9/29: Writing (and rewriting) as research process (discovery!)

Poetry Experiment
We started with a poetry experiment where you used a list of words/cliches as a starting place for composing a poem.  We then shared our poems, and reflected on the processes we used to create those poems.  We quickly documented that we engaged in a number of different moves that included: thinking about appropriate forms, exploring appropriate "subjects," and reviewing what we had written, evaluating it and then revising it.

In making these moves - we considered what we knew about poetry (drew from our knowledge of the canon of poetry + poetic form) and we explored our relationships to those forms, our experience and language itself to create the poem.  In Cook's terms - these to moves were about craft (drawing from knowledge of the genre we want to write), and technique - discovering our own unique form, content, and language.

Cook's essay on writing as research
We used the vocabulary & experience from this experiment to talk about the three theories of writing as research in Cook's  essay.  We paid attention to the key sentences where Cook articulated the "heart" of each theory, and we summed up/restated each theorist's points in our own words.  This discussion should be documented in your notes.  You did a great job on this!

We then briefly covered the opening remarks about why creative writing/writing process is not usually considered a research method:
1.  often considered spontaneous or unconscious (as opposed to rule driven and conscious)
2. not economic (the long way is valued rather than avoided).

Finally - we considered why writing/re-writing should be studied as research process (what was important about our discussion).  No matter what kind of research you do - you will be writing.  As stated in this essay - your research will be enriched watching how the writing process can help you discover the form for your writing, the focus for your communication - and new knowledge that magically arises from richness & complexity  pf language itself.

GREAT CLASS.  You did an awesome job of tackling that essay.  You are definitely getting better at this.

And yes - I forgot to go over the SWS Syllabus.  We will get there.

For next class:
1. Email me your first three choices (in order) of the remaining research methods that you think will be most important to you (list posted below).  I will use your list to set up groups for class presentations on sample essays.  We will talk more about this next week.    .
2. Read Chapter 1 & 2 of Bloome et al (the other text book) = On Discourse Analysis.
3. Blog 6: Define discourse and discourse analysis, discuss how it might be useful to you as a method.


List of sample research methods essays:
Sample essays in Discourse Analysis text book (there are four of them) - you would present on one essay.
Visual Analysis
Ethnographic methods
Interviews
Oral History
Qualitative methods