2003 National Conference on Student Writing and Critical Thinking in Agriculture
This three-day conference—held April 3-5, 2003 at Snow King Resort in Jackson, Wyoming—brought together college and university faculty and others interested in teaching writing and critical thinking skills in agriculture and related disciplines. The conference was made possible by and funded in part by a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant. These proceedings include selected materials for conference presenters.
Thursday April 3
Pre-Conference Workshops
Kelly Belanger, University of Wyoming
Professional and Workplace Writing
Pat O'Rourke, Illinois State University
Case Studies and other Simulations
Mike Palmquist, Colorado State University
Using Technology to Support Writing in the Disciplines
Friday April 4
James C. Wangberg, University of Wyoming
Welcome and Opening Remarks
John Charles Bean, Seattle University
Opening Presentation: Writing Assignments as Ill-Defined Problems
Workshops
Stephen Adkison and Keith Comer, Idaho State University
Engaging Critical Thinking through Goal-Oriented Writing: Discipline-Specific Assignment Design
Kirby Barrick, University of Illinois
Using Problem Solving to Teach Critical Thinking
Carol J. Bryant and Carl L. Reynolds, University of Wyoming
Questioning is Your Friend
Tom Polito and Dave Roberts, Iowa State University
Your English Department Agreed to do What? The Integration of Agronomy 356 & English 309
Allison Denman Holland, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Sowing the Seeds of Understanding: Improving Student Composition Skills with Exploratory Writing
Mark Ryan and Josh Millspaugh, University of Missouri
Using Problem-Based Learning to Promote Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Courses
Jane Nelson, University of Wyoming
Commenting on Writing: Feedback that Connects to Learning
Gail Shuck, Boise State University
'On a Chain of Hopes, that's where I belong': Poetry in a Second Language
Panels
Bill Condon, Lori Carris and Vicki McCracken, Washington State University
Fostering Student Critical Thinking and Writing in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics
Ross Evans, Teresa Nelson, and Laci Witowski, University of Wyoming
Undergraduate Students on learning critical thinking skills
Tom Peele, Boise State University
Beyond the Basics: ESL, Basic Writing, and Critical Thinking
Paper Presentations
Karen C. Williams, University of Wyoming
On the Same Page: Faculty and Student Perceptions of Writing
Scott Seville, University of Wyoming/Casper College Center
Portfolio and Group Projects to Enhance Student Writing and Critical Thinking Skills
Chris Calkins, University of Nebraska
Interactive Student Journals to Promote Critical Thinking
Lynn Hamilton, California Polytechnic State University
Off To A Good Start—Developing Writing and Critical Thinking Skills in AGB 101
Bob Ehrhart, Oregon State University
Developing Critical Thinking in Distance Courses
Steven Hastings, University of Delaware
Using Problem-Based Learning Techniques to Develop Thinking and Writing Skills in A Natural Resources Management Curriculum
Penelope Diebel, Oregon State University
Learning To Be A Writer, Again: Lessons From The Oregon Writing Project Summer Workshop
Neal MacDougall, California Polytechnic State University
Using University Resources to Assist in the Improvement of Writing in the Classroom: A Look at Agriculture Colleges in the Western U.S.
Saturday April 5
Workshops
Robert Martin and Rebecca Burnett, Iowa State University
Agcomm: Establishing a Successful College-Wide Communication Across the Curriculum Program
William M. Park, University of Tennessee, and Kurt Stephenson, Virginia Tech
Use of Games & Simulations for Teaching Economic Concepts & Principles in Natural Resource Management and Environmental Policy Analysis
Panels
Writing in Agriculture Group, University of Wyoming
Curricular Changes: Two Departments Efforts at Improving Student Writing
Paper Presentations
Bok Sowell and Jan Bowman, Montana State University
Written Assignments to Improve Critical Thinking
Ed Sherline, University of Wyoming
Including the Virtues of A Reasonable Person in a Critical Thinking Class
Don McLeod, Carl Olson, and Ed Bradley, University of Wyoming
Structure and Effectiveness of a Capstone Course
Tom Wilson, University of Arizona
Introduction to Environmental Science—A Case Study of Critical Thinking Strategies and the Development of Technical Writing Skills
Other Sessions
P. Gregory Smith, National Program Leader, Higher Education Programs, USDA
Federal Grant Writing: Tips for Improving your Proposal and your Classroom