Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Beyond Convenience: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Asynchronous Multimodal Tutoring And Its Impact On Understanding And Connection, Sohui Lee, Abigail Michelini

The Writing Center Journal

Although traditional asynchronous tutoring is associated with text-based communication, writing centers are beginning to experiment with asynchronous multimodal tutoring with the assistance of accessible and interactive multimedia technologies and instructional platforms like VoiceThread. Using a mixed-methods approach of surveys and interviews of undergraduate students at a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), this study explores the potential benefits of asynchronous multimodal tutoring beyond access and convenience: We examine why students choose to submit their papers for asynchronous multimodal feedback, and whether they perceive that the multimodal aspect of the feedback improves their understanding and enhances their connection with tutors.

Central Habits Of Highly Effective Tutors: Hospitable Practice, Rhetorical Listening, And Emotional Validation In The Writing Center, Edward A. English

The Writing Center Journal

This article explores hospitality as a theoretical framework for valuing emotional engagement and rhetorical listening in writing center consultations, challenging traditional views that prioritize rationality and detachment. Anchored in a university writing center, the study investigates how writing tutors engage with writers, adopting hospitality as a core principle. Semi-structured postconsultation interviews and a focus group allowed tutors to reflect collaboratively on their application of the hospitality framework. Thematic analysis with in vivo coding ensured participants’ voices remained central to the findings. By examining the lived experiences of tutors, the study highlights the dynamic relationship between emotional and rational responses in …

Front Matter, Harry Denny

The Writing Center Journal

Front matter and editors' introduction to The Writing Center Journal 43:1 (2025).

Writing Confidence: Tutoring, Identity, And Race—A Mixed-Methods Approach, Daniel Messier, Hadi Riad Banat

The Writing Center Journal

This mixed-methods study sought to better understand how confidence in writing and race interact as factors within writing centers. Students utilizing our writing center were asked to provide data about racial identity and writing confidence both when registering with the writing center and when completing postsession surveys. From this data, we interviewed a racially representative pool of respondents to better understand their definitions of confidence and the identity factors that have shaped their confidence in writing. Our survey data showed that students’ confidence increased significantly as a result of a writing center session, replicating previous writing center research. Furthermore, we …

Somewhere In The Middle: Assistant Directors’ Leadership, Labor, And Power In Writing Centers, Keri L. Carter, John L. Carter

The Writing Center Journal

The position of writing center assistant director resides in the middle of the often blurry lines of hierarchy. While many writing centers advocate for team leadership, the fact remains that universities are steeped in bureaucratic tradition familiar to university leaders, students, and tutors. Assistant directors accomplish tasks that keep the day-to- day center functioning, yet these tasks equate to sometimes invisible work in the center and often invisible work in the university as a whole. Furthermore, research on assistant directors’ roles, labor, and identities is exceedingly limited. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to understand how hierarchies …

English Writing Centers In China: Opportunities, Challenges, And Paths Forward, Bradley Hughes, Jingtian Zhang

The Writing Center Journal

English writing centers at Chinese universities present a fascinating paradox. On one hand, the number of universities with writing centers and the professional interest in writing centers in China have grown steadily over the past two decades. But on the other, the number of centers is still modest and only a few centers have had a significant influence on the culture of writing on their campuses, which is surprising given the vast number of universities in China and the documented need for strengthening and expanding writing instruction in English. This international research study explores the current state of English writing …

We Should Promote Genai Writing Tools For Linguistic Equity, Nathan Lindberg

The Writing Center Journal

In this essay, I suggest that we should embrace generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) writing tools, particularly chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude), because they can enable linguistic equity by leveling the academic playing field for English as an additional language students. As writing experts, we can find ways to use this technology to enhance learning, and, since we know both student and faculty positions, we can help develop policies so such tools can be used effectively and ethically. Alternatively, we can ignore them and risk becoming irrelevant.

Unlocking Ela For All Students With Drama Activities, Natalie Tasillo

Virginia English Journal

Introducing drama activities into ELA classes can spark creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration for all students. They offer inclusive alternatives to traditional ELA activities and support successful learning experiences for all students. Several drama activities that are accessible to many students experiencing challenges are provided with suggestions for how they can benefit ELA classrooms.

Poem: "Meditation On Glass (Or, The Necessity Of English Teachers)", Joseph M. Jablonski

Virginia English Journal

A poem about English Teachers from a street poet.

