Mapping college composition: Intersection goals for teachers and students

This thesis argues for intersection, the need to seek places where students\u27 and teachers\u27 goals intersect and where knowledge can take place. In college composition, writing is frequently taught as a technology needed to communicate what is known rather than a tool for learning. This thesis is an examination of such practices and an argument for writing as a tool for constructing knowledge. Chapter one is an overview of current practices in composition. Chapter two introduces an argument that opposes social constructionist teaching practices. Chapter three examines the Cognitive-scientific, Current-Traditional and Expressivist theoretical approaches. Chapters four and five argue for a democratic approach to teaching and learning through writing by mapping the versions of reality present in a classroom and seeking negotiation places where these versions may intersect