Using Internet Technologies in the Composition Classroom

This thesis explores ways to use common internet technologies to augment first and second year college composition courses. While many essays and books have been published regarding the implications of such technologies on composition classrooms, most of these publications have focused on creating online and hybrid courses. However, courses that rely on the internet to provide the primary context in which we interact with our students can require fundamental shifts in the philosophies by which we teach composition. Because of this, some of the theoretical and practical framework of the scholarship that focuses on fully online or hybrid courses may not suit teachers who simply want to augment existing face-to-face classrooms with internet technology. Therefore, this thesis will explore ways to augment face-to-face classrooms that rely heavily on process writing, social constructivist, and social expressivist philosophies of composition pedagogy. By attempting to find practical ways to apply these teaching philosophies in an online environment in ways that directly correlate with classroom practice, I hope to provide practical information for teachers wishing to explore ways that technology can help their normal teaching practices.