TO: English A/B and ESL Faculty

TO: English A/B and ESL Faculty August 24, 2010

FROM: Barbara Budrovich

RE: Classroom Labs

Please find attached a revised “Lab Logistics” memo. When you have a few moments, please review.

Additionally, there a few new items to spotlight and some old information to emphasize.

New Items:

· “Tips for Effective Writing Assignments” is attached. Please read this; it has some specific suggestions on how to design an assignment sheet friendly to the WC and to the basic skills student.

· A Prewriting Flyer/Announcement is included. It describes our prewriting conferences in a bit more detail. Please encourage your students to come in for these, especially if they have been absent and missed lecture or a prewriting classroom lab.

· Also included is our printing flyer, which explains what students can print and how they can print.

· Information about the WC is on the WC web page. The current flyer is posted as well as links to other critical information—computer lab rules, prewriting and printing flyers, and grammar exercises. Please check it out. (You can google ECC Writing Center or find us under Humanities / Writing Center.)

Important Old Information:

Lab Management:

· Please use most (90 %) of your lab time to hold conferences with your students. We work very hard to secure the funds to run this outstanding in-class lab program, so effective and appropriate use of the tutor is greatly appreciated. Note that the course outlines (A and B) stipulate that students are to “revise their writing with the assistance of weekly one-on-one tutorials.”

· Please avoid excessive cancellation of labs. In the course of a semester, a lab or two set aside for a midterm or special activity is expected. But beyond two, please try to use your lecture days for some of the special occasions.

· Use the Writing Center mailroom/staff room to leave off assignments ahead of time for your tutor. Exchange contact information early—phone numbers and emails.

WC Conferences:

· Remember that we offer grammar conferences. Although we have been doing this for a number of years, the word does not appear to be out. Students may come in without an assignment sheet and request a conference with a tutor on a grammar problem of their choice.

· We also offer textbook driven conferences, including vocabulary building with Wordly Wise texts, idioms with Essential Idioms in English, and basic grammar with Basic Grammar and Usage. These books are available in the bookstore.