Who Says Johnny Can't Write?

It is suggested that students could become better writers if teachers were willing to experiment with a wider variety of writing modes. Even 'remedial writers' might be found to possess the ability to write successfully in another mode. A project is described in which students are given ungraded writing assignments that are then responded to in writing by other students. Teachers do not read these papers unless they are specifically written or given to them or unless asked to read some by the students. Some samples of writing by students participating in this project are presented, & it is shown that dramatic differences in quality can occur when the student is allowed to write in more than one style. This evidence supports the idea that each piece of writing must be seen in terms of the writer's purpose, their particular task, & the context in which the writing is done. J. Schwarz