Word Works Annotated
Bibliography: 1986 - 1994
Word Works #1 January 1986
Greetings! First issue included two main goals: to encourage the use of the Writing Center and to acquaint BSU faculty with the services of the writing center and the BSU writing program. Addressed workshops designed to meet the needs of writers. This issue of Word Works also referred to the Writing Center as a tutoring service not interested in changing the writer, just the writing. Addressed the minimal competency exam.
Word Works #2 February 1986: "The Writing Center: A Tutor’s View; What Happens to Students’ Writing Skills?"
This issue of Word Works is split into two separate articles. The first is a brief summary of a new writing center tutor’s experiences and thoughts after her first semester of work. The second article discusses why students do not always write to their potential and ways to improve writing quality.
The author of the first article talks about problems she faced in tutoring. She described her confrontations with students who wanted a paper proof read. She talks about how she was not a proofreader, but an assistant to help guide and strengthen skills of young writers. The Author talks about the struggles she had with getting writers to open up in consultations. She described her responsibility to ask probing questions to help move the consultation on. The writer gives a specific example of a student who wrote a paper on her mother who had died recently. The writer began to cry in the session and the tutor had to calm her down and guide the session safely through.
In the second article the author talks about students who aren’t writing to their highest ability. The author begins the article by stating an assumed truth she thinks is wrong. Many people believe that after finishing English 101 and 102, they have all the writing skills they need. The author says that writing is a life long process, and writing can continue to improve. A problem the author sees in student writing is underdeveloped ideas. Students simply do not know enough about their topics. She suggests freewrites. Freewriting on a topic can help create new ideas and views on any issue. She suggests that all students keep a writing journal. Every day students should write in them, to keep the skills of writing fresh in their minds.
Word Works #3 March 1986: Fritz Frederick and June Penner. “Faculty members report on uses of writing-for-learning.”
This issue reports the responses by two faculty members to a request by Word Works for ideas about how to utilize writing in the classroom. These teachers were among 34 instructors who attended summer seminars in Writing and Learning across the Curriculum in 1983 and 1984. Fritz Frederick, from the Department of Teacher Education, offers his idea to have undergraduates write about a noteworthy achievement in their lives that has had some affect on others. His purpose is for students to realize the scope of their experiences and apply them to their own teaching, as well as for his own evaluation of their writing capability early in the course.
Department of Nursing teacher June Penner forgoes lecturing in favor of combining writing with class discussions, giving students have input into the material covered in class. Penner facilitates the discussions, but leaves it to the class to determine the content based on their reading. The students then write summaries of what has been discussed. Penner believes this process gives students confidence and enhances their learning experience, as well as her own experience as a teacher.
Word Works #4 April 1986
"Writing and brain activity” by Heather Garonzik discusses the differences between the left and right sides of the brain, and their pertinence in the writing process. She explains that it is the left side of the brain that helps with critical thinking and writing term papers. It is the right side, Garzonik states, which helps keep the creative thoughts coming. This side of the brain is important for students because it helps them brainstorm and explore ideas. “Using Freewriting in the Classroom” also mentions the right brain and how it assists students. One nursing class found it useful in remembering material and problem solving. This issue’s final contribution, “Writing in Theatre Arts” by Bob Erikson, tells how theatre students can benefit from writing critiques of each other because it forces them to think critically.
Word Works #5 September 1986
Striving to get their voices out, the writers of issue number five use many tactics. First, there is a brief hello to the readers of the newsletter, telling them again what the newsletter is about and how it can help. Next, an article discusses ways in which the Writing Center can help not only students, but teachers as well. The last two sections of this article are about writing workshops for classes as well as for faculty.
Word Works #6 October 1986: "Responding to Student Writing"
The author suggests various principles and tricks that teachers can use when responding to students’ writing so that the task is not tedious or too time-consuming. The principles include:
1. Comments should be written as phrases, sentences and paragraphs.
2. Positive and detailed comments help and encourage students.
3. A lot of red ink rarely leads to improvement in students’ writing.
4. It is important that teachers remember they are readers of their students’ papers, not editors.
5. Putting higher-order concerns is more useful to a student than focusing on lower-order concerns.
Tricks to handle paper load include involving students to become a critics of their own papers, having students critique each other’s papers, and then as a group create the grading criteria. Having students attach a statement about draft changes helps the teacher know what to look for. By typing their comments, teachers can write much more in a shorter time, especially if they use peer comments. Marking only a half page of errors, near the end of the paper, rather than correcting the whole piece saves time. By occasionally writing the class a letter about their papers as a whole, teachers not only get a break from the tedium of marking papers, but also may find that the students’ view of their teacher alters in interesting ways.
Word Works #7 November 1986
There are two articles in this edition of Word Works: “Doublespeak Awards—A Sneak Preview” and “Creating Writing Assignments.”The first article briefly defines doublespeak awards as “celebrat[ions] [of] . . . particularly obfuscating, shifty, insidious uses of language collected over the past year.” It then offers six examples of nominees for the award from 1986, including three quotations from former President Ronald Reagan.
The second article outlines different ways to set up creative wring assignments and things to consider before assigning them. It discusses when to assign a “most important paper” and the benefits of looking over student writing at various stages in the composing process rather than only when the writing is due. This article also offers advice on how to prevent misunderstanding of the assignments by students, one example being the importance of defining terms that you use in the description of the assignment, such as what you mean when you say “critical analysis.”
