The development of critical thinking skills is a fundamental educational objective and is regarded as an essential component of the general education of college students. To further this objective, this study investigates instructional strategies for improving the thinking skills of college students engaged in collaborative learning endeavors.…

This edition of "NAEPfacts" discusses the frequency with which process-oriented activities are taught in United States schools, and the writing performance of students whose teachers emphasize these activities. Data were drawn from the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Writing, which was administered to a…

Originally developed as part of a project for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on the role of grammar and the teaching of writing is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes an overview of the project; a comprehensive search of the ERIC…

Intended for composition teachers and researchers, as well as those involved with educational issues apart from the writing community (legislators, administrators, researchers in other fields, parents), this book contains essays that take a critical step beyond the standard arguments of the profession, pushing hard for example, at some of the…

Between 1996 and 1998, a team of teacher-consultants affiliated with the Kennesaw Mountain Writing Project (KMWP), Georgia, used support from Project Outreach of the National Writing Project to develop a model for promoting teacher leadership within individual urban schools and for their writing project site as a whole. Their model is not a…

Articles in this publication address the writing process, teaching writing, and research on the teaching of writing, and take the form of personal experience or opinion, or explore the work of others who have contributed to the field. Articles in the first issue of the volume include: "Imaginary Gardens and Real Issues: Improving Language Arts in…

The purpose of this review of literature was to synthesize a wide range of both quantitative and qualitative studies of teacher implementation of computer-assisted writing curriculum methods. Studies on the effect of computer-assisted learning, the relationship of computers and children's writing, and assessment methods for traditional and…

Focuses on performance, processes, and attitudes of 19 kindergarten students who participated in a semester of process writing and instructional activities, asking whether kindergartners can effectively engage in a writing workshop on a sustained basis. Indicates process writing instruction allowed students to show appreciable, measurable gains in…

Describes the successful use of computer conferencing in a journalism feature writing class. Discusses how conferencing works, conferencing and pedagogy, stumbling blocks, benefits, and further applications. (SR)

Suggests reasons why a gap exists between what is taught in methods class and what is found in many English classrooms, including the methods instructor's credibility, how methods classes themselves are conducted, and accountability of process-based teaching. Suggests ways the gap might be bridged. (SR)

This article posits a teacher change cycle based on an investigation of eight Hong Kong secondary teachers' adoption of innovative practice over a six-month period in which they received training and ongoing support to carry out three units of process writing lessons in one of their English classes. (JL)

A collaborative service delivery model for provision of speech-language services is presented. The model uses children's literature and content material in a writing process approach to teaching oral and written language skills in the general classroom, and uses pull-out support for initial instruction of voice, fluency, and articulation skills.…

Examines the sociocultural context in Singapore to determine the existence of an examination culture there. Argues that an examination culture has important repercussions for the introduction and implementation of innovative practices into the education system. Examination focuses on the 1991 English-language syllabus and how the introduction of…

Examines the rationale behind the British government's method for raising standards in writing at Key Stage 2, noting a renewed drive to teach discreet units of sentence grammar and a fresh commitment to shared and guided writing. Argues that these new measure ignore research on the ways children learn to write and will not lead to a rise in…

Suggests that special education students do well in writing process classrooms that use a variety of approaches, such as cooperative learning, reciprocal learning, and multisensory teaching. Views the writing process classroom as a place where teachers and students respect different learning styles. (TB)