The Badge He Wore, Kaya L. Klein

Virginia English Journal

"The Badge He Wore" is a poignant reflection on sacrifice, duty, and love. Through vivid imagery, the poem portrays the badge as more than metal—a symbol of a protector’s unyielding promise to serve others. It explores the weight of responsibility, the courage to face fear, and the ultimate act of laying down one’s life for another. The badge becomes a testament to a life of selflessness, a bond with the people it protects, and a legacy of a hero who gave all. This piece honors the humanity behind the badge, reminding us of the cost of true bravery.

Literacy Warriors: Engaging Our Community In The Fight For Literacy, Monica Rene Manns, Diane Saunders

Virginia English Journal

The Literacy Warriors initiative is designed to address the pervasive issue of illiteracy in underserved communities through innovative, community-driven strategies. Rooted in the evidence-based methodologies of Marva Collins and Orton-Gillingham, the program equips community members—referred to as Literacy Warriors—with the skills to teach foundational literacy, including phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Recognizing literacy as a tool for equity, empowerment, and social justice, this initiative emphasizes culturally affirming practices that resonate with the lived experiences of Black and marginalized students. The program also addresses a critical gap: many Literacy Warriors themselves were not taught phonics due to past whole-language initiatives, which …

Volume 73: Issue 1 - Letter From The Editor's Desk, Cinde Wollenberg

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Finding “Heart, Hope, And Humanity” At The 2024 Ncte Annual Convention, Hermione Dewitt, Ellie Fisher, Zoe Mcdowell, Kaleigh D. Phelps, Liz Shanks, Haley Smiley, Mark A. Lewis, Melanie Shoffner

Virginia English Journal

Six teacher candidates from James Madison University’s secondary ELA teacher education program reflect on their take-aways from the 2024 NCTE Annual Convention through the lens of the convention theme: Heart, Hope, and Humanity.

Call For Submissions: Volume 73: Issue 2

Virginia English Journal

No abstract provided.

Avoiding The Dreaded Packet: The Impact Of Guided Notes On Student Confidence And Quality Of Poetic Annotations In An 11th Grade Ap Language And Composition Classroom., Kaleigh D. Phelps

Virginia English Journal

This article presents findings from an action research study conducted in a 11th Grade AP Language and Composition classroom on the impact of guided notes on confidence and quality of student work. The data indicates a substantial need for transfer skills in the English classroom.

Reading The Players: Developing Critical Consumers Of Sports Media, Katie Dredger, Katherin Garland, Crystal L. Beach

Virginia English Journal

Sports media is ubiquitous, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers can use topics around current sporting activities and events in the classroom to engage readers and to teach skills of critical media literacy. Serving as a primer on critical media literacy, this article, grounded in educational theory, gives practical and easily accessible texts and creative lesson ideas to spark engagement, build community, encourage collaboration and foster achievement in secondary ELA classrooms.

Navigating The World Of Online Information: A Braided Approach To Research And Writing In Ela Classrooms, Ana Katz, Brittany Malloy

The Utah English Journal

As ELA teachers, we know that teaching students how to write well goes beyond grammar and thesis statements–it is about empowering students to think critically in a world overflowing with information. Whether it is news headlines, social media posts, or academic articles, our students are constantly navigating a sea of facts, opinions, and misinformation. The challenge? Equipping them with the skills to tell the difference. One approach that positively impacted our classrooms was integrating research and writing into a single process. This “braided” method teaches students how to evaluate sources and build strong arguments while keeping their engagement high and …

The Summer Of Ya Love: Young Adult Romance, Tiktok, And The Classroom, Annika Nielson

The Utah English Journal

Where teenagers are, there romance will be also. As a high school English teacher, I constantly witness the intensity of adolescence as young people start to explore their own identities. It is impossible to separate this time of teenagerdom from romance, since “adolescents are fascinated with developing sexuality and love” (Litton, 1994, p. 28). Even if they are not experiencing it firsthand, teens are hearing about it constantly from their friends, in school hallways, in the movies and tv shows they consume, and especially in the literature they read. Even the core texts in high school echo this desire for …

Book Reviews: From The Editor, Justin Scholes

The Utah English Journal

What a wonderful time to be an English Language Arts teacher! There has never been a time with such a flourishing offering of young adult literature as well as digital and multimodal texts!

Thank You, James, Leah Parks

The Utah English Journal

Brightest, kindest

Wise beyond your years

Knowledge of content and people

Potential

Book Review: Alebrijes, Shauna Christensen

The Utah English Journal

400 years into the post-apocalyptic future, 13 year-old orphan Leandro and his younger sister, Gabi, struggle to survive in a barren San Joaquin Valley. Like the other Spanish-speaking lower class field workers, they are forced to farm vegetables for the elite ruling class, or risk exile or death in the harsh desert, a barren wasteland filled with terrifying man-eating wyrms. Leandro’s plan to escape with Gabi is thrown into disarray when Gabi is caught stealing a single strawberry in the market. Leandro takes the blame and is sentenced to banishment, or he can choose to have his consciousness transferred to …

Book Review: Good Different, Jan Jenson

The Utah English Journal

Good Different is a beautiful and poignant free verse by neurodivergent author, Meg Eden Kuatt, and is beloved by all students, but especially by students with neurodiversity.

