English Leadership Quarterly - Volume 32, Issue 1, 2009

Theme: Revising Writing Instruction for the 21st Century In the writing process, revision involves improving what’s written. This involves an actual, physical process of changing or altering words on the page. But revision can also refer to changing one’s mind. This process is more conceptual, intellectual, and perhaps more emotional, requiring a willingness to consider other perspectives and challenge one’s own—an often risky and scary proposition. So it’s time to start the conversation about revising writing instruction, and we hope these articles serve as catalysts for such conversations in your own schools/districts. First, Mike Rose encourages teachers to think and write like journalists about what they see and do in their classrooms. He thinks teachers’ voices need to be a part of this conversation, and so do we. Next, Tamara O’Hearn leaves the ivory tower to unearth writing in places where writing—and writers—have been forgotten. George Hillocks calls for a revolution in the way we teach writing, encouraging teachers to rethink the “show, don’t tell” mantra. Finally, Jim Strickland explains how Web 2.0 technologies are changing the way we write and think, and he encourages teachers to consider what connectivity affords in the classroom and beyond. As teachers of writing know, revision is a complex, messy, painful process that many students would just as soon ignore. But good teachers know it’s a process necessary for growth and development . . . and change.