Author: Barb

Once wrote a novella about a goose.

The Practical, the Theoretical

~ Barb

Fallow ground, a theoretical perspective In “Regenerating Once Fallow Ground:Theorizing Process and Product in 21st-Century Technical Communication Ecologies,” Adrienne Lamberti and David M. Grant write, We ultimately found ourselves needing to repeatedly return to this argument: pointedly theorizing both pedagogy and the purposes of technical communication does not have to squeeze out application in the classroom, but … Continue reading The Practical, the Theoretical

Dear Readers

Featured ~ Barb

Welcome to Intersections, the place where the personal and the professional collides. Please allow me to take a moment to introduce both myself and this blog to you, Dear Reader, as I envision this space to become a way for both rhetor and audience to contribute and develop ideas. I began my academic career -- … Continue reading Dear Readers

Speaking Plainly

~ Barb

Plain language, in a nutshell There is often only so much one can do in an undergraduate classroom, especially when teaching freshmen and sophomores. Getting them over the hump of passive versus active voice can sometimes feel like a sisyphean task. For every two steps forward, some kid will be lingering five steps back. God … Continue reading Speaking Plainly

Social Justice Advocacy in the Classroom

~ Barb

In her chapter for the book Citizenship & Advocacy in Technical Communication, Sarah Warren-Riley argues for the use of social media in the classroom as a way to teach students how to critique the messaging they see and how to advocate for themselves and others. While Warren-Riley is focused on the technical/professional communication classroom, her ideas are … Continue reading Social Justice Advocacy in the Classroom

Radical Femininity in the Classroom: Pushing Back Against Dominant Narratives

~ Barb

Speaking Truth to Power These days, being a radical feminist carries its own baggage, above and beyond the ancient canard of being “man haters.” Who wants to be associated with TERFs and their ilk, after all? – who, in the opinion of this radical feminist, at any rate, have utterly abandoned the principles of radical … Continue reading Radical Femininity in the Classroom: Pushing Back Against Dominant Narratives

The Pedagogy of Plain Language

~ Barb

Simplicity & Clarity Plain language functions in two ways in the communications classroom: first, it is incumbent upon the instructor to use plain language while instructing students; second, that same instructor must teach their students the use of plain language. Plainlanguage.gov defines it as “writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate … Continue reading The Pedagogy of Plain Language

Crocheters of Instagram

~ Barb

For this post, I am analyzing two crochet/craft Instagram influencers, Toni Lipsey of @tlyarncrafts and Hailey Bailey of @madebyhaileybailey. They are both crochet designers who work with various yarn producers and other crochet-related products. Of the two, Toni Lipsey (Toni) has the most followers, 164k, while Hailey Bailey (Hailey) has 24.8k. Toni’s crochet features highly textured fabrics; she … Continue reading Crocheters of Instagram

Persuading the BizCom Student about Persuasion

~ Barb

The book Effective Teaching of Technical Communication: Theory, Practice, and Communication discusses the pedagogy of teaching technical communication at the university level; Chapter 16, “Hidden Arguments: Rhetoric and Persuasion in Diverse Forms of Technical Communication” by Jessica McCaughey and Brian Fitzpatrick, examines the persuasive arguments embedded within forms of “objective” technical writing. Jean and Jorts, cats and … Continue reading Persuading the BizCom Student about Persuasion