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The Rhetorical Situation in McGee & Ericsson’s discussion over MSGC

This was a group activity in class going over the article written concerning Microsoft Grammar Checker and how it affects the composition classroom.

Who is their audience? 

Composition teachers and professors, scholarly people. Written in English so aimed at North American and European readers. It is meant for people who utilize technology in the classroom, especially microsoft word.

What is their purpose? 

Help signal awareness for the downsides of using microsoft word for composition. For composition teachers to use grammar checkers critically because its conflict with and possible undermining of pedagogies that are now considered most effective for improving student writing.

What is their exigence?

It’s really about how technology affects writing and us. How best to really help students. The dynamics of writing are changing along with the tools we use. The timing was most likely a response to the new update to MS word. Technology was finding its way into classrooms and everyday life- ubiquitous. They were trying to accomplish giving the decision back to the writer in how to use grammar checkers.

How has MSGC helped or hindered your writing?

Sometimes it doesn’t allow me to write how I am aiming to write i.e. a style or in a dialect. It has helped me be more aware of my run-on sentences and spelling. 

How have you manipulated MSGC to work for you?

I have changed my settings to not flag repeated words or my last name, and have allowed for it to recognize other languages so that my whole document isn’t underlined in red. 

Should teachers require MSGC for all writing at the elementary level?

I personally don’t like using technology when it comes to writing. However, it does have its upsides that can be beneficial to those who struggle with writing. So it should be used but with sparsity.