Discusses writing apprehension from the tutors' point of view, drawing on observations recorded in journals. Suggests that research and discussion about writing apprehension can form an important focus for developing a tutoring course. (MM)

Reviews the performance of computer programs for writing poetry and prose, including MARK V. SHANEY, MELL, POETRY GENERATOR, THUNDER THOUGHT, and ORPHEUS. Discusses the writing principles of the programs. Provides additional information on computer magnification techniques. (YP)

Compares the rhetorical context of essay exams with that of assignments written outside of class. Reports differences in pedagogical function, prompts, rhetorical function, mechanics, style, and organization. Refutes two common assumptions: that essay exams are not a genre and that they work against students' mastery of writing process skills.…

In writing workshops for college faculty, participants interview each other and write reports of the results, to be critiqued and revised collaboratively. The method teaches writing processes, encourages the integration of writing into courses, and provides a model for teachers to offer workshops to their colleagues. (MSE)

Describes the Critical Writing Program in the Catholic elementary schools in Arlington, Virginia, which teaches critical thinking through the process of writing. Illustrates the application of critical writing to history, science, and other subjects. Suggests ideas for "publishing" students' writing. (DMM)

Examines why writing instruction is mired in traditional practices, textbook dependency, and teacher-centered/maintenance-oriented methodologies. Contends that influences for the status quo in language arts instruction will remain powerful, but a metamorphosis of writing instruction is essential. (MS)

Gives strategies middle school teachers can use to promote student writing. Includes brief discussions of authentic writing; freedom of topic choice; free time to write; and the process of review, revision, feedback, and reinforcement. (ET)

Offers a case study of a "prewriting" class discussion and student writing in a secondary English class in an inner-city school. Suggests that, more than establishing a relationship with readers, students' talk and writing invoke a complex of roles that reflect their relationships with one another, the outside world, and their texts. (SR)

Compares the use of multiple choice and essay tests for student evaluation and asserts that essay tests are superior but have disadvantages. Presents a rationale and suggestions for implementing the guided essay approach to student evaluation. Includes an appendix with a guided essay format accompanied by a sample essay. (CFR)

Writing groups, used in many English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) composition classrooms, pose problems for some students from collectivistic cultures such as Japan and China. Suggested reasons are the individual benefit goal, the need for feedback rather than group harmony, and strained group dynamics. (Contains 41 references.) (Author/LB)

Discusses the lack of emphasis on writing skills in elementary and intermediate language classes, the purpose and process of writing, and general recommendations for the incorporation of writing into the language curriculum. Contains specific examples of writing tasks, including the composition of telegrams, recipes, postcards, directions, and…

Describes the process of writing and designing an effective brochure about a child care center, including working with professional designers and printers. (DR)

Examined the relationship between global writing quality and lower level analytic measures of writing, with a focus on cohesive indices, among 50 English-speaking Canadian fourth-graders. Results showed that both cohesive indices and lower level writing measures each accounted for a significant amount of the variance in holistic scores. (Contains…

Experiences in the English department of the State University of New York College at Potsdam illustrate the ways in which writing teachers can use even minimal computer technology for instructional intervention at several stages of the writing process and provide more individualized instruction. Familiarity with the technology breeds innovation.…

Discusses the issues of intimacy in the classroom within the context of the experiences of female writing students at Radcliffe College around the turn of the century. Asserts that students need options and the space to examine and move through their own fears. (PRA)