Tools for Teaching Writing

My Word On It
“Writing has been for a long time my major tool for self-instruction and self-development.."
— Toni Cade Bambara

The resources in this section of the Writing Center pages will become a combination of best practices recommended by the latest research on the teaching of writing and those recommended by actual faculty practice here at Earlham. Documents from faculty workshops will be available upon request.

Come back soon for info from recent workshops on evaluating writing, using blogging to teach writing, and peer review sessions.

Sharing strategies for teaching writing

If you have any ideas/suggestions regarding any of the following, please contact the Writing Center director, Jan Sims (ext. 1675) with your recommendations:

  • Writing assignments you like that generally inspire consistently good results and positive feedback from students
  • Peer review session approaches that encourage genuine peer feedback/dialogue about writing and that actually improve student writing and reflection on writing. For example, you may have a rubric (list of questions)students use to engage in the peer review session that other faculty might benefit from as well.
  • Books/articles on writing that have helped you to be a better teacher of writing and that you wish every faculty person teaching writing had the time to read. I will gradually assemble an annotated bibliography to help new faculty.
  • Books/articles on writing that have helped your students understand the writing process better or that you consistently recommend to students as models of excellent writing in your field.
  • Cool writing-related Web sites you’ve found valuable that you recommend to students/faculty

Other info to pass along

The Writing Center would also like to hear suggestions from faculty on any of the following:
  • Students who would make great Writing Consultants
  • What kind of class visits you'd like the WC to offer (a 15-minute exercise on brainstorming? help with shaping a clear thesis statement for a research paper?)
  • Workshops/forums you’d like the WC to offer faculty
  • workshops/classes you’d like the WC to offer students