tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3790062.post27030925462099402..comments2024-03-27T08:11:29.257-06:00Comments on PeerCentered: WRITING LABS: The Expanded Edition!Clint Gardnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07671508034667904543noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3790062.post-61521937359439490952013-04-16T13:57:20.463-06:002013-04-16T13:57:20.463-06:00Lindsay, your use of imagery here gives a strong i...Lindsay, your use of imagery here gives a strong impression of the ways people view a writing lab. It is almost as if we are grammar doctors, or magicians, as you suggest, rather than writers helping writers. Even though a reasonable amount of traffic passes through our center, I still encounter many people who don’t understand our purpose or our services. One particular aspect that I feel is undervalued is the writing lab as a place of encouragement. How many students come in a day seeking not grammatical or syntactical guidance, but reassurance that their words make sense? Our ultimate purpose is to provide that reassurance by demonstrating how and where their ideas are clear, or by explaining how thoughts can be made comprehensive. Muriel Harris notes in her article “Talking in the Middle: Why Writers Need Writing Tutors” that “[students] come in nervous, apprehensive, defeated, or eager to get any help they can [and] emerge from their sessions feeling more positive, more in control of their own writing. The enormous power of these positive responses to tutors cannot be overemphasized” (Harris, 29-30). Perhaps the most important thing we do for student writers is create a positive writing experience, and provide the encouragement for which they hunger. <br /><br />Harris, Muriel. “Talking in the Middle: Why Writers Need Writing Tutors.” College English<br />57.1 Jan. 1995 : 27-42. JSTOR. Web. 16 Apr. 2013.<br />Mandi Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15710689385890006127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3790062.post-53958069310648417402013-04-09T17:46:31.678-06:002013-04-09T17:46:31.678-06:00I think the fact that writing labs are beginning t...I think the fact that writing labs are beginning to use the internet as a medium is important, and that this is a timely development. Online availability is certainly a way that labs can expand their influence, but I think it is also critical for continued relevance. In a fast-paced culture that values convenience, being completely tied to a physical location can be detrimental. Personally, I know I have used online resources from Purdue OWL more frequently than I have used the Writing Lab at school, despite the fact that I work there. Resources from the OWL are quick to find, directly applicable,and accessible from anywhere, qualities that a real writing lab may do well to emulate and incorporate.<br /><br />http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/Keturahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07876867087947767138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3790062.post-5709696503196137802013-04-03T14:20:24.138-06:002013-04-03T14:20:24.138-06:00Lindsay, I think that this is a very relevant topi...Lindsay, I think that this is a very relevant topic and I'm glad you posted this. I think that you make a relevant point in saying that no all grammar issues can be addressed in 30 min. Students do need time to process and explore new information or they will not remember or learn. In my ed psych class, Dr MacCullough has taught that for new information to be learned a student must connect it with information that they already know as well as explore that new information along with the old information for a while. After this exploring process students will likely remember the new information. I think that your ideas coincide with how people learn, and I think that they would work well in the writing lab context. Emily Rushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06385416874158414013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3790062.post-50678609925562708532013-03-27T18:43:19.373-06:002013-03-27T18:43:19.373-06:00Lindsay, I really enjoyed reading your post! I com...Lindsay, I really enjoyed reading your post! I completely agree that people tend to have a skewed view of what a writing lab does and what a writing lab can do. The writing lab can be an excellent and extremely helpful resource that not all campuses take advantage of. I really like the points you provided about taking advantage of online resources to make the most out of what the writing lab is possible of doing. There are so many ways to incorporate technology into writing centers to make them as effective as possible. I found an excellent article by Muriel Harris about using computers to expand the role of writing centers; it is very interesting and practical. I especially appreciate her ideas because Purdue OWL is a resource that I use habitually to format and improve my writing.<br /><br />Harris, Muriel. "1 Using Computers to Expand the Role of Writing Centers." <i> Electronic communication across the curriculum </i> (1998): 2-16. Web.Lindsey D'Alessandrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02179370424039525205noreply@blogger.com