Notes: Bad Ideas About Writing — Comprehensive Study Guide
Introduction
Bad Ideas About Writing is a public, open-access project from West Virginia University’s Libraries Digital Publishing Institute, edited by Cheryl E. Ball & Drew M. Loewe.
Goal: name and argue against major myths about writing, to spark debate and progress in writing instruction. SOME PEOPLE ARE JUST BORN GOOD WRITERS (Jill Parrott) \- This entry challenges the notion that writing ability is innate. It argues that writing is a skill developed through practice, learning, and experience rather than a natural gift. \- Parrott suggests that the myth of the \"born writer\" can discourage learners who believe they lack inherent talent, creating unnecessary anxiety and self-doubt. \- The author emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive classrooms where students are encouraged to view writing as a process of growth, experimentation, and ongoing development. \- Key takeaway: Writing is an acquired skill accessible to anyone willing to put in the effort to learn and practice. Effective instruction and a supportive environment are crucial for fostering confidence and competence in writing. FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION (Allison D. Carr) \- This entry critiques the pressure to achieve perfection in writing, arguing that failure is a necessary part of the learning process. \- Carr contends that the fear of failure can stifle creativity, risk-taking, and genuine engagement with writing tasks. \- The author advocates for creating pedagogical spaces where students are allowed to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from their errors without fear of harsh judgment. \- Carr highlights the value of feedback, revision, and reflection as opportunities for growth and development as a writer. \- Key takeaway: Failure is an inherent aspect of the writing process, and embracing it as a learning opportunity can lead to more meaningful and effective writing experiences. THERE IS ONE CORRECT WAY OF WRITING AND SPEAKING (Anjali Pattanayak) \- This entry challenges the idea that there is a single standard for correct writing and speaking. It argues that language use is context-dependent and varies across communities, cultures, and genres. \- Pattanayak critiques prescriptive approaches to language instruction that prioritize adherence to arbitrary rules over effective communication. \- The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing linguistic diversity in the classroom and encouraging students to develop rhetorical flexibility to adapt their language to different situations. \- Pattanayak advocates for a more inclusive and equitable approach to language education that celebrates the richness and complexity of human communication. \- Key takeaway: There is no one \"correct\" way of writing and speaking; effective communication depends on understanding and adapting to diverse contexts and audiences. AFRICAN AMERICAN ENGLISH IS NOT GOOD ENGLISH (Jennifer M. Cunningham) \- This entry debunks the misconception that African American English (AAE) is an inferior or incorrect form of English. Cunningham asserts that AAE is a distinct language variety with its own grammatical rules and linguistic integrity. \- Cunningham addresses the historical and social factors that have contributed to the stigmatization of AAE and its speakers. \- The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing AAE in educational settings, promoting linguistic justice and equity for AAE speakers. \- Cunningham encourages educators to adopt culturally responsive pedagogies that acknowledge and celebrate the linguistic diversity of their students. \- Key takeaway: African American English is a legitimate and systematic language variety that should be respected and valued, not denigrated or stigmatized, in educational contexts. OFFICIAL AMERICAN ENGLISH IS BEST (Steven Alvarez) \- This entry challenges the notion that Official American English is superior to other languages and dialects spoken in the United States. Alvarez critiques the \"English-only\" movement and its exclusionary effects on multilingual communities. \- Alvarez argues that multilingualism is a valuable asset that enriches American society and promotes cross-cultural understanding. \- The author advocates for policies and practices that support linguistic diversity and provide equitable access to education and resources for speakers of all languages. \- Alvarez highlights the importance of fostering inclusive classrooms where students are encouraged to embrace their linguistic identities and develop multilingual competence. \- Key takeaway: Linguistic diversity is a strength, and policies promoting Official American English undermine equity and inclusion in education and society. STRONG WRITING AND WRITERS DON’T NEED REVISION (Laura Giovanelli) \- This entry challenges the myth that skilled writers produce perfect drafts without needing to revise. Giovanelli argues that revision is an essential part of the writing process for all writers, regardless of their skill level. \- Giovanelli debunks the notion that needing to revise is a sign of weakness or incompetence, emphasizing that revision is an opportunity for growth, refinement, and deeper engagement with one’s ideas. \- The author advocates for teaching revision as a recursive, iterative process involving multiple stages of reflection, feedback, and modification. \- Giovanelli encourages educators to create classroom environments where students are comfortable sharing their work, receiving constructive criticism, and experimenting with different revision strategies. \- Key takeaway: Revision is a crucial component of the writing process, and even the most skilled writers benefit from revisiting and refining their work to achieve clarity, coherence, and impact.
