Kommentar zu Internationale Tagung zur Arbeit von Schreib(lese)zentren von Gerd Bräuer

23. August 2008

… und hier ein Tagungsbericht aus kanadischer Sicht, gepostet im Auftrag von Dale Wik (Vancouver Island University, Canada). Falls Sie Dale kontaktieren möchten, schreiben Sie ihr bitte unter Dale.Wik@viu.ca .
The EWCA Conference of 2008 was inspired and inspiring. As I met some of the over 160 delegates from the twenty-two countries represented – places as diverse as Sweden, Nigeria, and Turkey – I realized that our shared passion for the vital work we do with students in our writing centers unites us far more than geographical boundaries separate us.

The conference from June 19 – 22 was hosted by the University of Education in Freiburg, a German town on the edge of the Black Forest or Schwarzwald. The old section of Freiburg has winding cobblestone lanes and charming, outdoor cafes. In the mornings before the conference, we would wander down to a market in the square or Platzl near the famous Munster Cathedral. Fine German sausages, baskets of fresh cherries, bouquets of flowers, townspeople bustling about with market baskets – it was all wonderful. (Like travel writer Bill Bryson, I wanted to say, “Imagine! Even the littlest child among you can speak German.”)

The theme of the conference, Initiating Writing Center Work – Connecting Secondary, Higher, and Professional Education, was explored in a number of workshops. Delegates were also invited to display photos of their centers which caused many of us to marvel at the diversity of writing spaces and the commonalities we share as well.

Michele Eodice, keynote speaker, shared this insight about the conference: “I felt a real learning vibe in Freiburg – people want to learn from and with each other. We seem to share a common goal: guiding student writers all over the world to do what they need to do in their context.”

In her keynote address Michele drew upon David Thornburg’s Campfires in Cyberspace metaphor to help us re-envision the center as a site of learning, drawing upon the power of narrative and the archetypes of the campfire, the watering hole, and the cave. She challenged us to “shift our focus from student texts to student learning.”

After Michele’s talk I reflected on the tutorials I find least rewarding, the ones in which the pressure to be efficient makes me feel I have to get through as much material as possible – what I misconstrue as the business of tutoring. When I don’t give myself the luxury of connection, of listening to the student and claiming the learning moment, I end up with a transactional encounter, not the transformative one I aim for on my better days.

Michele must have had a clone or two doing all the work while she napped in the sun: she held a number of workshops and always seemed to be purposefully dashing about, all the while fresh and animated. One intriguing workshop that she gave with Elizabeth Boquet of Fairfield University linked writing to jazz improvisation.

Other workshop presenters also addressed questions that we all have about how to situate ourselves within our institution. Laura Greenfield from Mount Holyoke College drew upon her experience to answer central questions such as “Who owns the center?” and “What is its purpose or mission?” Similarly, Laura Bokus from Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute left us admiring her success at crafting a successful WAC program in a short time.

Unscripted social interaction is also one of the great benefits of any conference. (In other words, you get to meet a bunch of good people over food and wine). Gerd Bräuer and Erdmuthe Schiller, the directors of the local organizing team who are deservedly proud of their beautiful region, had arranged for us to visit Staufen. It was in this village where Faust died, (yes, he really was a historical figure from the sixteenth century) after having sold his soul to the devil for skill in alchemy. His contract with the devil had expired and he tried to escape. He found his end in the same inn where we had dinner and watched a performance of parts of Goethe’s famous play about Faust. We also saw a beautiful part of the Rhine Valley the next day on a journey to the village of Breisach and a boat trip on the Rhine River.

Perhaps the most significant accomplishment of the conference was the resolution to formalize an International Peer Tutor Exchange initiative with support from both the IWCA and the EWCA. Interested people are encouraged to contact Gerd at braeuer@ph-freiburg.de who says that international networking is just a first step to a more formal joint project such as this one.

Another important outcome is the conference wiki to continue the work of establishing a glossary of common terms to help prevent cross-cultural misunderstandings. Contributions are welcome any time at www.ph-freiburg.de/ewca2008/wiki/. The wiki also holds a resource of key websites to encourage international writing center collaboration.

In the coming year, Ann Mott, newly-elected EWCA president, aims to promote this spirit of international collaboration by “uniting Writing Center practitioners and theorists throughout our expanding Europe, embracing our old friends and expanding our EWCA family to include new colleagues.” Ann, who has been on the board of the EWCA since 2003, is from The American University of Paris.

Canadians have been slower than Americans to establish a space for writing centers and to bring them from the margins to the core of our institutions, but we’re trying to catch up. Attending the EWCA Conference marked the first time that my university had been represented at an international writing center conference. Back at work getting ready for the fall semester, I still feel the web of connection.

I can’t do better than to end with Gerd’s words from a recent conference document: “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

(Please note: This conference report will also appear in the newsletter of the International Writing Centers Association/IWCA, Update.)

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