Word Works #8 December 1986
This word works issue is based on a competition that was held as a workshop. The students were given two lists of words to choose from. From these words the students were suppose to write a short story or poem that incorporated as many words from one of the lists as possible in fifteen minutes time. The top four winners pieces were also provided in this issue.
Word Works #9 January 1987
In this issues the article “Writing the Summary” talks about how summarizing books, articles, and observations helps students absorb information and process what they have learned. The article gives the following guidelines for summarizing a text: Read for purpose and meaning, read for organization, label sections, write an “umbrella” sentence, and combine umbrella sentences with others for a complete summary in your own words.
Word Works #10 February 1987
Discussed the benefits of writing synthesis. Included a definition of synthesis and how it relates to writing. This issue also included a sample assignment from Professor Greg Raymond, Political Science. This assignment gave an overview of information from different sources and asked that the reader be able to read tow or more items, from different sources and then make a generalization about what was read. In follow up, there were three questions, which served as guidelines to use while synthesizing information.
Word Works # 11 March 1987 “Writing the ‘Critical Evaluation’”
This issue of Word Works deals with concerns teachers may have about their student’s abilities to analyze and produce critical thinking in assignments. It addresses professor frustration at the lack of critical thinking and analysis in most student work, but acknowledges that critical thinking and analysis are often tough concepts for students to gain a clear understanding of, much less produce. The issue then proceeds to offer ideas/ways for professors to clarify the concepts of critical thinking and analysis to students, which will enable the students to produce higher quality work and reduce professor frustration. In addition to the suggestions for professors, the issue also offers suggestions aimed directly at students.
Word Works #12 April 1987
This issue of Word Works is addressing a call to the professors at Boise State University to see if they would be interested in having a writing center tutor work with their students on assigned papers assigned in their class. It is based on the principle that the tutors would be just that-not experts.
Also in this issue deals with how professors and faculty can promote the writing center by sending their students their. It is a reflective piece addressing the increase in the number of students that seek help in the writing center.
In the final column of the article it addresses the writing center’s promotion for diversity. I t goes into detail about desiring non-English majors to apply to be writing center tutors. It gives a description of the job and all the detail pertaining to it.
Word Works #13 September 1987 “Lower Your Standards”
In this issue of Word Works the author gives tips on how writers can generate writing when they are experiencing writer’s block. The Author gives five key points that they believe will help any writer keep writing when they feel like they can’t write anymore. -The author begins the issue with a piece of advice he never understood until years later. The author read a quote by William Stafford, which said, “Lower your standards.” The author admits that once first reading the advice he thought it was nonsense. But he later discovers that it is good advice. The author explains that writers can often be too hard on themselves. They will dismiss sentences and ideas before they ever even put them onto page. Writers dismiss ideas that have potential to be good. This is where a writer must lower his or her standards. The author says that a writer must start writing, without concern of whether it is good or bad. The author says that, “by lowering the standards, a writer becomes freer to put anything down on paper, the good the bad. And the ugly.”
The author gives five tips on how to end writers block:
Freewrite. A writer can set a time limit during which he or she devotes the time to writing anything that comes into their heads about the topic. They must not worry about whether what they are writing is good or not.
Loop. When a writer has a paragraph they don’t like, they can go back to the last sentence they do like, and rewrite the rest of the paragraph.
Skip ahead. Many amateur writers believe that they must write the story in which it is read. This is not true. If a writer feels stuck they can simply skip ahead, and when it comes time to write the stuck paragraph, they will likely have a better concept on it.
Summarize. When writing slows down, the author says a writer should write, “what I want to say is…” and finish the sentence. This statement will often get writing started again.
Paraphrase. If a writer is having trouble finding the right words, they should write the sentence with bad ones. Paraphrase what they want to say, and eventually they’ll find the right words.
Word Works #14 October 1987
Andrew Mak and Sherri Stuska. “On Responding to ESL Writing.”
The authors address the difficulties ESL students face when learning to write in English, which often perpetuate a negative self-image in the student. The focus is on the instructor’s attitude towards these students and the need for “basic human understanding and compassion” when dealing with their problems with writing in English. The authors advocate positive reinforcement to give ESL students the confidence they need to write well in English.
Carol Pope and Denny Wolfe. “Seven Ways Writing Can Help You and Your Students.” Adapted from “Developing Thinking Processes: Ten Writing-For Learning Tasks Throughout the Curriculum.” Virginia English Bulletin. 35.1, 1985: 11-17.
The second part of this Word Works issue is an adaptation from the Virginia English Bulletin. This list addresses the way writing can be utilized to enhance any curriculum. As stated, “the motive is not writing for testing, but … writing for learning.” The items include writing for comprehension, in which students write to explore their own understanding of what they have read. Also discussed are the ways students can write to evaluate any material that is covered in class. This is valuable as a means to discover strengths and weaknesses in the students’ learning experience.
