This study examined the writing development of English language learners (ELLs) in a fourth-grade bilingual classroom in Northern California. The purpose of this study was to explore the linguistic and cultural resources the students used to inform their writing and determine to what extent, if any, these resources influenced their writing. The…

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…

A writing workshop is a pedagogical tool that can create a more productive experience for teachers and students alike. Business students who have used this technique with experienced instructors agree that a well-planned writing workshop can be useful for dispelling writing fears, furthering understanding of business communication skills,…

While plagiarism is often viewed in terms of ethical binaries, scholars in composition studies have recognized plagiarism as part of literacy practices governing identity construction. In this light, what is at stake is how writers construct identity by positioning stance-claims according to the standards of respective discourse communities. For…

Wiki empowers users in generating, revising, and organizing their own content. In this study, we review literature to gain theoretical support for wikis that impact learning. In a context of student journalists learning news writing, we design a two-phase field study: (1) Phase I--to examine learners' reflections on learning news writing in wiki…

Most state standards refer to the writing process as one that writers use to communicate ideas with meaning and clarity for a variety of purposes and audiences. The writing process includes the stages a writer progresses through to move from a blank piece of paper to a finished piece that will be shared with the intended audience. Many teachers…

Considering both current and historical perspectives, this article addresses conceptualisations of composing processes. Drawing on the findings of a recent research project, the article explores the significances of perspectives articulated by students in response to writing tasks and emphasises the multi-faceted nature of those perspectives. It…

Writing Workshop is an interactive approach to teaching writing as students learn and practice the importance of rehearsal, drafting/revising, and editing their pieces of writing (Calkins, 1986; Graves, 1983). This study implemented a mixed methodology design incorporating qualitative and quantitative analysis (Mills, 2007) by administering a pre…

The study of emotion as discourse not only eliminates objections about the individual psychology of students, it also connects researchers to methods that go beyond reflection and self-reporting. In this article, the author pursues these ideas within the context of a college composition course where students experienced a particularly high level…

This paper contends that if the teaching of theory is to be liberatory rather than alienating, the process of theorizing and theory writing needs to be demystifed. To do this, the paper first describes a personal experience that set the course of an educator's life--her learning of English (taught to her by her father) in China. The paper then…

If forensic activity is to contribute to student growth and development, careful attention must be given to training and experience in developing ideas. Borrowing from the time-honored premise of invention, forensics educators should highlight argument construction as a foundation in speechwriting practices. Some of the essential premises or…

This study investigated the writing habits of seven professionals who regularly use word processing to compose texts at work. The aim of the investigation was to get some idea of the variation to be found in how these writers use word processing to compose longer texts (four pages or more). Subjects noted advantages of word processing, such as the…

This book records the author's creative processes as she wrote the book, presenting a personal journey where all artists will recognize aspects of themselves. The first (and most extensive) part of the book (entitled "Elements of Creativity") reveals universal elements of creativity that mirror the ancient elements in nature:…

This guide to the development of effective documentation for users of computer software begins by identifying five types of documentation, i.e., training manuals, user guides, tutorials, on-screen help comments, and troubleshooting manuals. Six steps in the development process are then outlined and briefly described: (1) planning and preparation;…

This guide outlines the writing procedures for English Composition Pupil Performance Objective (PPO) assessments and tests. Procedures for both students and teachers are included for the prewriting, first draft writing, and revising/rewriting sessions. A brief guide to evaluation procedures and intervention strategies is also provided. (MM)