-Reply

[DENISE DILWORTH <DILWORTH@smtp.munet.edu>]

Jennifer,

We do both, too. We mostly look at content and global issues like
organization and the like. But sometimes, a student's grammar
interferes with my others' ability to comprehend the student's
meaning. So we have to address it.

We also realize that there are teachers out there who criticize
students' technical abilities, and so if there is a pattern of
error--the student makes the same mistake over and again--we will
note that and point the student in the direction of resources for
learning about that error. We try not to focus on it too much,
though.

Form...  Each discipline has a specialized audience, which has
certain expectations for how writing in that discipline looks. So we
also address form. We sometimes provide sample papers (that we've
analyzed and outlined for students to help them understand the
format), and we sometimes just chat with them a little about it.
Either way, students can benefit from knowing how writers in a field
write.

It's really all connected, though. Can't really do one without the
others. It's more a matter of focus--and a sense for the situation.

Denise

>>> Jennifer Dana <jennyd@u.washington.edu>  5/1/97, 12:33pm >>>
To:  all writing center list members

I was wondering if, in your writing centers, do you concentrate more
on
the form or grammar of a piece or how its content brings out the
voice of
the student.

Thanks for any responses

Jenny