Word Works #15 November 1987
This issue of Word Works discusses writing across the curriculum through the research of Lucille McCarthy’s work, “A Stranger in Strange Lands: A College Student Writing Across the Curriculum.” McCarthy’s study followed a student, Dave, through his composition, biology and poetry course. The article explains the three sociological factors that affected Dave’s writing abilities in his three courses. These factors are: how important the writing was to his future, his relationship with his professor, and the role his writing played. Also included in this issue of Word Works is an article on the successfulness of “bridge courses” at Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota. These courses originally started as a means to assist (ESL), English as a Second Language students, with learning English, but soon became a popular way to “combine subjects and foreign language instruction.
Word Works #16 December 1987
Issue 16 has three sections. The first is a story about an upset writer coming into the Writing Center. The story explains that oftentimes the best way to teach or tutor is to listen to the writer’s concerns. Second, there is a section entitled “NCTE’S” 1987 Doublespeak Awards,” which points out many political quotes that either contradict themselves or don’t make any sense. Last, there is a section on ways in which the Writing Center can help teachers and their students: through in-class workshops, and through presentations that allow consultants to speak with members of a class individually or in small groups about specific assignments.
Word Works #17 January 1988 "Talk: The Other Dimension of Language-for-Learning"
The power of the spoken word is emphasized in this Word Works. By talking about a particular subject, students hash it over and make it their own in their own language. In some ways, talk can be more powerful than expressive writing because the audience can provide instant feedback by reacting, agreeing, disagreeing, and asking for clarification. The speaker then has an opportunity to rethink ideas and consider other points of view. In talk, students don’t have to worry too much about sentence structure and word choice. Strategies for organizing small-group talks are discussed, including appointing a chairperson and a recorder, and managing time.
Word Works #18 February 1988
This edition of Word Works discusses the “Multiple Conference” in two sections: “Building a Classroom Community” and “Conference Payoffs.”The “Building a Classroom Community” section discusses the importance of not just having the instructor look at a student’s work, but also having peer feedback. The article recommends having “multiple conferences,” which is defined within the article as a group of three or four peers along with the writer and the instructor meeting to discuss a piece of writing. The writer would be required to bring a draft for each member of the group so that everyone would have a draft to look at during the discussion. This means of examining a paper helps the writer conceptualize the writing as speaking to a larger audience and it helps the readers learn to better communicate about writing. The “Conference Payoffs” section examines the benefits of the conferences, including bringing concepts to life by discussing them, making the class more cohesive, and improving the students’ willingness to learn. Although the conferences require some class time to be cancelled, the benefits outweigh the costs.
Word Works #19 March 1988
I found this to be a very helpful issue about research papers in regards to how teacher should approach them as well as advice for students who are writing them. For teachers it suggested telling the students about the paper as soon as possible as well as pressuring students to choose a topic that they are interested in researching. As for advice for students, this issue has some new (or at least so old they are new again) ideas for helping students with their sources. The idea is to start a grid of sources vs. ideas in the sources giving a more broad view of how the sources correlate and even gives the student an easy way to play with cause and effect. This creates a simple way to track and formulate ideas so that when it comes to writing the paper the information is all there and simple to understand. It also informs the student writing on how to weed through sources and encourages them to understand the source fully before using it in their paper.
Word Works #20 April 1988
In this issue is a continuation of issue 19. It gives many useful tips for long research papers in terms of not having too much, which compromises the writers voice, and instead suggests using strong quotes. Using effective quotes help the writer point as well as provides more for the writer to discuss. The article also states the importance of sighting ideas clearly so that there is no question as to what is coming from the writer or the writer’s sources and the best way to go about citations.
Word Works #21 September 1988
In this issue, Richard Leahy discusses the “Seven Myth-Understandings about the Writing Center.” The myths he discusses are (1) The writing center is a remedial service for poor writers, (2) The writing center is mainly concerned with competency exams, (3) The writing center is only for students in English classes, (4) The writing center does work for students that they should be doing on their own, (5) Faculty should require students to visit the writing center, (6) The writing center only helps with essays and term papers, and (7) The writing center is only for students. Leahy counters each myth with the Writing Center’s true emphases.
Word Works #22 October 1988
This issue addressed the fact that the BSU "Writing Across the Curriculum" was not an organized effort for systemized "writing for Learning". Options for remedy included: Writing intensive courses - which are easy to establish, Writing Courses in Major Fields - which are actual discipline courses where the professional writing of the discipline is practiced, Writing Link Courses - which are writing classes linked to lecture courses, Peer Tutors as Writing Consultants - which would involve writing proficiency courses with Writing Fellows assigned to a predetermined number of students.
Word Works #23 November 1988 "Creating Short Write-to-Learn Assignments" (Part 1)
This issue of Word Works is a compilation of suggestions/guidelines by John C. Bean, and is reproduced in this issue with his permission. The issue states that the goal of Write-To-Learn assignments “is to increase students’ mastery of concepts in a course and to develop thinking skills.” The assignments are supposed to help students learn as they are writing, instead of having students write what they have already learned. John C. Bean shows teachers how to integrate Write-to-Learn assignments into their curriculum, giving several options and descriptions of each type of assignment. He also tells how to describe these assignments to students.
Word Works #24 December 1988
This is the second part of the Write-to-Learn series by John C. Bean, reprinted with his permission. The first part explained Write-to-Learn assignments and showed how to create them. This second part gives specific examples of Write-to-Learn assignments. These assignments range from journal tasks and collaborative question answering, to having the students’ role play and write dialogues and mini-plays. There are 8 ideas given and each idea is explained in depth, for teachers to adopt and tryout in their classrooms.
