Thursday, May 15, 2008
Dead Poets Society
I have to say that I love North's framing of his revisiting of his "Idea" essay. I love the extended metaphor of his essay and the movie as well as the implications both have had for teachers and/or writing center faculty. I have been reading very dry literary theory for the past semester and I love that writers in this field consider framing things for their audience in interesting ways. The intro may have been a bit long and silly, but at least it makes it interesting, sets it in a time and place, and attempts to engage the reader on more than just one level.
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3 comments:
I enjoyed reading his essay as well because he brought in an interesting connection to the movie. I also saw a correlation between what Robin Williams was doing and what is happening in the composition classroom. Aren't we trying to make writing more interesting to our students so that they will become motivated and engaged; so that they might learn?
I liked the connection, too. His point was well taken: Wow, shake up the place and lose your job! Or, Wow what a great teacher! So entertaining! Oh...we were supposed to be writing? It plays into the desire to shake up the status quo and be the most popular teacher on campus--or simply the desire to come up with the perfect assignment that will energize students. Too bad the instructions are missing. We don't have a script or a cast of students who are scripted to love us, much less the subject we love.
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