OWP06

You Can Improve Your Students' Writing Skills Immediately

Book Review by Robin Rowe:

    The book "You Can Improve Your Students' Writing Immediately" is written by David Melton.  Melton is an upbeat person who uses some interesting activities and lots of positive reinforcement to teach writing. He has some innovative lesson plans and some standard ones too, like the autobiography. David Melton has very firm beliefs on how writing should be taught. For example, he believes grammar skills are an important piece of good writing, but that grammar and conventions should be ignored during the rough draft copy. He also believes that the teacher should facilitate, and not always teach, good writing.  Melton believes that teaching good writing often means standing back and letting the student solve their own writing dilemmas. He also provided a nice piece on editing. Another idea that Mr. Melton had was to have the students illustrate a cover for their writings.

   Much as I liked the idea of students illustrating a cover for their writing, I was not overly impressed with the book. Mr. Melton is obviously a very creative person who illustrates books and has published several volumes of poetry in addition to teaching writing.  My students' area of giftedness is not writing. They tend to suffer and slog through it. In general, my students do not solve their creative writing problems by themselves.  Working in special education, my students need direct instruction for writing in order to connect the dots of the various writing components and even being creative must be practiced. My favorite part of the book was Melton's idea of illustrating a cover for the student's writing. I thought it might be done as part of the pre-writing exercise to see if it helps the student to write more descriptively. All in all, the book was OK. The information in the book was mainly familiar material. I rate books by deciding if I would spend my money to purchase it. In this case the answer was; "No, I would not". Perhaps this would be a good book for a teacher just starting out. 

Summary of Presenters and Topics

Dear OWP '06 cohort:
Apologies if my abbreviated summry does not do justice to your total presentation. 
This is only an attempt to consolidate memory-jogging information. I missed two days so I relied on
others for details about presentations on those days.

PRESENTER            TOPIC                                        RESOURCE

Shauna                   Biographical pre-writing                    Graphic organizer/Inspiration 

Kristin                       Golden words/similes                    Rainbows

Rene                        Resume writing                            Inspiration software

Jennifer                Step Up to Writing                            Organizer w/ color &
                                                                                Accordian paragraph

Connie                Visual prompts                                Chris Van Allsberg's Harris Burdick
                                                                                Mysteries 3-12 writing prompt
                                                                                  Doodle Art and sticker stories

Jean                    GLAD strategies &                            Color coded parts of speech
                            Quick draw/write   

Deborah                Sensory Description                        Stations with multi-sensory stimuli

Priscilla                Dialogue in Quotes                            Using comics to write dialogue

Marilyn                Fairy tale writing                                Fractured tales and sequence
                                                                                    graphic organizers

Hafeeza                Characterization activity                    Graphic organizers (GOs)

Amber                    Using Art as a prompt                        Adjectives book and
                                                                                        blotch painting

Anita                Teaching writing w/ themes                    Campfire and detail stations       

Gina                    Visual Elements of Art                        Slide presentation, handout
                                                                                    that details critical categories for
                                                                                   art analysis

Kim                    Research Strategies                             Famous paper fold x 8, Internet:Arbor Day
        `                                                                            On-line Rhyming Dictionary

Pam                    I am from . . . Poem                            Linda Christensen book excerpts,
                                                                                    student samples       

Elizabeth        Step up to Writing (with Jennifer)                 SEE ABOVE

Athena            Making sentences/Parallel sentences         Sentence manip. w/ pocket chart

Maureen            Research writing                                     Inspiration outline strategies/OSLIS

Glenda                Freewriting sources                                Graphic organizer with multiple
                                                                                        categories to stimulate ideas

Many Thanks from Robin Rowe

   When I signed up for the Oregon Writing Project I had high hopes and great expectations. I tried several writing programs over the years but none of them seemed to fit my secondary, special education, students. If I were to say my students are reluctant writers it would be an understatement.  My students are good plagiarists who count every word on their paper to see if they have made my quota. During basketball season most of my students give me their best effort and their best writing.  A poor grade means they can't play on the basketball team. That was my goal for the Oregon Writing Project, to teach me so that I could teach my students to write like it was basketball season all year long.

    I think I reached my goal and more. I am really excited about teaching writing this fall.  A lot of the reason for this excitement is what I learned from others in the writing class.  The diversity of class members meant that their ideas and insights were wide reaching and followed trails I had not thought of. The response groups were fabulous because other group members saw things I did not. I want my students to have those same wonderful experiences and if I set up the environment correctly, I think they will. 

  Another thing I brought from the Oregon Writing Project is a vast treasure trove of lesson plans. I can really use them. I actually have most of my writing classes mapped out for the year. The book and web reviews have also provided me with fresh resources. I have bought 6 books to use for reference. For the first time in a long time, I am ready to teach writing. My students aren't the only ones needing an attitude adjustment. It is me that needed to change first.

  Even though my time in the Oregon Writing Project was shortened, I gained a great deal. I was lucky enough to be with a fantastic group of knowledgeable people who, in addition to being good teachers and writers, are good human beings. Since not everyone can know my classmates personally, their writings remain to show the kind and compassionate individuals they are. All my expectations and hopes for the Oregon Writing Project were exceeded because the people I was lucky enough to call classmates, made the experience exceptional. I cannot thank you enough.

