Presents several activities for an "interactive" classroom, including improvisation, role-playing, and informal discussions of literature. Notes that all suggested activities provide a context for language use and use students' talk as a vehicle for learning in a wide variety of communication situations, including reading and writing.…

Describes "collectivist composing" where the social relations enacted by the class, while writing together, are shaped by the students who are both writing together and studying the relations they make. Suggests teachers open their classrooms so that they become places for communal meaning making and collectivist writing. (RS)

Offers suggestions for how to build a true community of writers in which responsibility is turned over to the students. Discusses modeling whole class books, small group publishing, steps in the writing process, tracking the process, building a community, learning leadership, and the role of the teacher. (RS)

In writing instruction, emphasis should be placed on developing a sense of a community, focusing on the social or collaborative view of writing. This view contends that writing is taught best as collaborative learning, with the classroom providing a social context in which students come together to develop their writing skills. In the…

In order to understand why the peer editing groups of freshman collaborative writing classes often fail, an investigation of the collaborative processes of basic and experienced writers was carried out at the University of Missouri (Kansas City). Observation of two freshman composition classes (both containing basic and advanced writers) revealed…

Describes the methods and means by which composition teachers can successfully create, train, and maintain writing groups (peer response groups, writing circles, or writing workshops) within the English classroom. (HB)

Describes the use of peer grouping and the puzzle-solving format of a popular television game show to help students explore literary themes and compose a paper. (HTH)

Designed to help teachers, grade six through high school, overcome misgivings about computers for writing and make the most of the new technology, this book offers answers to an urgent question in language arts: how can computers be woven into the human fabric of a writing workshop? The book is based on a five-year study of computers for writing…

Intended for teachers and encompassing all aspects of teaching writing, this book applies the process paradigm to junior and senior high writing instruction. Part 1, "Process and Paradigm," outlines challenges faced by junior and senior high school writing instructors, defines the process paradigm, and presents a sample integrated…