Open Access license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Re-use allowed with citation of the original work.
Publication details (first published 2017, WVU Libraries). Typeface notes: Helvetica Neue and Iowan Old Style; cover image in public domain.
Project rationale (as described in Introduction): bridge between scholarly debate and public understanding; translate expert knowledge into accessible, public-facing arguments; provide an open educational resource with a collection of entries that synthesize research and experience.
Structure: eight broad categories of bad ideas about writing, with cross-referencing among entries; intended as a conversation starter rather than a consensus, encouraging readers to read across topics and notice overlaps.
Entry format (in spirit): each piece is an entry that combines synthesis of research with argument, and provides a list of resources for further reading rather than formal in-text citations.
Eight major categories (as outlined in Introduction):
The features of good writing
What makes good writers
How grammar and style should be understood
Which techniques or processes produce good writing
Particular genres and occasions for writing
How writing should be assessed
How technology impacts writing
Teachers of writing
Meta-theme: literacy, transfer, context, audience, and public discourse run through many entries; emphasis on civic and ethical dimensions of writing, not just mechanics.
Reading strategy for the book: read entries across categories, noting agreements, disagreements, and productive overlaps; aim to move beyond triggering “bad ideas” toward better practices.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT WHAT GOOD WRITING IS
Core claim across this section: good writing is not reducible to a single, simple standard. Writing is context-dependent; style and rhetoric are not merely ornamental but integral to making arguments and communicating effectively.
Rhetoric is synonymous with empty speech (Patricia Roberts-Miller)
Common intuition: rhetoric = decorative language that obscures truth; “The Edenic view” that plain language is always better; this is false.
Miller argues rhetoric is not merely ornament; it can communicate more clearly and precisely than plain language when used well.
Aristotle’s idea of rhetoric as a discipline that enables persuasion, not just decoration; rhetoric is a pragmatic, problem-solving tool, not inherently deceptive.
Key takeaway: rhetoric is a mode of thinking, not a mere stylistic add-on; we choose the type of rhetoric based on aims, audience, and context.
Further reading and keywords: deliberative rhetoric, rhetorical topoi, conceptual metaphor; Miller also cites Booth, Garver, Hawhee & Crowley; see Works cited.
AMERICA IS FACING A LITERACY CRISIS (Jacob Babb)
Historical pattern: periodic public claims that literacy is in crisis; linked to concerns about high schools, college prep, and the public’s readiness for demanding writing tasks.
The essay traces the “literacy crisis” from 19th–20th centuries (Morrill Act, growth of universities, shift toward research and writing across contexts).
Shifts in higher education, literacy, and access widened the audience for writing instruction; claims of crisis persist despite evidence of literacy expansion and diversification.
Central idea: there is no single crisis; literacy is multi-faceted (textual, visual, digital); the transfer of writing knowledge across contexts (transfer) is non-trivial and must be studied and taught.
Authors argue for viewing writing instruction as a long-term investment in public discourse, not a stopgap against a mythical crisis.
Connections to transfer, knowledge across contexts, and the New London Group’s multiliteracies; emphasis on public discourse and citizenship.
FIRST-YEAR COMPOSITION PREPARES STUDENTS FOR ACADEMIC WRITING (Tyler Branson)
Debunking the view that FYC is merely remedial grammar; arguing that FYC is a universal, citizenship-creating course in the U.S. context.
