Synthesis

The history of composition revealed how much composition has been taken for granted as a skill unworthy of college coursework until recent years. When it was begun to be taught, it was often taught in conjunction with literature, as it was at my college for many, any years. Writing centers have been established at many colleges to further assist students in the composition process on a cross disciplinary basis. The infusion of students with open admissions from all walks of life brought students with uneven preparedness for college life bringing many studies on how to best intervene on behalf of these students and led to special classes for students who did not perform well on a admissions tests. Rhetoric in composition has not always been taught and when it has been, various philosophers have held sway. Classic rhetoric is as much alive today it seems as in ancient Greece and Roe but the ideas of philosophers since the renaissance such as Hume, Locke, Kant and others have had much more import than is widely acknowledged. The turbulent 20th century has seen the rise of modernism, post modernism, feminism, queer theory, post colonial theory, after theory, etc. The call for action by social theorist has led to a revival of personal research in composition and a look at wider issues of morality and questions of audience. Technology has interjected new arguments into the study of composition as well. Whether one looks at of specific strategies for invention, arrangement, revision, etc., or the use of technology in the classroom, the field is continually evolving. From teacher centered to peer centered classrooms an argument continues today on the place of authority in the classroom, assessment and importance of the final product. Creativity, original thought and unique research methodologies are all elements of how today's composition class is ultimately judged. The argument can be wide or narrow,but depth is generally favored over breathe and an argument is imbedded into the compositional process where previously it did not exist,