Word Works #25 January 1989 "Writing the Research Report"
This issue of Word Works deals specifically with writing a research report. It gives a numeric list of what is in a research report and then identifies different parts and types of reports such as, the abstract, the introduction and the results. It also has an inverted pyramid scheme of how to write the report.
This is a very helpful issue for anyone who is trying to teach how to write a research report or anyone interested in writing one.
Word Works #26 February 1989 "Writing the Research Report, Part II"
This issue continues the discussion, which began in the January 1989 issue of Word Works, on how to write a research report. This issue tackles how to write the conclusion. It also gives a detailed numerically ordered overview of how to interpret the results and then how to explain them, and then what the consequences of the results are.
On the last column of this issue it addresses the writing centre and how to use it as a student. It explains who uses the center, if you need an appointment, when you should come in, and what help it will provide.
Word Works #27 March 1989 “Learning-Through-Writing: Time for a Bit of Theory”
In Word Works #27, the theory behind learning-through-writing is discussed. James Britton, the greatest influence on this field, identified and separated the different kinds of language into three “function classes”: Transactional, Expressive, and Poetic. These classes run on a continuum. In this article, each class is described in detail and the audience for each class is identified. Transactional writing gets things done: it performs, persuades, and instructs. Poetic writing includes poems, short stories, and novels. And Expressive writing, occupying the broad middle ground between the extremes of the Transactional and Poetic forms, is like informal talk; the kind seen in journals, personal letters, free writing, and in written dialogue between students. Expressive writing, starting close to the self, is a precursor to the other function categories. A well-designed content course using writing-for-learning incorporates expressive writing into daily class work as a tool for improving students’ writing. Expressive writing can be scary for students who have not used it before, so instructors should help and encourage those students.
Word Works #28. April 1989 “Helping John See” by Randy Barnack
The author recounts his experience tutoring one student in repeated sessions at the Writing Center over one semester. Barnack tells the story of the student’s, “John’s”, return to school at mid-life after his release from prison. John is described as a beginning writer “very open to suggestions about writing procedures.” Barnack used methods such as Q&A to prompt ideas, role-playing to motivate interest in a subject, and taking time away from the paper before proofreading. He explains his own way of projecting himself as a “friendly helper” to the student, sharing some of his own writing experiences with John. John’s progress over the semester is detailed, as Barnack helps him to see what is possible in writing. Barnack presents the information in a straightforward, anecdotal manner. The tutoring methods discussed are related only to the way they were of benefit to John. As Barnack states, John is not characteristic of the variety of students who passed through the Writing Center that semester; he is simply one who Barnack spent a lot of time with. His experience with the cooperative John could be helpful when dealing with inexperienced, but receptive, writers.
Word Works # 29 September 1989
“So My Students Have Taken Freshman Comp. What can I Expect of Them?” relates the aims of English 101 and 102 courses to the expectations of upper division professors. These courses prepare students for college level writing in all areas and strengthen their research writing, but it is up to higher division teachers to show students how to write well in their specific disciplines. The article also examines the English competency exams and states that they have many loopholes; if students make it to higher courses, it does not necessarily mean that they are skilled, stable writers. The article also emphasizes how writing is an ongoing process that must be practiced regularly so that the writer’s skills do not become rusty. Finally, the article asks instructors to be patient with students because just as professional and highly skilled writers struggle at times-so do students.
Word Works #30 October 1989
Issue 30 discusses two things. First, it discusses a proposal about writing courses within all curriculums. There are two recommendations, the first being that 18 credit hours of writing-based courses should be added to the core curriculum for all BSU graduates. The second recommendation is to implement a writing board, which would include teachers from many different disciplines. This issue also presents a strategy for teachers who feel overwhelmed by grading papers, “modeling,” which is showing the entire class a few anonymous papers that worked, or could potentially work, and how to improve them. This strategy saves the teacher time because individual comments on papers become less necessary.
Word Works # 31 November 89 "Writing Intensive Courses at BSU"
This Word Works offers basic information about plans for establishing “writing-intensive” courses for BSU faculty. After completing the course, faculty could then convert their courses into Writing-Intensive courses. In this light, the newsletter discusses the importance of having students practice writing regularly to develop the writing skills that are required in upper-division courses and in the job world. Writing-Intensive Courses are based on the premises that writing is the primary medium for developing and communicating ideas, and that writing is a powerful means of learning. These premises shape the two kinds of writing practiced in Writing-Intensive Courses, namely, Informal writing and Formal Writing.
Informal Writing includes journals, letters, response papers, notes, lists, and summaries. In this medium, students test their understanding of the course material in their own language. Informal Writing is essential in the development of more formal prose because it helps to formulate ideas. Formal writing includes memos, essays, reports, proposals, etc.. Writing formal discourse allows the student to communicate what they know to different audiences, and also help them to expand their range of language options. The last section of Word Works states the criteria for converting regular courses into Writing-Intensive Courses.
