Blog 4: Bedford Guide Chapters 1, 6 & 8

 Summary:

To kick things off, chapter one covers a few basics in how to carry oneself in a writing centre, as well as outlining a few different styles in which you can provide tutoring to those seeking assistance in writing.  In chapter six, Bedford dives into the writing centre as it may operate in the modern age.  Various technological advancements allowing for new and unprecedented ways of providing help to those who seek it are explained in a straightforward manner.  Finally, chapter eight covers research within writing centres, showing that the centres can delve outside of the expected "tutoring" aspect of their operations, providing insight into developing fields and topics.

Commentary:

I found the section on technology in writing centres to be the most interesting section, as it is still rather pertinent in the current social climate of the world.  Additionally, the discussion in class expanding upon the idea of writing centres operating digitally very much helped to further my understanding of the process as a whole.  Though in person meetings would still be preferable to me, having a more matured form of digital meetings available is most definitely a boone to those who are looking to seek help from a writing centre.  I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of asynchronous meetings, however, as I feel that the drawbacks of having to go back and forth on discussions of writing is a bit clunky, especially with the wide array of instant messaging/ synchronous options available, but it would still be better than nothing in cases where schedules don't line up, or where one party doesn't have internet readily accessible.  That being said, having that extra option for meetings is overall positive, but I believe it should be one of the last options to consider in terms of assisting with writing.  Synchronous meetings offer the best of both worlds, since they are essentially just the same functionally as an in person meeting, but with the advantage of easier access, assuming you have a reliable access to internet, since you can meet from anywhere.

Question:

With the advent of digital meetings now, are we likely to see a decline in traditional in-person writing centres?