Branson emphasizes historical development of FYC (19th–20th c.) and the shift from error-correction to higher-order concerns (argument, audience, context).
FYC fosters transfer, metacognition, and the practice of citizenship through rhetoric and writing across contexts.
The course also emphasizes that writing is social, situational, and co-constructed with readers; FYC coaches students in one-on-one conferences and collaborative work.
Critical issue: popular culture often caricatures FYC as remedial; real value lies in teaching citizens, empathetic argument, and engaging with multiple genres and ecologies.
FIRST-YEAR COMPOSITION SHOULD BE SKIPPED (Paul G. Cook)
Writers’ anxiety around costs, time, and the belief that FYC is unnecessary for many majors.
Arguments for skipping: placement tests, MOOCs, dual enrollment; perceived as a ‘shortcut’ to college credit or reduced student load.
Counterarguments: FYC provides essential cognitive, civic, and communicative competencies; writing is not purely about correctness; FYC helps students understand audience, context, and the social role of discourse.
Brings in broader points on civic discourse, digital literacy, and the politics of enrollment and access; argues for re-framing FYC as citizenship and public discourse education, not remedial language instruction.
YOU CAN LEARN TO WRITE IN GENERAL (Elizabeth Wardle)
Core claim: there is no writing in general; writing is always in particular; context, audience, purpose vary by situation.
Transfer concerns: students struggle to transfer skills across disciplines; first-year writing must teach knowledge transfer and metacognition, not generic rules.
Emphasis on practicing writing across contexts and genres; teaching “writing across contexts” and threshold concepts; transfer requires deliberate teaching.
The chapter frames FYC as citizenship education and public engagement; highlights the need to address digital literacies and to teach writing in diverse modalities.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT WRITING KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERS EASILY is covered under Ellen Carillo later, but here Wardle foreshadows the idea that transfer is not automatic and must be designed for.
KEY TERMS to note in this section: transfer, threshold concepts, knowledge transfer, citizenship, rhetorical flexibility, and context-sensitive writing.
Author bios and further reading sections follow for each entry, grounding the arguments in broader scholarship.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT WRITING TECHNIQUES
Formal Outlines are Always Useful (Kristin Milligan)
Outlines are a prewriting tool that can mislead if treated as a rule; writing is often non-linear and recursive.
Outline-first approaches can lock ideas in place, reduce flexibility, and hamper revision; reverse outlining can help identify structure post-draft.
Outlines can support cognition and organization but shouldn’t dictate the entire process; students should be free to use diverse organizing strategies.
LOGOS IS SYNONYMOUS WITH LOGIC (Nancy Fox)
Logos = the content of an argument; not simply formal logic; logos includes how a text organizes knowledge, evidence, and messaging.
The chapter argues against equating logos with purely formal logic; emphasizes the broader purposes of logos in persuasion and audience-situated reasoning.
THERE IS ONE CORRECT WAY OF WRITING AND SPEAKING (Anjali Pattanayak)
Critiques current-traditional rhetoric’s prescriptivism; writing varieties reflect identity, genre, and culture.
Emphasizes contextualized language use: audience, context, and purpose shape acceptable language practices.
AFRICAN AMERICAN LANGUAGE IS NOT GOOD ENGLISH (Jennifer M. Cunningham)
Argues that African American Language (AAL) is a legitimate language/dialect with its own grammar and phonology, not a bad form of English.
Emphasizes the need to recognize code-switching and to value multi-dialect competence in academic contexts.
OFFICIAL AMERICAN ENGLISH IS BEST (Steven Alvarez)
Critiques official-language debates; argues for plurilingualism and democratic language rights; emphasizes that multilingualism enriches public discourse.
WRITER’S BLOCK JUST HAPPENS TO PEOPLE (Geoffrey V. Carter)
Frames writer’s block as a rhetorical and cognitive issue rather than pathology; advocates for playful, name-based strategies, and viewing blank pages as opportunities.