Walden's Pond(er)

Representative Greg Walden
House of Representatives
1404 Longworth
Washington, D.C. 20515

Attn: Valerie Henry
Legislative Assistant

Regarding: Continued Funding for Oregon Writing Project

July 20, 2006

Dear Representative Walden;

    I am writing to request your support for the Oregon Writing Project. This is a small program that has reaped giant results in a multitude of ways. The Oregon Writing Project allows teachers to come together and learn research-based writing techniques. Although districts and the state have a writing curriculum, this program provides teachers with a large bag of strategies to coax the most reluctant of writers into participating. The State writing curriculum has no value if the students refuse to participate. In the case of my special education students, they are so frustrated they gave up long ago.

   At the Oregon Writing Project, I have been given techniques, technologies, and a support network that I believe will help to bring back to my students some of the enthusiasm they lost.To say that my student’s suffer with writing assignments is an understatement. My students are what used to be called “slow learners”. These students, now in the upper grades, are long past caring if they get a poor grade report. I am leaving the Oregon Writing Project with many wonderful ideas. These ideas will encourage my students to at least try.

    Having access to the writing information, lesson plans,  and the ability to network with other teachers is "priceless" as the saying goes.  However, the Oregon Writing Project is not priceless, it requires funding.  I hope that you will see that the cost of the Writing Project is  far exceeded by it's benefits on multiple levels.  Please vote to continue funding. My student's and I need your support.

Sincerely,

Robin Rowe
PO Box 753
Gilchrist, OR 97737

kimskorner4teachertalk.com

Robin Rowe

    Kimskorner4teachertalk.com was discovered by using typing in "best practices in writing" and hitting the "feeling lucky" button on Google. The first thing I noticed was that the resource list on this site contained web sites reviewed by others, for example the Perdue University Writing Resource site.  Normally, I don't have the time to really explore a web site. So, it was fun to bop around the site and discover goodies I could put into my little, black, bag of writing tricks. Unfortunately, I have a very nice collection of techniques, rubrics, and activities from the Writing Project, so many of the offerings on this site were redundant and not as good as those from the Writing Project. The web site provided hyperlinks to sites similar to the Inspiration program (but not as sophisticated), and clip art (less art) sites. There was a link to a site called  ReadingLady.com  which I hoped would have book reviews for student reading. Instead the site was cluttered with the pros and cons of cell phone use in schools. Such a disappointment! To the positive side, Kimskorner4teachers did have some really fun activities for students. One activity I was excited to find concerned color coding the parts of speech.  Each part of speech is given a color of it's own. I think this is a fabulous way to teach grammar in small, painless, and entertaining sections. My students are always happy with any activity that includes markers or crayons even at the secondary level.  Finding this one activity made my visit to the site more than worth the time I spent exploring it.

robin rowe

     Words, Words, Words by Janet Allen is a wonderful book on teaching vocabulary. The author uses research to champion methods that work. She also uses research to point out the methods that don't work.  As it turns out, the best thing to do to improve student vocabulary is to read. But then, Ms. Allen provides strategies and activities for students to synthesize the new words into their vocabulary. She also provides worksheet masters that incorporate vocabulary skills in such a sophisticated fashion that it leads students into vocabulary development without the usual "drill and kill" tactics. I found this book to be very practical and useful.  In fact, I am loathe to return the book. However, I have found a copy for myself, so I reckon Karen will get her book back.

9/11

    By the end of  the day most people had seen the images of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center at least once. Being an early riser I saw the whole ugly episode unfold from the beginning.  At first I thought I was watching a movie, but as the newscaster kept replaying the crash and my coffee began to kick in, I dawned on me it was real.  A plane had actually crashed into the tower! My dad was a vice president of an insurance company located on the 58th floor of  the second tower. But, the company also maintained several offices in the first tower. The first tower now ablaze, mortally wounded with a plane in it’s belly. Over the years I had met many of his co-workers that worked in the first tower. I watched the television completely helpless to do anything for them but witness their tragedy.  Every prayer I ever knew was repeated in rapid succession but they stopped as a second plane hit the other tower.  This was not the answer I intended.  My dad was in the second tower and I knew he was at his desk because he was always there and he was always early.
  I had to talk to my sister.  I woke her up and we made plans to coordinate our contacts and try to get hold of our parents.  Calls to New York weren’t getting though.  Already the phone lines were flooded with people needing to know what is happening in New York City. Being unable to get through by phone surprised me.  It was still early morning, only 20 minutes had passed since the initial plane crash. How could the phone lines be overburdened like it was Mother’s Day or Christmas? The old saying is “no news is good news”. I can tell you no news can also lead to panic. I was mesmerized by the images flashing across my television screen. I recall being scared.  I wonder if being scared makes you helpless, or being helpless makes you scared. I know it's harder to be left behind and I was very afraid of being left behind.
    The images on the television continued to deteriorate, people choosing their means of death, jumping out of buildings for a few last moments of freedom rather than accepting the claustrophobia from the fires of hell closing in. Finally, about 10 a.m., my mother called.  My dad had made it out of the tower that now lay as rubble and walked the few blocks home.
    I learned later that there were frequently false fire alarms and that most the people in the towers were annoyed at being evicted so early by another "false alarm".  My dad had traveled down to the 23rd floor stairwell when he was told the alarm a false one and that he should return to his office. But the crashing noises around him made him pause. Before heading back up he called company employees located in the other tower. The people in the first tower were told  by the fire department to stay where they were. The fire was below them and when the fire was out they would be rescued. My dad, because he was closer to the ground than his office opted to continue on to the lobby area. Dad was able to make it out of the towers, but the 200 people who where told to stay where they were until the fire was out did not.

