Describes techniques that help students become reflective about their learning. Describes how involving students as coresearchers who examine collectively the workings of their classroom supports the goal of learning to reflect, and allows teachers and students to learn to work together. Describes how this worked in a 12th-, 5th-, and 2nd-grade…

Describes how a high school English teacher and a university instructor of preservice teachers worked together to create cross-age student partnerships, in which the college students responded to the high school students' writing. Describes the project's evolution, benefits to the high school students, to the college students, and to both…

Suggests that the revolutionary potentials of network technologies are not intrinsic to the technologies. Uses experiences of Daedalus Interchange in composition classrooms to argue for critical engagement with technologies. Suggests that unless writing teachers critically address students' perceptions of writing, they will replicate the same…

Shows how teaching grammar through writing can be a successful strategy. Points out the steps one teacher used in teaching a writing and grammar process with her sixth graders and illustrates its effectiveness, both with one high-risk student and also through a school disruption caused by fire. (SR)

This article discusses teaching strategies for reading and writing using computer software and Internet-based electronic materials for students with disabilities. Different types of educational software are described, along with prereading strategies, reading activities, and postreading activities. A list of literacy links on the World Wide Web is…

Discusses the design and impact of Kentucky's statewide writing portfolio assessment. Describes how it was designed to influence writing instruction in Kentucky in positive ways. Evaluates its impact, noting progress toward overall goals, struggles with understanding "authentic audience," and the amazing staying power of the…

Presents four case studies to examine how first and second graders worked together using source texts to write their own informational books. Concludes that all four pairs of students were successful in many ways. Notes how the students saw themselves as experts, and were able to see firsthand how important reading and writing were in their…

Describes the author's experiences teaching composition to inmates at a women's minimum security prison. Describes how these students wrote with alacrity and passion, using writing as a tool to solve problems and enlighten. Discusses how mandated curriculum and assignment requirements were met, revisions made and issues of dialect discussed, while…

Examines the ways in which the boys and girls in three fourth-grade classrooms used writing to perform gender roles. Notes that the characters in girls' narrative writing demonstrated more emotion and more prosocial behaviors (helping, sharing, empathizing), whereas characters in boys' narrative writing exhibited more aggressive behavior and…

Argues that lexical, syntactic, organizational, and material aspects of writing construct identity just as much as the phonetic and prosodic aspects of speech do. Illustrates this with writing samples of graduate students studying in British universities. Recommends second language writing pedagogy that raises critical awareness about voice.…

A survey of 1,663 teachers of students with blindness examined their attitudes about braille literacy. This article summarizes their comments concerning teaching braille, making the print-braille decision, use of technological devices, the importance of braille as a learning medium, use of slate and stylus, teachers' braille skills, legislation,…

Semistructured interviews with 10 deaf and 10 hearing young adults found that instrumental writing occurred as frequently between deaf children and hearing parents as between deaf children and deaf parents. Deaf respondents did less personal or expressive writing than hearing peers. Implications for literacy instruction and further research are…

Examines how composition courses help students to change and effect change through writing about themselves and issues immediately relevant to their lives, whether that be the college campus, or, in the case of inmates, low socioeconomic living. Argues for a student-centered activism through language and ethnographic, hands-on research. (TB)

Shares information about how four African American vernacular English speakers have successfully used their language abilities--the language of their everyday lives--within the context of their expository writing. Discusses principles that have guided one teacher in her work with language diverse students. (TB)

Reviews a study examining the influence of rhetorical specification in writing prompts on the writing quality of 7th-, 9th-, and 11th-grade students, and college freshmen. Analyzes the main and interactive effects of topic, purpose, and audience on writing quality. Indicates that students use different kinds of rhetorical information at different…