Program Format

The Faculty Writing Fellows is a faculty learning community in which teachers from different disciplines work together on innovative approaches to writing instruction, critical thinking and active learning. Consulting and discussing current research in these areas, the Fellows collaborate on refining assignment design, clarifying learning objectives, developing effective evaluation tools and feedback techniques – and more. The Fellows use John Bean’s Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking and Active Learning in the Classroom as a primary resource for discussion and activities.

Course release for Writing Fellows occurs in the Winter semester of each academic year, when the Fellows read, write online and meet bi-weekly.  In the Fall term, as Fellows return to their usual course load, they remain involved via individual check-ins and monthly brief group meetings. The Fellowship culminates in the fellows leading WID’s Big Winter Workshop, which happens in January before classes start up again. The year-long experience permits a full cycle of learning, implementation, and evaluation.

What have past participants said about their Writing Fellows experiences?

• “There is a huge shift for me since I participated in WID.  It feels like I cleaned off many windows in my house of teaching and a lot more sunlight is streaming in. The axis of John Bean’s book, Engaging Ideas, and especially his suggestions on defining audience, purpose and genre for assignments, cemented something for me: real writing for real reasons is a natural motivator for students.”

• “Wonderful!  The WID Fellows project presented a rare opportunity to get to know my colleagues, their interests and expertise, and to learn about the travails and techniques of teaching writing from teachers in other disciplines in a supportive, challenging and edifying situation.”

• “I found this experience very enriching. It is quite hard to build friendships sometimes across disciplines, and WID gave me an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with colleagues whom I would normally have harder access to. I also found it humbling to witness how different faculties really engage with similar pedagogical values and principles, as well remind me of other ones that I maybe take for granted… I think the CEGEP teaching culture can have us sometimes looking at the teaching in our courses in a bubble, and WID reminds us of, as well as celebrates, the ways our courses and teaching approaches really can/do complement each other.”

Objectives

• Introduce teachers to evidence-based writing-in-the-disciplines theory and practice: Writing as a mode of learning; the role of genres in the construction of knowledge within disciplines; the novice-expert insider continuum of learning to write in a discipline.
• Give teachers the support and resources needed to implement changes in their current courses: more effective integration of writing to promote critical thinking / clarification of writing objectives / use of low stakes exploratory writing activities / effective assignment design for formal assignments / effective feedback and assessment practices.
• Facilitate the diffusion of ideas and best practices: discuss WID in home depts. / develop resources available to others through on-line teaching portfolio / workshops and presentations.
• Producing materials for and leading a Workshop at the beginning of the following Winter semester.

Fellowship process at a glance:

—————————————————————————

Browse portfolios of Fellows alumni

Watch past Fellows “graduation” workshops

List of Fellows alumni:

W2022-F02022 Writing Fellows

Sara Louise Kendall (Geography), Ahmad Banki (Economics), Kasia Wolfson (Anthropology), Noah Brender (Humanities), Ivan Freud (Religion)

F2020-W2021 Writing Fellows.

Catherine Braithwaite (History), Elliot Kerr (Sociology), Eliza Wood (Humanities), Gisela Frias (Geography), Natalie Olanick (Fine Arts/Photography)

F2019-W2020 Writing Fellows

Jesse Klein (Cinema and Communication), Joelle Dayan (Psychology), Joseph Rosen (Humanities), Ursula Misztal (English)

F2018-W2019 Writing Fellows

Madeleine Cote (Psychology), Rachel Echenberg (Fine Arts), Kate Hall (English), Nadia Lebza (French), Brian Redekopp (Humanities/Philosophy)

F2017-W2018 Writing Fellows

Laetitia Desanti (French), Michael Duckett (History), Vanessa Gordon (Political Science), Paul Hawkins (English), Johanne Rabbatt (Religion)

F2016-W2017 Writing Fellows

Melanie Doyle (Psychology), Julian Nemeth (Humanities/History), Mari Heywood (Humanities), Carmen-Silvia Cristea (French), Sonia Zylberberg (Religious Studies)

F2015-W2016

Gregory Polakoff (Humanities), Jennifer Smith (Anthropology), Marie-Pierre Gosselin (Psychology), David Weeks (Industrial Design), Will Aitken (Cinema and Communication)

F2014-W2015

Jean Duclos Alegue (Economics), Karla Gruodis (English), Dipti Gupta (Cinema-Communications), Geoffery Pearce (Geography), Carl Saucier-Bouffard (Humanities), Eric Van der Wee (Humanities)

W2014
Nejla El Sohl (French), Mathilde Hitier (Mathematics), Mark Beauchamp (History), Susan Briscoe (English), and Jon Sumner (Physics).  Also participating are Diana Tremblay (Student AccessAbility) and Robert Cassidy (OID / Psychology). 

F2013

Sarah Allen (Philosphy), Anna-Liisa Aunio (Sociology), Jessica Lim (Philosophy), Elizabeth Linn (Anthrology), Tavish Mcdonell (English), and Emmanuelle Simoney (History).

Winter 2013 Writing Fellows

• Anna De Aguayo, Anthropology
• Veronique Millet, French
• Kate Payne, English
• Robert Stephens, Humanities
• John Veroutsos, Electrical Technology

Fall 2012 Writing Fellows

• Jean-Francois Briere, Physics
• Joanna Farmer, Physical Education
• Lyane Henrichon, French
• Cory Legassic, Sociology / Humanities
• Diane Shea, History
• Valerie Simmons, Professional Photography
• Martine Wizman, Social Services

Winter 2012 Writing Fellows

• Jeffrey Gandell, English
• Hannah Heath-Engel, Biomedical Laboratory Technology
• Christian Pare, French
• Cheryl Simon, Cinema and Communications
• Yoon-Seo Uh, Analytical Laboratory Technology

Fall 2011 Writing Fellows

• Anthony Berkers, Physical Education
• Jesse Hunter, Cinema and Communications
• Susan Elmslie, English
• Joel Rubin, Biology
• Laura Shea, Sociology
• Andreas Tsatoumas, Engineering

Winter 2011 Writing Fellows

• Kurt Holfeld, Interior Design
• Ben Lander, History
• George Mack, Computer Science
• Charles-Albert Ramsay, Economics
• Cheryl Stewart, Nursing
• Anne Thorpe, Humanities

Fall 2010 Writing Fellows

• Melanie Beck, Mathematics
• Heather Bradley, Physical Education
• Susan-Judith Hoffmann, Humanities
• Boris Lorkovic, Electrical Engineering
• Davina Mill, Psychology
• Jocelyn Parr, History
• Mary Puddington, Nursing

Winter 2010 Writing Fellows

• Denise Brend, Social Services
• Fiona Hanley, Nursing
• Emilie Richer, Mathematics
• Cindy Starzenski, Physical Education
• Lisa Steffen, History
• Francesca Theriault (Biology)