hello again-

i want to try and respond to two different messages back to me, since they
sort of relate to the request i orignally wrote about (vis a vis courses
on writing about art).

the course proposal i am working on is part of a writing course all
undergraduates have to take at my university.  because of this, there are
certain skills and concepts that still must be dealt with, even though i
may modify or change certain other elements of the course.  the primary
goals have to do with working with ideas (ie, others' and generating one's
own), and in the case of my proposal, dealing with  variety of ways we
look, we are taught to look, and how we interpret artworks.  this involves
formal analysis, using cultural contexts and various theoretical
perspectives, etc.

however, (addressing the other comment), i began to wonder in a broader
way what people are dealing with when they discuss this with students.
anecdotally, i have heard of teachers who assume students already know how
to write good papers.  i wondered if others, especially for high school of
college students, allow drafts to be turned in first, or discuss how to
come up with an idea/thesis, etc.  how do we translate, for example,
formal analysis and interpretation into students' (hopefully) more
original ideas.  do we only model examples and then figure they will catch
on?  or should we and how do we devote more to this issue?

sorry about the length of this...what iv've read so far from the list has
been though-provoking..mroe on  this?

--meryl