Abstract
This chapter describes the transformative effects of the collaboration between a graduate student Writing Fellow and two faculty members in the development of two Writing Intensive (WI) sections of a history course at Hostos Community College, an urban, bilingual college in the south Bronx. The co-authors, formerly WAC Coordinator and Fellow, and now WAC Co-Coordinators draw on their unique perspectives as well as the voices of other fellows to analyze the fluidity of the teacher and learner roles in faculty/fellow collaborations in which both partners assume the roles of teacher and learner at different times and to varying degrees. The chapter reflects the ambiguous nature of the Writing Fellow’s role and highlights the tensions inherent in maintaining this collaboration. The chapter also underscores the collaboration’s long-lasting impact on pedagogy both for the faculty member and for the Fellow who is on the cusp of an academic career. The chapter offers a model for professional development for both faculty and Writing Fellows engaged in similar academic initiatives.
The Writing Fellow Program had been described to me as an exciting opportunity to work with faculty members and students … to explore the various ways writing can be incorporated into the learning process. Equipped with a BA in English, a host of Graduate level English courses, and three years of teaching experience, I felt fully prepared for the job.
Andrea Fabrizio, former CUNY Writing Fellow (2003–2005)
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Hirsch, L., Fabrizio, A. (2011). TheWriting Fellow/Faculty Collaboration in a Community College: Paradigms of Teaching and Learning Across the Curriculum. In: Summerfield, J., Smith, C. (eds) Making Teaching and Learning Matter. Explorations of Educational Purpose, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9166-6_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9166-6_9
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