Word Works #32
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Word Works #33 January 1990
This edition of Word Works contains one long article entitled “What Is This Place Called the Writing Center?” This article discusses the mission of the Writing Center and tries to “dispel the main myths” about it. The article discusses such things as the Writing Center being there for every form of writing, not just for English classes and the nature of the writing process and how the consultations work with the process. It also includes information about who makes up the Center’s staff, what the consultations entail, and how the Center can help instructors and their students.
Word Works #34
This issue of Word Works reveals the secrets of how to make journals succeed in the classroom. It is the first of a two-part series. First, the article lists many advantages of journals, such as, allowing students to practice writing in different voices, and letting instructors see if students understand the material. The second part of the article gives useful, creative examples of how instructors can use journals in different disciplines. More of these ideas can be found in The Journal Book, edited by Toby Fulweiler.
Word Works #35
Continuing on from the previous issue of Word Works, this issue gives two principles for successful journals: nurture and integration. First, it explains that it takes three weeks for students to get acclimated to writing in journals. It also gives ideas on how teachers can respond to the students’ writing. Next, the issue stresses the importance of integrating journals with class time, course goals, and the syllabus. The final element discusses how to grade journals.
Word Works #36
“Thirteen Ways of Looking at an Envelope: BSU faculty thinking on paper,” is a comical issue which stresses the importance of being able to think critically. It begins with a problem that 13 instructors were given during a “Writing/Thinking Seminar for Faculty.” They were told to solve the problem by writing for ten minutes without stopping; all 13 responses are included in the issue and it should be noted that no one solved the riddle. The second half of the issue focuses on what appeared to be the instructors “fumbling around,” but really was them thinking on paper. The issue concludes with ideas on how to teach students to think critically so that they won’t depend on other people for their ideas.
Word Works #37
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Word Works #38 October 1990
Helping teachers formulate their research paper requirements in the most helpful and least confusing way is the focus of this article. There are three forms of documentation that were focused on: APA, MLA, and the “Chicago Manuel of Style” or “Turabian.” The styles are categorized in three ways: Author-page citations, author-date citations or numbered references. The article does not state which form is the best to use but it does strongly emphasis the importance of choosing only one form of document citation forms and sticking with it, being familiar with the form, and discussing the convention chosen in class to eliminate confusion for the students.
Word Works #39 November 1990 "Using Description to Enrich and Inform"
This issue deals with the importance of adding rich detain to better your writing. It take the central idea of detail and uses the work of author Howard Evans to illuminate how, why and when to use detail.
This issue would be very beneficial to anyone who is try to teach about the uses of detail or how write using more detail because it gives specific strategies on how to do it. It shows you how adding detail can enrich and make your writing more effective.
Word Works #40 December 1990 Uehling, Karen S. “A Voyage of Some Risk: Adult Learners as Writers.”
This issue examines the challenges faced by non-traditional students, also known as “adult learners” over age 25, when they enroll in an undergraduate program. Uehling believes that adult learners possess life experience that makes their educational needs different than that of traditional students. She states that educators must adjust their methods to make use of the distinct strengths of this growing section of the student population. Uehling advocates writing as one approach to “tap into [adult learners’] reservoir of skill and experience,” and presents success stories highlighting the accomplishments of several adult learners. She states that adult learners often need assistance through the common obstacle of “writing apprehension,” and breaks this barrier down into three forms: “writer’s block,” “grammar apprehension,” and “critique apprehension.” Uehling points to methods that teachers can use to help these students get comfortable with the process of writing. Freewriting, error analysis, and self-evaluation are just a few of the techniques that Uehling discusses as a means to help student writers combat their apprehension. Uehling cites Malcolm Knowles’ list of the four major qualities of adult learners, including their need to know the “why” of their tasks, and their need to be “self-directing.” She believes that, although utilizing these qualities in the classroom is a challenge, they “promise an enriched teaching experience.” Uehling concludes with references to other material on the teaching of adult learners. This is useful examination of the unique strengths and weaknesses that these individuals bring into the classroom, explaining ways educators can use these qualities to enhance both their own instruction and the learning experience for all students.
Word Works #41 January 1991
This issue addressed the Faculty Writing seminar as a report from the first reunion. Roy Fox taught how to teach writing emphasis courses in 1990. This reunion consisted of the original group of faculty to discuss what processes they had been using and how those processes had been working. Each instructor brought feedback and opinions on their chosen methods.
Word Works #42 February 1991 "Ways of Knowing, ways of writing, ways of responding."
This issue of Word Works focuses on an article by Chris M. Anson, of the University of Minnesota, entitled “Response Styles and Ways of Knowing.” Anson’s article explores a 1970 study by William A. Perry, “Forms of Intellectual and Ethical Development in the College Years.” It basically explores the stages college students go through as they gain knowledge, and how each of these stages affect their writing. After explaining each stage, from the naïve freshman who wants to write what the teacher wants, to the students further along in their studies, who have developed their own ideas and are not afraid to write about them in a paper, the article suggests ways for the teacher to respond to students in each stage. It gives specific examples of how to respond to students and suggestions for how to change a negative response style to a positive one.
Word Works #43
This issue of Word Works is titled “Voice: walking with the writer.” The article gives Peter Elbow’s opinion on voice by quoting from his book, Writing with Power. He believes that many writers refrain from using voice because they feel, “exposed and vulnerable,” or because they are afraid of the power their voice holds. Elbow gives many suggestions on how instructors can get their students’ voices to return. These ideas include creating safety in the classroom, asking for more stream-of-consciousness writing, and being patient.
