On Fri., Apr. 4, Middle Tennessee State University will be hosting its annual Peck Research on Writing Symposium. Sponsored by the Public Writing and Rhetoric Program and the Department of English, the event features a keynote and workshop by a scholar in rhetoric, composition, and writing studies. Registration is free and open through Mar. 23. The event is a great chance to learn about cutting-edge research in the field and get to know faculty and grad students around the Midsouth. Lunch will be provided.
To register, see the attached flyer or follow this link: https://bit.ly/peck2025
Email Eric Detweiler with any questions: eric.detweiler
This year’s event runs from 9:30 – 3 Central Time and will feature Dr. Amber Buck of the University of Alabama. Here are descriptions of her keynote and workshop:
Talk: Writing Community in the Era of AI
Since the public release of ChatGPT in 2022, writing processes have become more automated and more distant from human authors and experiences. Social media platforms and their algorithmically curated news feeds and For You Pages have also divided people and communities. This talk features research on the digital literacy practices of activists and writing students to center the importance of human connection in teaching digital literacies. I argue that emphasizing critical digital literacy skills, multimodal composition, and community building are critical for writing classrooms in the AI era. Emphasizing the human within digital writing keeps our courses relevant while fostering a critical approach to AI among our students.
Workshop: Critical Digital Literacies for Human Connection
This workshop uses the framework of critical digital literacies (Hutchinson Campos & Novotny, 2021) to present approaches to digital literacies in writing classrooms. This applied workshop will take participants through a series of approaches to teaching digital literacies in writing classrooms that emphasize human connection and allow students to build community.
Eric Detweiler
Program Director, Public Writing and Rhetoric
Associate Professor, Department of English
Author of Responsible Pedagogy