Philippa,
OK, I'll buy all of this . . .
Let me try again: When I read Jamie's first post, I was thinking, "Yes,
but workplace texts all *do* something besides allow their writers to
learn." The examples he gave in his second message -- "recommendation
reports, proposals, contracts, pharmaceutical trial documentation, briefing
notes, policies, "outlook" reports, and RFPs" -- are all texts whose
primary purpose is, er, dialogic -- they're going to someone (several
someones) who are going to DO something (make further recommendations,
devise policies, take certain actions) based on their contents. This is
what I meant by constrained; the situations in which those texts are
produced constrain the format, and also, to some extent, the findings.
By contrast, writing-to-learn in school doesn't usually DO anything in that
sense. When I think of writing-to-learn in school, I think of freewriting,
essay tests, term papers. Aside from marking (maybe), there are no
resultant actions associated with those texts.
But I'll grant you, Philippa, that the mark can be just as (or more)
constraining than the actions that might be taken in a workplace as a
result of a text. I think I was trying to draw a distinction between
private (protected, in the object-oriented sense?) writing and
writing-in-the-world, but the distinction clearly doesn't hold up . . .
Marcy
--On Wednesday, May 22, 2002 2:11 PM -0400 Philippa Spoel
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Marcy,
>
> I have trouble with the idea that the "writing-to-know" that occurs in
> (some) school contexts is somehow "freer" than what can or does occur in
> workplace contexts - surely the constraints on school writing (even
> informal writing-to-learn activities) are just as strong and "real"
> (sorry, couldn't resist!) as on workplace writing activities. Perhaps
> more so, given that a typical student-identity seems to call for careful
> observance of the rules or teacher's expectations, even if we like to
> think that we are encouraging students to write "freely".
>
> I guess I'm uneasy about another value hierarchy or dichotomy that seems
> implied in what you say, namely between the (relative) "freedom" of
> writing-to-learn in university and, by contrast, the lack of freedom in
> workplace contexts. I would imagine that the possibilities for trying
> out new ideas, doing real brainstorming, working collaboratively on
> "meaningful," "substantive", cutting-edge projects, etc. are very likely
> greater in at least some workplace contexts than within the traditional,
> heavy structures of university education. I would likewise imagine that
> many workers (i.e. professionals) feel greater personal connection with
> and investment in the knowledges they are constructing and communicating
> than many students do. I suppose this brings us back to the issue of how
> does one design educational activities that will help to foster this kind
> of connection and enthusiasm, or "ownership" as Rob puts it, for students?
>
> Philippa
>
>
>
>
> Philippa Spoel
> Department of English
> Laurentian University
> Sudbury, Ontario
> Canada P3E 2C6
> tel: 705-675-1151
> fax: 705-675-4870
> [log in to unmask]
>
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Marcy Bauman
Media Consultant
College of Pharmacy
University of Michigan
734-647-2227
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