PART 4: Tactile piece

Originally I had the grand idea of building a gingerbread house with the
important components of FYC; however, my plans never came to fruition, so I
utilized a trophy made from elements around my house. In FYC the desire to win
and produce great work resulting in a trophy can and will occur if the proper
components are forged together (See Figure 3).
The most important part of any piece of writing is the foundation. The board
establishes a foundation for this project. The
student with a desire to improve writing is the
bottom plank, while the second plank would
represent the instructor as a guide and mentor;
the top plank is the peer group that will provide
feedback. The bottom plank is larger because
ultimately the student is responsible for the
overall end product. As a writer composes and
builds, sometimes uncertainty creeps in making
the foundation wobbly, so the planks and
guidance along the way sturdy the process and
elevate the confidence of the writer. The
bottom four pillars (orange tabs) represent
essential elements and skills for composition
including close reading, critical thinking to
generate ideas, organization, and inclusion of
evidence/support. The bottom is open so that
all of these focal points can absorb the most
Figure 3
thoughtful and profound interaction with
information and purpose to create a draft (the
big bottle in the middle).
In order to create this draft the small cups contribute significantly. The most
important is the dented cup on the right (thesis) because this provides direction for
the entire piece. It is dented and disheveled because often this step requires many
attempts and reworkings to create a sound plan of attack. Other small cups
represent voice, grammar, and transitions. The small caps around each board are
indicative of the many choices writers possess at their disposal. For example, the
connotations of specific words (e.g. walk, strut, meander, stride) all deliver a
different message to readers. These caps vary because they can also be different
tools for creating a presentable message (multi-modal chances), stylistic choices,
and other options. The one cap sitting on the second plank represents a new tool or
methodology provided by the instructor that the writer is in the process of
incorporating into his/her writers toolbox of options.

Climbing up the draft bottle, writers receive feedback from peers and revisit the
draft completely during revision. Hence, the final draft can look very different (the
flipped up and open cup morphed from a bottle). Again, the plank is encircled with
minor tweaks and ideas to deliver the best possible end product. Students receive
formative assessment along their journey, and ending with a summative
opportunity and the golden cup. The result is a golden trophy whereby the writer
should feel proud of climbing the mountain of the writing struggle to celebrate at
the top. The cup runneth over. Students should reflect and await the next chance to
win another trophy!

Works Cited
Davis, Chris. Professor, Gardner-Webb University. Personal Interview. 31 Mar. 2016.
Farris, Christine. Literature and Composition Pedagogy.A Guide to Composition
Pedagogies. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2014.
Flaherty, Colleen. When More is Less. Inside Higher Ed. 4,Dec. 2014.
Hartman, Shana. Professor, Gardner-Webb University. Personal Interview. 30 Mar.
2016.
LaCroix, Nicole. Professor, Red Rocks Community College. Personal Interview. 29
Mar. 2016.
Ostergaard, Lori. Why Not Teach Grammar in the College Writing Class? (Writing
Teachers Discuss).

Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 19 Sep. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2016.

Urbanski, Cynthia. Revision Strategies. shared by Shana Hartman 4 Apr. 2016.