Economists largely agree that writing is fundamental to understanding and communicating economics and can serve as an effective way to teach students to "think like economists." However, only a small percentage of programs include writing-intensive courses, a major research paper, or a senior thesis, and even fewer devote class time to…

This essay claims that contemplative classroom practices can cultivate "kairotic" composure, which is an attunement to the dual aspects of the rhetorical concept of "Kairos"--a sense of timelessness or deep presence, and a sense for saying or writing the right word in the right moment. While theorists of contemplative writing…

Since writing in the disciplines (WID) is focused on learning how to write formal documents of a professional register, it is important to note that each field or discipline has its own style, structure, and format when it comes to writing, and most composition courses seldom facilitate the transfer of these specialized skills in the classroom.…

Given the focus of recent standards-based reforms, K-12 students are expected to engage in reading and writing activities across disciplines to strengthen their literacy skills in all content areas. These students are simultaneously called upon to develop understandings of the practices of science and engineering through their K-12 science…

Athletes in all sports and at all levels of performance keep training logs, journals, or team notebooks as one more way to learn extensively about their sport. Such organizing, planning, and reflection can play a pivotal role in an athlete's life. What's more, as communication tools, athletes' writing has the potential to be especially helpful for…

In this article we propose a five-step sequenced approach to integrative interdisciplinary learning in undergraduate gateway courses. Drawing from the literature of interdisciplinarity, transformative learning theory, and theories of reflective learning, we utilize a sequence of five steps early in our respective undergraduate gateway courses to…

Secondary teachers returning from Cummins Engine Foundation Writing Project seminars (Indiana) shared their ideas about integrating writing skills with various academic subjects. This article provides helpful hints to teachers of business, electronics, English, foreign languages, home economics, mathematics, science, social studies, and vocational…

Describes how a project initially designed to improve the quality of student writing in an introductory finance class led the teachers, as the project unfolded, to examine their assumptions about learning, shifting their attention from details of English usage to considerations of the context of which students wrote and the mindsets they brought…

Presents some general strategies for using writing in chemistry courses based on experiences in developing a systematic approach to using writing as an effective learning tool in chemistry courses, and testing this approach in high-enrollment general chemistry courses at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Contains 18 references. (WRM)

An architecture design studio classroom is a community. The myth of the solitary student is destroyed by the very structure of the classroom: students can use the room at any time, students share their works-in-progress and final products with the class, and the class is a congenial and informal mix of discussion, comments, critiques, and…

Describes several activities designed as part of La Salle University's Writing across the Curriculum project to improve advanced Spanish composition skills. Activities involved both formal and informal writing assignments such as notetaking, job application letters, and thesis support essays. (CB)

Describes writing exercises that stimulate learning while not burdening the instructor. Discusses simulations in which students are asked to write a diary entry about the daily experiences of a 75-year-old, to formulate a marriage contract, and to write a letter to a friend describing the student's worst job experience. (KO)

Presents a rationale for writing in social studies and sample writing activities. Suggests that writing actively involves students in learning, providing another mode for encoding information, and improving writing skills. Includes strategies for writing in social studies. Argues that social studies is an especially rich content area for…

Describes a classroom activity in which students prepare a spot for television, including game shows, commercials, and news programs. Shows how students prepared through prewriting exercises and then conducted their research. (TB)

Offers guidelines on using student journals and microthemes in writing across the curriculum programs, drawing from the experiences of faculty at Queensborough Community College. Includes sample assignments. (DMM)