Voices from the Middle - Volume 9, Issue 1, 2001

Baines describes a multimedia project utilizing visual and auditory prompts to help remedial students edit their scripted poetry projects. The project, Baines says, was “out of the box” of traditional process writing, which has a two dimensional framework that presupposes prior topical knowledge and mastery of syntax and vocabulary. By adding a third dimension - images, music, and other non-linguistic stimuli, which are more concrete and familiar - his students made significant advances in expression and were more enthusiastic about writing.

Adolescence is a time of great change, and, because of those changes, introspection is difficult during this time. It is also difficult for students to manipulate and internalize their own process of writing. Fredricksen discusses some of the strategies he uses to help students learn to ask the right questions about their writings. By offering a wide range of writing experiences and by creating a safe, casual environment in which to develop students’ relationships to the world, he helps students discover how, when, and which questions to ask as they write.

Peer response is one of the most challenging tasks we ask students to tackle, and we wonder, “are they really on task?” Denyer and LaFleur investigate this by looking closely at one peer revision group, seemingly off track, and find that students do engage in complicated tasks as they struggle to justify their decisions as authors to their peers and offer feedback to challenge those decisions. They advise that teachers should continue to create situations for students to meet with their peers to talk about their writing, guiding them to thinking about how they integrate that feedback into their text.

Successful teachers of writing have found ways to support and extend self-selection of writing topics. Educators Kelly Chandler-Olcott and Donna Mahar share a framework they developed and an example of its use with a set of women’s history month assignments.

Sharon Abbey offers a series of writing activities, including several for poetry.

Jago advocates for a health balance of criticism and encouragement when responding to student writing. It’s like learning to ride a bicycle, she tells them, there are so many things to do at once that at first it seems impossible that you will ever get it right. Her article includes usable advice on writing from popular authors and noted scholars, which can be shared with students.

Student reviewed books.