That Darn Chicago Style

http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html

blog.uvm.edu/intrdisc/files/2012/08/Chicago-Style-Template.doc

So we have all heard of MLA and APA but what about Chicago Style? Many students came into the writing center because they didn’t know how to format their paper in this form. The problem was neither do many tutors. This online guide has a Q&A section as well as how to do a paper in this style so that tutors can more effectively assist students with this format. The second link that is given is a template that can be suggested to students to also help with this style. If students decide to use this however, inform them that they should still double check the format with the tutor before submitting their paper.

Computers and Autism

http://wvuecommerce.wvu.edu/index.cfm?do=product.product&id=8100711841%5F65w&product_id=73

This is a great article about teaching Autistic students to write on a computer. This is a study in which Autistic students were taught to write on a computer instead of paper. The students did much better when they wrote on a computer because certain mistakes were fixed when they would not otherwise have been. They also showed that the computer initially made a difference, but the students kept getting better as they were using the computer. This idea can be used by the tutors of the writing center. By allowing the students to use a computer while they tutor, they may actually get more out of the session.

Overcoming ELL Issues

http://sisaljournal.org/archives/mar11/matsuda_cox/

There are many ELL students that come to the writing center looking for help with their papers. Many of these are difficult to read because of the grammar errors that don’t transcend from their native language to English. This article talks about the common issues found in ELL papers and ways to help these students. It says that reading the article is what the session should focus on, how to read these papers and even gives tips to help these writers as well as the tutors. The authors says that the session should start with a quick read through to see what the main idea of the paper is as well as the organizational method that was used. In many of my ELL sessions I had the student read the paper out loud so that they could hear their own mistakes. The article suggests that the tutor read the paper out loud instead so that the student can hear a native speaker read it. The article also mentions teaching about transitional sentences as they are often missing in ELL papers. The last piece of advice is to stay positive and do not let your reactions to the paper influence the writer! I highly suggest reading the article as there are many more great tips that tutors can use.

The Student-Athlete and You

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v28/28.7.pdf

This article goes on at length about the various responsibilities all students have outside of school. It continues on by using the student athlete as an example, and attacking the stereotype of the "non-writing" athlete. Honestly, I find this a bit heavy handed but the reminder that everyone brings more than just their writing into the center is a good one. We never know what other burdens any of us may have, so chill out and tutor!

The Assumptions of Baby Prof's

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v30/30.7.pdf

A great article about the assumptions that are made about Writing Centers by faculty. In particular how first year professors view writing centers and how to educate them without alienating them.

The author estimates that a large portion of first year students that could use the writing center to great effect never do, due to the assumptions held by faculty. IN short, educate the teachers on what we do, so we can spend more time on the writing with the students.

Sign Language in the Writing center

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v32/32.9.pdf

An interesting approach to sign language using established ESL models. The author has been working within the deaf community for over 20 years and writes from this perspective.  Namely, how to use an interpreter, etiquette, etc.

The only strange part is that a disabilities resource center is barely mentioned at all. despite this, some great strategies.

Gathering a Tutor's Knowledge

https://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v34/34.2.pdf

This article mirrors what we try to do with the blog, but advocates for the use of podcasts instead. The author makes some very interesting points, but I'm not sure how useful it would be in our particular situation. In any case, it's an interesting idea, and one that I wouldn't mind pursuing as a kind of oral journal of sorts or maybe even mis-adventures from the MSU Writing Center.