Box Logic

     I really enjoyed reading Sirc’s piece.  The idea that the process of composition can be approached from something of a piecemeal assemblage of seemingly disjointed elements is rather appealing.  It suggests to students the interconnectedness of ideas and concepts, and perhaps reassures them that their writing does not necessarily have to follow the somewhat stagnant mode of construction that centers around a single overarching idea that forces all subsequent material to conform to it.  I believe it is the discovery of connections and links that truly sparks learning, and it seems that Sirc’s approach lends itself to such learning.

     Sirc’s ideas have cause me to rethink how I assign research to my students.  I have an idea that perhaps students could work in small groups on a smaller essay that they co-author.  Students would do their research individually so that they still gain the skills to utilize the library and internet resources, but once they have collected enough material they would meet to discuss their results.  Hopefully, when they bring these elements back to the group there will be discussion about how the arguments and styles of each source found by the students are interrelated.  Together they will compose a piece of writing that brings together all of the material they found individually.