The power of “be”
If you tell students to avoid to be verbs in their writing, you are guilty. You may think be verbs decrease the power of writing, when, in fact, they can increase it. Writing instruction too frequently...
View ArticleHelp re-design the UWC website
Please help us redesign our website by taking this quick survey. It’s only three questions long, and it will help us improve! Take the survey by clicking here.
View ArticleWhy W and C courses require formative feedback
Cicero claimed the orator learns by precept and practice—precept first, then practice. In W and C courses, instruction is precept—what we tell students to guide them in producing that final artifact,...
View ArticleThe UWC online: Help in another guise
The UWC is online, and that’s something you might want to share with your students. You already know about our website (writingcenter.tamu.edu), but maybe you didn’t know we’re also on Facebook,...
View ArticleSeven habits of highly effective communicators
Expert writers and speakers spend considerable time composing, thinking about what they want to say, and tailoring it to a specific audience. They spend time in preparation, doing research, going...
View ArticleWeaving straw into gold: Students tell us how the UWC could improve
When students consult with the UWC, we send them an exit survey. Usually, they don’t include anything on the open-ended comment section, but when they do, we pay attention. So far this semester, we’ve...
View ArticleResponding to rough drafts: What counts in citation and documentation
In my last two posts on responding to drafts of student writing, I have emphasized the need to prioritize comments and to focus as much—if not more—on content and organization than on grammar and...
View ArticleResponding to rough drafts: Making the content better
In my last post, I wrote about the importance of limiting and prioritizing comments on rough drafts and the importance of responding to organization, audience concerns, and content before mechanics,...
View ArticleResponding to rough drafts: Avoid the trap of grading twice
One of the most crucial pedagogical techniques when it comes to communication, spoken or written, is providing feedback. But if a little feedback is good, does it stand to reason that a lot of feedback...
View ArticleHow’s the UWC doing? (And how you can prompt your students to use it)
It’s the start of a new semester, a time when we like to look back at our progress. And this year, our progress at the UWC has been stunning. Comparing our usage statistics from the same period in 2011...
View ArticlePortfolio approaches to writing instruction
A portfolio is as a collection of best or representative work. You may have heard about electronic portfolios being used for employment seekers. Many colleges or universities are now helping students...
View ArticleEssay exam blues: Prompting the best performance
It’s that time of year when we assign essay exams. If the thought of grading them is giving you the blues, or if you’re fretting essay exams will prove that your students really can’t show what they...
View ArticleTeaching with models? Start with rhetorical analysis
It makes sense to show students a model (or example) before you ask them to write. You can find some ideas about selecting models at...
View ArticleNational Day on Writing–October 20, 2012
In honor of the National Day on Writing, several of us at the UWC wanted to share our thoughts about working with student writers. Check out what Liz Brogdon, Anthony Pannone, Amanda Hendrix-Black,...
View ArticleInstructor comments on drafts can elicit meaningful revision
When we comment on drafts of student writing or public speaking, we can easily get caught up in editing the minutiae instead of responding to the content. (Note here I refer to preparation of speeches,...
View ArticleValue added: critical reflection and self-assessment
It has become commonplace to ask students to write a “reflection,” but the results don’t always give us the meaningful data we seek for assessment, much less contribute to any significant learning. To...
View ArticleGeorge Kuh’s visit and writing centers
George Kuh, a scholar of higher education known best for his work on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), is visiting Texas A&M on Wednesday, October 3, hosted by the Office of the...
View ArticleWhy writers need a writing center
We’ve heard some disturbing hints that many Texas A&M students think the University Writing Center only helps struggling writers. We’ve also heard that some students feel they are such accomplished...
View ArticleLet’s get started: adding more communication to the curriculum
If you’re writing a grant proposal, developing a curriculum, or orchestrating an assessment, you’ve likely come across the term “high-impact learning.” In fact, you probably want to work that term, one...
View ArticleTeach yourself (or your students) some new media tricks
We’re moving into a age of new media, and we’re going to have to draw on some old familiar skills and learn some new ones to keep up with the rapid changes in the way we communicate. While old media...
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