Reports experiences and observations during a visit to a writing workshop where elementary school students were learning how to revise and edit their compositions. (NKA)

Delineates necessary steps for planning effective writing center workshops, namely: (1) identify topics or target populations, (2) establish goals and measurement techniques, (3) initiate contact with faculty or administration in related content areas, (4) determine workshop format and develop comprehensive materials for student use, (5) train…

Reviews a book that presents a method for teaching writing supported by theory, and that is illustrated with examples of students' and teachers' writings. The authors' methods are based on four propositions drawn from their command of modern discourse theory, philosophy, and linguistics. (NKA)

Notes the inevitable tensions that arise between centripetal writing centers and centrifugal writing across the curriculum programs. Examines the tutoring program at an eastern university as an example of a decentralized writing center that resists pressures to assume a uniform composition pedagogy and coordinates its work with many parts of the…

Acknowledges the value in a reciprocal interaction of work and play in the writing center. Discusses some pedagogic and academic attitudes associated with play and observes the historical development of the writing center as a place for spontaneity and playfulness within the university. (HTH)

Acknowledges that many basic writing students have few personal experiences that translate into telling examples and effective supports in their writing. Suggests that teachers encourage students to fabricate in their narratives, since such structured lying gives students sufficient objectivity to revise--a significant step toward good writing.…

Notes that writing center teachers' responses to students depend on what the writers want to say (content), how the writers approached the writing (process), and the conventions needed to prepare the final manuscript (skills). Discusses effective ways to conduct these three types of conferences for each stage of the writing process. (HTH)

Reports on a study of writing apprehension in writing center tutors, results of which indicated a strong correspondence between various dimensions of writing apprehension and specific teaching behaviors that do not aid the student in problem detection or writing improvement. (HTH)

Lists scholarly works published during the past year that would be of particular interest to those who administer, work in, or make use of writing centers. Includes only works directly connected to writing center theory and practice. (HTH)

Recounts the author's involvement in a writing center, noting a dichotomy between composition theory and pedagogical practice. Asserts that writing center directors and teachers need to place their work in a theoretical context, building on theories of collaborative learning and theories of writing as a social process. (MM)

Examines the dynamics of 12 student-teacher writing center conferences to determine: (1) if conferencing models based on professional writers' practices occur in the writing center context; (2) if content focuses on discourse- or surface-level issues; and (3) tutors' perceptions of conference effectiveness. (MM)

Discusses writing apprehension from the tutors' point of view, drawing on observations recorded in journals. Suggests that research and discussion about writing apprehension can form an important focus for developing a tutoring course. (MM)

Uses a study of a high school writing center program to illustrate and explain the different forms and skills needed for collaborative writing in both classroom and writing center contexts. (MM)

Uses the metaphor of an ecosystem to describe the interactions, as revealed in a series of writing assignments, between an undergraduate being tutored at the writing center and an undergraduate writing tutor and participant in a writing workshop. (MM)

Reprints an article originally appearing in "English Education" (v20 n2; May 1988; See EJ370079). Addresses problems currently faced by writing labs: training staff; incorporating usable word processing; and establishing working relationships with both academic and nonacademic communities. (JAD)