The article named "First-Year Writing Gets A New Look" outlines the changes within the freshman writing courses at Drexel University. "English Alive" is refreshing, as it marks a transition from traditional essays to "interactive projects" with "hybrid" (both web and class-based) assignments. Several professors of English from Drexel University spoke persuasively as to the effectiveness of the program, citing traditional assignments as irrelevant for students; the new assignments include technology and are not limited to essays alone. Students can write an essay, write an essay and include a visual, or create a webpage, etc. Freedom to express themselves in whatever form they choose seems to be a staple of Drexel's "English Alive" curriculum.
At first glance, the professors at Drexel had convinced me to be completely supportive of their program, but then I took a step back and evaluated "English Alive" on my own terms. Yes, I feel it's imperative to incorporate all sorts of media into the classroom experience. However, I also feel that it is absolutely imperative for entry-level English courses to make freshman proficient writers. These courses are the basis for the writing students do in all other college classes and beyond. I think that it is worth exploring the possibility that when one gives students options other than the traditional essay, they will very likely choose the other options. Now, it would be fine to supplement essays with other projects, but to not insist upon a few traditional essays seems like a poor choice. I definitely feel that it is through practicing the formulation of essays that students mature as writers of the English language. The endorsers of "English Alive" claim that "clarity," "coherence," "audience," and "role" are all included in their program, just as they would be in classic freshman writing courses. However, I'm not sure that these terms can be targeted and taught without the help of essay writing. To conclude, I am all for reevaluating the way we teach writing, and I fully support the incorporation of technology in the classroom. I am simply a little hesitant to give students assignment options that allow them to disregard the traditional written essay, as I feel essay writing is a truly invaluable tool.
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