Muses on why, given its inherent difficulties, writing across the curriculum has gathered so many friends. Concludes it is because the most important function of writing across the curriculum is to develop the cultural literacy of students, focusing them as much on how something is known as on what it is that is known. (SR)

Discusses six reasons why assigning students to put math into words and sentences will benefit teachers and students, noting how such writing improves students' skills in math, critical thinking, and composition. (HTH)

Details a method and rationale for unearthing hidden curricula in departments, colleges, or schools to provide the information necessary for informed decisions about the teaching of writing throughout the university. Describes information about writing within the disciplines gathered at the School of Social Work. (PRA)

Discusses the concept of writing across the curriculum and how it is used in a university level geography class. Suggests that writing as a resource for learning benefits students by encouraging critical thinking, the organization of bodies of information, and increased memory. Includes specific reading and writing assignments. (DK)

Presents annotations of 12 conference papers and journal articles (published in 1990 or 1991) in the ERIC database that deal with implementation, evaluation, and continuance of writing across the curriculum programs. (RS)

Observes that support for writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC) programs remains shallow at American colleges and universities. Describes California State University-San Bernardino's WAC program. Identifies features of the university's program, and describes some of its problems. Argues that WAC will survive as it builds departmental self-interest…

Considers the tremendous growth in writing across the curriculum programs nationwide and the recent questions about the feasibility of such programs. Suggests weaving WAC programs into the existing cultural context of institutions. Analyzes one way this has been achieved at Robert Morris College. (HB)

Describes a number of techniques used in a developmental English class. Notes that listening to colleagues in other disciplines and using writing-to-learn strategies are two ways to make a classroom successful. Suggests that these techniques can help developmental students become active listeners and readers. (SR)

Discusses three reasons why the concept of writing across the curriculum (WAC) does not work, dealing with (1) writing assignments; (2) faculty not trained to teach writing; and (3) the fact that teaching writing takes more time than WAC allows. Argues for putting business writing back in its rightful place in the curriculum as a separate course.…

Claims lower-division literature courses can engage students by incorporating student text into the anthologized canon. Describes specific classroom situations and effective strategies for connecting literature to students' lives. (NH)

Discusses the use of techniques from language experiences in assisting with the learning and assessment of mathematics. Provides a mathematics activity on fractions employing story writing activities. (ASK)

English and nursing departments used writing to learn and critical thinking strategies in a writing across the curriculum programs for nursing students. Strategies were designed to blend with course objectives. Clinical logs and dialog journals were used for recording evolving personal nursing philosophies. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

Focused freewriting, broadly defined as writing without stopping and editing about a specific topic, has been viewed and used as a powerful tool for developing student writing in a wide spectrum of educational contexts. This study aimed to further explore the use of focused freewriting in the context of promoting students' academic skills…

In all academic disciplines college teachers respond to student writing with shortcuts--checksheets, correction symbols, computer style checkers, etc. But while these methods save teachers time, do they help students improve their writing? A survey of research into teacher commentary, conceived of as a contextual discourse activity, initially…

In this article, the author describes Penn High School's writing center, a technology-supported writing classroom which began in July 1994. The Penn writing center operates as a true "center"--a place for students and teachers, technology and talk, thinking and writing to come together. Every day, more than 200 students visit the writing…