The Re-Imagining of One Professor's Rhetorical Pedagogy--A Curriculum Project
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2019 The Feminine Margin: The Re-Imagining of One Professor's Rhetorical Pedagogy--A Curriculum Project Camila Alvarez University of Central Florida Part of the Rhetoric Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Alvarez, Camila, "The Feminine Margin: The Re-Imagining of One Professor's Rhetorical Pedagogy--A Curriculum Project" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 6767. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/6767 THE FEMININE MARGIN: THE RE-IMAGINING OF ONE PROFESSOR’S RHETORICAL PEDAGOGY—A CURRICULUM PROJECT by CAMILA ALVAREZ B. S. University of Florida, 1995 M.A. Florida Atlantic University, 2013 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Texts & Technology in the College of Arts & Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2019 Major Professor: Martha Brenckle © 2019 Camila Alvarez ii ABSTRACT Writing pedagogy uses techniques that institutionalize dichotomous thinking rather than work against it. Cartesian duality has helped to create the marginalization of people, environments, and animals inherent in Western thought. Writing pedagogy based in current-traditional rhetoric uses a writing process that reinforces the hierarchical structure of Self/Other, Author/Reader, and Teacher/Student. This structure, in conjunction with capitalism, prioritizes the self and financial gain while diminishing and objectifying the other. The thought process behind the objectification and monetization of the other created the unsustainable business and life practices behind global warming, racism, sexism, and environmental destruction. A reframing of pedagogical writing practices can fight dichotomous thinking by re-imagining student writers as counter- capitalism content creators. Changing student perceptions from isolation to a transmodern, humanitarian, and feminist ethics of care model uses a self-reflexive ethnography to form a pedagogy of writing that challenges dichotomous thought—by focusing on transparency in my teaching practice, the utilization of liminality through images, the use of technology to publish student work, and both instructor and student self-reflection as a part of the writing and communication process. This practice has led me to a theory of resistance and influence that I have titled The Resistance Hurricane, a definition of digital rhetoric that includes humanitarian and feminist objectives that I have titled Electric Rhetoric, and a definition for the digitally mediated product of that rhetoric that I call Electric Blooms or electracy after Gregory Ulmer’s term for digital media. iii For Tansey, you help me believe. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As with any incredibly difficult endeavor—this has been a work of many, not one—I am beyond appreciative of the multitude of people who have participated in helping me succeed in this graduate program. So many people have helped me along the way to this accomplishment that I feel it would be remiss of me not to name some of the contributors. First, my mother Dulce Maria Paradoa-Alvarez and my father, Jose Andre Alvarez. In so many ways, this work has been a love letter to my childhood. My brother Jose Pio Alvarez, M.D. You taught me to push myself and believe that anything is possible. To my dear friends, Nakia Ruffin-Pink and Gloria Morrissey, and to my partner, Tansey. You believed in me— when I lost faith in myself. To my godson, Xavier Ruffin-Pink. You make me want to be the best version of myself. To everyone at Indian River State College, your words of encouragement kept me going. I am especially grateful to Suchi, Celucien, Marvin, Mia, Kendra, Kim, April, Tammy, Kate, Wendy, Danny, Diane, Scott F., Brenna, Amanda, T.A., Brett, Jodi, and Mary. I am grateful to the administration at IRSC—you’ve inspired and financially supported me in this endeavor. To my students, thank you for your support, and thank you for your patience during this long journey. To Deborah and Nina- Pearl, without you taking care of my mom, I would have not been able to rest. And finally with deepest gratitude, to Dr. Martha Catherine Brenckle, Dr. Melody A. Bowden, Dr. Barry J. Mauer, Dr. John F. Weishampel, and Dr. Anastasia Salter, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix INTRODUCTION: PEDAGOGY AND ETHNOGRAPHY.............................................. 1 CHAPTER 1: A SINGLE VOICE .................................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 2: RE-IMAGINING RHETORIC .................................................................. 40 CHAPTER 3: CONNECTING CURRICULUM ............................................................. 70 Revised Learning Objectives for an Introduction to College Writing Course .............. 78 Journaling Website ........................................................................................................ 80 Student Journal Example for Students ....................................................................... 82 Instructions for Journaling Website ........................................................................... 83 Checklist .................................................................................................................... 85 Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................... 85 Rubric ........................................................................................................................ 86 Discussion Post-Mini-Essays ........................................................................................ 86 Discussion Post Response Example for Students ...................................................... 89 Reply to Student Example for Students ..................................................................... 90 Instructions for Discussion Posts Mini-Essays .......................................................... 91 Checklist for Discussion Posts .................................................................................. 92 Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................... 93 Rubric ........................................................................................................................ 93 Reflection Done before and after Major Assignments .................................................. 94 Eco-Writing Description Assignment ........................................................................... 95 Instructions for Eco-writing Description Assignment ............................................... 95 Checklist .................................................................................................................... 97 Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................... 97 Rubric ........................................................................................................................ 97 Comparison-Contrast Interview .................................................................................... 98 Comparison-Contrast Example for Students ........................................................... 100 Instructions for the Comparison-Contrast Interview ............................................... 102 Checklist .................................................................................................................. 102 vi Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................. 102 Rubric ...................................................................................................................... 103 Annotated Bibliography .............................................................................................. 103 Instructions for Annotated Bibliography ................................................................. 105 Checklist .................................................................................................................. 106 Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................. 107 Rubric ...................................................................................................................... 107 Research Assignment .................................................................................................. 108 Instructions for the Research Assignment ............................................................... 108 Checklist .................................................................................................................. 111 Learning Outcomes .................................................................................................. 112 Rubric .....................................................................................................................