Everyone needs a center for their pedagogy!

Scott Lee gave us a thorough list of what Gerald Graff's most important issues are in teaching composition. His two handouts, detailed with Graff's main issues, purposes in his writing, and where he fits in the continuum of a dozen other composition leaders, were very helpful for his classmates.

Graff is known for his chant,"teach ( students) to the conflicts." He insists that The Argument should be the center of of all pedagogy. As I consider this statement , I am thinking that I agree that argumentation or debate for all ages of students is an excellent method of building critical thinking skills, writing with a definite purpose, learning how to use academic language to make one's argument clear and succinct as Bartholomae would demand. Graff notes that these arguments must not be in a vacuum, but I would think arguing for authentic issues would not be difficult. As Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz book states,"Everything's an argument."

Certainly students are engaged when directed to participate in a debate. I have seen this to be very effective in Middle school and I have used it this even in elementary. In not arguing in a vacuum, I am guessing that debating the opinions of real people in the news or from history would be connecting with the real world and also content areas. Students could argue their hypothesis in science or the causes of a specific war, or the ethics of war. However, to get students started I wonder if especially the younger or the L2 students might start with arguments pertaining to school, one of their communities. Should students be allowed to bring cel phones to school? What about a dress code? Should the driving age be lowered? I agree with Bartholomae and Graff that students as part of learning academica should know well and be able to argue both sides. In fact I have done this at a wporkshop with my adult peers. We had to debate both of sides of is CSAP a good idea!

Graff differs from Bartholomae in his techniques of using templates to teach the academic language. Let's face it the sentence frames, or templates in his book will help adults ( me!) as much as our younger students. Sentence templates have been used all the way down to first grade to help struggling readers and writers make an accurate sentence. This is also very effective for L2 students at any age.

I like Graff's tendency to want students to learn to speaqk and write academic language and join the critical thinking through debate or argument, but I also praise his work toward scaffolding these skills for those who need it. As far as placing argument in the center of our pedagogy.. everyone needs a center for their pedagogy and I am feeling persuaded by Graff's arguments that perhaps argument be. In other words we should teach the conflicts; those that are authentic and, at least in the beginning for younger students, part of thier communities.

I would add that Lunsford agree's with Graff, but she would also add the element of collaboration.