Writing Matters
Kim Quaile Hill earns teaching prize
Kim Hill, winner of the 2007 W Course Award, says there are no golden rules in teaching writing.
Poli sci professor wants students to value writing
Kim Quaile Hill, a professor in the Department of Political Science, has won the 2007 W Course Teaching Award. The award is presented annually to a W course instructor who teaches writing with thoughtfulness and vigor.
Hill received the $3,000 prize for his work in POLS 209, Introduction to Political Science Research Methods, a required course for all majors in his department. Even before the advent of W courses, Hill, who has taught at Texas A&M since 1988, incorporated frequent writing assignments into his courses. He stresses writing because he believes it helps his students learn. (more…)
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UWC consultants help students create unique valentines
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the UWC provided supplies and consultants to help students make creative valentines. The service was offered in the Evans Library and the West Campus Library.
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Workshops introduce assessment software
Grading papers can be the bane of a writing teacher’s existence. It’s time-consuming, yet doesn’t necessarily improve students’ writing. There are, however, tools that can make the process more efficient and effective. The UWC has scheduled three faculty workshops to present one of those tools: Waypoint software, a Web-based package that simplifies the job of responding to student papers.
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Examples that teach: using writing models effectively
Don’t limit yourself to using student papers as models—articles from professional or trade journals can also serve as effective writing samples. Providing students with writing models is a time-honored, and often highly effective, teaching technique. In some cases, using models seems almost a necessity: imagine trying to teach someone to write a resume without showing them examples.
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New online workshop helps faculty teach writing
This month the UWC introduces a new option for faculty who’d like to know more about teaching students to write: an online workshop hosted on WebCT. The UWC has created The Write Place for Faculty, an online course designed to answer those questions and more. The course is designed to be supremely flexible, letting faculty choose when and how they access the information.
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Finding the words
UWC consultants view writing at Texas A&M from a unique vantage point. They’re not instructors, of course—they don’t make assignments or give grades. But, like instructors, they see firsthand the strengths and weaknesses of student writing. They feel the frustration of working with students who lack motivation, and they know the satisfaction of helping a student improve. Consultants can also appreciate the students’ point of view. They are students themselves, after all, and every day they watch their peers grapple with the hard work of learning to write in an academic environment.
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From the Director
Dr. Balester encourages faculty to read the C course proposal and to share their opinions with their representative to the Faculty Senate, which will consider the proposal soon.
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Four ways to help students get more from the UWC
Do you ever ask a colleague to review your writing before you submit it? Let students know the UWC can be their version of that trusted colleague.
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Departments can elect to offer 200-level W courses
While W courses are usually thought of as upper-level classes, there are a few departments and colleges offering Ws at the sophomore level. Psychology, horticulture, marine science, and the Mays Business School, for example, all currently offer 200-level Ws.
