Rethinking Writing in the Age of AI
In the dawn of accessible AI-generated writing, we are forced to go back to the basics and ask ourselves: What is writing? Why do we ask our students to write? How is writing related to critical thinking? This informal session will give participants an opportunity to reflect on their own relationships to writing and share…
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Learning Without Grading: An Introduction to Contract or Specifications Grading
Over the past few years, several Dawson teachers have experimented with Contract or Specifications grading, which is a way to take the focus off of grades, and instead emphasize each individual’s progress and body of work throughout the semester. In this informal online meetup, three teachers share their experiences with this different paradigm. Three brief…
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Engaging Groupwork: Strategies for Meaningful Activities
Here are notes from Engaging Groupwork: Strategies for Meaningful Activities, a workshop held on PED Day at Dawson College on October 14, 2022. It was co-led by Cory Legassic from Saltise and Jeff from WID. The following notes were written by Cory and sent to participants after the workshop: One of the bigger distinctions in…
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Empowering and Motivating Students Through Better Assignment Design
This workshop was the culmination of the Fall 2020 Writing Fellows Program. In the video below, each Fellows shares one pedagogical tool developed along their WID journey. Topics include creating meaningful problems, writing in genres, self-reflections, and group projects. Participants should bring in one assignment to refresh.
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The wind at your back: How to tap into students’ emotions to inspire deep learning
Dawson, Fall 2021 Learning is an emotional business. How students feel goes a long way in determining their level of success. This workshop presented research-based ways to tap into emotions that can motivate students, allow them to persist through the tough times, and give them a better chance to retain knowledge and skills. Click here…
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WID Winter Days Coming in January 2023
WID aims to kick off the Winter semester with a bang by bringing you three events in January 2023. Hopefully, you’ll find something in the events below that can inspire you and your students to greater heights in the new semester. January 2023 Events Learning Without Grading: An Introduction to Contract or Specifications Grading Friday,…
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New Portfolios and Department Report!
We’ve just added three new exciting documents on the site: Brian Redekopp’s Fellows Portfolio (Philosophy, Fall 2018) Ursula Misztal’s Fellows Portfolio (English, Fall 2019) Catherine Braithwaite’s report on the design of the new Global History course (Fall 2021) Dig in!
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Writing in Student-centered Alternative Education
College Writing and Authentic Student Voices: In the Words of New School Students New School at Dawson is an alternative school within the College. Founded in 1973, New School is the Quebec CEGEP system’s longest running alternative school, and we follow a critical humanistic education approach in English and Humanities courses, open to all Dawson…
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WID Fellow Melanie Beck (Mathematics) passed on this recent Edutopia article on how low-stakes writing is employed across disciplines at University Park Campus School, a high school in Worcester, MA. If you browse the text article, you’ll find a host of simple but effective ideas for in-class thinking and writing, all of which are adaptable…
Read More about Research Sightings: Low-stakes Writing is a High Impact Teaching StrategyIs Creativity Valued in Higher Ed?
According to Patrick Sullivan, co-editor of “What is College-level Writing?” (2006) and English professor at Manchester Community College (CT), the answer is “Not so much.” In his recent article “The UnEssay: Making Room for Creativity in the Composition Classroom,” Sullivan outlines recent interest in education circles in promoting creativity as a habit of mind, and…
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