Continuing the Faculty Development Initiative, LVAIC Hosts Writing Workshop

August 29, 2019, @ 10:32 AM

In an effort to continue its initiative for faculty development, LVAIC hosted a workshop on August 20, 2019 at Lafayette College. The program was designed for faculty with writing-intensive courses. This event featured keynote speaker John Warner. Warner is a writer for Chicago Tribune, a contributing blogger for Inside Higher Education, and an editor at large for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He is the author or coeditor of seven books. More specifically, Warner served as an adjunct faculty member for 20 years and authored Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities. 

Warner offered an overview of his work, Why They Can’t Write, along with insights regarding the challenges of today’s students regarding learning to write. His work highlights the ways in which students fit into an educational model that follows the format of standardization, continuous assessment, and rigidity that stifles the ability for free-flowing thought processes. This creates a challenge for students attempting to write in any format.

Warner followed this with examples of ways he overcomes these challenges in his courses, offering insights to different teaching and learning methods for faculty. Further, attendees were encouraged to bring a writing assignment from their courses that typically troubles students and fails to offer the return faculty seek on learning outcomes. Warner offered one-on-one appointments with faculty members after the event to critique and further develop and enhance these assignments to better suit the students and course objectives.

This program serves as part of the larger LVAIC initiative for faculty and staff development and skill enhancement. Other programs include workshops, series events, and year-long development groups. Learn more about LVAIC faculty and staff development opportunities on the Professional Development page of the LVAIC website.

LVAIC Higher Education Leaders Institute Explores Financial Leadership » « LVAIC Gathers Visiting and Contingent Faculty for Development and Community