This paper shows how changing the learning situations in which psychology students find themselves can affect their motivation to write differently. When students have something to say to someone for some reason, they can learn both content and important lessons about writing. The paper describes a project that involved an introductory college…

This paper is based on the premise that the myth of the "Twice-Born" perpetuated by the high-caste Hindus of ancient India; the metaphors of re-birth, freedom, and light used by new literatures coming out of adult literacy classes; and current socio-biological theories of human evolution all speak to the truly transformational character…

Based on the premise that teachers are the chief condition in the literate classroom, and that one of the most important things children do is to observe the way adults think and learn, this book presents five essays suggesting methods of inviting children into the adult world of reading and writing. After a foreword by Donald Graves and an…

A practicum addressed fifth and sixth graders' deficiencies in writing and comprehension skills with the implementation of diagnostic-prescriptive teaching techniques. The Multi Level Academic Skills Inventory and interest inventories aided in defining students' specific strengths and weaknesses in the areas of reading and language arts. Among the…

Based on the concept that literacy is a family affair, this book presents an annotated list of materials published in the 1980s appropriate for use by organizations and individuals involved in literacy training and for learners seeking materials for their personal needs and enrichment. Each of the over 750 entries includes a bibliographic…

American literature is brought to life for Secondary students (grades 9-12) through this book which presents over 145 ready-to-use, interdisciplinary activities--for use with any American literature curriculum. The activities aim to improve writing skills, encourage critical thinking and literary analysis, and build vocabulary. Flexible enough for…

This report provides outcomes for the 1997-98 Monroe Community College's Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program, an effort designed to help students learn to write in all disciplines with the help of writing centers staffed by trained student writing fellows. The program focuses on improving the quality of services through renewed efforts to…

This paper examines the ways kindergarten teachers can help improve the writing skills of their students who are hesitant to write. The paper describes a project that modified the physical classroom environment, nurtured the emotional climate, and used other strategies, such as allowing more time to write, modeling functional writing, and valuing…

Encompassing both the practical and the scholarly, this annotated bibliography on public relations aims to provide a window into some of each of the offerings in academic and business journals, as well as in trade and professional journals published in 1997. The introduction notes that many entries in the bibliography deal with the Internet, the…

This second issue of a new journal presents six essays all on the theme of the imagination. New programming at the Touchstone Center has begun to focus on the importance of finding new forums for reflecting upon the place of the imagination in people's lives. The essays in this issue come from presenters in recent public lectures and workshops…

The social context in which the teacher and children are mutually engaged in written language is examined to explain the teacher's use of sociocultural, sociopsycholinguistic,and sociopolitical knowledge bases. An explanation of the psychogenetic theory of the alphabetic writing system is offered, and one bilingual whole language first grade…

A review of the literature on writing in a non-native or second language looked at empirical research, responded to a series of questions on the state of the art, and identified an agenda for future research. The questions addressed these issues: how writing ability in a non-native language (NNL) develops: whether there are developmental stages;…

While few business people dispute the importance of carefully crafting persuasive, demanding, conciliatory, and bad-news letters, the regular flow of routine communications receives very little meaningful consideration or scrutiny. These routine communications (letters, inquiries, requests, collection letters, complaints, confirmations,…

This paper discusses survey results from 68 assistant professors concerning the following areas: (1) their experiences with the promotion process; (2) the state of the respondents' publication writing skills; (3) their publication records; and (4) the nature of institutional support. Nearly two-thirds of the respondents did not consider the…

Traditional assessment in reading and writing does not accurately reflect what we currently know about the reading and writing process. It disempowers teachers, students, and parents; separates assessment, instruction, and learning; and employs externally defined criteria for cross assessment purposes. Efforts to develop useful alternative…