Kirby Kinard

One of my goals as an academic is the inclusion of ethics in the lesson curriculum for composition writing courses. Many composition courses are oriented towards teaching students how to write, but I believe too little attention has been paid on the subject of how writing can be used in unethical way.

For this reason, I have developed a lesson to bring this to the attention of my students in future composition courses. The lesson involves having students read Steven Katz’s article “The Ethic of Expediency,” discussing ways that writing can be used in unethical ways, and remind students that they are responsible for what they write.

On one occasion I had the chance to teach this lesson to a class. The following paragraph is a brief review of what students wrote in response to that lesson.

Students have noted that I speak “passionately about [this] topic” and have the “ability to discuss the topic and engage [with them] in conversation” on it. One student wrote, “I like how you give an overview of the differences between what one does in a composition course vs. what one does in technical writing.” However, the most rewarding experience I had teaching this lesson was when one student wrote: “The best part of your [lesson] was the way it made me think and consider ethics in writing.” For me, this is why I am so motivated to bring the topic of ethics and writing into the classroom. I want students to think about ethics as it pertains to writing so they will be more conscientious about what they write. I do not want my students to think writing is only an academic exercise; I want them to see it as something that can drive actions and ideas, and understand they are responsible for directing the actions of others through their writing. Reading that