READING AND WRITING ARE NOT CONNECTED vs READING IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO WRITING INSTRUCTION (Ellen C. Carillo; Julie Myatt Barger)
Carillo argues strong link between reading and writing; reading is essential to understanding writing; teaching both together enhances literacy and critical skills.
Reading instruction should be explicit in writing classrooms; Barger emphasizes that literacy and reading strategies are essential to civic discourse and responsible argument.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT WRITING AND GENRES (Michael Theune; Cydney Alexis; Bronwyn Williams; Mark Pepper; etc.)
Diverse perspectives on genres: Academic writing seriousness vs. creative writing; popular culture as a site for critique; five-paragraph essays vs. multi-genre instruction; the five-paragraph essay as a pedagogical tool vs. a constraint on thinking.
Emphasizes that writing should be taught across contexts and genres, not limited to “academic writing” as separate from other rhetorical work.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT GENRES—FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY'S RHETORICALLY SOUNDNESS (Quentin Vieregge)
Describes the five-paragraph theme (5PT) and argues that while it can be a useful scaffold, it is often misused as an inflexible formula, especially in testing contexts.
Presents a dialog about templates and their role in writing; templates can be dialogic as long as used as starting points rather than strict rules.
RESEARCH STARTS WITH ANSWERS (Alison C. Witte; Emily A. Wierszewski)
Witte challenges the thesis-first research model; advocates starting with questions or problems and engaging in primary and secondary research as a dialogic inquiry.
Emphasizes that real inquiry is iterative, non-linear, and open to re-framing; the “research paper” should reflect processes of discovery, not deposition of predetermined answers.
THE TRADITIONAL RESEARCH PAPER IS BEST (Alexandria Lockett)
Argues that the Internet radically reshapes research; students must navigate multiple sources, primary and secondary, and learn to adapt to online scholarly ecosystems (Wikipedia, open-source archives, etc.).
Introduces “Research 2.0”: collaborative, multi-modal, multi-genre research writing that integrates online and offline communities; emphasizes ethical use and fair use.
CITING SOURCES IS A BASIC SKILL LEARNED EARLY ON (Susanmarie Harrington)
Citing is not merely mechanical; it presumes deep disciplinary knowledge and contextual understanding; cross-disciplinary norms vary; needs explicit instruction about why and how to cite.
PLAGIARISM DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED (Jennifer A. Mott-Smith)
Examines the complexities of plagiarism: distinguishing patchwriting, copying, communal authorship, and the ethics of source use; argues for nuanced understanding of source reuse and citation practices.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT WRITING TECHNIQUES (CONT.)
The Five-Paragraph Essay Transmits Knowledge (Susan Naomi Bernstein & Elizabeth Lowry)
Argues that the 5PE, though once a universal teaching tool, often enforces a narrow view of argument and can limit students’ ability to engage in complex, multi-genre discourse.
The authors discuss the historical origins, testing implications, and the limits of template-based writing; propose alternative approaches that allow for more flexible, inquiry-driven writing.
TEXTING RUINS STUDENTS’ GRAMMAR SKILLS (Scott Warnock)
Debunks the notion that texting degrades literacy; argues that texting is a legitimate (and increasingly sophisticated) form of writing that coexists with traditional prose.
Cites empirical work showing mixed results across age groups and contexts; emphasizes that texting can improve certain skills (summarization, audience awareness, multimodal literacy).
GAMIFICATION MAKES WRITING FUN (Joshua Daniel-Wariya)
Examines gamification in writing courses; argues that turning writing into game-like activities can undermine the deeper play and inquiry that writing entails.
Differentiates between “play” and “game”; argues for designing writing experiences that invite authentic play, not just extrinsic rewards.
THE MORE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, THE BETTER (Genesea M. Carter & Aurora Matzke)
Explores the relationship between technology and writing; cautions against assuming students are digital natives and that technology automatically improves writing.
