WELCOME!

1. WELCOME! Please sit next to someone you don’t know. (This will be for our first activity!)

2. The Art of Conversation: Using Dialogue as a Writing Center Resource OWRC April 2009 Odegaard Writing and Research Center

3. Activity #1!

4. Pair and Share Wow, that essay was bad! • Please pair off with someone sitting by you, and take a moment to introduce yourself. • Now, think back to your worst piece of writing, or an assignment you struggled with, and share this reflection with your partner. • What kinds of questions do you wish YOU had been asked before you turned this assignment in? What conversations would have greatly changed the quality of your writing? • Keep this reflection in mind as we go through the rest of the workshop.

5. Meet the Tutors! UW Odegaard Writing & Research Center Consultants • Pamela Saunders • Kiley Dhatt • Jens Lloyd • Kaye Kovacs • Brian Hutchinson • Aaron Willis • Emily Clark* Director

6. Outline of Workshop • Introduction - Conversation and Questions in the Writing Center • Question Types • When to Ask Questions • Activity #2- Writing Center Scenarios • Reflection/Conclusion • Q & A

7. The Central Issue • Our philosophy as tutors generally rests on helping students acquire long-term and sustainable writing skills and practices that they will be able to use in a variety of settings. • However, while tutors work with some writers over multiple appointments, spanning years, others will visit us only once or twice over the course of their college careers. Writers will also often work with many different tutors over time. Additionally, things come up in sessions (like due dates) that draw our attention to the immediate constraints of the paper and away from the long-term growth of the writer. • Given these constraints, how can we honor our philosophy in every session? And when the focus of the session becomes not about the writer but about the paper, what are we risking? • How can we strike a balance in order to avoid compromising our highest goals in the face of short-term demands and constraints?

8. Conversation at the Center • Although writing is the reason students seek us out, conversation is at the center of what we do, spanning multiple domains from the critical conversations students are entering in their writing to the purposeful conversations we initiate as peers in the writing center. • In this workshop we will focus on conversation, and questioning techniques specifically, as a practical tool to assist writers in bridging the immediate concerns of the writing at hand with their larger intellectual journey. • Honing our conversational techniques is one way that we as tutors can hold on to our central tutoring philosophy and accomplish our goals as a center.

9. Why ask questions? • Why do we ask questions in a tutoring session? • How is this at the center of what we do? • Thinking back to activity 1, how are questions useful for guiding writing?

10. Questioning as the Answer • Asking questions encourages a “collaborative environment” with the student, where both student and tutor play the role of informant. • Asking questions helps the tutor avoid making erroneous assumptions or imposing his or her own structure or meaning on what someone else says. • “In the interaction between tutor and student, the tutor picks up clues from watching and listening to the student. Tutors’ questions can lead students to offer information they didn’t know was needed and to clarify their answer through further questioning … Tutors use talk and questioning and all the cues they can pick up in the face-to-face interaction” (Muriel Harris, 1995, 28-9). • Highlighting the importance of also encouraging tutees to ask questions during sessions, psychologists Arthur C. Graesser and Natalie K. Person (1994) found that “a student in a tutoring session asked approximately 240 times as many questions during tutoring as a particular student would ask in a classroom study. Tutors asked about 1.5 times as many questions as did teachers in a classroom setting” (128)

11. Let’s Collaborate! • Kenneth A. Bruffee (1984), in his seminal discussion of collaborative learning, tells us that “[w]hat students do when working collaboratively on their writing … is converse. They talk about the subject and about the assignment. They talk through the writer’s understanding of the subject. They converse about [academic and intellectual relationships]. Most of all they converse about and as a part of writing” (645). • The writing center tutorial session provides a unique opportunity for integrating principles of active learning into the composition process. According to early proponents Bonwell and Eison (1991), active learning occurs when “students are involved in more than listening, … are engaged in activities (e.g., reading discussing, writing), and [when] greater emphasis is placed on students' exploration of their own attitudes and values” (2). The writing center is one of the few places where the process of writing can activate in this way, and come to life for students from all kinds of classes.

