Andrea Lunsford

“For excellence, the presence of others is required”
Arendt

Andrea Lunsford’s essay talks about tree different kinds of writing centers and how collaboration takes place in each of this three places, on the first place Lunsford talks about the “Center as a storehouse” where knowledge is seen as exterior to us an as directly accessible, the way of learning here is individual, using “modules” or other kind of individualized materials, in this type of center there is no room for collaboration.
The other type of center is the one she calls “the Center as Garret” this centers are informed by “deep-seated belief in individual genius”, they see knowledge as interior, as inside de student. Collaboration is not an option in these centers because it goes against the idea of knowledge as interiorized, solitary, individually deriver and individually held.
But why is collaboration so important? After a big research Lunsford found that collaboration helps students and teachers in a lot of ways, for example:
· Collaboration aids in problem finding as well as problem solving.
· Helps to learn different things.
· On having a more complete thinking, interdisciplinary thinking.
· Critical thinking and deeper understanding of the others
· Higher achievements an promotes excellence
· Encourage the active learning
The other kind of center is one that is based on collaboration but as I understand this type of center is like a utopia for Lunsford, it has to have a collaborative environment and that seems to her as impossible. Students, tutors, and teachers must really need one another to carry out common goals. This collaboration centers as Burkean Parlors have a notion of knowledge as always contextually bound, as always socially constructed, and based on a negotiation group.