Composition at The Beach, a social networking website for those interested in first-year composition at Cal State Long Beach, has received a facelift that will make it easier for students to navigate.
The site was created and launched in 2008. It currently has 145 members consisting of students and faculty who utilize its features.
The website has links to groups, discussion forums, events and videos. It also gives members the opportunity to connect with other members.
In the discussion forums, members can talk about the standard course outline, composition issues, textbooks, assignments, grading rubrics, and recommended reading and links.
“The site gives composition instructors a place to share ideas and materials,” said Sarah Arroyo, co-creator of the site, who also uses the website for one of her graduate-level courses. “The site works very well. Because it is public, it gives our program exposure, and students like the idea that the work they do may be viewed by anyone. The community created by the participatory nature of the site is invaluable.”
According to Arroyo, the site was previously not funded, and she paid for the site herself. The College of Liberal Arts has agreed to fund the site for the year.
Bahareh Alaei, graduate English student, said she feels Composition at the Beach enhanced communication with her professor and classmates.
“Our discussion forums and submitted assignments are a rich source of polyvocal discourse that have allowed me to experience a wider array of perspectives than I have traditionally encountered in classes,” Alaei said.
Sarah Roussin, composition graduate assistant, helped update the site with students and faculty in mind. She described herself as wanting to create a fun, colorful and content-rich space where students and faculty would actually want to go.
“Part of my job has been to maintain Composition at The Beach,” Roussin said. “Specifically, I worked to create an aesthetically pleasing layout and banner. I have also been adding up-to-date, relevant materials.”
Roussin said that one of her larger goals is to give the site cohesion.
“My hope for Composition at the Beach is that first-year composition faculty start seriously thinking about the potential benefits for running their courses off of the site and then act on them,” Roussin said. “By doing so, they are helping create a content-rich space where both students and faculty converge for shared goals. By working together we can create a dynamic, inviting place to talk, teach and learn about writing.”
There will be two upcoming faculty workshops about using the site on April 17 and April 18 from noon to 1 p.m. in the McIntosh Humanities Building room 315. For more information and to RSVP visit compositionatthebeach.com.