Writing Teachers Writing Software


Book Description

Presenting a comprehensive look at (and critical history of) computer-aided composition (CAC), this book focuses on faculty development of software for composition studies. The book describes who is building these writing tools, how they are doing so, how their work is being received, and what is likely to affect their efforts in the future. Chapters in the book are: (1) Introduction; (2) Understanding Computer Software; (3) The "Who" and "How" of CAC Software Development; (4) Forces that Impact CAC Software Design; and (5) CAC Software Design and the New Literacy. A brief description of 13 software programs mentioned in the book and samples of program interfaces are appended. (Contains over 200 references.) (RS)




The Writing Revolution


Book Description

Why you need a writing revolution in your classroom and how to lead it The Writing Revolution (TWR) provides a clear method of instruction that you can use no matter what subject or grade level you teach. The model, also known as The Hochman Method, has demonstrated, over and over, that it can turn weak writers into strong communicators by focusing on specific techniques that match their needs and by providing them with targeted feedback. Insurmountable as the challenges faced by many students may seem, The Writing Revolution can make a dramatic difference. And the method does more than improve writing skills. It also helps: Boost reading comprehension Improve organizational and study skills Enhance speaking abilities Develop analytical capabilities The Writing Revolution is as much a method of teaching content as it is a method of teaching writing. There's no separate writing block and no separate writing curriculum. Instead, teachers of all subjects adapt the TWR strategies and activities to their current curriculum and weave them into their content instruction. But perhaps what's most revolutionary about the TWR method is that it takes the mystery out of learning to write well. It breaks the writing process down into manageable chunks and then has students practice the chunks they need, repeatedly, while also learning content.




Teaching Writing in the Twenty-First Century


Book Description

Teaching Writing in the Twenty-First Century is a comprehensive introduction to writing instruction in an increasingly digital world. It provides both a theoretical background and detailed practical guidance to writing instructors faced with novel and ever-changing digital learning technologies, new approaches to access needs and usability design, increasing student diversity, and the multiliteracies of reading, alphabetic writing, and multimodal composition. A companion volume, Administering Writing Programs in the Twenty-First Century, considers the role of administrators in addressing these issues. Covering all aspects of teaching online, various composition genres, and the technologies available to teachers, Teaching Writing in the Twenty-First Century addresses composing processes and approaches; designing and scaffolding assignments; providing response, feedback, and evaluation; communicating effectively; and supporting students. These strategic and practical ideas are prefaced by a history of the relation between composition and rhetoric and a guide to diversity, inclusion, and access. The volume ends with a chapter on envisioning the future of composition.




The Writing Teacher's Companion


Book Description

This warm and practical guidebook by celebrated author and educator Ralph Fletcher demystifies the teaching of writing and shows how to engage every student.




Teaching Writing Using Blogs, Wikis, and Other Digital Tools


Book Description

See how to use various digital tools including blogs, wikis, digital mapping, online chat, digital storytelling, podcasts, e-portfolios, and others to teach writing in the classroom. Packed with examples of teaching activities and student writing, this one-of-its-kind book demonstrates how to use search engines and digital mapping to develop information, online discussion tools and blogs to formulate ideas, Wikis to write collaboratively, digital storytelling and poetry to create multimodal texts, podcasts and vlogs to create audio and video texts, online commenting tools to provide peer feedback, and much more. Included are links to new tools and activities on the authors constantly updated Web site, http: //digitalwriting.pbwiki.com."




Writing without Teachers


Book Description

In Writing Without Teachers, well-known advocate of innovative teaching methods Peter Elbow outlines a practical program for learning how to write. His approach is especially helpful to people who get "stuck" or blocked in their writing, and is equally useful for writing fiction, poetry, and essays, as well as reports, lectures, and memos. The core of Elbow's thinking is a challenge against traditional writing methods. Instead of editing and outlining material in the initial steps of the writing process, Elbow celebrates non-stop or free uncensored writing, without editorial checkpoints first, followed much later by the editorial process. This approach turns the focus towards encouraging ways of developing confidence and inspiration through free writing, multiple drafts, diaries, and notes. Elbow guides the reader through his metaphor of writing as "cooking:" his term for heating up the creative process where the subconscious bubbles up to the surface and the writing gets good. 1998 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Writing Without Teachers. In this edition, Elbow reexamines his program and the subsequent influence his techniques have had on writers, students, and teachers. This invaluable guide will benefit anyone, whether in the classroom, boardroom, or living room, who has ever had trouble writing.







Teaching Writing


Book Description

"Writing allows each of us to live with that special wide-awakeness that comes from knowing that our lives and our ideas are worth writing about." -Lucy Calkins Teaching Writing is Lucy Calkins at her best-a distillation of the work that's placed Lucy and her colleagues at the forefront of the teaching of writing for over thirty years. This book promises to inspire teachers to teach with renewed passion and power and to invigorate the entire school day. This is a book for readers who want an introduction to the writing workshop, and for those who've lived and breathed this work for decades. Although Lucy addresses the familiar topics-the writing process, conferring, kinds of writing, and writing assessment- she helps us see those topics with new eyes. She clears away the debris to show us the teeny details, and she shows us the majesty and meaning, too, in these simple yet powerful teaching acts. Download a sample chapter for more information.




Interactive Writing


Book Description

Interactive Writing is specifically focused on the early phases of writing, and has special relevance to prekindergarten, kindergarten, grade 1 and 2 teachers.




Preparing College Teachers of Writing


Book Description

Preparing College Teachers of Writing: Histories, Theories, Programs, Practices offers essential advice to writing program administrators, teachers of methods courses and practica, and mentors of new writing faculty, as well as graduate students studying for professions in writing program administration. This extensive collection discusses the contexts, structures, development, practices, and evaluation of teaching assistant (TA) preparation programs in writing pedagogy. It features essays by thirty-five prominent experts in college composition and three former graduate students who participated in TA preparation programs. These contributors, from twenty-nine different institutions, represent decades of experience as well as significant geographic and demographic diversity. Focusing on what new college teachers need to learn about teaching writing and what types of programs best facilitate this learning,Preparing College Teachers of Writing answers these vital questions: What are the historical contexts for current TA preparation programs? What theories inform TA preparation programs? How are successful TA programs structured? and What teaching practices have proven effective in preparing TAs for college writing classrooms? The selections cover a wide range of TA preparation structures including summer orientations and theory and methods courses. Several essays address the most recent topics in the field: mentoring, reflective practices, evaluation of teaching strategies and student writing, and job preparation. The essays are optimistic and emphasize proven practices; when contributors discuss program failures, they do so to provide contexts for their programs' changes and subsequent successes. Ideal for courses in teaching college composition,Preparing College Teachers of Writing provides a uniquely comprehensive treatment of this complex topic.