Word Works #44 April 1991 "The Author’s Memo"
This issue focuses on what the author calls “Author’s Memos,” which are notes, and comments a writer makes about his or her paper before handing the paper in. Throughout this issue the author covers the purpose and goals for an author memo, and offers guidance on how to assign and write a memo.
The issue starts with an example of an Author’s memo. The student had written a memo on a paper he wrote on eastern and western cultures. In the memo the student discussed what he felt was strong in his paper, and what he felt was weak in his paper. He gives a specific example of one paragraph in his paper he was especially worried about. The author also talks about the benefits of Author’s Memos. The best benefit, the author says, is that a writer fosters metacognition, or the ability for an individual to reflect on and improve their writing. The writer learns to analyze their writing and learn why they are making the choices they are, and find their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Other benefits include, allowing students to view the teacher as a reader not just an evaluator. They allow the teacher to understand how the student approached the assignment, and give the teacher an angle on how to respond to papers.
The issue also explains how to assign an author memo. The author says that they can be assigned in two different ways. One is to request the Memos to be written and turned in with the final drafts of the papers. Another way is to assign it right before the students turn in their papers, surprise them and make them hand write memos. The Author of the article says that it’s a good idea to always suggest two or three specific questions for the student to respond to. Examples of these questions are, “How did you come to choose this topic?” What pleases you most about this paper,” and “what do you especially want me to respond to?” If questions are assigned the author encourages teachers to not put them on a form to fill out, but to ask a general question that the students can respond to. This prevents students from giving fragmented and minimal thoughts.
Word Works #45 September 1991 Muriel Harris “Assignments From Hell.”
This issue spotlights “bad” writing assignments, as presented by Purdue University Professor Harris at the 1991 Conference on College Composition and Communication. These real, but anonymous, assignments were collected from learning institutions all over the country. They serve as examples of they way students can be unfairly challenged by a teacher’s unclear, sometime incomprehensible, instructions. The eleven items include such difficulties as assignments that presume understanding not possessed by students, assignments that require pointless conjecture about a subject, and assignments that pose such a range of questions that the student has nothing to focus on. At four pages, this issue is longer than most and goes into great detail in the examples it provides for these problem assignments. Teachers should examine this issue as a guard against such unintentional offenses in their own coursework.
Word Works #46 October 1991
This issue is all about quelling a student’s frustration about assignments. It explains the possible reasons why students would get frustrated with assignments and it also discusses ways to avoid writing an “assignment from hell.” The last part of the issue gives several example assignments that work well and shows how they help the students understand their requirements.
Word Works #47 November 1991
Frustrated with your students’ mechanical errors? This issue may help you to understand not only why grammar is not taught more, but how to help your students get better at mechanics without marking whole papers (which, as the article states, is a waste not only of your time, but a student’s time as well).
Word Works #48
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Word Works #49 January 92 "Shared wisdom, shared learning: group inquiry and classroom change."
In this Word Works, the power of group inquiry is discussed. Having small groups of students inquire into a given topic is relatively simple and is less exhausting than nonstop lecturing – for the instructor and students alike. Group inquiry pulls students out of passivity and puts much of the responsibility of learning on them. In group enquiry, students read, write, and talk about the issues and problems constructed by the instructor. When students report back to the class, they experience numerous points of view. This type of learning is not only demanding, but also invigorating, and is a place where the usual functions of instructor and student are reversed – students conduct the class. Group inquiry and lecture do not exclude one another. It is best to mix group inquiry with short lectures, and quiet reading and writing time. Group inquiry is practiced in the sciences, health professions, and the arts so many students are already familiar with the form. Careful planning is needed so that group inquiry, lecture, and outside assignments work in concert. Two examples of group inquiry are shown.
Word Works #50 February 1992
This edition of Word Works contains Part I of II editions entitled “Microthemes (and Other Very Short Assignments).” The basic idea behind the microtheme is described in this edition as a discussion of a topic that is focused into a to-the-point one- or two-page paper that contains enough information to be expanded into a ten-page paper. Microthemes help the students learn to focus their ideas and to state the facts more simply rather than talking extensively in order to meet a page limit. Part I focuses on introducing the idea to the class and the basic “putting into motion” of the microtheme in place of the bigger papers that tend to be less-focused. It includes a sample outline of a microtheme assignment, hints for student success with the assignment, a sample microtheme, and guidelines for one-page reader response essays.
This edition is helpful for any instructor wanting to help students learn to focus their topics and ideas and reduce off-topic wandering that tends to happen in longer papers. It also hints at this form of assignment giving the students more room for improvement in writing and comprehension over the course of the semester, unlike a one-shot paper that discusses one broad topic.
Word Works #51 March 1992
This edition contains Part II of the discussion of “Microthemes (and Other Very Short Assignments)” It discusses reading, responding and grading of the microtheme assignments and the advantages and disadvantages of it. There is also a section that includes the students’ overall assessment of the microtheme form.Part II offers good advice on how to read the papers—first reading through them all and separating them into piles from strongest to weakest, then to take them up again and write comments on them. The article mentioned that, over the course of the semester, it gradually took less and less time to grade the papers as both the students and the instructor became more familiar with the form.
