Writing is also an enactment of self-discovery. One must locate where she stands, particularly where she stands in relationship to others. The act of writing is our global positioning instrument. In many ways, we are nowhere until our own articulateness locates us. One is frequently in the dark until the topic, the issue, the challenge is mastered through the writing process.
Writing is the most direct path to mastering a discipline.
Every advanced degree in the arts, sciences, business, and education demands written work of high quality, and a thesis or dissertation. Practitioners in these fields communicate with one another in journals and monographs, as well as through talks and papers that are given orally at professional meetings. We master our craft and then practice this craft through writing. Surely our students will master our subject in a analogous manner. Writing can bring us together as a community of educators.