This report summarizes the proceedings of a conference held at the Harvard Graduate School of Education which focused on the conceptual distinction between microworld software and expert system software in education. Microworld software is defined as software which lacks a specific teaching and learning agenda, and expert systems as software that…

Flexibility and change have characterized the 3-year history of the English curriculum-enrichment component of the Biomedical Sciences Preparatory Program (BioPrep)--a program that stresses science for rural high school students but includes the importance of writing and communication skills. In the program's first year the curriculum team set out…

A study evaluated the effects of one reading software program on the written language production of kindergarten and first grade students. Subjects were approximately 600 students from six different schools--three using the computerized reading program, Writing to Read, and three comparable in demographics, but not using the program. Stories…

A major problem in many composition classes is the unwillingness of the instructor to relinquish control in the classroom. Because students are excluded from having control in the classroom and control over their own writing, they become disenchanted with the processes of learning and discovery and the power those processes create. Students should…

Noting that the claim that writing is a way to learn underlies most writing across the curriculum programs, this paper provides an overview of recent research results supporting the claim and emphasizes the need for more research in this area. The paper first identifies three dominant interpretations in the writing across the curriculum…

Intended for teachers in all content areas, this guide provides activities for teaching formula poetry (poetry written according to a defined format) in all subject areas. First, a rationale for why teachers should include writing in their classrooms is presented. Next, the stages of the writing process are explained and the benefits of formula…

Instructional methods and rationales for all phases of the writing process are presented in this curriculum guide for grades one through eight. The first section of the guide presents 10 steps that comprise a process approach to writing based on research into the way writing happens. This is followed by descriptions of the various domains of…

Because a review of the literature shows a relationship between reading and writing, a project devised for teaching college composition classes consists of five assignments, culminating with a formal research paper. Students begin the project by doing research on an essayist chosen from a list provided by the teacher. In the first assignment,…

The nine teaching activities presented in these six extracted journal columns focus on writing assignments. The first assignment (by Gail Parson) presents a unit in which students compare the techniques used by four respected authors to evoke the world of dreams, and then--using what they learn from reading and talking about these stories--they…

There are few curricular programs or activities in the schools which help students develop skills that enable them to participate actively in voluntary civic or political activities. Literacy, and especially civic writing, is critical for participation in the civic process. But teaching civic writing, which is distinguished by its purposes,…

A study examined the types of writing courses currently offered by English departments at major universities, how they have changed over the last 10 years, and whether enrollments have increased or decreased during that period. The English departments at 198 institutions with graduate programs were surveyed; 105 usable responses were received (a…

Intended for use as a training model for writing teacher inservice efforts, this report surveys the Portland (Oregon) Writing Project which was designed specifically to improve the quality of writing instruction and the quality of student writing in Portland schools. Following an introduction that outlines the goals of the project, the report…

This guide explains how to plan, develop, and conduct a writing workshop for literacy volunteers who will be working with beginning readers. The workshop has been developed to introduce literacy volunteers to the idea of writing original supplementary reading materials, give them experience in writing with a controlled vocabulary and strict…

Lesley College and the public schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts collaborated in a project using the natural learning model from Don Holdaway's "The Foundations of Literacy" to improve literacy education in grades K-6. The first two phases of natural learning (desire to learn a skill and attempting the new skill with a proficient…

Reports in the ERIC database have found that computer-assisted writing instruction has some effect--if not a dramatic impact--in both the quantity and quality of student writing. Although computers are becoming more common in schools, the influx of computers into schools may not assure students ample opportunity to use them. Limited time-on-task…