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/
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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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/
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