A writing instructor has grappled with how both to integrate and to complicate critical perspectives on technology in the writing classroom. In collaboration with another instructor, a computer classroom pedagogy was constructed emphasizing imperatives of cultural studies practice as outlined by James Berlin. The pedagogy is similar to Berlin's…

This handbook guides teachers through nine workshops designed to share strategies for success on writing tests. The workshops in the handbook give practical ideas that can be implemented in the elementary classroom to set the stage for test success without compromising children's growth as writers. Following a foreword by Michael R. Sampson and…

Offering 16 essays by presenters at the first Middle School Mosaic (held in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997), this book connects the themes of literacy, reflective practice, and the special characteristics of middle level teaching. In the first section, Literature and Literacy at the Middle Level, the authors examine questions of literacy by looking at…

This small book is a handy guide for bringing the work of author Alice Walker into the classroom. It includes biographical information, ideas for literature circles using Walker's short stories, sample writing lessons using Walker's poems, suggestions for teaching "The Color Purple," and a wealth of resources for further investigation of…

This publication contains journal essays and book chapters (from publications of the National Council of Teachers of English) which address trends and issues in elementary language arts education. The following articles appear in the publication's first section, "Writing and a Move to New Literacies": (1) "Sacred Cows: Questioning…

Since 1991-92, student writing portfolios have been part of Kentucky's high-stakes performance-based assessment. A study of schools with continuously improving or continuously declining writing portfolio scores led to identification of 36 indicators of successful writing programs. These indicators were used to develop a comprehensive needs…

An experimental 16-item 5-point Expository Writing Evaluator was administered to 1,311 college students in 79 writing courses to evaluate college-level courses in expository writing. The 16 expository writing items exhibited a narrow band of factor loadings ranging from .87 to .77, and the factor was labeled "Expository Writing Impact."…

Describes a fiction writing workshop with Sir Angus Wilson, an inspiring teacher and author, who showed other teachers how to shift class attention from product to process to person. (MM)

Traces the rising importance of the static abstractions Coherence, Unity, and Emphasis as prescriptive tools in teaching composition from the mid-1800s to the 1920s. Suggests that these terms have since decreased in popularity as organizing principles for composition texts because they fail to show students how to write effectively. (MM)

Existing and potential applications of the computer to writing instruction are outlined, including choosing and developing a subject, text analysis, simulation, and motivation. Some concerns about computer use in writing instruction are also discussed. (MSE)

Material in research and writing skills was integrated into departmental curricula in a Polish university. The intent was to develop students' skills in analyzing the content, reasoning, and forms of technical literature, and simultaneously practice planning written assignments, defining terms, organizing bibliographies, and using footnotes…

Reports results of a preliminary investigation of the feasibility and effectiveness of using word processors for students with poor writing skills. Subjects were 10 hearing-impaired teenagers. A comparison of correcting written work by hand and word processor, a sample of students' written work, research methodology, and possible implications are…

A study shows that advanced ESL students explore and clarify ideas and attend to language-related concerns primarily after their ideas have been delineated. These results call into question the prescriptive approach to writing instruction that is overly concerned with correctness. (MSE)

Discusses computer programs which encourage thinking. The programs, called "artificial intuition," ask questions based on three systems of inquiry, in particular, the heuristics of Aristotle's topics, Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad, and the tagmemic matrix. Also discusses research related to these programs and provides examples of…

A classroom game using a group of photographs from which students must derive a story is outlined. Beyond the original game, suggestions are given for further discussion, activities, and manipulation of the materials. Three series of photographs are provided as examples. (MSE)