Peer-response remains a central process in first-year composition; faculty can make it effective and efficient by "spotlighting"--designing the process as digital, emergent, and distributive. In this article, the author first elaborates on his own use of peer-response terminology. He favors "peer-response" as the descriptive term for…

This article presents an exchange between Kip Strasma and Elizabeth Tomlinson. Strasma responds to "Gender and Peer Response" by Tomlinson, and Tomlinson responds to Strasma's ""Spotlighting": Peer-Response in Digitally Supported First-Year Writing Courses." Both of them respond to each other's cross talk.

In this article, the author relates the history of one of the first two-year college writing laboratories in the country, the University of Minnesota General College Writing Laboratory, created in 1932. This writing laboratory was a setting in which a student could write "things which he wishes to write in answer to natural demands"…

Claims that writing logs constitute an effective teaching tool in basic college writing courses. Discusses one teacher's success using writing logs to assist the development of students' freewriting skills. Includes sample entries revealing students' comments and progress throughout the term and documenting the teacher's response to these…

Claims that self-evaluation instruments strengthen students' ability to evaluate their own writing and improve writing instruction. Argues that self-evaluation exercises should (1) help students evaluate their writing, (2) demystify teachers' grades, (3) encourage students' awareness as writers, (4) require written responses from student, and (5)…

Suggests that humans discover who they are and become what they are by communicating with each other; thus, the process of communicating becomes far more important than any particular product. Advocates a rhetoric of assent that takes these assumptions into account. (other, thusBW)

Presents a case study focusing on a gifted student writer whose shyness and strong personal commitment to her writing is not well suited to the atmosphere of peer writing workshops. (MG)

Argues that with the merging of old and new pedagogies in teaching writing, composition course methodology is becoming confusing. Asserts that unless composition courses become places to learn through writing, students are being shortchanged. (RAE)

Six core principles which serve as guides for instruction with a cognitive-developmental approach to composition are discussed. This approach combines writing as problem solving with recognition of external factors that influence writing. (HTH)

Describes methods for teaching student writers by bringing in the literary concept of metaphor. Argues that such a method of writing instruction helps students to develop skills of imagination and logical reasoning. Claims that metaphors can help underprepared students control the chaos called the writing process. (HB)

Presents and discusses three confessions regarding the effects computers have had on writing processes and products of three writing teachers. Suggests approaches to the use of word processing in composition courses and to research on such use. (SD)

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)

Suggests duplicating the depth and texture of real-life writing in the classroom by using the college organization and its functions to create more accurate writing assignments. (CRH)

Questions what is going on in the highest reaches of English composition research and the distance between theories of the composition process and actual classroom practice. (CRH)

Presents a theoretical model of the writing process and suggests having students create a picture collage as an introduction to the various roles and stages in the writing process. (HTH)