A Cohort Of The Willing: How Secondary Schools Might Face The Literacy Crisis, Michelle A. Barney

The Utah English Journal

Experts like Louisa Moats and anyone who has recently completed LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training, know that 95% of children can be taught to read (Louisa Moats, 2023). As a secondary educator, it’s tempting to see this statistic and ignore it. Surely, this must be someone else’s problem. In fact, if all goes according to plan in the world of elementary education, students become proficient at foundational reading skills before fourth grade, especially if one considers Kilpatrick’s work which establishes this benchmark for the development of advanced phonological awareness skills (Kilpatrick, 2015, p. …

Helping Students Learn What They Already Know: Uncovering The Magic Of Analyzing Author’S Craft, Joseph Wiederhold

The Utah English Journal

In my first-year teaching, I put a sentence on the board from Megan McDonald’s picture book My House Has Stars: “I hear the water lapping the sides of our boat, lapping the sides, lapping the sides” (McDonald, 1996, p. 2). It’s an exciting sentence. I was sure that students would have plenty to say about how it was crafted.

The Silent Stakeholders In Censorship: Insights In Letting Young Adults Join The Censorship Conversation, Mercedes Medel

The Utah English Journal

I grew up enjoying Judy Blume’s books: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Blubber, and many more. There was not much conversation in my community or at home about what books or authors should be read; instead, I was given free range to explore libraries and choose what I was interested in, what I was needing, throughout my adolescence. It wasn’t until I was sitting in Chris Crowe’s Studies in Young Adult Literature class this past spring that I discovered, to my surprise, that Judy Blume was at the center of many controversies throughout her career. …

Getting Teens To Read: Date A Book, Joëlle Beard

The Utah English Journal

“I hate reading!” “I will never read a book again after graduation; why do I have to read in your class?” “Reading is so boring; there aren’t any good books!” If you are a secondary English teacher, comments like this are nothing new. So many of our students do not enjoy reading and do not see the value of reading a book. Part of this is due to the curriculum push to read novel excerpts rather than full novels, or sometimes eliminate fictional texts altogether and read solely informational texts. The feeling of not wanting to read a book or …

Writing Prompts In The Healing-Centered Classroom, Elizabeth Hancock

The Utah English Journal

As I began the 2013-14 school year, I encountered students with a full range of life experiences. My students’ lives ran the gamut from having the 1950s version of traditional middle- class families to being part of the Utah foster care system. Their challenges included depression over not making the school dance team, dyslexia or other learning disabilities, and responding to trauma with self-harm by using a heated curling iron. I wondered what I could do to help struggling students make it through the minefields in their lives, and remembered the character of Ponyboy, who writes about his friends’ traumatic …

Voice And Reflection: Innovating Peer Review With Think-Aloud Group Discussions, Marissa Palmer

The Utah English Journal

“Ok guys, get out your Chromebooks and pull up your rough drafts. Today we are peer reviewing!”

As the students start getting things ready, there are a few groans from around the room and a few panicked “what if I’m not done yet?”s. The beginning of every peer review day starts the same: help kids get their essays properly formatted, demonstrate how to put their document in suggesting mode, and go over the protocols for the day.

Book Review: Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story, Amanda Thomas

The Utah English Journal

Sarah is a little girl with a vibrant inner life and explosive energy and creativity. From her first realization that The Little Mermaid was made by teams of artists drawing thousands of illustrations, she sees life and power in her art. Sarah relies on that power as she navigates the confusing and sometimes harsh realities of being one of few non-white kids growing up in her small Maryland town. Adopted from Korea as an infant, Sarah struggles to understand how she is different from the other kids and even from her older adopted sister, Liz (also from Korea). Every time …

From The Editors: Turning Pages, Turning Hearts, Mandy Luszeck, Jon Ostenson, Rachel Knecht

The Utah English Journal

When my students complete reflections on their readings, my favorite responses usually say something along the lines of, “I never saw it that way before, but now I do.” As English Language Arts teachers, we are well aware that literature is more than mere stagnant text, rather it is dynamic. It is transformative. Perspectives, experiences, ways of being that might otherwise be shielded from our students are illuminated in the stories they read, allowing them in turn to see and understand the world around them in a new light. According to Steven Wolk (2009), “As educators, we need to help …