Writing Instruction Through the Ages

"A Short History of Writing Instruction" by James A. Berlin gives a crash course on the evolution of rhetoric. In the late 1800's college was typically for the elite, women were included in the minority. The main purpose of the article was "to show that writing instruction has been a comparable scene of struggling over competing claims about the purposes of education, more specifically about the society the school ad the college should advocate and the kind of individuals they should encourage" (184). Although it was a ridiculously long quote, it does set the stage in explaining the mindset of the expansion of formal rhetoric in the collegiate level. I think that what is going on in political terms directly effected the liberal movement in writing instruction. Between international wars and minorities gaining strength and recognition, writing at the collegiate level was forced to grow. Writing has now become a very social and liberal movement.
It is the question of who and what kind of individuals they should encourage I particularly paid heed to. Shouldn't they pay attention to all? As an educator in training, I do not believe that curriculum should be closed off to those at the level. In fact I think the most conducive classrooms are those that can tap into the creativity of the individual. Then the facilitator can take all those abilities and help set a foundation where students are engaged in rhetoric which will help them outside the classroom.
This article definitely draws off previous readings for the course. The point of engaging students takes me back to Bruffee's article "Collaboration and the Conversation of Mankind". In the article Bruffee cites that conversation --or rhetoric-- will help students even after college in all parts of life, especially in the professional world. I agree because being able to articulate and question given norms is how we grow and engage in change. Strong rhetorical skills are what everyone needs. However, the collorlation to Cushman's article is also strong in the plight for more individuals taking charge in activist research. In order to create change in society one needs very strong rhetorical skills in order to persuade.
I think that Berlin shows that with us coming up on the knowledge era, we need all types of individuals to be strong advocates for growth and the key is effective rhetorical training.