A Guide to Composition Pedagogies

by Gary Tate (Editor), Amy Rupiper-Taggart (Editor), Brooke Hessler (Editor)

Reflecting the rich complexity of contemporary college composition pedagogy, A Guide to Composition Pedagogies presents original essays on the most important approaches to teaching writing. Each essay is written by an experienced teacher/scholar and describes one of the major pedagogies employed today to familiarize newcomers with the topography of Composition Studies. An invaluable tool for graduate students and new teachers, this bibliographic resource provides an exceptional introduction to Composition Studies and the extensive range of available pedagogical approaches.
Now in its second edition, this guide substantially updates all chapters from the previous edition--on basic, collaborative, community-engaged, critical, expressive, feminist, process, Writing Across the Curriculum, and writing center pedagogies. It also features new chapters--"What Is Composition Pedagogy: An Introduction," "Genre," "Second Language Writing," "Literature and Writing," "New Media," "Online and Hybrid," and "Research Writing"--and also an expanded chapter, "Rhetoric and Argumentation." The essays within now contain an increased focus on issues raised by diversity, each pedagogy's approach to assessment, and technology's effect on composition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing, Teaching, Academic, School, Education, Read For School

352 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2000

Reviews

[Kevin]

A helpful overview, but by itself too esoteric and bland. There's a lot of theory, not a lot of exposition. The great benefit of this book is that it identifies several main opposing and complimentary camps in compositional pedagogy and directs you to the definitive texts in those camps. The downside is it often does a poor job of elucidating some of the theories, and over half of the essays in the book are dry as hell. Good pieces include the ones of process, collaboration, critical pedagogy, feminism, service learning, and writing across the curriculum.

[Amanda]

Excellent essays on different types of pedagogies that best inform a composition classroom.

[Laurel Perez]

A really nice overview of pedagogy that I think anyone who teaches might read to gain insight on why they do what they do, and look at other ways of doing things. This is the second time I have read this book, but a few years ago I read the first edition. I was pleasantly surprised with this update, and even more happy that technology was addressed as that is certainly the way we are going.

[Katie J Schwartz]

Like any textbook, some of it is fascinating, and some of it is torturous to get through.

Three Stars: Not bad, but not fantastic either. I'll still recommend it, if I think that person might like it more than me.

[Emily]

I have to say I suffered through this one. Here's a tip to the authors who wrote this: actually talk about something substantive instead of listing bibliographies. Thanks.

[Matt Fisher]

A valuable resource for composition instructors, but hardly a page-turner.

[Hallie Elizabeth]

i read this one for class too im not rating it but it was dense

[Kiel Gregory]

Heavy on the theory, this book contains articles addressing many facets of teaching composition, from the writing center as a locus of praxis, to feminist and L2 approaches to the instruction of writing.

This book was assigned reading for a graduate course on composition pedagogy.

[K.T]

A lot of different topics that encompassed a lot of different areas.

[John Fitzgerald]

A good overview. Not those most thrilling read, as others have pointed out, but a great introduction to current theories.

[Roger Powell]

A solid, and very current, overview of the various composition pedagogies. I really agree with the central claim of the book too: Good writing instruction will almost always include a mixing of various pedagogies. The bibliographic resources at the end of each chapter are nice as well. I would recommend this to anyone who is in the field of composition and rhetoric studies, or who wants to know more about writing instruction and the philosophy behind it.

[Tarah]

As a basic outline of popular Composition Pedagogies, this does a good job--it's a broad, but largely comprehensive and extremely comprehensible overview. It's a good reader to assign as a baseline, and then add readings that highlight the important aspects (or rebuttals) of that pedagogy.

[Shelley]

As an M.F.A. teaching English composition, I found this a good overview of primary pedagogies in the field. Each chapter includes a comprehensive bibliography that will be valuable as I continue my exploration/education.

[Mari]

Helpful in getting a basic grasp on different schools of thought concerning composition pedagogy.

[Erin]

Update on Nov, 2013. Used for papers this semester.

[Mills College Library]

808.00711 G94646 2001

[Catherine Siemann]

Very useful.

[J.I.]

Adequate, but not exceptional. It is what it says