Virtues of Conversation: Ethics in the Writing Center


Collaborative Learning, Higher Education, Peer Tutoring, Tutorial Talk and Methods, UW-Madison Writing Center Alumni Voices, Writing Center Theory, Writing Centers, Writing Fellows

By John Duffy—Most people who have taught in a writing center, or who have given the work any serious thought, are usually skilled in explaining what a writing center is not. That is, those of us charged with helping students, faculty, or the occasional inquiring dean understand writing center teaching often begin with negative definitions, listing the various things that a writing center isn’t and specifying those actions that writing center tutors don’t undertake. And so, we may say […]

October 8, 2012

A Room with a View / Writing with Others


Graduate Students, Science Writing, Tutorial Talk and Methods, Writing Across the Curriculum, Writing Center Tutors, Writing Center Workshops, Writing Centers

Unfortunately, the photograph with which I would have preferred to begin this post doesn’t exist. Instead I’ll have to help you reach the right place to recreate the picture for yourself mentally. I’m John Bradley, interim associate director of the Writing Center; thanks for following my lead. I’ll get to the point along the way, […]

April 30, 2012

The Rose Pathways Writing Project: Developing a Language for Writing


Collaborative Learning, Peer Tutoring, Satellite Locations, Student Voices, Tutorial Talk and Methods, Writing Across the Curriculum, Writing Centers, Writing Fellows

By Amanda Detry and Molly Rentscher. Each new semester in the Writing Fellows Program presents a range of exciting opportunities and challenges. Having served as Writing Fellows for the past few semesters, we have collaborated with many faculty members and worked with students of all writing levels and abilities. Amid such diversity, however, every writing […]

April 23, 2012

“Very Heaven”


Collaborative Learning, Higher Education, Peer Tutoring, Technology, Tutorial Talk and Methods, UW-Madison History, UW-Madison Writing Center Alumni Voices, Writing Center Theory, Writing Centers

By Dennis Paoli, Coordinator of the Reading/Writing Center and Co-coordinator of the Writing Across the Curriculum Program at Hunter College, City University of New York. He also writes plays and films and is Donor/Adviser of The Heidi Paoli Fund for cancer patients. He met Heidi in Madison. Hi. Dennis Paoli, University of Wisconsin Class of […]

April 9, 2012

Why Do You Ask? Questioning the Question in the Writing Center


Peer Tutoring, Student Voices, Tutorial Talk and Methods, UW-Madison Writing Center Alumni Voices, Writing Center Theory, Writing Center Tutors, Writing Centers, Writing Fellows

By Matthew Capdevielle, Director of the Writing Center, University of Notre Dame “So, what are you working on today?”“When is your paper due?”“Are you concerned about anything in particular in this draft?” In the writing center that I direct at the University of Notre Dame, we spend a good deal of time asking questions.  We […]

March 26, 2012

Starting a slow-writing movement


Collaborative Learning, From the Director, Higher Education, Peer Tutoring, Tutorial Talk and Methods, Writing Center Theory, Writing Center Tutors, Writing Centers

As we launched a new semester in our writing center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this past week, I loved listening to the lively buzz in our center emanating from conversations about writing projects.  And as I eavesdropped, I was reminded of how much I value slow, detailed, substantial conversations about writing in progress. Our […]

January 24, 2011