Focused Freewriting Assignment

Focused Freewriting

As part of your contributions to class participation, I have already asked you to complete a number of in-class writing assignments. This current assignment, like the others, will not be graded, or even collected and looked at by me. However, unlike the others, this is a recurring assignment that will be a part of almost every class. From today forward, you will write for the first five minutes of the class period. Understandably, you might ask in response: about what should I write? I will write a question on the board at the beginning of each class; the question often (although perhaps not always) will be related to the reading and topic for the day’s discussion.

You will address this question using a technique known as focused freewriting. When you freewrite, you put your pen to paper and write nonstop for a set period of time. The point is not to worry about grammar, spelling, or organization, but instead to “think aloud” on paper. Write as fast as you can. If your mind suddenly dries up, just write “relax” or some other key word over and over again until a new thought enters your mind. Whatever you do, keep writing. (Of course, you can stop long enough to uncramp your hand.)

The purpose of this assignment is not to improve your writing skills, at least not directly –although any practice at writing, even if “exploratory,” may help with such skills. Instead, the aim here is to stimulate thinking about issues, questions, and problems raised by the question of American exceptionalism. This writing is intended for YOU, and you alone, so the standard features of formal writing, such as organization, sentence structure, and neatness do not matter. (While it is possible that, from time to time, I may ask for volunteers to read from their freewriting, response will be optional. I will always be sure to let you know BEFORE you start freewriting if I expect you to share it with others.)

Writing of this type can help students become more productive and focused thinkers. Research has shown that regular “journal” writing such as this can help students see that an academic field is an area of inquiry and controversy rather than just a series of facts to be mastered. The more you find yourselves asking questions and questioning answers, the more you will think like a true scholar rather than a passive trainee.

Remember, this will be an ongoing assignment. Unless I specify otherwise, you will need to freewrite at the beginning of each class. You are welcome to devote a separate notebook to your freewriting exercises and keep it as a kind of a class journal. Or you could scribble on various scraps of paper and toss them after class (although I think that you might find them useful in the future, at least for generating paper ideas). What you do with your freewriting is up to you. Still, I hope and expect that this exercise will help better prepare you for class discussion.

Time: 5 minutes at the beginning of each class (unless otherwise specified)