|
|
 |
Writing Center
The Writing Center encourages students to collaborate with Writing Center staff in creating and revising all types of written work. Student writing consultants and professional staff can support students in every stage of the writing process, from generating ideas to polishing final drafts.
Staff members also provide online resources, handouts, workshops, and classroom presentations on a variety of topics, such as incorporating and documenting information in research papers, writing thesis statements, and following grammar rules.
Our primary goal in the Writing Center is to empower students to become stronger, more confident writers. Read below to find out more about how we help writers improve.
Please contact the Writing Center for more information:
Kim Pennesi, M.Ed.
Writing Center Coordinator
502.02 Admin
(724) 830-4795
pennesi@setonhill.edu
|
 |
Writing Assistance
The Writing Center staff is able to help students in every aspect of the writing process. In fact, we encourage people to work with us in the early stages of their writing assignments; we find this strategy actually decreases difficulties that writers have in later stages.
Also, we want students to be aware that writing is not a linear process. They may need to return to a previous stage to accomplish their goal. In all stages of the writing process, the Writing Center staff members emphasize the positive aspects of the writers' papers. Here are some aspects of the writing process, as well as the ways the Writing Center can assist students throughout them.
- Prewriting
Prewriting deals with both generating ideas for writing assignments and focusing these ideas. Many times, students who have trouble expressing themselves by writing can express themselves verbally.
Therefore, often the best way to help students is to discuss concepts. Writing Center staff members brainstorm with students for ideas. We also suggest students use clustering, freewriting, and other prewriting techniques. Once students have some ideas, staff can help them to focus their topics. Consultants can assist students in determining their purpose for writing as well as their intended audience. Finally, students are urged to devise working thesis statements
- Organizing
Another essential, yet often neglected, stage in the writing process is organizing. Frequently, students get ideas, and then jump right into trying to write their papers.
The Writing Center encourages students to formulate topics and subtopics for their papers. We can relate possible methods of organization to writers, enabling them to decide on one that will be effective for their intended purpose. Writing consultants stress the importance of including supporting details for each subtopic.
- Drafting
If they have taken the time to generate, focus, and organize their ideas, students shouldn't find this step particularly difficult. However, writers often come in with papers when they have not done the preliminary steps. In those cases, staff members may take the students through the prewriting or organizing stage.
Once students have completed the first stages, the Writing Center staff encourages them to write the first draft of their papers. Although the staff cannot write the paper, we can make suggestions to make this step easier. For example, we tell students to get the topics and details down on paper, don't worry about grammar or transition at this point, and consider writing the introduction and the conclusion after writing the body of the paper. The Writing Center also provides space and computers for students who are in this stage of the writing process.
- Revising
Students seldom realize the importance of revising the paper. At this stage, they should be checking their papers for content. Sometimes, when writers are too close to their compositions, they cannot tell if they are making their point effectively.
Here, the Writing Center staff can provide an objective eye. Consultants and writers read papers together. We ask students to explain sections of their papers that are not clear. Often, students can articulate vague connections to the consultant, who can then assist the students in making their paper more unified and coherent. Special attention is given to topic sentences, transition, organization, and the thesis statement.
- Editing
In this stage, writers should be concentrating on such areas as grammar, punctuation, and format. Many students do not know that there are errors, or they don't know how to correct them.
Although we stress that we are not a proofreading service, the Writing Center staff often sees students for the first time at this stage of the process. We can help students with their grammar and punctuation errors; however, we do not merely "fix" their papers. We explain the errors and ways to correct them. Staff members also suggest returning to the revising stage, if necessary. Once writers have completed this stage, they have accomplished their goal.
The Writing Center staff strives to support students in accomplishing their writing tasks, and, more importantly, in improving their writing skills.
|
|
|
|