In the evaluation section of the article, the students were asked to answer specific questions about the form, such as what the source for their topics was, how much time was spent writing them, and the advantages and disadvantages they saw in the assignments. Two of the advantages mentioned were that the greater number of papers gave them more opportunity to improve their grade and writing and that there’s more discussion of just the important points instead of filler to meet the page limit. The instructor benefits from this and only having to read a one- or two-page paper. Two disadvantages mentioned were that it was difficult to explore and develop the topic to the student’s satisfaction and that it was more work than a regular paper.
Word Works #52 April 1992 "Teaching poor spellers to cope/Simple things you can do with writing in your classes"
This issue of Word Works focuses on two topics, the first being strategies of working with writers who are poor spellers. It discusses the stigma behind poor spelling - how often bad spellers consider themselves bad writers. It looks at how spelling is taught by memorizing rules, but how most good spellers are not that way because they learned the rules, but rather because they recognize patterns. The article spends a lot of time discussing how we actually learn to spell vs. how we are taught and also gives suggestions to teachers for how to help writers who are bad spellers.
The second part of this issue looks at short in-class writing assignments and how they can help foster learning in the classroom. It tells how beneficial these assignments can be and gives suggestions on how to administer them. Towards the end it also gives 12 specific in-class writing assignments that teachers can try in their classrooms.
Word Works #53 September 1992
“The writing center: for writers, readers, and cantaloupe eaters” is a personal account of working in a writing center and how the conventions of writing centers moved from grammar and editing to a more helpful and functional place for writers to get really feedback. Higher order and lower order concerns are defined and there is an explanation of why higher order concerns are more important in order to help writers help themselves so that consultants are not helping writers with the same problems each time they come in. The two best ways to help students, according to the article, are to teach the writer to be their own reader, and to help them in “Experiencing one’s own writing” in which the writer paints a picture for the reader. The last section is dedicated to the idea that all writers need readers to help them fill in the blanks the writer can’t find alone.
Word Works #54 October 1992
In the first part of a two-part article titled “The Critical/Analytical Position Paper,” Jay King speaks to instructors who wish to help students write clear, purposeful position papers (see WW #57 the conclusion). In Part I, “Getting academic writing worth reading,” King introduces the Persuasive Loop Diagram, a thesis/evidence circle designed to help students write and revise. King recommends two small-group exercises that he describes in the article to teach inductive academic thinking.
Word Works #55 and #56 December 1992
This issue addressed Student Writers as professionals in training. This was a double issue for the months of November and December. It was especially lengthy in order to encompass a report of a study on writing across the curriculum by Barbara Walvoord. This study was performed on a number of different colleges. Researchers wanted to know about teacher’s expectations for “good” writing. Gathered for study were daily logs, pre-drafts, and instructor comments and finished student papers. Feedback was also gathered from instructors. This issue outlined several areas where students had difficulty in the writing process. Including, but not limited to – not gathering enough specific information, not stating a position and lack of organization in a paper. Four disciplines were evaluated: Production Management, Biological Literature, Modern Civilization and Human Sexuality. The study is summarized with findings in relation to preparation, organization and understanding.
Word Works #57 January 1993
In Part II, “Two distinctions that can help eliminate fuzzy thinking,” King covers the following points: (1) Understanding transferable vs. nontransferable analysis: Students should analyze texts using nontransferable analysis, wording so specific it obviously applies only to the lines of text being analyzed and cannot transfer generically. Students may be able to turn a transferable analysis into a thesis by generating nontransferable analysis to support it. (2) Understanding academic writing vs. propaganda: Students should test their writing with counterarguments to avoid propagandistic writing. (3) Understanding these distinctions across disciplines: Students across all disciplines should be taught these processes through group work.
Word Works #58 February 1993 "Creating reader-friendly Documents in a Collaborative Classroom
A Business Communication professor teaches students to write collaboratively by putting them into groups for assignments. The goal of this issue is to teach and give example of how and why students should learn to work in groups. The professor says that it is important to learn this skill because it is used in the workplace.
To teach this method, the author says “writers sweat so readers don’t have to” He also tackles why most real life organizational documents are not reader-friendly and how students can fix it.
This issue would be beneficial for any professor who is struggling with how to teach collaborative writing. It gives good methodology and examples of how to implement it into the classroom.
Word Works # 59 March 1993
In this issue of Word Works the author gives an analysis of student collaborative work in the classroom. The author makes the argument that through collaborative learning the students in fact learn more information at a quicker rate, they will learn the information more thoroughly, and will have an overall higher expertise on the subject studied. In addition to covering how group work helps students learn, the article also covers the responsibilities of the professor. A professor assigning group projects must first guide the students through properly working collaboratively. The author covers proper evaluation tools needed to successfully guide students working in collaboration. After the students are into groups, ever teacher must take the time to closely watch over the students. The teacher has to set the students on the right path, before setting them free in collaborative work.
