Thoughts on a Thursday Morning

I've had some mental blockage when it comes to blog topics lately. Cody's post about incorporating other disciplines, etc. helped me clear up the blockage in my head. I've taken many of the same classes, so I'm aware of the discussions that are happening. Why is English always the outcast? Why do we have to prove our legitimacy? I see it happening all the time, even in everyday conversation. When I tell people that I am an English major, I wait for the inevitable "Oh....so what are you going to do with that? Teach?" Yes, I want to teach, but it can be frustrating whenever I tell people what I do, because there is always that moment when they are wondering what the point of it is. Why didn't I become an accountant? (No thanks). I give a speech at the beginning of every semester discussing the importance of English. Do math teachers feel the need to do that? Some day you will need that algebra...

Anyway, enough of my ranting, I also wanted to discuss our incorporation of other disciplines into our classes. I think it's natural and necessary in our field. We use many different readings and texts in our classes, so it becomes almost automatic to discuss history, politics, etc. As for the use of technology, I believe that we need use it, but we should not overuse it. If we remember that our goal is to help students become better writers, I don't believe that we will overuse it. We can teach design elements to a certain extent, but the focus should still be on the writing.