Collaborative learning and critical pedagogy are widely recognized as "empowering" pedagogies for higher education. Yet, the practical implementation of both has a mixed record. The question, then, is: How could collaborative and critical pedagogies be empowered themselves? This paper makes a primarily theoretical case for discourse…

This article develops a theoretical understanding of the processes involved in the co-construction of a written text by a teacher and student from a Vygotskian perspective. Drawing on cultural-historical and sociocultural theories of writing and Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), this case study of a student and teacher…

Interrupted formal education is a barrier that makes learning English as an adult an extremely challenging commitment. Besides the many work and family responsibilities that most adult English as a second language (ESL) learners face, students with interrupted formal education (SIFE) often lack familiarity with school-based skills and typical…

The problem of the relation of theory to practice in teaching and teacher training has been a major issue of debate for a long time. Well over a century ago, Dewey (1904) discussed the tensions between the role of theoretical insight as a preparation for the teaching profession versus the need for more practical, how-to-do-it courses in which one…

Addresses issues that arise when children collaborate in writing. Suggests ways in which an understanding of the social nature of writing can help teachers create a more effective classroom learning environment in the language arts. Discusses the collaboration involved in producing an illustrated children's book and observations of children…

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)

Describes the methods of two teachers who placed students in collaborative writing groups and asked students to assess their writing groups in personnel assessment memos to the instructors. Examines selected examples of these memos with regard to collaborative processes and the skills used most frequently by students. (HB)

Focusing on the culture of students with disabilities allows teachers to add another real-world dimension to the multi-cultural atmosphere of their classrooms. While Public Law 94-142 (the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) legislates what opportunities must exist for the differently able, volunteer program such as "Kids on the…

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)

Surveying a project that was conducted through the Center for the Study of Writing at Carnegie Mellon University, this book details the classroom inquiries conducted during the 4-year project (1988-1992) by 33 teacher-researchers from secondary and postsecondary classrooms. The articles and their authors are: (1) "Teachers as Theory…