Joseph Harris concentrates on the issue of teaching students to write essays in his article Revision as a Critical Practice. He believes that the way his colleagues approach the writing and reading processes is ineffective. The problem is that they focus too much on morality, different ideologies, and students’ involvement in social discussions. On the other hand, the author is convinced that the most powerful emphasis should be placed on “a strong use of the work of others and a reflectiveness about one’s aims in writing” (Harris, 2003, p. 577). According to him, it can significantly benefit students because they may acquire useful skills and develop their thinking capacity. Harris closely analyzes When Students Have Power, written by Ira Shor, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of the work. He states that the comment of one student mentioned in the book and criticized by his colleague is worth special attention. It identifies the learner’s dissatisfaction with the fact that an English class taught by Shor appears to be a civic class (Harris, 2003). Harris completely agrees with the disappointed student and blames Shor for fully concentrating on ideas presented in texts rather than how texts work themselves. The author stresses that the practice of close reading is essential and should not be disregarded by other professionals. Furthermore, he shares his own teaching experiences and illustrates the way his ideas can be applied in practice. Harris mentions students from both lower- and upper-level courses and reveals how they succeeded to advance their thinking and progress in general throughout the process of close reading, writing, and revising. He underlines the importance of the third step and notes that it is the most challenging part. Finally, Harris adds that the focus on teaching students how they have to perceive the world is inadequate. Therefore, the author offers his ideas as an alternative, aiming to work with students but not on them.
Joseph Harris strongly disagrees with many of his colleagues who endeavor to teach students morality, different ideologies, and views on social issues, as their approach focuses on ideas within texts, not the ways they work. In contrast, he encourages educators to pay more attention to such activities as reading, writing, and revising and work diligently to improve learners’ ability to use others’ works effectively and reflect on their writing process. The author criticizes other intellectuals’ perspectives on the issue, revealing their shortcomings, and demonstrates the significance of his ideas and their application in practice to defend his position.
Reference
Harris, J. (2003). Revision as a critical practice.College English, 65(6), 577-592. Web.