12. Question Types • Now we will walk you through the many different types of questions that tutors can ask during a session. • Fact Gathering Questions • Open-ended Questions • Non-Writing-Related Questions • Questions about Writing and Academic Conventions • Clarifying Questions • Questions that Encourage Depth of Thought • Follow-up Questions

13. Fact Gathering Questions Fact gathering questions: these questions will address the logistics of the assignment at hand. “What is your assignment prompt on Sherman Alexie asking you to do? Which of his texts are you expected to incorporate? When is the assignment due? How far along in the writing process are you?”

14. Open-ended questions Open-ended questions are not “yes or no” questions; instead, they invite the student to talk about their goals, feelings, or concerns. • “How do you feel about what you have written so far for your paper on William Shakespeare? What are your initial concerns that you would like me to address when I read your paper? What are you looking to accomplish in this session?”

15. Non-Writing-Related Questions Non-writing-related questions are useful for gauging the student’s personality and establishing a rapport with them throughout the session. “What is your major? Is this class in your major? Are you excited/bored/intimidated by your course text and the subject of Japanese pop culture?”

16. Questions about Writing and Academic Conventions Writing and Academic conventions questions are leading questions, where the tutor plays the role of academic informant and asks questions that “lead” the student to new conclusions or understandings about writing conventions. “Academic writers traditionally reference sources to substantiate their claims. I see you have chosen to cite Beyonce’s lyrics. Is this a scholarly source? Are there other academic texts you are planning to bring in to back up your argument, such as a class reading or scholarly article?”

17. Clarifying Questions Tutors can ask clarifying questions from the vantage point of the engaged reader asking the writer to clear up certain elements of their argument/organization. “As a reader, it looks like you’re trying to say that Aretha Franklin’s inauguration bow played a significant role in expressing her political ideals. Is that what you’re going for here? I understand this example, but how does it connect back to your original argument about the political correctness of Michelle Obama’s designer wardrobe?”

18. Questions that encourage depth of thought Tutors can ask questions to encouraging depth of thought and/or point out faulty logic in a student’s paper. “You appear to be arguing that Britney Spears doesn't need to go to counseling because Paris Hilton doesn't go to counseling. Why is Paris the barometer of 'what should be done' in this situation? Is your audience likely to view this reasoning as sound?  Why or why not?  What credible academic resources, if any, can you use to support your claim that Britney doesn't need to go to counseling?”

19. Follow-up Questions Follow-up questions are questions that allow you to “check in” with the student at the end of the session, and make sure they got what they wanted out of their time with you. Also, follow-up questions can help the student plan for revision. “Now that we’ve discussed your thesis on the film The Dark Knight, does this answer your question from the beginning of the session about how to form a complex claim? What are you planning to do first for revision? How do you think you might apply these particular concepts to future papers?”

20. When to Ask Questions At the start of the session: • You can ask questions to gauge the student’s interest level, academic background, and personality. • You can ask fact gathering questions to determine the logistics of the assignment and where the student is at in the writing process. • You can ask open-ended questions to learn about the student’s concerns and goals for the session.

21. When to Ask Questions During the session: • You can ask questions to help lead the student to new conclusions or insight about their writing. • You can ask clarifying questions to assess the student’s writing choices. • Tutors can ask questions to clear up any misunderstandings (on the student’s part OR yours). • Tutors can ask questions to inform students about academic conventions and get them thinking about how their paper meets the expectations of college-level writing.

22. When to Ask Questions At the end of the session: • Tutors can ask questions to check for understanding. • Tutors can confirm whether or not the student’s concerns and needs were addressed throughout the session. • Asking questions can help formulate a game plan for revision. • Asking questions can help the student understand how certain concepts can be applied to future writing assignments.

23. Activity #2!

24. Activity #2 • Please get into 6 groups. • Each group will be assigned one of six writing center student scenarios. • For each scenario, assume that the paper the student is bringing in is the prompt and writing sample in your packet. • Each group will be asked to brainstorm some creative questions or conversational solutions to these common writing center related dilemmas. • Each group will present their solutions for everyone.

