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ARTIFACT FROM THIS COURSE:

Meta Commentary: This is the handout I developed for the class to gage the pros and cons of
They Say / I Say, the composition textbook I reviewed. Ive included the handout because I
feel They Say / I Say is a good text when considering my intentions for use in a composition
class. Ive included it as the required text on my syllabus. I like the way the book engages
social, political, and cultural issues. As I have stated in class, in my RARs and in this
portfolio, I believe that a composition class can be the ideal place for engaging with global
issues and current events, asking the students to engage critically with the world around them,
and, because of the texts utilizes essay from novice as well as professional writers, it is
accessible for a first year composition student while still allowing them to tackle texts of
greater complexity. The text also gives the students various templates, and, while no student
should be taught to rely solely on a particular format or model, the templates work to show the
students how one forms an argument.

Handout Covering the Usefulness of They Say / I Say

Overview:
The book presents the conversational aspect of academic discourse as its focus. It
teaches students to work with this modes of discourse by utilizing templates for various
approaches to any given subject. The book is broken into two parts, the Process half is presented
first and builds on presented lessons: first showing that academic writing is part of a discourse,
the They Say element; then shows the student how they fit into the conversation, the I Say
element; the text then shows how you blend the research and discourse into an cogent and
concise essay, titled, Tying it All Together; and then it a section, Entering the Conversation,
which focuses on the non-written forms of discourse, class discussion. The second half of the
text is comprised of various readings that cover one of five subjects: Is Higher Education Worth
the Price?, Is Pop Culture Actually Good for You?, Is Fast Food the New Tobacco?, Why
Does It Matter Who Wins the Big Games?, and Whats Up with the American Dream?.
These sections all have 8 to 10 essays on the given topics in them, reinforcing this notion of
discourse as a conversation with different actors and opinions.
What the Text is Good For:
Because of the template aspect, I believe the text could be effectively utilized to teach
first year composition student how to present an argument in the context of their sources.
Its measured, sequential building from one topics on to the next might be beneficial for
young writers as it presents the material in easily digestible pieces using plain language and
concise and often creative metaphors.
Because of the articles in the Readings half are all socially oriented, there is a critical
look at the world around us and how we interact with itif your intent is to help your students
become socially aware this book may be helpful.

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The readings are varied. Both Barack and Michelle Obamas, Maya Angelous, former
Fed chair Paul Krugmans, the late David Foster Wallaces, as well as well-crafted, polished first
year composition students work is presented as readings in these chapters. The text can show a
student that a writer at any level can engage in conversations of academic importance.
What the Text Wont Do:
For the most part, the text glazes over the history of discourse and rhetoric. It will not do
much to define rhetorics storied past, or utilize the language of our rhetorical forbearers.
Since the text is primarily concerned with the conversation of discourse, the standard
essay types are absent from the text. You wont be told to write a strictly expositive paper, or a
strictly informative paper, or a strictly persuasive paper. It combines modes in favor of
emphasizing the conversation.
While there is some aspects of the text that is Expressive in its teaching of process, there
is little creativity outside of writing on a topic that is personally interesting. While there is a
defense of the use of the pronoun I, there is no space given to the notion of free writing or
personal narrative. The text is more interesting in the exchange with other scholars and thinkers.