Welcome to CompPost, the blog for the English 100 Program at UW-Madison. The purpose of CompPost is to create an ongoing, online learning community around first-year writing at UW-Madison and beyond. We are part of …
Blog
Introducing Virginia Schwarz, Co-Assistant Director of English 100
Hello CompPost Readers! My name is Virginia “Gin” Schwarz, and I am a 6th year PhD student serving as co-assistant director of English 100 this spring. In the past, I worked as the …
Student Writing Award Winners, 2017-2018
We are thrilled to announce the winners of English 100’s Student Writing Awards for 2017-2018. These compositions are student submitted and evaluated by a team of experienced English 100 instructors and administrators. We award compositions …
The Afterlives of Writing During the 1969-70 TA Strikes
Image: Jon Kim, “TAA Strike, 1970”, 1970, Black and white photograph, UW-Madison Archive Images This post is the third in a series looking at the history of writing and writing instruction at the University of …
The Confession of a Portfolio User
This post is the second in a series looking at the history of writing and writing instruction at the University of Wisconsin. Here, Nattaporn Luangpipat discusses the use of portfolios for assessment and how this …
The Student’s Critique: Instructors May Not Have All the Questions
November 28, 1949. Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, speaking in front of a crowd on the Memorial Union Terrace. Source: University of Wisconsin Digital Collections This post is the first in a series looking …
Welcome Back
While we’ve been in session for a few weeks by the time you read this post, we have just entered the fall season. Soon leaves will be changing colors, and then falling, and we’ll …
An Acting Teacher in a Composition Classroom
By Scott Harman After two decades of working in professional and educational theatre, I have learned how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations. I have performed Shakespeare without rehearsing with my scene partners. I …
What’s the Purpose, Really, of Stating “Learning Outcomes”?
By Angela Zito Odds are, either you or your colleagues have felt dismissive or even suspicious of the new “Communication Learning Outcomes” you’re being asked to list on your course syllabi: In courses satisfying the …
Making Time for Classroom Community
Community is central to the philosophy of English 100. Small class sizes, peer review, and student conferences are all pieces of the curriculum that aim to create spaces for students and instructors where everyone feels …
Gathering and Incorporating Classroom Feedback
By Meg Marquardt Every instructor has had that moment: midway through the semester, and the class still doesn’t seem to be gelling. It is a frustrating moment, but it is also a moment …