Offers questions to guide both initial and ongoing development of a computer writing lab. Discusses ways mobile workstations (consisting of a computer, printer, overhead, and a LCD projection unit) will extend the writing lab. (SR)

Defines portfolios in terms of their uses in university writing courses. Summarizes teachers' experiences in implementing portfolios in departments that have not adopted portfolios. Reviews common complaints and questions writing teachers have about portfolios. Describes and gives examples of student portfolios. (RS)

Describes a cross-age literacy program involving first- and fourth-grade students. Discusses tutorial activities, subject-matter acquisition activities, reading and creative dramatics activities, and writing and book making activities. Notes that the motivation, enthusiasm, and practice the program provided was more than expected. (RS)

Describes a first-day assignment for writing courses called a "writing autobiography" in which the student is asked to identify and assess their own strengths and weaknesses as writers. Argues for the value of having students consider their processes as writers. (HB)

Describes successful teaching ideas as submitted by active English instructors, including (1) "Dialogue-Response Paragraphs"; (2) "Using Common Errors to Improve Student Writing"; (3) "Modeling Shakespeare"; (4) "Resource Centers as Teaching Centers"; and (5) "The Collaborative Exam." (HB)

Describes a method of including students into a community of readers through which they are encouraged to respond individually to literary texts. Shows how writing prompts can be used in the classroom to foster reader response and the integrity of each reader's interpretation of a text. (HB)

Suggests that, if politics matters to any field, it should matter to composition instruction, which faces the crisis of postmodernity along with other disciplines. Considers how a truly common knowledge might be pursued and its possible relevance for the field of composition studies. (HB)

Offers 2 favorite writing activities for the computer lab: (1) students write about 100 words of the beginning and end of a favorite fiction book, while another student fills in the middle; and (2) students choose from 1 of 3 plot twists, write at least 5 sentences, and then write 3 more plot twists for the next student. (SR)

Investigates and outlines three approaches for foreign language writing instruction. It is argued that a combination of computer-assisted language learning and conference teaching would best provide a maximally goal-directed writing course tailored to the specific needs and learning styles of individual students with authentic material input and…

Shows how two "meanings" from the "Challenger" disaster can be examined in a technical writing class to illustrate the social contingency of meaning even in science and technology. (SR)

Muses on why, given its inherent difficulties, writing across the curriculum has gathered so many friends. Concludes it is because the most important function of writing across the curriculum is to develop the cultural literacy of students, focusing them as much on how something is known as on what it is that is known. (SR)

Describes approaches to teaching business writing that can produce effective writers. Addresses the myths that writing is impossibly hard to master, that writing skill is inborn, and that writing well means "obeying the rules." (SR)

Outlines a model of classroom discourse analysis that provides evidence with which to establish the operation of two discourses. A secondary purpose is to demonstrate how the method of analysis can expose some significant limitations in much educational practice and to point to ways of addressing those limitations. (32 references) (VWL)

Describes an English teacher's struggle to improve her writing instruction by improving her own writing process, incorporating a commentary or reflection step. The teacher used journal writing with her high school students to help them reflect upon their writing of short stories. (KS)

Investigates student perceptions of the effectiveness of two methods of teaching students to create personal resumes. Offers a description of a method for teaching the design of resumes and application letters that involves evaluation of students' resumes by a business executive. Notes that advice from executives often means more to students than…