In his essay "Recovering the Lost Art of Researching the History of Rhetoric", Richard Leo Enos poses the argument that rhetorical studies must struggle towards an activist function in order to be of relevance as an academic discipline.
Enos points out that while the interdisciplinary nature of rhetoric ensures that there will be a continued interest and attention to rhetoric, the actual art of researching the history of rhetoric has been and is dangerously close to being lost.
Enos, argueing that there is a need for historical scholarship in the field and that this methodolgy is often neglected, cites Barnett Baskerville who asserts that "there is a need for scholars who can record accurately and artistically the history of our art as it relates to more general history, to delineate its place and contributions to the cultural history of the nation."
There is something about studying a history of rhetoric that is exciting in the same way that playing with firecrackers is. Something might blow up.
Rhetoric is a living, breathing beast.
Or maybe rhetoric is the music which calms the beast?
Do you have to have a PhD in rhetorical studies to be a superior orator and rhetorician?
History shows otherwise.
The history of rhetoric reveals it to be organic.
What will be the contributions of the dark unheard human masses to the historical tree of rhetoric?
Is there rhetoric in a long desperate wail?
I keep thinking about a point Dr. D makes in class: "Make everything count."
The tie between the oral and the written tradition is one of the great beauties and achievements in human history. It is also one of the great mysteries, there are elements of alchemy in the process of reading and writing.
We can trace currents of thought and a history of rhetoric in the European tradition at least as far back as when the Greeks transferred there history and poetry from oral emory to written artifact. Since then many others have contributed to the evolution of human rhetoric.
We can identify moments in history where the powers of rhetoric where in display.
People are always coming up with new arguments to engage political forces that shape the environments we live in.
Political history is a history of rhetoric.
Matches only start fires; the potential history of rhetoric can set people free.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Lehrnenfreit
Gordon Rohman and Albert Wlecke in their essay Pre-writing; Models for Concept Formation in Writing argue that "the primary badness of writing is not incorrect grammar or inelegant expression; it is rather a matter of stale perspective, cliche response."
In the ideal classroom there are mutual expectations between the instructor and the students about levels of commitment, responsibility, professionalism, respect, competence, etc. that must be met to achieve the full educational potential in the classroom setting.
In real classrooms these expectations always exist, and are satisfied to varying degrees by both educator and pupil.
In the ideal classroom there is a harmony of motivation that is shared by teacher and student, the motivation to achieve and excell to the highest standard possible.
In reality, it is undeniably that there is a point at which the goals and the agenda of master and student diverse. An educator would like their students to perform at an optimal level all the time. It is inevitable that students will not always be completely accepting of this educator wishful policy of maximum exertion and achievement in the classroom.
Magical moments in education occur when a happy medium is met between educator and student and usually involve moments where the practice of honing academic skills sparks a clear interest in a subject beyond its facility in the classroom.
A pedagogical theory that offers the freedom of opportunity for students to follow these streaks of enlightened learning when they occur inside the otherwise traditionally structured classroom is most promising if English composition classes hope to avoid the "stale cliche"-ness that Rohman and Wlecke admonish in their essay on pre-writing.
A good educator kindles the creative and intellectual spark of the interested student.
In the ideal classroom there are mutual expectations between the instructor and the students about levels of commitment, responsibility, professionalism, respect, competence, etc. that must be met to achieve the full educational potential in the classroom setting.
In real classrooms these expectations always exist, and are satisfied to varying degrees by both educator and pupil.
In the ideal classroom there is a harmony of motivation that is shared by teacher and student, the motivation to achieve and excell to the highest standard possible.
In reality, it is undeniably that there is a point at which the goals and the agenda of master and student diverse. An educator would like their students to perform at an optimal level all the time. It is inevitable that students will not always be completely accepting of this educator wishful policy of maximum exertion and achievement in the classroom.
Magical moments in education occur when a happy medium is met between educator and student and usually involve moments where the practice of honing academic skills sparks a clear interest in a subject beyond its facility in the classroom.
A pedagogical theory that offers the freedom of opportunity for students to follow these streaks of enlightened learning when they occur inside the otherwise traditionally structured classroom is most promising if English composition classes hope to avoid the "stale cliche"-ness that Rohman and Wlecke admonish in their essay on pre-writing.
A good educator kindles the creative and intellectual spark of the interested student.
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