  It is almost 5 years since 9/11 and there are requests for money to build a memorial to those who died. I am grieved by those who died but I would much rather recall the living. Yes, America was the object of a terrorist attack on that day and it was a terrible thing. But, I cannot help but think of others who live with terrorism on a daily basis. There are 60,000 dead in Iraq, there are 5,000 dead in Lebannon. There were thousands who died in the bombing of London in WWII, and millions of Jews and Gypsies killed under Stalin and Hitler. America has been spared that.  We have been so very lucky not to have war and the threat of war on our soil in the modern era. A memorial should be build not to remind us of death, but to rejoice in how lucky we are. We are able to live in peace, work and become prosperous. We can raise our children knowing they will live to see adulthood. I will not donate to the 9/11 memorial.  Instead I will send a contribution to Doctors Without Borders in hopes that they can make life a little better for someone. 9/11 was one of the worst days of my life. Whenever I give money to various organizations that help the living, I think of those who perished on 9/11.  It is my memorial to them, hopefully I have their approval. I like to think so.

robin rowe

    The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy McCormick Calkins is a lengthy, 500+ pages, and appears to be a textbook for the author's students. However, McCormick Calkins is a teacher and mentor for the Writing Project and promotes Writing Project premises in her book.  The book, published in 1994, indicates that the Writing Project principles have withstood the test of time.

   The author tested my time constraints with excessive examples and digressions and I thought the book was most suited to those teaching in the elementary grades. That being said, I thought the book was excellent as a reference book. If you change grades and need some input, or need to know what student expectations should be, this is the book. Calkins had some very nice examples of student editing sheets, and fine examples of student response/grading sheets. There was also a chapter devoted to writing assessment which I found useful. I didn't like the book enough to pay full price for a new copy. But, I intend to actively look for it on the used book market and use it for reference. 

 

ESD Book Review web site

                                Priscilla Ann Ing
                                Summer 2006
                                Web Site Review

http://www.lane.k12.or.us/bookreview/index.html

If going to the Lane ESD homepage-   
        click services & programs
            under media services, click on Book Review Program
                click on Lane ESD Book Review

The Lane Education Service District offers a children’s / young adult book web site that is updated quarterly for use by media specialists, librarians, and teachers.  This web site is compiled by ESD staff but is made up of reviews written by interested persons from participating schools in the Lane County service area.  School media center personnel, both certified and classified, teachers, and parent volunteers select the books they think may be appropriate additions to their school library collections.  These books were sent to the ESD, free of charge, by publishers looking for evaluations (reviews) and to promote new books.  The selected, reviewed books are the kept by the school and added to the school liberary.

The goal of the web site is to provide relevant information to anyone considering purchasing the book for a library collection.  The rating system is from 1 - 5; 1 meaning “do not purchase” and 5 translating as “priority to purchase”.  Each review gives a synopsis of the book’s content and an evaluation from the view point of its value to the school setting.

Schools who participate in this program are charged an annual fee that more than pays for itself with the acquisition of books at one session.  Books that are evaluated to not be appropriate may be passed on to another school where they are a better fit.  An example would be a grade school library passing on to a middle school a book that contains teen-aged characters in a secondary school setting and plot situations.

This web site’s service is a win - win situation.  Participating schools receive free books and an interested person has access to a locally written book review.

Writing for Readers: Teaching Skills and Strategies

Writing for Readers: Teaching Skills and Strategies
By Lucy Caulkins and Natalie Louis
Review by: Connie Early

Third in the Primary Units of writing series, this book breaks down writing lessons into developmental mini lessons. It begins by teaching students the vocabulary associated with writing a story about one ‘isolated’ incident. The author uses the term small, or tiny moment stories to help the students comprehend the difference between writing about, ‘what I did on my summer vacation’, from a thorough reflection on just one moment in time.

The book encourages students to write a three part story, with a beginning, a problem and a solution. As students progress through the writing process, mini lessons are introduced that cover both content and conventions. At the beginning of the year, it recommends assessing student writing on what students do not know (evaluating prior knowledge) and then beginning lessons by building on what they already know. Spelling and sight words should be built into mini lessons. In spelling students will begin by hearing phonemes and then moving to hearing chunk words. When teaching sight words, they should exist on a word wall that students use for reference but not to copy. The teacher needs to help students understand the difference between a sight word read in a snap, and a ‘stretched out’ word where students sound out each part. We want to develop for them the skills to ‘picture in their mind’ and recall sight words easily. As students memorize more and more sight words, then the teacher moves them to learning word families to increase their vocabulary development.

Mini lessons are taught in penmanship and in how to make the transition to an easy to read paper; one that has ‘finger size’ spaces, is neat and has lots of letters in each word. Students are taught editing strategies like crossing or adding slashes for spaces. Mini lessons on wipe boards can be used to teach identification strategies of beginning and ending sounds. Students will need instruction on how to know when a word ends and needs a space, as well as when a sentence ends and needs a period.

Lessons on readability include modeling for students what it means to be able to read a piece of their work as a teacher, later teaching them to divide their work into readable and non-readable papers, and later by building in peer editing. At this point you have developed a class community and can begin teaching students how to work together. Teaching them skills in working with others and being careful with others feelings, will be lessons they carry for a lifetime!

Reprogramming by Rene Cobb

Joni eagerly fled the class, "American History of People with Differing Abilities" as soon as she could. She was meeting her friends at Franky's and she was anxious to get started. Pushing the code for transport into her new state-of-the-art wrist satellite, Joni drove her wheelchair through the crowded halls of Springfield High School. She was loving the freedom of being a senior but she didn't like thinking this was her last year at SHS. It wasn't that she'd miss her friends, they were all planning to attend Springfield Community College, but she would miss the other students and even the teachers. The end of high school and her approaching 18th birthday caused butterflies in her stomach. She was glad she was meeting Amelia, Russell and Franky. Joni knew she needed to make a decision and who better to help her than her best friends?

