The Affective System and Writing Instruction

"It is as if we are possessed by a passion for reason," writes Antonio Damasio, "a drive that originates in the brain core, permeates other levels of the nervous system, and emerges as either feelings or nonconscious biases to guide decision making. Reason…is probably constructed on this inherent drive by a process which resembles the mastering of a skill or craft. Remove the drive, and you will not acquire the mastery. But having the drive does not automatically make you a master." (Damasio, 1994, pp. 245-246)

How can teachers and developers of writing curricula and technology use insights about the affective system to create optimal learning experiences that support student engagement at all levels of skill? In their article relating brain research to instruction, Tomlinson and Kalbfleisch (1998) call for "differentiated classrooms" which are "emotionally safe for learning," provide "appropriate levels of challenge" for each student, and provide opportunities for "each brain" to "make its own meaning of ideas and skills" (p. 54). The authors describe characteristics of such a classroom including great flexibility and individualization of learning contexts, assignments, presentation of ideas, expressive media, and levels of challenge. They do not, however, address the difficulty faced by a single teacher or team of teachers in providing such complex layers of individualization nor do they suggest tools and techniques that could make it possible.

Just as subject matter interest is highly individual, so is the ideal context for motivating writing. Some students are most productive and happy working face to face with a teacher or peer, while others are highly engaged by e-mail exchanges. Where classrooms themselves used to be the only viable learning context, the World Wide Web makes it possible to expand the geographical context or shift the time and place of working, finding support, and exchanging feedback. University professors as well as elementary teachers are increasingly able to offer "office hours on line," to review student work and offer suggestions via e-mail, and to post resources and supports on Web sites accessible to students twenty-four hours a day. This flexibility can help students find the time, place, and circumstances most beneficial for them.