INTEGRATING WRITING AND THE TEACHING ASSISTANT TO ENHANCE CRITICAL PEDAGOGY

This paper begins by developing a model of critical pedagogy which inc ludes components of both critical thinking and social critique and dis cusses how to operationalize that model by using writing and a teachin g assistant. The second part of the paper describes an experimental co urse based on this model, taught twice in a two-year period at a mediu m-sized state university. The paper concludes with an evaluation of th is experiment for improving students' skills of critical thinking and of social critique, the benefits and costs of the experience for the t eaching assistant, the benefits and costs for the faculty educator, an d the practicality of the experiment.