Key Terms and Guiding Questions for Wardle Response
Terms:
Transfer
Threshold Concepts
Guiding Questions for Reflection and Response (Feel free to follow your own thoughts, but if you get stuck, use these questions to help you think about the article)
What, according to Wardle, makes it hard for students to transfer their writing knowledge from high school to college? How does this relate to your experiences?
How and why might high school teachers be "forced to design assignments and curricula that actually undermine students ability to learn accurate and useful conceptions about writing" (Wardle, 3)? Does this seem true to you? Does this change how you see your own past writing experiences? How? How do you feel about that?
What does Wardle argue should be the basis or content for writing instruction? How does this conflict with what Wardle argues students are currently taught because of "legislators and test creators" and "their misconceptions about writing" (Wardle,4)? Do you agree that this is a problem? How does it make you feel about your own experiences with writing? Do you think Wardle's content sounds more empowering and helpful? Why, or why not?
How does Wardle address a potential objection to her ideas? Do you agree with Wardle's response to that objection? Why or why not?
How can you as a student "bolster our [writing scholars and teachers] efforts" to alter how writing is taught in high school (Wardle, 6)? Would you want to? Why or why not?
Do you think it is true that "we are never finished learning how to write" (Wardle, 6)? Why or why not? Do you think this is a good thing?