Emphasizes digital literacy, critical use of tools, accessibility, and inclusive pedagogy; argues for thoughtful integration of tools to support writing rather than replacing pedagogy.
DIGITAL NATIVE VS DIGITAL IMMIGRANT (Phill Michael Alexander)
Challenges the binary of digital native vs digital immigrant; argues for nuanced understanding of access, skill, and socio-economic factors that influence digital literacy.
Emphasizes that generational category is less predictive than access and training; calls for inclusive approaches to digital literacy in writing instruction.
WRITER’S BLOCK, SELF-PRESENTATION, AND VOICE (Rodrigo Joseph Rodríguez; Jill Parrott; Patrick Thomas)
A range of entries on voice, self-representation, and the social construction of writing; argues against the myth of the solitary genius and for collaborative, social writing practices.
LEAVE YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR WRITING; NEVER USE “I” (Rodrigo Rodríguez; Elizabeth Wardle; others)
Argues against suppressing the authorial “I” in writing; advocates for author presence as a means to connect with readers, establish stance, and build credibility.
WRITERS MUST DEVELOP A STRONG, ORIGINAL VOICE (Patrick Thomas)
Debunks the idea that one must possess a singular, innate voice; argues that voice emerges through repeated writing, experimentation, and audience engagement; emphasizes process and adaptation.
THE PASSIVE VOICE SHOULD BE AVOIDED (Collin Gifford Brooke)
Argues against blanket bans on passive constructions; discusses when passive voice can be effective (cohesion, emphasis, avoidance of blame) and when it is less effective.
TEACHING GRAMMAR IMPROVES WRITING (Patricia A. Dunn)
Argues that teaching grammar in isolation is ineffective; suggests focusing on grammar in context and in authentic writing tasks; supports teaching grammar through mentor texts and strategy rather than rote rules.
GOOD WRITERS MUST KNOW GRAMMATICAL TERMINOLOGY (Hannah J. Rule)
Warns against over-emphasizing grammatical terminology as a marker of writing ability; emphasizes functional, practical understanding over formal terminology.
GRAMMAR SHOULD BE TAUGHT SEPARATELY AS RULES TO LEARN (Muriel Harris)
Argues that grammar taught in isolation does not transfer to writing; suggests integrating grammar instruction into actual writing and language use.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT GENRES
Excellent Academic Writing Must be Serious (Michael Theune)
Argues that seriousness in tone can inhibit risk-taking and creativity; advocates for humor and play as legitimate, powerful modes of academic writing.
POPULAR CULTURE IS KILLING WRITING (Bronwyn T. Williams)
Debunks the myth that popular culture erodes literacy; argues that active engagement with popular culture can build rhetorical literacy and analytic skills.
THE FIVE-PARAGRAPH ESSAY IS RHETORICALLY SOUND (Quentin Vieregge)
Examines the pedagogy of 5PE; argues that templates can be productive if used as prompts for inquiry rather than rigid formulas; discusses benefits and limitations.
CITING SOURCES IS A BASIC SKILL LEARNED EARLY ON (Susanmarie Harrington) – repeated in another section, but tied to genre thinking
Research Across Contexts and Transfer of Knowledge (Elizabeth Wardle; Lockett; Carillo) – focus on how genre conventions differ across disciplines, and how transferring knowledge across contexts demands genre awareness and metacognition.
BAD IDEAS ABOUT ASSESSING WRITING
RUBRICS SAVE TIME AND MAKE GRADING CRITERIA VISIBLE (Anne Leahy)
Argues that rubrics can be time-savers but are inherently reductionist, potentially oversimplifying the complexity of a single writing piece.
Emphasizes that rubrics should be used with caution and not as the sole measure of learning; supports formative feedback alongside rubric use.
MACHINES CAN EVALUATE WRITING WELL (Chris M. Anson & Les Perelman)
Examines machine scoring: finite feature checks, reliability concerns, and the limits of automated evaluation for nuanced writing.
