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 collaborative classroom the teacher is a facilitator, setting up an environment for students to work together on all stages of the writing process. Conversation is encouraged, because writing is viewed as internalized talk. A close connection exists between this type of collaborative learning and social constructionism, or the social construction of knowledge. Social constructionism states that meaning is not privately constructed, but is generated by social interaction. Advocates of social constructionism believe that the goal of education is to engage the human community in problem-solving and in an ongoing conversation of humankind. Therefore, if both thinking and writing are seen as forms of conversation, then collaborative learning as it relates to the teaching of writing is a practical outcome of social constructionism. Several teaching strategies can be employed to create a collaborative environment, such as encouraging group work, re-evaluating writing assignments, and redefining the teacher's role in the writing process. (A selected bibliography of social constructionism and collaborative learning in composition is appended.) (MM)