Transport was waiting for her yards from the school door. Joni rolled on to the 'Go', an egg-shaped electronic carriage, and using a voice recognition satellite receiver, announced her destination. The Go hummed along away from the high school. Using her wrist satellite, Joni sent a message to Franky so she would know Joni would arrive shortly. Minutes later she was headed into the kitchen of her buddy, Franky. She also had a decision to make but she had already decided to go ahead with it. Joni envied her certainty. "Hey Franky! Knock, knock. I'm here.", Joni announced.

"That was quick! I just got out of the shower and saw your message. You must have zoomed from 7th period. I didn't think you'd get here so soon. Will you put out the snacks while I dry my hair?", Franky asked.

"You just like me because I'm handy, but I'll do it because I'm starving!"

"Be right back. Thanks!", Franky yelled, running to her room. Joni began rummaging through the refrigerated drawers for their favorite snacks: apples with cheese and chocolate chip cookies. She heard noise at the door and turned to see Amelia and Russell tiptoeing, hoping to surprise her. Joni thought they looked so cute in their matching SHS Class of 2065 fiberoptic sweatshirts. Russell, who was tall and thin, and Amelia, who was short and not so thin, had exactly the same haircut and color, a ragged, pixie style in red. They started dating after the entire school set them up in an elaborate ruse because they were both loners who loved music and art and because they had the same exact hair. Now, they are inseparable. Having Asperger's Syndrome (which I learned in class used to be called a disorder in the early part of the 21st century) was not always easy, they said, but Russell and Amerlia seemed perfectly happy and in love just the way they were. We all wondered if they would cut their future children's hair the same way. Last Halloween, Franky and I got matching wigs and went to the party as Russell and Amelia. We have a great picture of all four of us with that lovable haircut. Russell and Amelia had already decided, but they didn't even need to consider it, they knew they wanted to only be them, just the way they were born.

My agonizing choice was to be made no later than my 18th birthday or I would automatically undergo the medical reprogramming of my brain and spine. I can choose to decline but I will never be given the chance again to run, dance or skip on my own two legs; unless I become super rich and could pay for the humongous cost of reprogramming on my own. I doubt that would ever happen to a working class girl with CP even if I will be the first in my family to go to college. I needed to decide and soon!! Franky, Russell and Amelia were going to help me research and today's our start date. Franky must have been reading my mind becasue she walked into the kitchen already directing us to our research stations.

"Russell, get going on the database of CP reprogramming results. Amelia, review the list of local doctors, and Joni and I will work on the list of those in the state that have undergone the reprogramming.", Franky said, using her best wanna-be teacher voice.

Amelia and Russell said simultaneously and saracastically, "Yes, Ms. Franky, ruler of everything."

Soon all of us were working at our satellite research stations. Russell had several graphs on his screen, Amelia was cross-referencing doctors with malpractice suits when Franky yelled, "Check this out Joni! This may be just what we're looking for!" On her 32 inch 3D screen, she had the words 'Why?' printed boldly. "Let me start it again, watch", Franky said eagerly. We watched the screen change to: 'Why not be reprogrammed? It's free; it's risk-free, or IS IT? Check out these stories of reprogramming survivors. Soon you'll be asking yourself, Why?'

"I want to hear their stories", Joni said excitedly. "Let's call them up on the satellites---access the screen where it says 'survivors' stories'". Franky looked puzzled as she studied her 3D screen. She knew Joni was anxious to talk to survivors but she was frustrated at every attempt to access the data.

"What's up with this?", Franky pouted. She had never had problems accessing information on her satellite, or anyone else's for that matter. Information technology had gotten so good in the last 25 years that computer and satellite repair workers were basically extinct. Only a few die-hard geeks, called Silicon Heads (from a famous valley in the early days of computers) were still repairing satellites. Luckily, Amelia's grandfather was a Silicon Head. He had worked for companies called Untel and Macrosoft before they went bankrupt in 2047. Franky turned to Amelia and said seriously, "Call your grandfather. We need him. I think someone has deliberately denied us, and perhaps others, access to reprogramming survivors' stories."

Songs and Chants in the ELL Classroom

Subject:  Songs and Chants in the ELL Classroom

Website article:  Celebrating Twenty-five Years of Jazz Chants, by Frank Tang and Dianne Loyet    www.nystesol.org/pub/idiom_archive/idiom_fall2003.html
Website Review   by Jean Frantz

      Because I use songs and chants so much in ELL class and have been using those of Carolyn Graham for over fifteen years, I thought that it would be worth your while to check out this website article to see who she is and what her chants are all about.  While teaching university-aged ESL students, the Jazz Cants were particularly helpful and enjoyable.  As an elementary teacher Graham’s two volumes of Jazz Chants for Children have been a staple in my classroom.  All children love them, whether advanced learners or children with special needs.  In fact, these chants were well liked by the regular classroom students as well.  In the article at the above website you will examine some of the wonderful characteristics of jazz chants and learn how they are an excellent tool for teaching language.  You will also be able to read a couple of Graham’s chants.  Below I have written about my own enthusiasm for chants and songs in the ELL classroom.

      As an ELL teacher I have the opportunity to teach many content areas, especially in the literature, science and social studies fields.  Through informational text and fiction, the students learn vocabulary and language structure.  We use a variety of exercises to learn vocabulary, two of which are songs and chants.  These help to imprint the words and structures of the English language on the students without much effort.  It is a way of drill and repetition, in a way, without it seeming like drill.  As a student of foreign languages myself, I realize the usefulness of these songs and chants.  I still remember the songs I learned in high school German class. 