Argues for human-centered, portfolio-based, and process-oriented assessment rather than reliance on machine scoring.
PLAGIARISM DETECTION SERVICES ARE MONEY WELL SPENT (Stephanie Vie)
Discusses Turnitin and similar tools; argues that while useful, these tools are not perfect and raise ethical and practical concerns (data use, false positives/negatives).
SAT SCORES ARE USEFUL FOR PLACING STUDENTS IN WRITING COURSES (Kristen di Gennaro)
Traces the history of the SAT writing component, its downgrade to optional status, and the validity concerns around multi-purpose use of the SAT for placement.
GRADING HAS ALWAYS MADE WRITING BETTER (Mitchell R. James)
Challenges end-of-semester grading as a sole feedback mechanism; advocates for formative assessment, peer review, and collaborative evaluation as more meaningful.
READING PRACTICES IN FIRST-YEAR WRITING (Ellen C. Carillo and Julie Myatt Barger) – Cross-reference
(Several entries discuss the value of reflective, formative feedback versus summative grades, and how to structure assessment to promote learning rather than simply assign grades.)
BAD IDEAS ABOUT WRITING TEACHERS
YOU’RE GOING TO NEED THIS FOR COLLEGE Andrew Hollinger
Explores the gap between high school and college writing instruction; critiques the idea that college requires only generic preparation and highlights the need for more robust teacher training, especially for adjuncts.
DUAL-ENROLLMENT WRITING CLASSES SHOULD ALWAYS BE PURSUED Caroline Wilkinson
Examines dual enrollment: benefits and misalignments between high school and college contexts; argues for better alignment and collaboration between colleges and high schools; suggests standards and professional development for dual-enrollment instructors.
SECONDARY-SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS SHOULD ONLY BE TAUGHT LITERATURE Elizabethada A. Wright
Argues that secondary teachers often receive insufficient preparation for teaching writing; emphasizes the need for teacher education to include rhetoric and writing pedagogy, not only literature.
FACE-TO-FACE COURSES ARE SUPERIOR TO ONLINE COURSES Tiffany Bourelle & Andy Bourelle; AN ONLINE TEACHING ESSENTIALS (Beth L. Hewett, etc.)
Debates online vs. face-to-face writing instruction; argues for acknowledging the legitimacy and rigor of online writing instruction (OWI) while also recognizing the need for professional development for online writing teachers.
ANYONE CAN TEACH AN ONLINE WRITING COURSE Beth L. Hewett
Argues that online writing instruction requires discipline-specific training; warns against assuming that anyone can teach writing online without proper preparation.
ANYONE CAN TEACH WRITING SETH KAHN
Addresses the adjunct labor reality and the professionalization of writing instruction; argues for treating writing instructors as professionals with appropriate working conditions, not as interchangeable, low-paid labor.
ABOUT THE STRUCTURE, ETHICS, AND PRACTICE
Transfer, threshold concepts, and context are recurring themes across entries: writing is not general; it is contingent on audience, medium, and discourse community.
The book emphasizes open-access and public-facing scholarship; it advocates for practical, applicable knowledge rather than purely theoretical citations.
Ethical dimensions recur in many essays: literacy as social justice, the politics of language, and responsibilities of teachers to broaden access and inclusion in writing instruction.
Several entries foreground the historical evolution of writing pedagogy, showing how current practice sits within longer traditions (e.g., rhetoric, composition, and the role of technology).
The work also foregrounds practical recommendations: how to design assignments, how to teach reading as a component of writing, how to foster transfer, and how to structure assessment to support learning rather than gatekeeping.
The concluding editor bios and the Open Access licensing note the project’s public-facing mission and ongoing collaboration with WVU Libraries.
Connections to foundational principles and real-world relevance
Transfer of learning: multiple entries emphasize the non-automatic transfer of writing knowledge across contexts; metacognition and deliberate transfer-focused design improve outcomes.
