Focuses on limitations of postcolonialism for purposes of composition studies and dangers of the decontextualized, desituated use of concepts. Argues that the use of postcolonial materials must be marked by a high degree of vigilance if it is to have any value at all in the composition classroom other than to further careerism and a shallow…

Argues that the trend in composition scholarship to interrogate how gender, race, ethnicity, and power relationships manifest themselves in discursive practices is, in effect, a move toward the ethical, toward understanding the encounter with the Other. Suggests that postcolonial theory gives composition scholars the vocabulary they need to…

Considers the transformation processes through which technological innovation has historically been associated with the transformation in writing. Discourses about writing in the 21st century. (PA)

Asserts that writing programs tend to neglect the brightest seniors. Close scrutiny, however, shows very few of the academically gifted write as well as they should, that is, to master a demanding assignment; they should be required to take honors composition classes. (EV)

Draws on Susan Miller's distinction between "feminist composition studies" and "feminine composition studies" to raise concerns about the perception, place, and role of composition studies in English departments. Examines the feminine metaphors used in composition theory and research. (TB)

Examines the philosophical underpinnings of the theory, outlines the impact of the doctrine on contemporary science education, and details the relativist and subjectivist interpretation of Thomas Kuhn's work found in constructivist writings. Indicates the problems that constructivist theory places in the way of teaching the content of science.…

Every novelist, even great ones like Fyodor Dostoevsky, struggles against the temptation to be didactic: the poet struggles with the person. Teachers of literature and aesthetics need to be sensitive to this struggle as they assist their students to read novels carefully. This essay traces the struggle in the case of Dostoevsky's great novel,…

Janet Allen cares passionately about books and reading and that passion shines in her presentation. When she had her first foray into children's literature, it was expected that she would have a great deal to say to educators about writing and reading. In this article, an interview with the author is presented. Allen talks about how her experience…

In this article, I argue that critical discourse analysis (CDA) can complement and extend existing critical and radical writing pedagogies; CDA provides the theoretical and methodological context that can articulate explicitly the relationship between language practices and politics. I use CDA to analyze texts that circulated on the campus of…

This article describes the difficulties and hopes that the author, a compositionist in the English Department at Miami University, perceived in his attempts to establish a collaborative arrangement with the writing center at the regional campus where he works. (Contains 4 notes).

This year marks the 15th year of a program called "Professors as Writers" at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The first meeting was a half-day workshop at the end of a spring semester to help faculty launch the writing they wanted to do over the summer. The program has grown over the years and now includes monthly retreats, as…

When a disaster strikes, the affected population relies upon the swift response and aid rendered by relief organizations such as the California-based Direct Relief International. Since 1948, Direct Relief's mission has been to provide essential material resources to locally run health programs in areas affected by natural disasters, wars, and…

In this article, the author recounts her teaching experience with new high school students at Northwest Yeshiva High School, an Orthodox Jewish high school on Mercer Island. In teaching the students about writing, the author describes how she was moved by the narratives written by her students, and that after reading their stories she decided to…

In the interest of better understanding the challenges of enacting new pedagogies in the classroom, the following essay focuses on the role of genre and uptake in the relational negotiation of self-presentation. I argue that to bring our teaching practices in line with our best intentions and most progressive pedagogies we need to be aware not…

In this article, the author relates the big role of computers in his life as a writer. The author narrates that he has been using a computer for nearly twenty years now. He relates that computers has set his writing free. When he started writing, he was just using an electric typewriter. He also relates that his romance with computers is also a…