Ed Boyd, Education
Interviewed by
Katie Gay
To start, what qualities do you value in good writing for your class? For example, do you look more for content, effort, grammar, ideas, citations, research, resource, right/wrong answers?
Well, I can sum up my approach to writing like this: evidence of thinking deeply, critically, reflectively, and creatively. Depending on the assignment, I focus on different aspects like you mentioned. For example, content is the most important part overall, but I grade grammar intently, since it matters a good deal. Some assignments require research, and those I would look for timeliness of citations, scholarliness, the kind of information you get from general interest sources. Format and style also matter a lot. Coherence and organization are another issue. I assign "I-search" papers instead of research papers, so I want to see a lot of consideration organized in a proper way. I'm very in favor of early hand-in opportunities. Some instructors don't care for this approach, but I think that as long as the student shows a good faith effort, it is great. The aim is to learn. Learning doesn't need to be hard work.
How are writing assignments graded? While it seems that content is fairly important, are there any instances when you would grade objectively, taking points off for the student being "wrong?"
Well, you're right in saying that content matters a lot. I really appreciate creativity. However, research papers can't be too full of opinions. If there are not enough sources, that is bad. Typically, for a ten page paper, I want to see ten sources. Mostly, though, reflection is key. It has to be meaningful for the student, making connections between their lives and the work at hand. I'm an old Humanist from the 60s, so I like to see gestalts made, connections between their past experience and what they're studying. Therefore, I also like to use reflection journals. Depending on the assignment, I will either emphasize process or product. The daily journals that I use for some of my philosophy courses obviously are structured around "process." On the other hand, the Annual Editions reaction papers that I assign in my education courses and take home projects are emphasizing "product."
Is there a type of writing that have all of your students do because you believe that it's good for their thinking and/or writing?
Across the board, I assign take-home projects; long term assignments allow students to synthesize their learning from various sources across semesters into a complete product.
Are there specific items that you look for that are unique to the education discipline?
No, because I teach and emphasize the interrelatedness of many disciplines. I teach an eclectic mix of disciplines. I like to see one apply to another.
What is your attitude toward your students' writing process? Do you like to see their drafts and revisions?
I'm most interested in them experiencing their own process, thinking. For assignments emphasizing process requires thinking, asking themselves questions, determining what they have in mind.
Do you have any suggestions for writing in your discipline?
Yes, I believe that writing assignments need to be designed that forces students to think constantly, to question themselves, the experts, past experiences, their own preconceptions. The best education is when "we become less certain of what we formerly thought was true." Writing is a process of discovery.
What types of writing do you do as a scholar?
I'm not a scholar, so I don't do that kind of writing. Other than that, I write poetry voluminously. I write essays on topics in psychology, education, general semantics, poetry, regional history and folklore. I've never submitted anything for publication, although secretly I'd like to be discovered behind the woodwork like Emily Dickinson. I'm very satisfied, and that's its own reward.
What is your own writing process when you sit down to write a more formal essay? How do you sit down to write something?
I hurriedly go from start to finish. I sit down and write an essay in one and a half to two hours, but that's after I've thought deeply about it for months. Then, I let it sit for days or even weeks. After that, I tweak and massage it. I do a lot of revision, sometimes I find that essays I've written over fifteen or twenty years ago still hold water, and other ideas just need to be scrapped. This usually happens because I find I didn't really have anything new to say.
What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?
I'm obsessive about making my point, it gets very redundant. I'm too emphatic about my points. That's a weakness. I guess one of my strengths is the novelty of my ideas. I like to break new ground. That's also what I strive for in my teaching, to pass on and spark new ideas.
Do you enjoy writing? What is writing to you?
It's a way of expression. I love it.