Writing as citizenship: several essays argue for viewing writing instruction as a vehicle for civic engagement and ethical discourse, not just as a preparation for academic tasks.
Multiliteracies and digital literacy: the text foregrounds literacy in multiple modes (print, visual, digital, multimodal) and the need for teachers to adapt to changing contexts.
Critical examination of “common sense” assumptions: many chapters challenge intuitive beliefs (e.g., “texting ruins grammar,” “the five-paragraph essay is the best format”) and encourage more evidence-based, context-aware approaches.
Equity and inclusion: several chapters address linguistic diversity (e.g., non-standard dialects, code-switching), access to writing instruction, and the role of social class, race, and language in shaping writing pedagogy.
Notable numerical references and LaTeX-ready notes
The book references various statistics across chapters (e.g., percentages like , , ) to illustrate empirical points about reading and writing across populations. Use , , in notes when quoting.
Aristotle’s lines of argument are sometimes summarized as a list (28 lines); consider noting as formal topoi/lines of argument when citing.
Transfer studies and frameworks are repeatedly cited; consider listing key items as: Transfer of Learning, Metacognition, Threshold Concepts, Writing Across Contexts, and Writing Across Contexts (as a publication) with a LaTeX-friendly box for the term set.
How to study with these notes
Use the nine major sections as a framework for quick revision; for each section, recall the core bad idea, the author’s argument against it, and the practical implications.
For each entry, note a 1-2 sentence takeaway and one actionable implication for teaching or writing practice.
Identify cross-cutting themes (transfer, rhetoric, audience, context, ethics) and consider how a single practice (e.g., using a rubric, or teaching for transfer) might address multiple bad ideas.
Create a personal reflection: which of these ideas most challenges your current beliefs about writing pedagogy, and what would you test in your own classroom or study routine?
Quick glossary of keywords (LaTeX-ready)
transfer of learning:
threshold concepts:
multiliteracies:
rhetorical topoi:
ethos, pathos, logos:
discourse communities:
digital literacy:
open educational resource:
civic discourse:
Editor bios and closing notes
Cheryl E. Ball and Drew M. Loewe summarize the project and its intent: to stimulate productive conversation about why to stop bad ideas about writing and start better ones; to support public understanding of writing education.
The book’s open-access license and WVU’s Digital Publishing Institute are highlighted as part of the project’s mission to broaden access to scholarship.
Appendix: representative entries and their key themes (at-a-glance)
Rhetoric is synonymous with empty speech — rhetoric is a tool for clear, precise argument, not mere decoration; language complexity can convey truth more effectively than plain language.
America’s literacy crisis myth — literacy is a complex, evolving concept; transfer across contexts requires deliberate teaching, not a single cure-all class.
First-year composition as citizenship training — FYC should prepare students for public discourse, not merely academic writing; its value extends beyond the classroom.
Five-paragraph essay debates — five-paragraph templates can be useful tools but should not be treated as universal rules; templates can be triggers for broader, more nuanced inquiry.
Language variety is legitimate — various dialects and English varieties (e.g., AAL) have legitimate grammars; education should value multilingual and multisystem literacy, not enforce a single standard.
Writing is a social practice — writing improves through collaboration, feedback, and ongoing revision; the lone-genius myth should be debunked.
Assessment: move beyond grades — emphasize formative feedback, peer review, and portfolio-based assessment to foster growth and reflection.
Online writing instruction — OWI is a legitimate, rigorous modality requiring discipline-specific professional development; online and face-to-face modes can be complementary.
Pervasive myth-busting — many chapters encourage students and teachers to reframe writing as a dynamic, multi-genre, context-sensitive practice that serves democratic and civic aims.
(Note: This summary captures the essence of the major and recurring ideas across the transcript. Each entry in the original document contains nuanced arguments, evidence, and recommended readings; consult the full text for the detailed arguments and the precise phrasing.)