These podcasts and powerpoints were created by Dickinson peer writing tutors in WRPG 214: Working with Writers: Theory and Practice. Some are aimed at undergraduate writers, some at writing teachers, and some at both audiences simultaneously. Through these podcasts and powerpoints, peer tutors examine the context in which writing is taught and learned in order to instigate change by delivering useful tutor knowledge about writing and writers.
Writing Analytically
In Writing Analytically, the writing text used in most Dickinson College First-Year Seminars, David Rosenwasser and Jill Stephen offer a multitude of techniques and strategies that guide students to sharpen their analytical reading and writing skills. To better assist students with mastering critical analysis, the spring 2015 tutors-in-training created audiovisual podcasts that explain several of the key techniques in Writing Analytically and provide illustrative examples.
10 on 1
For those who wish to get out of the five-paragraph essay trap.
(Written, produced, and directed by Bridget Jones, Joojo Ocran, and Calla Pritulsky)
Finding Different Within Similarity
For those who need to compare and contrast.
(Written, produced, and directed by Janel Brown, Brian Nickless, Julianne Gortakowski, and Alxis Rodis)
The Method
For those who want help with reading deeply.
(Written, produced, and directed by Fiona Burke, David Gould, Lean Miller, and Janel Pineda)
Seems to Be About X but is Really About Y
For those who want to go beyond stating the obvious.
(Written, produced, and directed by Sarah Brand, Eli Goings, John Leibundgut, Margaret McGuirk)
What’s “So What?” Got to Do with It?
For those seeking the significance of their writing.
(Written, produced, and directed by Grace Crossland, Kiefer McDowell, Marina Morton, and Megan Salerno)
The Writing Center
Agency in the Writing Center
The success of your session with your writing tutor often depends on what you bring to the table. This podcast illustrates the differences between writers who are engaged in and those who are disengaged from the writing process and their own papers. (Written, produced, and directed by Trevor Griesman, Sara Moss, and Katherine Swantak)
Hold Onto Your Agency
This podcast models how writers working in groups can maintain their agency while working with a WA (Writing Associate). (Written, produced, and directed by Alex Kasznel, Kristen Pacific, and Izzy Zimmerman)
When to Visit the Writing Center
Many writers do not realize that they do not need to have a written draft to visit the Writing Center. This podcast dramatizes how tutors can work with writers in any stage of the writing process - from planning to drafting to revising to editing. (Written, produced, and directed by Larissa Albright, Robin Beck, and Olivia Wilkins)
Writing Center 101: Getting to Know the Norman M. Eberly Writing Center
What is it like to go to the Writing Center? Some people look confused and bewildered on their first visit. This podcast shows how to sign in and out, what to bring, what not to bring, and what to expect. (Written, produced, and directed by Krista Dionne, Kimberly Drexler, and Caryn Sennett)
The Writing Process
Brainstorming
Warning writers not to jump into a paper feet first, this podcast explains the virtue of planning to write: brainstorming, creating a visual web, and making an outline. (Written, produced, and directed by Leah McNamara, Leah Shafer, Christina Socci, and Kallie Strode)
The Burkean Parlor
Tune into this podcast to discover how research writing is like a Burkean Parlor and how Writing Center tutors can usher you into the parlor. (Written, produced, and directed by Victoria Cacchione, Laura Hart, and Lucy McInerney)
Interpreting a Prompt
A writer learns to analyze a prompt, create a task list, and construct an idea web in this informative, how-to podcast. (Written, produced, and directed by Melissa Durante, Paul Gaver, and Brian Reiger)
Moving from Outline to Draft to Revision
The filmmakers went all the way to Scotland, the New Jersey Pine Barrens, and the pacific Northwest. While they could not find proof of the Loch Ness monster, the Jersey devil, or Sasquatch, they brought back amazing footage of students engaging in the writing process. A must-see for anyone who has ever even thought about writing. (Written, produced, and directed by Emily Arndt, Jessy Cooper, Colin Tripp, Matthew Weddig)
Professor Feedback
What do you do when a professor has written all over your draft? This podcast draws on the wisdom of both professor and student to suggest strategies for responding to feedback. (Written, produced, and directed by Julia Feerar, Philip Hubert, Marlee Walters, and Christopher Wolf)
The Purpose of Peer Revising
When reviewing each other's papers, what should peers comment on? This mini-documentary examines the very different ideas students and professors have about the peer review process. (Written, produced, and directed by Sarah Ganong, Taylor Kobran, Chris Striker, and A.J. Wildey)
Writing Techniques
Counterevidence Sandwich
In a homage to PB&J, peer tutors -- with the help of a friendly English professor -- explain why it is important not to ignore evidence that refutes your thesis when writing a paper. (Written, produced, and directed by Ellen Aldin, Anna Farb, Merit O'Hare, and Sarah O'Neill)
How Not to Plagiarize A how-to guide for writers or a teaching tool for professors, this powerpoint offers a succinct overview of writing tips to avoid creating a plagiarized paper. (Created by Noreen Lape)
How to Do a Close Reading
Besides providing an introduction to the concept of close reading, this podcast illustrates the practice of annotating a text and addresses how discipline affects how one approaches close reading. This one is definitely not for the nearsighted only. (Written, produced, and directed by Chris Barber, Ariel Klatskin, Emma Rodwin, and Eileen Shen)
How to Integrate Source Material into a Research Paper
This podcast offers a variety of tips on gathering sources, techniques for including sources in a paper, and advice on framing sources. (Written, produced, and directed by Alex Delp, Alyssa Meister, and Adi Royyuru)
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
For those who have never written an annotated bibliography, librarian Malinda Triller explains the genre and offers tips for constructing one. (Written, produced, and directed by Eleanor Laurence, Krysten Peck, and Ali Wittner)
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Drawing on the expertise of Eberly Writing Center tutors, this podcast identifies the characteristics of a good thesis statement while reminding viewers to think T.A.C.O.S. (Written , produced, and directed by Isabel Burlingame, Grace Fisher, and Meri St. Jean)
Organization and Transitions
Using a clever visual metaphor, this podcast explains the difference between a paper full of fragmented ideas and a closely knit argument. (Written, produced, and directed by Alexandra Agiliga, Kendra Haven, Justine Heritage, and Ian Tigh)
A Writer's Guide to the Hacker Handbook
Did you ever wonder what was in that book with the spiral binding -- the one you all had to buy for First-Year Seminar? This podcast uncovers the mysteries of the Hacker Handbook and reveals to students its bountiful treasures. (Written, produced, and directed by Meghan Rasmussen, Stephen Reale, and Hannah Richardson)
Writing Effective Introductions and Conclusions
Tutor Hippo helps Ms. Sheep make a sheepish essay on Huckleberry Finn more hip. Doling out lots of good advice, colorful puppets explain the challenges of beginning and ending an essay well. (Written, produced, and directed by Chris Bowman, Colleen Cadman, Sarah Fowler, and Teri Soifer)