In the readings that we did for last week, I found the expressionist theory to be the most important for teaching college composition, especially to freshman. In encouraging students to write about things that are close to them, it makes the finished product so much more interesting to read, since the writer really invested something into it.
I also think that teaching the students the rhetorical is really important too. Once a student can see how different types of writing change the meaning and tone, they can really harness the power of the written word. Writing is so vastly different when you are directing it towards a general consumer versus a scientist with advanced knowledge. A business memo is different than an English essay.
Lastly, I think a good teacher needs to remember at all times that each student has wildly different strengths and weaknesses, and to remember not to get discouraged by students who are not naturally talented at writing.
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I like the different types of writing - what's appropriate when. I think the best way to help students improve their writing is by making them try out different types. That way, you give students more of a chance to feel comfortable - a business major may easily get an A on a "memo" assignment, for instance - and then challenge people who are very good at one type of writing.
I agree with Kimberly--different types of writing can be very instructive. Might look up Alexander Bain and what he means by "modes of learning." Are there ways to move from expression to argumentation, for instance? Does one mode require more developed thinking than another? Or is it just a different type of thinking? What is the burden/onus of composition to accomplish?
I like the idea that they write about what they know, especially for starters. I was at an event where Annie Proulx, who won the Pulizter for the Shipping News, said that is a good start, but to investigate and research a myriad of topics, and that way even though you are learning new things, you are still writing about what you know in a sense. Proulx had never been a newspaper person but wrote about it eloquently in Shipping News. She had lived in Novia Scotia, so she was able to not just weave that into the story, but make the landscape an actual character in the book -- the isolation, the way things were built sturdy but unattractive were all things that could have been said about the lead character in the book (played by Kevin Spacey in the movie adaptation). Just really interesting stuff!
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