmental communications instructor at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. Her research interests include sociolinguistics, first-year writing, and multi-modal literacies. She is a pet parent to three mischievous bunnies and a cat, a Netflix binge-watcher, and an annual roadtripper. What have you been doing professionally since you earned your MA degree? After earning my M.A., I began teaching developmental writing courses
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Why Learn to Teach Writing Online? In recent years, the convenience, accessibility, and pedagogical possibilities of online learning have drawn in students and teachers alike. As more students turn to online spaces for education, writing teachers must understand the pedagogical possibilities for these learning environments. To help students prepare to teach online, the MA in WRD will offer WRD 545: Teaching Writing Online in the upcoming Spring 2017 quarter. The course is an elective, of particular interest to students pursuing the concentration in teaching writing and language. On the course’s website, Prof. Michael Moore says that he aims to explore
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Looking for job opportunities in and around Chicago? Students in the MA in WRD and MA in NMS programs may be interested in the weekly listings below (click a link to jump to the category): Teaching Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Advanced Teaching Writing Jobs – Entry level ESL Instructor Howard Area Community Center “We are seeking one instructor for a morning multi-level ESL course (Beginning Literacy to High Beginning.) Instructors should have experience teaching in adult education and/or working a social service agency with diverse populations.” Citizenship Instructor Erie
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