      Sometimes we split up our group of ELL students and sing or say the songs or chants as two separate choruses, much like the Greeks used to do in their plays.  Other times we do hand motions, a cross between sign language and finger rhymes.  The students love to stand up and swing, dance or snap their fingers to the songs.  Most of all they like to do them as a rap.  At those times I get out the sunglasses and we really ham it up.  They hardly know that they are learning.  I bet that if you asked them to sing the same songs next year, they’d still know them by heart.   Isn’t that a sneaky way to learn language?

      

      Here’s one of our chants:

      In Peru there’s a fox in the moon.
      In Peru there’s a fox in the moon.
      Close your eyes for a minute,
      Imagine what’s in it.
      What do you see in the moon?

      

      In Mexico there’s a rabbit in the moon…

      In China there’s a frog in the moon…

      In the USA there’s a man in the moon…

      

NWP/OWP Support Needed

Senator Gordon Smith
United States Senate
404 Russell Bldg
Washington D.C. 20510

Attn: Steve Wymer  Legislative Assistant

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing in support of continuing funding of the National Writing Project. Started at the University of California at Berkeley 22 years ago, the project has grown to every state, some with multiple sites. The project was established as a means for teachers to gain writing skills of their own and to improve the teaching and learning of writing in their classrooms.

The model of the project can be described as a writer's workshop, a cooperative and sharing learning environment with presentations, extensive writing exercises and educational strategies (e.g., technology). Participants at the Summer Institute study the recursive mode of writing, a process of writing that includes pre-writing activities, drafting,  peer editing and publishing. One presentation to the group is required of each workshop attendee. This gives each a chance to practice teaching and learn new strategies for effective writing instruction from colleagues. Book reviews on writing and written language instruction, a web review, and four papers are assigned and posted on an NWP/OWP (Oregon Writer's Project) blog.The use of technology in the teaching of writing is emphasized and provides workshop participants an opportunity to stay current with the changing face of technology in schools.

I attended the OWP Summer Institute in 2001 and returned summer, 2006. I am a special education teacher at Springfield High School in Springfield, Oregon. The OWP has provided me with materials, skills, resources and colleagues to work with toward the common goal of improving our teaching of writing and improving our students' skills in written language. The benefit of taking the workshop twice has been multi-fold. I have been exposed to 40 models of  the effective teaching of writing from educators of all specialties, content areas and grade levels. Though I am currently working in a high school, the advantages of knowing what others teach in lower grades provides a great deal of useful information regarding the learning background of my students. The elementary and intermediate teachers benefit from knowing what high school teachers expect, and teach, regarding writing skills. I have also benefited from my second OWP in that my own writing skills have improved. With all the intensive writing exercises completed,  I have gained fluency and confidence. Without NWP/OWP, I would not have had the opportunity to gain skills and valuable knowledge and skills.

The importance of continuing education for teachers is crucial. Not only do states and school districts require professional development, the nature of teaching, and its' tools, continue to change. Use of technology has grown dramatically and continues to change yearly. When I first started teaching in the late 1980s, e-mail was not yet in use in my employing school district. Students, in some cases, know more about the use of technology than teachers. OWP/NWP provides the perfect opportunity for teachers to gain skills and knowledge to best teach their students. The teaching of writing can be taught effectively using technology. Particularly spell check, blogs, internet resources and computer word processing skills are used by students. The OWP/NWP Summer Institute offers a forum for teachers to develop, expand and share technological skills with each other.The importance of being an adequate writer in our world cannot be overemphasized. The NWP provides services like no other program. Continuing the Project will benefit students and teachers for years to come.

Sincerely,

Rene J. Cobb
Springfield High School
875 N. 7th Street
Springfield, OR 97477

(541) 744-4788

The Conferring Handbook

                                Priscilla Ann Ing
                                Summer 2006
                                Book Review #4

Calkins, Lucy.  THE CONFERRING HANDBOOK,  Portsmouth, NJ:  Firsthand, 2003

This book is one of eight in a series authored by Ms. Calkins aimed at younger elementary children learning to write.  Conferencing with students during writers’ workshop is the focus of this selection.

The architecture of conferences with students is used for three different reasons: to research what the student’s focus is in his chosen writing topic, to review behavior expectations during writers’ workshop, and for the teacher to understand what process the student may need help with and work toward a goal of improving that writing element. 

This book centers on the last kind of conference after evaluating, through research questions, what instructional need the student has.  Guided practice, demonstration, and explicitly telling and showing are the methods used to guide students to a new or higher level writing skill.  Emulating authors’ writing is one suggested way to teach children about writing.  This is done through the sharing of literature and having children discover language patterns that they might copy.  When the curriculum focuses on personal narrative writing, phonemic awareness and increasing the use of details is emphasized.  Punctuation is also taught and practiced.  This is also the time that writers are encouraged to skip lines in order to revise and repair.  Erasing is not encouraged and even at the primary grades, use of proof reading marks is begun.  As the year goes on, students are asked to reread for details and reader understanding.   Writing vocabulary words like “setting” and “main idea”, as well as making use of descriptive details are addressed and easily understood by the young writers.  By the end of the year, student authors have practiced correct capitalization, punctuation of several kinds, and the use of refrains.  Lastly, students are taught to research factual material and begin to think in outline form using the concept of Table of Contents.  If time for extensions is available, poetry forms with emphasis on metaphors is attempted.

