Texts but no Texts.....

I have been struggling with the use of a single text this semester, as I did last semester. While some may see positive aspects to using a set text for a writing course, the sheer amount of individuality in a writing classroom already leads itself to destroy this attempt at homogenization. I have attempted to utilize many aspects of modern culture in my classroom as I know many of you already blow me out of the water in this area and have been met with, what I would consider to be great success. My classes tend to focus greatly on the conceptual aspects of writing: ideas, conflict, logic, rhetoric, and so I do not always focus heavily on the more formal elements used in some writing courses. I do not enforce MLA standards to students that, most likely, will not have to ever use this format in their writing careers. I do, however, use MLA as a basis (understanding the need for some formal basis) but I also allow those students who know their fields to write in their field's format style. It is because of this, that I am considering, for my future career to allow my students to purchase the style manual of their choice (this is of course dependent on the approval from the department in what ever institution I end up teaching).
This example is taken much from a high school chemistry teacher who refused to use a book. He claimed the books that were available to him did not cover the material adequately and left out too much explanation and practical application of the material. Because of this, he created his own curriculum and had a giant binder (the Chemistry Bible) from which he taught. He was the teacher you took if you intended to use the science for future classes or if you were pre-college in any of the science fields. I would very much like to follow his model and create a writing curriculum for myself and utilize my own sources and compile a "greatest hits" of writing assignments. Of course, many of us already do this to some extent, but until a completely encompassing text is released for writers, I do not think I will attempt to homogenize my class.