Group items tagged

discussing how to help students who need to find a paper topic, and students who want to know if a paper "flows"

discussing whether student writing skills have deteriorated over time, and how to discuss student skills with faculty

"Evaluation/Accountability for the Writing Lab" (on assessment, usage data, student grades, faculty response); "Do We Need Materials for ESL and Engineering Students?" (self-instruction materials); "A Note on Lab Layout" (space design); mailing list

discussing how to implement or increase student involvement in the hiring process

This video presents a workshop in which Dr. Monique Akassi, Director of Morgan State University's Writing Center, teaches students to code switch and code mix from Ebonics to English. Dr. Akassi stresses how code switching and mixing can help students write in English and incorporate both languages in their writing.

This article presents three case studies that closely examine various types of inter-actions taking place in writing center tutorials involving newly arrived pre-ma-triculated ESL writers. By learning what strategies tutors commonly use and how successfully the ESL writers negotiate their goals for the visit and the form and meaning of their text through this sample, this study aims to help identify what characterizes successful tutorials and what unique challenges English language learners might face when interacting with tutors. Results from these case studies show that it is not how many corrections tutors make or suggest for the students' papers, but how much the tutors engage their tutees in a meaningful dialogue that brings satisfaction to the ESL students. Findings also suggest that deliber-ate efforts should be made to equip ESL writers with necessary metalanguage to communicate their goals for their visit.

from abstract: "in keeping with theory and practice of tutor training in inquiry-based pedagogy, ELL students and peer tutors vacillate between the linguistic dominant position, indicating that participants establish a collaborative and egalitarian environment. However, L1 tutors may experience dissonance because the agenda set by ELL students often focuses on surface features such as grammar and diction rather than on global revisions" (36).

a discussion of how to best assist a NNES graduate student who comes to the center asking for help with assessing and commenting on student papers

a discussion and list of resources related to types of writers/writing (students focused on the end product vs. students who focus on what they want to say)

job descriptions/policies governing grad students as assistant directors

This commercial was made to promote Cedarville University's Writing Center during an event at the university called "Late Night with the Student Government Association." The commercial parodies ways in which the Writing Center can assist students with writing.

Created by members of the University of Maryland's Writing Center, this video instructs tutors to ask questions that prompt student thinking but direct students when they are struggling.

This is a valiant attempt at a comprehensive listing of resources and tools that take advantage of corpora. Includes tools for teaching - many useful for English as an Additional Language students - and others that can help students with challenges such as concordances.

discussing a move from Humanities spaces to Student Services (academic skills, student success, etc.) spaces

This resource was created by undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty at the University of Michigan's Sweetland Center for Writing. Using video of undergraduates reflecting on their writing and revision process, this resource helps writers to explore more effective revision. Some resources for faculty are also provided.

This open-access book by Steven J. Corbett, Beyond Dichotomy: Synergizing Writing Center and Classroom Pegagogies, is available to be downloaded free. it is described as follows: How closely can or should writing centers and writing classrooms collaborate? Beyond Dichotomy explores how research on peer tutoring one-to-one and in small groups can inform our work with students in writing centers and other tutoring programs, as well as in writing courses and classrooms. These multi-method (including rhetorical and discourse analyses and ethnographic and case-study) investigations center on several course-based tutoring (CBT) partnerships at two universities. Rather than practice separately in the center or in the classroom, rather than seeing teacher here and tutor there and student over there, CBT asks all participants in the dynamic drama of teaching and learning to consider the many possible means of connecting synergistically. This book offers the "more-is-more" value of designing more peer-to-peer learning situations for developmental and multicultural writers, and a more elaborate view of what happens in these peer-centered learning environments. It offers important implications-especially of directive and nondirective tutoring strategies and methods-for peer-to-peer learning and one-to-one tutoring and conferencing for all teachers and learners of writing.

WriteLab is a web tool that helps students practice their confidence in their writing. The founders are Donald McQuade, a professor of English at UC Berkeley, and Matthew Ramirez, a Phd student at UC Berkeley.

a discussion of the methods of determining the percentage of students served/sessions filled; thinking about what makes a "good" level of service

M. Blake Reichenbach is a writing consultant at Bellarmine University's Writing Center. He delivers a witty monologue about the connections between working at a trendy Mexican restaurant and consulting a fellow student during a tutoring session.

M. Blake Reichenbach - "Making Tacos, Saving Grades" is a short monologue that was published in the Fall 2014 issue of the student journal Tutors.