Though aimed at the early grades, I came away from this reading with a better understanding of the role of conferencing at any grade level.  Emulating the steps of research (evaluate the writer’s progress), teach (tell, model, remind) the needed skill, and link (connect) to previous and future writing experiences.  I no longer see conferences as happening in a special place reviewing a whole, completed piece of work; but as an activity happening quickly as I move through out the room within the format of a daily minilesson.

How to Capture Live Authors and Bring Them to Your School

                                Priscilla Ann Ing
                                Summer 2006
                                Book Review #3

Melton, David,   HOW TO CAPTURE LIVE AUTHORS AND BRING THEM TO YOUR SCHOOL.  Kansas City, MO:  Landmark Editions, Inc.,  1986

While the reader may be put off by the copyright date of this book, one should realize that organization, cooperation, and consideration are all still vital to a successful author visit.  The author, David Melton, wrote this book as the result of putting together an annual young author event and being, himself, an invited author to schools and writing events.

This handbook covers, in its eleven chapters, creating and organizing an event involving children’s authors, getting the most out of publicizing the activity, soliciting funding, accommodating the author at the event and during the stay, and concluding activities.  The point made over and over again by Melton was how students, staff, administration, parents, and community all need to be involved before, during, and after the event, and to do so with thoughtfulness and courtesy.  A time line was suggested noting the need for preplanning and double checking, especially regarding student preparation and travel / housing reservations.  Chapter 9 was entitled “Make your lists, check them twice!”  This was a chapter of checklists for establishing committees and their job descriptions, along with timelines.  It also included lists for publishing the event to everyone, from the community to the students, both in school and at home, and the possibility of purchasing the author’s books.  Double checking the author’s travel and housing arrangements as well as expectations (sometimes listed in the contract for services) and the preparations for work with the students is vital.  A list for concluding activities was also shared which covered thank you notes, wrap up of student activities, paying the author, final news releases, and an evaluation from each committee member.

An additional feature of this handbook was the inclusion of author stories in the wide margins of each page.  A line drawing illustration was featured, with the author’s name and one of his or her well known titles.  Several of the features involved stories of positive or negative experiences during school or event visits.  These stories highlighted Melton’s points of courtesy, consideration, and organization before, during, and after author events.

I consider this handbook, even though old, to be of great use to anyone hoping to facilitate an author visit.  Updating can logically be carried out by the reader in terms of the use of web sites, e-mail, faxes, and cell phones.  Good manners and organization will always be timely.

Nuts and Bolts of Teaching Writing

                                Priscilla Ann Ing
                                Summer 2006
                                Book Review #2

Calkins, Lucy,   THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF TEACHING WRITING.  Portsmouth, NH:  FirstHand,  2003

Though this book on the teaching of writing was aimed at the primary elementary level, it was most beneficial to one who is attempting to revamp or create a writing curriculum in a self-contained elementary classroom of any level.  The basic tenants of writing instruction can be generalized and adapted for the upper elementary grades.  Every chapter of this book not only explained the thinking behind each point, but also gave examples of teacher dialogue to be used in each step of the writing process.

One of the most helpful outlines in the book was a curriculum calendar which was explicit but also flexible enough to allow for extensions and varying speeds of work.  Even as a 4th grade teacher, reading this book, I found this schedule to be inspiring for establishing a writing curriculum for the coming school year.  The suggested schedule is as follows:
    September - establish writers workshop behaviors and work expectations including using consistent key phrases as cues for student work.
    October/ November - create stories and practice rereading and revising with focus on detail and sequence. - Personal narrative
    November / December- focus on spelling including techniques that relieve the writer of worrying about spelling but teach tools to check and improve spelling
    December / January - Study the writing process and teach young writers to ask, “How can readers best understand me?” - Expository
    January / February - Study authors, not only learning about and appreciating their lives and works, but relating to the writing process  -  Imaginative
    February / March - Write a book - Non fiction
    April / May - Poetry

The issue of classroom structure was also addressed.  While the small group structure was highly recommended because it helps facilitate peer work relationships, it is not absolutely necessary.  I especially liked the idea of community supplies and writing utensils assigned to table groups.  This stops short the excuses used by some students who cannot seem to proceed with an assignment due to lack of paper or sharpened pencils.

The structure of each day’s lesson, called minilessons, was also provided.  Most of these steps are present in every good teaching presentation.  First, each lesson begins with a brief connection which is a quick review of what was presented during the last day’s minilesson.  The second step is the actual teaching of the concept which the student is to learn and use.  Teaching could be accomplished in one or more of the following ways:  demonstration, explicitly telling and showing, allowing students to inquire (figure out how), and/or with guided practice. Active engagement is the step of guided practice which often includes a peer partner.  At this time students try their hand at what was just taught.  The link step happens as students try, independently, what they have been taught and begin to show what they can produce.  In mid-workshop teaching, while informally assessing the work in progress, the teacher presents a mini-reteaching of any part of the new concept from which many of the students could benefit.  After writing is the name of the last step of the minilesson where students share what they have accomplished during the writer’s workshop that day. 

Conferencing was also addressed in the  “nuts & bolts” of writing.  If one looks at conferencing as coaching individual students, it gives a focus via informal assessment.  It was suggested that conferences could be directed in four ways.  The teacher can research what the child intended in his/her writing through questioning, conclude what needs reteaching and how to do it, teach using guided practice in the one-on-one conference situation, or link what was accomplished with what the student will need to remember for tomorrow.  I especially appreciated these different approaches to conferences because each offer a measurable goal.