The article presents two examples of group projects. One example is from a class that the author taught. The other is taken from a history class. The class was assigned to research and present an argument on World War II. The teacher pushed the students to understand that data can be interpreted in different ways. In the article the author includes a detailed outline of the assignment and the day-to-day schedule the teacher created for the students. Through the example the author highlights proper and helpful methods for teachers planning on conducting group projects. The author finishes with possible problems to expect when conducting group and collaborative work with students. She covers students who lead the group too much, and students who don’t do enough work. The author says that a teacher must assign roles thoroughly, and students will do fair amounts of contributing to the group.
Word Works #60 April 1993 Swanson, T. Tyler. “The Class Publication: An Interview with Skip Knox.”
Dr. Knox, a History Professor at BSU, explains his method of having honors students produce a class newsletter as an alternative to the traditional modes of writing, such as essays and research papers. Dr. Knox allows his students to write about any subject they like, as long as it relates to the class. Submissions are not edited, so students are motivated to write well and proofread carefully. Dr. Knox then does the layout and prints the newsletter himself. By utilizing this approach to writing, Dr. Knox enforces the concept of a deadline, and the constraints of form and length students will face in the real world. He believes that these limits force students to consider their writing more carefully. He also believes that the newsletter format requires students to find a new perspective on a topic, instead of just reporting data. Dr. Knox wants his students to take a closer look at history. This issue includes an example of page one from one of his class newsletters. Dr. Knox’s innovative ideas could inspire new ways to keep students interested in writing about any subject.
Word Works #61 September 1993
This issue of Word Works aims to define and explain style. It clarifies that style is not grammar or decoration, but “the very expression of content.” The article says that style usually is not taught—just expected, but it does state rhetorical devices a person can use to improve his style. These devices include Anaphora, Isocolon, Polysyndeton, Ellipsis, and Syllepsis. These devices may seen overwhelming at first, but the author states that they need not be forced into writing to improve style, just having awareness of them will help writing progress over time. This article also has a section on “Style and Readability,” in which it explains that most conventional wisdom, such as always writing in short sentences, does not affect readability. It also gives advice on what does affect readability, for example negative sentences can be more difficult to read than positive ones. The article concludes with an exercise an advanced writing class tried in varying sentence length. They practiced writing each sentence with less than 18 words and each sentence four words shorter or longer than the previous sentence. The results proved varied length to be an effective tool in improving style.
Word Works #62 October 1993
This issue is a continuation from Word Works issue #61; it is a good idea to read #61 before this issue since they both discuss, “Sentences and Style.” The article begins by explaining cumulative and periodic sentences. A cumulative sentence, one that “begins with its most important statement, followed by modifiers that qualify and enrich the statement,” easily follows English sentence patterns. Periodic sentences have their main point towards the end of the sentence to serve “as a sort of punch line.” They are not naturally used as often as cumulative sentences. After defining these two types of sentences, the article gives a sample paragraph and shows how to improve its style. Breaking the paragraph apart and carefully examining each sentence makes revising for style a tangible, understandable process, which it often is not. Once the reader sees the difference between the old and re-written paragraph she understands the value of style. The article ends with five tips writers can use to practice improving their style. These strategies are useful for new writers struggling to find their own style and also are productive reminders for experienced writers.
Word Works #63 November 1993 “Student writing portfolios: a rough guide”
Writing portfolios are a way for instructors to assess and respond to their students’ writing and for students to demonstrate their growth as writers. Portfolios can be used across the disciplines and will work in any course or department where writing is valued. What goes into a portfolio depends on the uses to which it will be put. Designs for portfolios are given in this Word Works, for both single courses and longer programs. Difficulties raised by portfolios, such as time issues, storage, and plagiarism, are addressed. Students, instructors, departments all feel the benefits of using portfolios.
Word Works # 64 December 1993
This issue comprises an article titled, “Worlds Unseen: Learning Disabled Students in the College Classroom.” The article discusses learning disabilities and how to deal with LD students in the university classroom. The article’s main points are to define ‘learning disability’ (the gap between student intelligence and ability of the student to perform; a physiological/psychological abnormality) and to educate instructors on how to accommodate for LD students based on the University’s Guidelines for Accommodations.
Word Works # 65 January 1994 “ESL Students in the College Classroom”
This issue of Word Works explores feelings teachers may experience having ESL students in their classrooms as well as the challenges and benefits that ESL students bring to the classroom. It explores the relationship between motivation and achievement when it comes to ESL students. Some specific topic headings are: Foreign Students, The Recent Immigrant Student, and Non-Standard English Speakers. This issue addresses how ESL student’s motivation and achievement in the classroom is affected by how they see themselves, their living situation and cultural experiences they may have had. At the end of the issue there is a focus on cultural differences in writing – how the organization of the paper as well as the writing style may be affected by the students native culture.
Word Works #66 February 1994 "ESL Students in the Classroom. Part II: A Field of 'Cheeps and Picks'"
This is the second part of the ESL Students in the Classroom series. It reminds teachers to be patient with ESL students, stating, “Acquiring proficiency and fluency in a second language takes time – a long time.” This issue focuses on how teachers can help ESL students express themselves better in their writing as they learn to navigate the English language. The article gives specific suggestions to teachers on how to mark ESL students papers with a “checkmark”, “+” and “O” symbols in order to help students learn about the errors they are making, instead of just receiving a paper that’s been marked up in red pen. Reading is also emphasized as a great tool for the ESL student, and reading/writing exercises are given as resources for the teacher to use in the classroom.