The Online Writing Conference

by Hewett, Beth L.; Pemberton, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780867096019
• ISBN10: 0867096012
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-02-02
• Publisher: Heinemann

Summary

The Online Writing Conference: A Guide for Teachers and Tutors , is exactly the book that I-and others-have been waiting for. Beth Hewett manages in this brief volume to answer a carload of my questions and alleviate an equal number of my fears. --Michael A. Pemberton Professor and Director of University Writing Center Georgia Southern University Composition is going digital. The number of online writing courses in colleges across the country is increasing each year. How do we best teach writing over the Internet? How must our pedagogy change? Beth Hewett provides real and practical answers. After years of online teaching and tutoring, Hewett shares her trade secrets and best practices. Grounded in current theory and research, her approach centers on building relationships, solving problems, and working efficiently. The book's problem-centered instruction uses mini-lessons and clear directions so that teachers and tutors can guide students toward improved writing. Hewett covers a range of core issues, including: n building trust n assessing students' needs n creati

Author Biography

Beth L. Hewett has been an editor, consultant, and teacher at the forefront of online education. Beth has written extensively on both teaching and learning in online environments, addressing audiences in education and business. Currently, she is Chair of the national Conference on College Composition and Communication Committee for Best Practices in Online Writing Instruction.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
Benefits of Online Teacher/Tutor Conferencing	p. 1
What an Online Conference Is	p. 1
Who Conferences Online and Why	p. 2
When and Why Conferencing Online Helps	p. 10
Why Conferencing Online Is Hard to Do Well	p. 11
Practical Matters	p. 14
The Nature of the Writing Conference	p. 14
Writing Conference Characteristics	p. 16
Identify the Strengths of the Tools	p. 30
Establishing Trust	p. 37
Creating the Learning Environment	p. 37
Setting Instructional Expectations	p. 47
Helping Students to Set Agendas and Make Choices	p. 50
Connecting with Students	p. 56
Caring for Students	p. 59
Letting Students Care for Us	p. 64
Theories for Writing Response in Online Settings	p. 71
Responding to Writing	p. 71
Expressivism and OWI	p. 72
Social Construction and OWI	p. 74
Postprocess and OWI	p. 76
Eclectic Approaches and OWI	p. 78
First Steps for Writing Response in Online Settings	p. 82
Know What You Are Talking About	p. 82
Use Vocabulary Specific to Writing Instruction	p. 86
Write at the Student's Level	p. 88
Choose Desired Outcomes	p. 91
Writing Mini-lessons and Next Steps	p. 97
The Orneriness of Language	p. 102
What Students Say They Need in Conference-based Commentary	p. 102
Direct and Indirect Speech	p. 106
"I've Got a Secret" (Direct and Indirect Commentary)	p. 112
Using What Works	p. 120
Engagement	p. 120
Where to Comment	p. 125
Too Much and Too Little Commenting	p. 133
Modeling by Proofing and Editing	p. 137
Addressing Sensitive Issues	p. 139
Having Effective Conferences	p. 145
Learning from Student Progress	p. 145
Instructional Rubics	p. 145
Interactive Journals	p. 149
Spontaneous or Scheduled Chats	p. 151
Midterm and End-of-Term Surveys	p. 152
Self-Audits	p. 156
Postscript: Toward a Theory of Conference-Based Instruction	p. 159
A Study of Online Writing Instructor Perceptions	p. 163
Direct and Indirect Speech in Writing Response	p. 172
Works Cited	p. 181
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