Describes writing conferences as a productive supplement to classroom teaching, and examines teacher behavior and the language they employ during these conferences. Supports the idea that current findings in sociolinguistics could better inform classroom practices and increase awareness and understanding of the impact of "teacher talk." Contains…

Examines students' responses and comments on facilitative (helping the student rethink a paper analytically) versus directive commentary (teacher suggestions made in an authoritative manner). Argues that directive commentary has several legitimate uses and that its judicious use can coax students into writing stronger text. (SR)

Examines the nature of literacy activities in a technology-based fourth-grade classroom, investigating how the writing process is affected when technology is part of the classroom routine. Discusses findings in five areas: defining the writing episode, examining the writing process, assessing growth in written expression, relating production to…

Describes computer-software programs that "read" and score college-placement essays. Argues they may impress administrators, but they also (1) marginalize students by disregarding what they have to say; (2) disregard decades of research on the writing process; and (3) ignore faculty's professional expertise. Argues assessment practices should be…

Finds that 86% of the 59 MBA programs completing a survey used scores from the Analytical Writing Assessment of the Graduate Management Admission Test to refine their admissions decisions, but only a few schools used the test diagnostically in making such other decisions as placing students in writing-development courses, waiving communication…

Investigated the effects of content and perceived ethnicity of authorship on teacher bias in scoring writing samples. Teachers read and scored four writing samples that included markers to promote assumptions about certain ethnocultural/racial groups and that varied in violent content. Results indicate that teachers' attitudes regarding ethnicity…

Compares students' writing in a computer classroom and in a conventional pen-and-paper classroom. Finds that students in the conventional classroom responded readily to the same pedagogical approaches without the aid of computers. Suggests that it is nearly impossible to account for the results without weighing the roles played by pedagogy,…

Discusses implementation at Conestoga Elementary School in Gillette, Wyoming, of an electronic portfolio system to store both two-dimensional information, such as writing and drawing, and full-motion video sequences for each student. Notes that teachers, parents, and students can access the portfolios, which reside on rewritable optical disks; and…

Addresses the disruption that frequently follows the insertion of computers into non-computer-mediated practices. Describes several traditional and computer-mediated peer-response strategies. Analyzes what is gained and lost when students move from traditional to computer-mediated peer-response groups. Acknowledges that computer-mediated…

Argues that grading and evaluation need not be as pervasive as they seem. Explores ways teachers can step outside grading: nongraded writing assignments, portfolios, and grading contracts. Explores how it is possible to go further and step outside the mentality of evaluation by using certain descriptive and analytic responses to student writing.…

Reviews findings of an investigation in which four European-American teachers assessed fifth- and sixth-grade students' written texts. Replicates the study using African-American teachers assessing the same texts. Finds that the teachers held consistently different views about assessment. Presents the voices of the African-American teachers, who…

Analyzes the effects of culture-referenced essay prompts/topics on the writing quality of 11th- and 12th-grade students who participated in a collaborative project between Temple University's Writing Program and four Philadelphia public high schools. Scores 711 essays holistically. Suggests that the culture-referenced topics elicited better…

Notes that portfolios are a valuable classroom practice and one with many applications to the world students will enter when they leave the classroom, but the use of portfolios to assess distorts the concept and weakens its effectiveness. Discourages the use of portfolios for assessment. Concludes that portfolios are not about assessment; they are…

Describes features of the Six Traits approach to assessing student writing in a Montessori elementary classroom: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. Includes sample assessments for informational and creative writing. Maintains that use of the Six Traits assessment in conjunction with student reflection…

Interviews with 15 doctoral students in nursing generated themes related to the usefulness of writing critique. Students expressed a need for clearly designed writing assignments, varied feedback at different stages of the writing process, recognition of individuality, and assistance in finding their scholarly voice. (SK)