25. The Paper – Introduction Paragraph Had Every Right, No Support, But Why? The Anita Hill vs. Clarence Thomas case was an extremely different case. The case involved two highly educated African Americans who were going to trial on sexual harassment charges in the work place against Anita Hill. Anita Hill, an educated African American woman, who is a law professor at a prestigious university. She took Clarence Thomas, who was a nominee for the Supreme Court during the time, to court on sexual harassment charges. After reviewing the Anita Hill vs. Clarence Thomas case, in which the verdict was ruled in favor of Clarence Thomas. I’ve concluded that African American women do not always have to be the shoulder on which our African American men have to rely on. Anita Hill had every right to come forward and speak out against Clarence Thomas. The African American community should have supported her during the trial instead of supporting Clarence Thomas.

26. The Required Visit Student • Required to visit center and get a signature • Combative attitude • Not interested in feedback • Wants to get appointment over with quickly

27. The Required Visit Student We Recommend: • Try to get the student engaged, find a common interest • Lots of fact-gathering questions, non-writing related questions • Put them in the driver’s seat, find some middle ground • “How’s college going so far?” “Have you thought about a major?”

28. The “Please Save Me” Student • The paper is due very soon – early the next day, or maybe even in a few hours • Procrastinated on the paper, didn’t read the text • Frantic, anxious • Puts pressure on the tutor to “fix” the paper

29. The “Please Save Me” Student We Recommend: • Calm them down • Focus on the paper • Prioritize concerns about the paper • “Have you considered coming in earlier?” “How about multiple appointments?”

30. The Grammar/Flow Student • Asks for help with only “grammar and flow” • Frustrated that grammar is ignored in session • Doesn’t understand what writing centers do • ESL/Second Language Learner

31. The Grammar/Flow Student We Recommend: • “What do you mean by grammar?” “What do you mean by flow?” • Establish a different set of priorities for the student • Keep the focus on the ideas behind the paper (the writing center as an idea center) • Negotiate with the student, do one paragraph of grammar check • Explain the writing process, put the importance of grammar in perspective

32. The Lost Student • Doesn’t know what to write or what questions to ask • Insecure about their writing • The paper is for a class not in their major • The paper does not follow the prompt

33. The Lost Student We Recommend: • Ask them about the prompt, the prompt is the guide for the lost student • Ask questions about the course text(s) • Instill confidence, try setting up a roadmap • “What do you think is interesting about the prompt?” “Did you like the text?”

34. The Crying Student • Stressed because of finals week • Becomes distraught during a session -This could be due to feedback that causes them to be overwhelmed by the amount of work still to do on their paper • Shy, quiet

35. The Crying Student We Recommend: • Step away from the writing, the writing is causing the problem • Empathize, put the assignment in perspective, emphasize the struggle of writing • Find something in to compliment, focus on the positives • Instill confidence, make the student realize that they have knowledge to share • “What do you like about the text?”

36. The Defensive Student • Confident about their paper -The paper is likely related to the student’s major • Resistant to feedback • Just seeking affirmation or praise from the tutor

37. The Defensive Student We Recommend: • Be joking, light-hearted, combative in a joking way • Get them talking about their writing, help them view writing as a process, always with room for improvement • Acknowledge their authority on the subject to soothe their ego, and use this as leverage to have a conversation about their writing and ideas.

38. How will you use conversation? • What kinds of questions did your group have a lot of? • Did your group miss any of the categories? • Set a goal for yourself. • What will your personal tutoring goal be?

39. Q & A 1. What do you find difficult or easy about applying questioning and conversation? 2. What did you find particularly useful or not so useful about this workshop? 3. Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions that you would like to share, either with the group or to help us develop our materials?

40. THE END! Odegaard Writing & Research Center University of Washington, Seattle www.depts.washington.edu/owrc owrc@u.washington.edu