Position+statements

=This page includes research-based position statements about the teaching of writing.= These differ from outcomes assessments in that they address larger issues related to the pedagogy of writing, which do not necessarily include assessable components but are nevertheless related to student learning outcomes.

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 * Sources to consider here:**

http://www.ncte.org/positions/instruction - NCTE position statements on instruction http://www.ncte.org/cee/positions/ - Conference on English Education position statements with accompanying bibliographies
 * And possible models (not necessarily directly related to writing instruction, but whose form we might imitate):**

[|Pedagogy of Writing Best Practices Draft.pdf] (Nov. 2010)


 * Pedagogy of Writing Best Practices**


 * Summary**: “The improvement of an individual student's writing requires persistent and frequent contact between teacher and student both inside and outside the classroom. It requires assigning far more papers than are usually assigned in other college classrooms; it requires reading them and commenting on them not simply to justify a grade, but to offer guidance and suggestions for improvement; and it requires spending a great deal of time with individual students, helping them not just to improve particular papers but to understand fundamental principles of effective writing that will enable them to continue learning throughout their lives. The teaching of writing, perhaps more than any other discipline, therefore requires special attention to class size, teaching loads, the availability of teaching materials, and the development of additional resources that enhance classroom instruction” (Conference on College Composition and Communication).


 * Brief Statement**: “The teaching of writing . . . requires special attention to class size, teaching loads, the availability of teaching materials, and the development of additional resources that enhance classroom instruction” (Conference on College Composition and Communication).

//a. Knowledgeable and Skilled Writing Teachers//: “Writing teachers should be familiar with the current state of our knowledge about composition. They should know about the nature of the composing process; the relationship between reading and writing; the functions of writing in the world of work; the value of the classical rhetorical tradition; and more” (National Council of Teachers of English, b).
 * Key Recommendations:**

//b. Reduced Class Size//: “No more than 20 students should be permitted in any writing class. Ideally, classes should be limited to 15. Students cannot learn to write without writing. In sections larger than 20, teachers cannot possibly give student writing the immediate and individual response necessary for growth and improvement” (National Council of Teachers of English, a).

//c. Contextualized and Individualized Feedback//: “Students learn to write by writing. Guidance in the writing process and discussion of the students' own work should be the central means of writing instruction. Students should be encouraged to comment on each other's writing, as well as receiving frequent, prompt, individualized attention from the teacher” (National Council of Teachers of English, b). Furthermore, “effective comments do not focus on pointing out errors, but go on to the more productive task of encouraging revision, which will help student writers to develop their ideas and to achieve greater clarity and honesty” (National Council of Teachers of English, b).

//d. Process Pedagogy//: “[S]tudents will need guidance and support throughout the writing process, not merely comments on the written product” (National Council of Teachers of English, b). That is, support in developing "a repertory of routines, skills, strategies, and practices, for generating, revising, and editing different kinds of texts...[and] reflective abilities and meta-awareness about writing....[in order to] shift between different operations according to tasks and circumstances." The goal of this support is not for students to learn "a formulaic set of steps" but to "develop and refine writing skills throughout their writing lives" (National Council of Teachers of English, c.)

//e. Access to and Support for Writing Centers//: “The effectiveness of classroom writing instruction is significantly improved by the assistance students receive in writing centers. Centers provide students with individual attention to their writing and often provide faculty and graduate students with opportunities to learn more about effective writing instruction. Because these centers enhance the conditions of teaching and learning, their development and support should be an important departmental and institutional priority” (Conference on College Composition and Communication).

//f. Assessment that Prioritizes the Improvement of Teaching and// //Learning//: “Writing assessment responds to student, teacher, institutional, and other stakeholder needs. It should be used to foster environments for student learning” (National Council of Teachers of English, c).

//g. Assessment Should Include Appropriate Input From and Information and// //Feedback for Students//: “Students should have access to the goals, purposes, and scoring criteria for required assessments. Students should also receive appropriate feedback for any important decisions made about them” (National Council of Teachers of English, c).


 * Pedagogy of Writing in the Disciplines Best Practices**

"In the classroom where writing is especially valued, students should be guided through the writing process; encouraged to write for themselves and for other students, as well as for the teacher; and urged to make use of writing as a mode of learning, as well as a means of reporting on what has been learned. ... This classroom can also be the scene for learning in many academic areas, not only English. (National Council of Teachers of English, b).

"Teachers in all academic areas who have not been trained to teach writing may need help in transforming their classrooms into scenes for writing. The writing teacher should provide leadership in explaining the importance of this transformation and in supplying resources to help bring it about" (National Council of Teachers of English, b).

Conference on College Composition and Communication. “Statement of Principles and Standards for the Postsecondary Teaching of Writing.” 19 Aug 2008. 20 Nov 2010.  National Council of Teachers of English, a. “Statement on Class Size and Teacher Workload: College.” 13 Aug. 2008. 20 Nov. 2010.  National Council of Teachers of English, b. “Teaching Composition: A Position Statement.” 18 Aug. 2008. 20 Nov. 2010.  National Council of Teachers of English, c. “NCTE-WPA White Paper on Writing Assessment in Colleges and Universities.” 3 Dec. 2008. 20 Nov. 2010.  Also see: Conference on College Composition and Communication (cited above) Section II: “Teaching Conditions Necessary for Quality Education:”
 * References**: