Diane R Ransdell
- Professor of Practice
- (520) 621-3986
- Modern Languages, Rm. 000445
- Tucson, AZ 85721
- ransdell@arizona.edu
Biography
D.R. Ransdell holds degrees in Spanish, English as a Second Language, and Rhetoric and Composition. She currently teaches second-language writing at the University of Arizona where she also supervises graduate students who are working their way through the program. She is also the director for English 101. She has written several mystery novels (Mariachi Murder, 2013; Island Casualty, 2014; Dizzy in Durango, 2015). Her latest book, Secrets of a Mariachi Violinist, is a non-fiction account of how an Italian-American from Illinois wound up playing in a mariachi band in Tucson, Arizona. D.R. is also an avid musician. She plays in a small mariachi ensemble and with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra.
Degrees
- Ph.D. Rhetoric and Composition
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- A Cultural Approach to ESL Composition: Using Popular Culture toTeach Rhetorical Conventions
- M.A. English as a Second Language
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
- None required.
- B.A. Teacher Training for Spanish
- University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, United States
- n/a
Work Experience
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1998 - Ongoing)
- ASU, Tempe, Arizona (1997 - 1998)
- Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango (1982 - 1987)
- Colegio Americano (1982 - 1984)
Interests
Research
second-language writing, intercultural competence, second-language acquisition, composition studies, travel writing, motivation theory
Teaching
Composition, second-language writing, creative non-fiction, advanced composition
Courses
2024-25 Courses
-
Adv First-Year Compositn
ENGL 109H (Fall 2024) -
Elementary Italian II
ITAL 102 (Fall 2024) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
-
Business Writing
ENGL 307 (Summer I 2024) -
Nonhuman Subjects
ENGL 160D2 (Summer I 2024) -
Adv First-Year Compositn
ENGL 109H (Spring 2024) -
Approaches to Teaching Writing
ENGL 598 (Spring 2024) -
Technical Writing
ENGL 308 (Spring 2024) -
Adv First-Year Compositn
ENGL 109H (Fall 2023) -
Approaches to Teaching Writing
ENGL 598 (Fall 2023) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
-
Business Writing
ENGL 307 (Summer I 2023) -
Approaches to Teaching Writing
ENGL 598 (Spring 2023) -
Elementary Italian II
ITAL 102 (Spring 2023) -
Honors Thesis
ENGL 498H (Spring 2023) -
Technical Writing
ENGL 308 (Spring 2023) -
Approaches to Teaching Writing
ENGL 598 (Fall 2022) -
Business Writing
ENGL 307 (Fall 2022) -
Elementary Italian I
ITAL 101 (Fall 2022) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2022) -
Honors Thesis
ENGL 498H (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
-
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Summer I 2022) -
Approaches to Teaching Writing
ENGL 598 (Spring 2022) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Spring 2022) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
-
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Summer I 2021) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Spring 2021) -
Approaches to Teaching Writing
ENGL 598 (Fall 2020) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
-
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Summer I 2020) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Spring 2020) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Spring 2020) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2019) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
-
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Spring 2019) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Spring 2019) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Fall 2018) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Fall 2018)
2017-18 Courses
-
Engl Comp ESL Students
ENGL 108 (Spring 2018) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Spring 2018) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Spring 2018)
2016-17 Courses
-
Adv Crtv Non-Fict Writ
ENGL 401 (Summer I 2017) -
Independent Study
ENGL 499 (Summer I 2017) -
Intro Writ Creat Nonfict
ENGL 201 (Summer I 2017) -
Literature and Film
ENGL 300 (Summer I 2017) -
Advanced Composition
ENGL 306 (Spring 2017) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 101 (Spring 2017) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Spring 2017) -
Engl Comp Esl Students
ENGL 106 (Fall 2016) -
First-Year Composition
ENGL 102 (Fall 2016) -
Preceptorship
ENGL 591 (Fall 2016)
2015-16 Courses
-
Independent Study
ENGL 499-SA (Summer I 2016) -
Intro Writ Creat Nonfict
ENGL 201-SA (Summer I 2016) -
Literature and Film
ENGL 300-SA (Summer I 2016) -
Engl Comp ESL Students
ENGL 108 (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
Presentations
- Ransdell, D. R. (2018, March 16). “The Desired Outcomes of SLOs: Love’s Labor Found.”. Conference on College Composition and Communication.. Kansas City MO: College Composition and Communication.More infoI gave a talk at the national conference on composition about the evolution of student learning outcomes and how they helped our program evolve.
- Ransdell, D. R. (2017, 23 September). “Bilbo as Motivational Director". Oxonmoot. Oxford, England: The Tolkien Society.More infoI gave two talks on the topic of motivation. The first was in September at the Oxonmoot, the Oxford-based annual conference for readers of Tolkien. There I argued that Bilbo himself is a motivational director of sorts: he falls into the kinds of patterns common to students. First their motivation may be weak, then they are pushed by their peers, then they are scared and back off, then they find strength in their own backgrounds. (See attachment.)
- Ransdell, D. R. (2017, Oct. 13). “Assessing and Stimulating Student Motivation.”. TYCA-WEST. Glendate AZ: TYCA-WEST.More infoIn October I gave a presentation at the regional TETYC conference in Phoenix. I argued for a curriculum that would ask students to consider their own motivation directly through a series of scaffolded assignments. Although the students would have the experience of writing formal, academic papers, the higher goal would be for students to understand, embrace, or learn to tweak the biggest motivations that impact their lives as students. (See enclosed.)
- Ransdell, D. R. (2016, 21 Oct). “Writing into Flow”. Symposium for Second-Language Writing.. Tempe, AZ: SSLW.More infoThis conference gave me a chance to put together some of my ideas about "flow." I had a very enthusiastic audience for this presentation, but I was preaching to the choir for the most part. Several people in the room had actually been to Dornyei's presentation (the one I found so helpful). Others were already convinced that motivation is the key to their students' success. They came to my presentation because they wanted to have the chance to reflect on that aspect of their teaching. I was so honored because I had several former students there, including Laurel Harvey. Gail Shuck came, a former colleague and now the L2 person at University of Idaho. Chris Tardy came as well--she had used many ideas from Csikszentmihalyi's FLOW long ago. Kara Reed also came; this was a special compliment because there were many competing talks at that time.
- Ransdell, D. R. (2016, 23 Jan). “Studying Abroad with Edward T. Hall.” Tucson, AZ. 23 Jan. 2016.. Fifth International Conference on the Development and Assessment of Intercultural Competence.. Tucson AZ: CERCLL.More infoPoster presentation given at an international conference. I love the work of Edward T. Hall; I think studying him helps us understand a good deal about how cultures work--sometimes with one another and sometimes in conflict. In terms of learning about writing, Hall is particularly useful.
- Ransdell, D. R. (2015, 20 March). “International Balancing Act: Considerations for L2 Writing Placement”. Conference on College Composition and Communication. Tampa, FL: NCTE.More infoPractical discussion for figuring adequate ways to place ESL students.
- Ransdell, D. R. (2015, 27 March). “Blogging Towards Competence: Interactive Classroom Practices,” ,. TESOL Conference. Toronto Canada: TESOL.More infoTalk on ways of using blogging in the ESL classroom.