Presents an interview with Lois Lowry, 1994 Newbery Medal winner, about her book "The Giver" and the background for its writing. (SR)

Asserts that writing assessment should reflect current composition pedagogy, and offers a design to assess process writing. Discusses the development of the scoring criteria and the selection of range finders, as well as the standardization of training and scoring procedures. (PRA)

Describes a research paper assignment that emphasizes the process and involves three kinds of research: reflecting, interviewing, and reading. Outlines the four stages of the process--introspection, modeling synthesis, brainstorm outlining, and peer critiquing. (PRA)

Shares how students in second through sixth grade learn the "language of challenge" as they learn to read and write in their classrooms. Describes how the teachers and students challenge each other to grow as readers and writers and how they support each other in this process. (MG)

Recommends providing copy about undergraduate writing for publication in the campus "TA Handbook." Discusses the advantages of incorporating information about thinking-writing processes, and makes suggestions on the type of information needed by teaching assistants. (PRA)

Looks at the importance of valuing children's play for its contributions to writing skills. Shares the insights a teacher derives from observing children in situations where they seem to be "only playing." Reminds readers of the crucial connection between assessment and teaching that should be maintained. (MG)

Analyzes the document review process in organizations as described in the literature and describes 1 real-life case at the General Accounting Office in which 20 drafts are written and 9 people review them a total of 31 times. Discusses additional research needed to prepare students for this process. (SR)

Asserts that most technical writing textbooks are artificial as they do not force students to deal with writing problems in the same way as in the workplace. Maintains that technical writing instructors can provide their students with realistic writing alternatives. Discusses realistic alternatives for writing instruction and definitions. (PRA)

Examines how students interact during peer response groups, a key instructional activity designed specifically to encourage talk about writing. Finds that the frequency of response groups relative to other kinds of groups varied across classrooms, as did the relative amount of response that occurred in the group context. (MG)

Discusses writing instruction with student publications, teaching higher order thinking skills, developing a production schedule, process writing elements, and revision. (MG)

Presents an interview with James Britton, author of the book "Language and Learning." Discusses poetry and writing, revisions to his book, the relationship between teachers' classroom experiences and the writing of stories, and the practical application of research and theory. (PRA)

Describes the positive effect a teacher had on his son's writing by offering encouragement and interest rather than assignments and criticisms. (PRA)

Discusses the challenge presented by works of fiction, particularly for adolescents, that confront the reader with the deaths of central characters. Describes how one author justifies the presence of death in adolescent fiction. (HB)

Outlines and comments on the views of Clifford Geertz with regard to ethnography and social construction. Provides a transcript of an interview with Geertz, in which Geertz comments on his technical anthropological writings. Discusses his recent book "Works and Lives," his writing process, persuasive writing, and literary criticism,…

Describes an informal experiment designed to explore the relationship between drawing and writing, and the meaning held in the drawings. Finds that drawing should not be relegated only to small children, but should be used to help older students explore their thoughts and feelings as well. (PRA)