I love what Theresa says about inkshedding offering layers of
reflection--it works that way in my classes too. Thanks, Theresa!
Betsy
At 09:00 AM 12/19/2006, you wrote:
>I started this response 5 days ago, and hesitated to send it because
>the conversation was already so lively. I apologize if some of this
>has been said before, but in a way, I think it extends what has been
>said: Miriam, as far as I can tell, Inkshedding as a /process /is
>not on the wane. After all, it is a semi-formal method of providing
>feedback to colleagues on their writing. If anything, there is even
>more call for that kind of feedback in today's
>everything-goes-fire-it-off-on-email society. We don't reflect
>enough! In fact, when I was teaching the Teaching Writing course
>this year, I felt that inkshedding was one of the ways to reinstate
>some disciplined reflection into the course. The students in this
>course are pursuing a Writing Certificate at our university. This
>can be taken simultaneously while they are doing their degree
>program. So, the students in my class had already taken several
>different writing courses when they came to my class. From what I
>can gather from the students, these courses had them do a lot of
>group exercises, peer response, etc. However, much of this was done
>verbally, and therefore was very much "off-the-cuff". While the
>inkshedding we do is spontaneous, the very fact that it is written
>down means that there is a "pause and reflect" element to
>it. Furthermore, controversial or thoughtful responses are then
>responded to and the whole thing is edited and distributed. This
>practice gives 3 possible points of reflection to any given
>response. This is exactly what is missing in many of the peer
>response exercises that my students have previously done. One thing
>I am considering, and I would like to know if anyone else has done
>this: do you have Inkshedding exercises on-line (ie through Web
>CT)? Does that work as well, or do we need the immediate presence of
>the reader in order for Inkshedding to really work?
>I think that our Inkshedding process is still sound, but manybe we
>have to re-vision how we do our Inkshedding Conferences. Perhaps we
>have become an exclusive club that doesn't welcome new members? Are
>our conferences too expensive? Perhaps our insistence that
>attendees stay for 3 or 4 days is expecting too much of those of us
>who are under-employed or still students? Would our Inkshedding
>Conference be more welcoming if, perhaps, we put our Inksheds
>on-line (as they happen) so that those of us who can't come to the
>conference can still participate in the discussions resulting from
>the presentations? Just some thoughts ---- Theresa.
>
>[log in to unmask] wrote:
>
>>Dear Inkshedders,
>>As some of you may be aware, I am in the process of wrapping up my
>>doctoral dissertation on inkshedding. As I write I find myself
>>struggling with a small area of data that I'm not sure how to deal
>>with, so I turn to you for your insights. At some level, there
>>seems to be a feeling that Inkshed, as a community, has served its
>>purpose and may be losing its force as an academic
>>institution. Just by way of example, one inkshedding text from
>>Gimli (which you can find both in Russ's last Inkshed article, and
>>the posted inksheds from the Gimli conference) says:
>>
>>"I was wondering about the Inkshed community and its viability--if
>>the practice of inkshedding serves the purpose of developing and
>>sustaining this community of Inkshedders, is it perhaps on the wane?
>>If Inkshedders themselves do not use it in their own classrooms,
>>and if the number of Inkshed members is dwindling, is it perhaps
>>time for Inkshedding to give way to other types of
>>community-building practices?"
>>
>>I'm curious to know what your reactions are. Is the community on
>>the wane? What is the future of the community and the
>>activity? Is the activity being redefined by the immediate social
>>writing being facilitated by the internet? What does it mean to be
>>part of the Inkshed community, and has that identity changed over the years?
>>
>>Any ideas on this (either on or off list) would be a great help.
>>
>>Thanks.
>>Miriam
>>
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>>
>>For the list archives and information about the organization,
>> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
>> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
>> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
> [log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
> write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask]
>
>For the list archives and information about the organization,
> its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
> http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
To leave the list, send a SIGNOFF CASLL command to
[log in to unmask] or, if you experience difficulties,
write to Russ Hunt at [log in to unmask]
For the list archives and information about the organization,
its newsletter, and the annual conference, go to
http://www.stu.ca/inkshed/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