The ELL student was also addressed.  The major point was to allow literate students to first write in their own language and to only ask for English writing work based on progress in English reading work.  It also reminded the teacher that speaking and listening, especially child-to-child, is most beneficial.  As with all children, using drama, partner reading, independent and guided reading, being read to aloud, word walls, phonemic awareness, and story telling should all be employed to raise English language awareness.

Lastly, an assessment rubric and checklist were given for launching the writing workshop.  These would be very helpful to the teacher to stay on track through the year.  It would also be very helpful at report card time when both student progress and effort are evaluated.

This book is an excellent resource and will most likely serve as a basis for my 2006-07 writing curriculum, combined with the commercial writing program my school has adopted.  I see this system as flexible enough to work with many different published program structures.

On Writing

                                    Priscilla Ann Ing
                                    Summer 2006
                                    Book Review #1

King, Stephen,  ON WRITING. A Memoir of the Craft.  New York:  Pocket Books,   2000

In this book, half autobiography and half guide to would be writers, King shares his life of writing in easily understood language spiced with expletives of today’s conversations.

The autobiography section is not only interesting but gives the reader an understanding of the inborn creativity now exhibited in King’s writing.  Even as a young child, his mind wondered while listening to stories, with questions of “what if this had happened instead”, or “what if this character were introduced”.   As an elementary student, King and his brother published their own newspaper, mostly meant for family members, but also seen by the neighborhood.  Collecting publishing equipment of the 50’s and refurbishing it was his brother’s strong suit while Stephen’s was as a writer.  It is in this section, too, that the reader is introduced to his future wife and her part in his early career as an English teacher and struggling writer.  Knowing the history of his long marriage, helps us see the importance of his wife as the “first reader” of his stories.

King’s philosophy regarding the arts and specifically writing could be summed up with his statement, “Life isn’t a support-system for art.  It’s the other way around.”  I think it would be safe to say that without his ability to communicate through the art form of writing, King would not be happy or sane.  King considers the art of writing a form of telepathy and expresses its importance in his life of connecting with so many people, from family to the millions of his faithful readers.

The last half of this book, is dedicated to the skill of writing and would be of interest to anyone hoping to communicate through the use of the written word.  King, in the mode of writing instructor, emphasizes the importance of vocabulary, grammar, and the elements of style.  Talent is a part of every successful writer, but anyone can improve their writing to the next level with hard work.  He emphasis the part reading has played and still plays in his life.  A list of books that “worked” for him is shared at the end.  Whether one agrees with King’s book choices or not, his point is that good writers are voracious readers and are continuously learning.  Also, good writers become so because they write - a lot.  This is where King emphasis the importance of the person you select as the first reader.  Here he shares the important of this role, filled by his wife.  Giving the would-be-author information on how to contact/present manuscripts to publishers is also shared.

I found this book to be both entertaining and informational, and highly recommend it to persons ranging from fans of King’s work (too freaky a genre for me to enjoy) to those who are fascinated with the art of writing.

We're All in This Together

                                Priscilla Ann Ing
                                July 17, 2006
                                Writing 4

Oregon Writing Project - We’re All in This Together

The Oregon Writing Project was not what I expected.  Upon receiving the letter of acceptance to the 2006 workshop from Professor Nathaniel Teich, I felt I had made a mistake in applying for this program.  I was not an expert teacher nor did I have an ideal lesson to share with teachers who were experts.  I was out of my league!  To my surprise, from Day 1 of the project, I was reassured and supported by my peers and workshop facilitators, Professor Teich and Karen Antikajian, in this wonderful eighteen day experience. 

Collaboration, brainstorming lesson extensions, and learning new aspects of writing occurred each day.  Educators from the fields of special education, English language acquisition, and of classrooms from kindergarten through high school, shared lessons that involved or related to writing.  Some explained writing curriculums adopted by their schools while others showed alternate ways to approach a specific writing skill or topic.  Technology was woven into several of the lessons, which were very eye-opening, as I am technologically challenged.  New web sites and program software were both demonstrated.  Experts from the fields of poetry, writing software, and literature all made additional presentations.  An additional challenge for me was using the OWP06 Blog to publish my work.

In addition to the presentations, was the composing, revising, editing, and publishing of four papers along with book and web site reviews.  While being somewhat insecure in my writing skills, I was again supported by my peers during this process.  The assigned small editing groups resulted in both positive comments and constructive criticism before the publishing of each paper.  It also resulted in my own writing improvement and more confidence which allowed me to accept the group’s critiques.

The project brought out the best in each of the twenty-one participants from seven Oregon school districts.  The knowledge gained and the emotional, as well as intellectual, support that I felt was one of the most positive educational experiences I have had in my thirty-two years as an educator.  As teachers willingly demonstrated their expertise, I felt I was being given a gift to share with the students in my class.   We were all in this together.

Now it is my responsibility to bring this spirit of collaboration and the wealth of knowledge I have gleaned from the Oregon Writing Project to my school in a year in which writing is at the forefront of our school improvement plan.  The weakest area in our school’s program, in my opinion, is the lack of articulation regarding our writing strategies.  Yes, we are adopting a K-5 writing program which should improve consistency in instruction vocabulary and in the approach to instruction; but even more important to making our new writing program successful, will be the establishment of the same kind of camaraderie and personal support found in the writing project.  My goal will be to help establish a positive, collaborative environment within our staff as we implement the writing curriculum and constantly evaluate our daily experiences.  Each grade level’s success is dependent, to a great degree, upon the success of the the level the year before.  Teachers and administrators at Howard Elementary School need to also believe we are all in this together.

