Writing Remix Podcast

109. Reimagining Assessments: Exploring the Untapped Benefits of Contract Grading w/ Dr. Leah Pate, Dr. Tamara Black, & Dr. Rory Lukins

Dan welcomed his colleagues in the USC Writing Program Dr. Leah Pate, Dr. Tamara Black, & Dr. Rory Lukins to do a deep dive into their project “Reimagining Assessments: Contract Grading’s Untapped Benefits for Learning, Teaching, and Well-Being.” This conversation covers the results of their research and the impact contract grading has on student writing and motivation, the shift from product driven writing to meaningful writing, how contract grading helps to highlight the emotional toll of grading on faculty and the emotional toll of writing for the students, the challenges and ethical considerations associated with grading contracts, adjustments made for upper versus lower division students, the inclusion of DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging) principles, and so much more. Get ready to take notes and definitely post your opinions and questions, in the comments.

Approximate Show Notes

00:00 Introduction to Writing Remix and Guests
00:49 Introducing the Concept of Contract Grading
01:48 Faculty Experiences and Initial Reactions
04:06 The Evolution and Implementation of Contract Grading
07:53 Student Perspectives on Grading Contracts
10:13 Comparing Contract Grading with Traditional Grading
14:21 Faculty and Student Feedback on Contract Grading
20:03 Challenges and Adjustments in Contract Grading
40:45 Grading Contracts and Student Motivation
41:34 Challenges Faced by Instructors During COVID
42:53 Bias and Judgment in Grading
43:40 Impact on Non-Traditional Students
44:00 Critiques of Labor-Based Grading
47:00 Faculty Mental Health and Emotional Labor
53:58 Equity Benefits of Grading Contracts
57:01 Adoption and Adaptation of Grading Contracts
01:05:49 AI and the Future of Grading
01:14:34 Next Steps and Future Directions

108. Exploring Civility, Discourse, & Hope w/ Dr. Danielle Lee

Dan welcomed back Dr. Danielle Lee to Writing Remix last year for the fifth annual Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival, which was focused on ‘Politics and Rhetorics, Navigating Civility, Culture, and Crisis.’ Their conversation went deep into the need for a civility in the current political landscape, how the lack of civility is escalating dehumanization from everyone, the failures of institutions like higher education, the role of education going forward, intergenerational trauma, and Dr. Lee even gets into the Kendrick Lamar vs Drake beef. This conversation is even more imperative as we all attempt to navigate political extremes from every direction.

Approximate Show Notes

00:00 Introduction to the Big Rhetorical Podcast Carnival
01:54 Introducing Dr. Danielle Lee
02:58 The Crisis of Civility in Modern Society
04:29 The Role of Education in Shaping Civility
08:54 Media Influence and Dehumanization
10:31 Teaching Love and Dialogue in Education
20:06 Challenges in Higher Education
39:25 The Impact of COVID-19 on Society
39:59 Personal Space and Societal Healing
41:54 Crisis Culture and Civility in Rhetoric
42:44 Teaching in a Changing Classroom
45:06 Exploring Complex Literary Themes
49:29 Intergenerational Trauma and Student Reactions
50:47 The Role of Hope in Education
51:50 Addressing Hurt and Humanity
01:00:53 Reflections on Teaching and Hope
01:09:42 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

107. Preparing for Spring 2025 w/ Dr. Meghan P. Nolan

Dan welcomes Dr. Meghan P. Nolan back to Writing Remix to discuss preparing for the Spring 2025 semester and some of the ways she’s looking to expand, shift, and reimagine approaches to writing instruction. Meghan also talks about the balance between her duties as a writing professor and the Chair of the Sam Draper Honors Program at SUNY Rockland, the impact of AI on students’ critical thinking, setting boundaries for work life balance, the role of flexibility, adaptability, and organic assignment development, advice for new professors, and so much more. This is a perfect episode if you’re a new instructor, a seasoned instructor looking for some inspiration, or a fledging doctoral student wondering what the academic life consists of after th dissertation.

