In this article, the author talks about the college writing center, which is a place of political confrontation, where cultural issues involving dialect and values are probed, contested, and negotiated. He suggests a post-process approach to composition--one that ushers writers into a world of exploration and social engagement--one that transcends…

In the current scholarship several possible routes exist to help students look more carefully at the world around them and become more savvy consumers, thoughtful citizens, and sophisticated communicators. One of the most promising avenues for teaching students the situatedness of both writing and of the self is ethnography: a method of inquiry…

Our students need to be able to adhere to standard written English to succeed in their other classes and to get jobs at the end of their schooling, and it's the responsibility of writing teachers to help them do so. In this article, the author provides a research-based theoretical underpinning for effective grammar instruction as well as several…

Argues that basic writing teachers should think of their students as seekers who are coming from different places and going different directions, each carrying different burdens and needing different tools. Presents a series of writing assignments using the process approach to writing. (RS)

This instructional note describes the process of rotating teacher participation in peer workshop groups and how this practice can enhance the workshop group dynamics, ease instructors' grading loads, and improve the level of peer feedback and draft revision in composition courses. (Contains 1 end note.)

Suggests that students keep writing logs (a record of problems and solutions, techniques, and strategies) as a way to develop conscious control of their writing processes. (RAE)

Encouraging students to be more vocal members of the response sequence can assist teachers in writing stronger comments on student texts. The author conducted a small-scale study of students' reactions to response formats, finding that students preferred formats that allowed teachers to elaborate on their comments, displayed teacher effort,…

Offers a supplementary approach to teaching literacy narratives that builds on the work of M. Soliday and others but is centered in student production. Outlines specific strategies for teaching the literacy narrative in the first-year composition classroom. Discusses possible benefits of teaching the student production of literacy narratives.…

Argues that a process-oriented nonjudgmental instructional approach can help English-as-a-Second-Language community college students become better writers. Discusses the principle of nonjudgmental awareness and its rationale, and describes five pedagogical techniques used in a nonjudgmental writing class. (SR)

Argues that the publication of student writing from all levels of an English program motivates students, provides instructional material, and validates the process approach to teaching writing. (TB)