Approximate Show Notes

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:35 Reflecting on St. John’s and Doctoral Program

01:19 Beginning of the Spring 2025 Semester

01:55 Megan’s Role and Experience at SUNY Rockland

03:48 Balancing Administrative and Faculty Responsibilities

06:17 Classroom Preparation and Flexibility

07:20 Course Materials and Student Engagement

14:09 Setting Boundaries and Communication

20:40 Navigating AI in Academia

29:54 Empowering Students to Embrace Mistakes

30:24 The Pressure of Academic Perfection

35:01 Redefining Humanities Education

40:35 Innovative Teaching Methods

45:06 Navigating AI in Education

47:08 Encouraging Student Curiosity

53:16 Advice for New Professors

56:00 Conclusion and Future Plans

106. How I Leverage My Podcast at Academic Conferences

In this solo episode of Writing Remix, Dan discusses how to effectively convert academic conference presentations into engaging podcast episodes. He shares personal experiences and lessons learned from shifting his traditional conference approach to a more interactive and participatory format using his multiple podcasts. Dan emphasizes the importance of recording and archiving presentations, networking, and exploring creative ideas to reach a wider audience. He provides practical tips and encourages academics to utilize podcasting as a dynamic scholarly medium.

Approximate Show Notes

00:00 Introduction to the Episode
01:32 Early Conference Experiences
02:48 Transition to Collaborative Workshops
04:09 The Impact of Podcasting
07:55 Integrating Podcasting with Conferences
09:06 Interviewing Conference Participants
17:20 Live Podcast Presentations
23:30 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

105. Talking Wine & Rhetoric w/ Dr. Bailey McAlister

Dan invites Dr. Bailey McAlister, sommelier, Rhetoric & Communications professor, & pop-culture critic to talk all about how she merges her love of wine and the wine community with her PhD research, the impact that 2020 had on the wine & beverage industry, how sommeliers are using personal narratives to introduce people to wine, community building in the world of wine, how she teaches process-oriented writing to her students, and so much more. So, grab a glass, your favorite beverage, and settle in for another Writing Remix!

104. LIVE! from The Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference w/ The Long Take Review Podcast

Dan recorded LIVE from the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference in Albuquerque, NM w/ USC colleagues Jen Sopchockchai Bankard & P.T. McNiff of the Long Take Review podcast. Shoutout to SWPACA, the tech guy who helped make this happen, and everyone that came out to support!

Their presentation, “Between Two Scholastic Worlds: Teaching, Blogging, and Podcasting,” examined the negotiation between the pop-culture world and the academic lives, how podcasting and pop-culture curiosity is used in the classroom, the pressures of being an independent podcaster, and they answered some amazing questions from the audience. There’s so much more, so get ready to take notes, because class is in session!

103. Being an Artist w/ Dr. Ally Zlatar

Content Warning: This episode has discussions about mental health issues, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, & suicidal ideation.

Dan invites artist Dr. Ally Zlatar to talk about the imperative role artists & art play in the world to communicate empathy, create community, & as a tool for empowerment. This is such a deep episode with a lot of vulnerability. Ally discusses her Starving Artist Initiative and how it supports “innovative and unique approach[es] that uses art and creativity to promote representation and intersectionality in civic reform” (Starving Artist). Lastly, there’s open discussions on body image, eating disorders, & the many forgotten communities battling eating disorders.

102. Digital Social Learning Solutions w/ Dr. Nicole Papaioannou Lugara

Dan invites Saint John’s University alum and the Founder & CEO of Your Instructional Designer Dr. Nicole Papaioannou Lugara. On this episode, Nicole reflects on her journey from PhD to CEO. She talks about creating and launching an instructional design company, what she believes the role of instructional design is in today’s world, some of the misconceptions of instructional design, why it’s important to create a strong network, and so much more. This episode was recorded on June 29th, 2022.

101. Growing Flash Fiction w/ Nancy Stohlman

Dan invites Nancy Stohlman back on Writing Remix to discuss recording the audiobook for her award-winning book Going Short: An Invitation to Flash Fiction, the growing genre of Flash Fiction, the importance of building a creative community to recover from burnout, doing promotion for her book during COVID-19 quarantine in 2022, and so much more. This episode was recorded on April 20th, 2022.

100. What I Learned After 100 Episodes w/ Daniel Dissinger

On this special episode of Writing Remix, Dan celebrates the 100th episode talking about some of the lessons he’s learned about himself as a writer, teacher, and podcaster. He reflects on the decision to pivot the focus of Writing Remix during the COVID-19 pandemic, how major news events impacted the podcast, how his understanding of scholarship has changed, and so much more.

Thank you to everyone who has listened, supported, been a guest, and anyone who has guest hosted. Getting to 100 episodes isn’t easy and I couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you. A special thank you goes out to the person who I started this podcast with, Katie McNey. The podcast was a team effort and your contribution won’t ever be forgotten.