Paper # 4
Maureen Twomey
                                                                  Dreams to Reality

       In the sultry days of August, when I begin to monitor the penny rolls on the mantle and I count the days ‘til my first paycheck of the school year, when I make one less trip for groceries so I can buy markers, colored pencils and spiral notebooks, at ten cents each, for my classroom, and when I re-examine our tattered classroom anthology once more and the “what if . . .?” makes its first annual appearance, I slip into a self-indulgent little fantasy to escape the realities of my life as a teacher.
       I have a recurring dream about a “perfect” teacher’s life.  Within the framework of this dream I grapple with the doubts and questions I have about this teaching vocation.  The star of the dream is, you know, the "Stepford" teacher.  She’s the always calm and collected perfectionist who designs impeccable bulletin boards, and all her boxes for the classroom are labeled with a current inventory. She writes a grant to purchase software to enhance her classroom laptops (laptops that she received after she wrote a grant the year before), and she arranges and installs a summer exhibit of her students’ artwork.  "Stepford" teacher has already fund-raised for tickets to see this season’s best production at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the invitations are “in the mail” to her colleagues for the Welcome Back barbeque that she hosts every year. She is always prepared and hopeful.

      

Paper # 4
Maureen Twomey
                                                                  Dreams to Reality

       In the sultry days of August, when I begin to monitor the penny rolls on the mantle and I count the days ‘til my first paycheck of the school year, when I make one less trip for groceries so I can buy markers, colored pencils and spiral notebooks, at ten cents each, for my classroom, and when I re-examine our tattered classroom anthology once more and the “what if . . .?” makes its first annual appearance, I slip into a self-indulgent little fantasy to escape the realities of my life as a teacher.
       I have a recurring dream about a “perfect” teacher’s life.  Within the framework of this dream I grapple with the doubts and questions I have about this teaching vocation.  The star of the dream is, you know, the "Stepford" teacher.  She’s the always calm and collected perfectionist who designs impeccable bulletin boards, and all her boxes for the classroom are labeled with a current inventory. She writes a grant to purchase software to enhance her classroom laptops (laptops that she received after she wrote a grant the year before), and she arranges and installs a summer exhibit of her students’ artwork.  "Stepford" teacher has already fund-raised for tickets to see this season’s best production at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the invitations are “in the mail” to her colleagues for the Welcome Back barbeque that she hosts every year. She is always prepared and hopeful.

      

Lessons That Change Writers

Title: Lessons That Change Writers
Author: Atwell, Nancie
Pub.: firsthand, a division of Heinemann, 2002
Reviewed by Maureen Twomey

     Nancie Atwell is probably the single strongest influence in my writing curriculum, so I write this with an acknowledged bias.  That said, Lessons That Change Writers is evidence of the growth of thought and practice in a master teacher. Atwell’s honesty is reassuring; she struggles with many of the same things that we all find difficult to approach with student writing.  Yet she has documented her progress and this edition, plus the accompanying binder with black line masters for transparencies and authentic student work samples, is the fruit of her vigilance.
     She has altered her stance in small ways and it is easy to respect her reasons.  “The longer I teach, the simpler my teaching becomes” is Atwell’s open statement. She describes the way that the confusion she felt wrestling with theoretical approaches has faded and been replaced with “a bracing sense of efficiency and productivity.”  She claims her role in the classroom as teacher now, citing her more extensive training and experience. It is easy to forget that, even as you are nurturing talent and creating academic safety, you are the teacher.   

Poetry/Fiction/Authors Websites

Web Review, By Kristin Archer

After looking through the entire web for insightful, idea-rich sites, (that were not already taken), I found some relevant ones filled with information.

First Website: www.gigglepoetry.com

     This site provides many different silly poems, ranging in different subjects and content. It even allows students to rate the poem using a scale.  It provides author interviews, ways to inspire your students to write poetry and many lessons based upon types of ‘silly’ poems. The site also contains poetry theatre, where students can act out poems. What a great idea! This site is creative and I highly recommend it as a resource for teachers. 

Second Website: www.poetryteachers.com

            This website is a continuation (or at least tightly connected) to the first website. It has the same resources listed above, but with different poems.

Third Website:  www.fictionteachers.com

        Te third website, I found is also connected to this first two that I mentioned, except for the content has to do with fiction and not poetry. It has a few resources/lessons for teachers surrounding fiction writing.

Fourth Website: www.authorsinschool.com

      This website is relevant for teachers because it provides information on various authors of poetry, fiction, informational, humor and so on. It provides a quick bio and information on how to get these authors to come to your school! I thought that it was interesting to know the resource in case this was something your school wanted to invest in.

Happy searching!

Love That Dog

Title: Love That Dog
Author: Creech, Sharon
Pub.: Scholastic, 2001
Reviewed by Maureen Twomey

     For me, all the best things function on several different levels of complexity.  Love That Dog, a novel/text book/poetry anthology, is a simple but perfect illustration of all the best things.
     As a novel, the reader, in journal-style entries, views the world suddenly through the eyes of the main character Jack.  At first he might be written off as a typical literal thinker, but quickly we see that, in spite of his reluctance, he simply cannot resist affirming his sensory response to words used in the poetry of others.  Jack evolves into someone I recognize, he is like students I’ve had in my classrooms many times.  Evolves isn’t really the right word though, because he has been there all along.  He is revealed slowly–unfolding–like the poem that he gave Miss Stretchberry that was "all folded up in the envelope with the tape on it."

The Educator's Reference Desk

The Educator's Reference Desk  http://www.eduref.org/index.shtml
Reviewed by Maureen Twomey

     I stumbled onto this site when I was trying to find AskERIC, an old Dept. of Education Database of research and journal articles that I used working on my master's.  (ERIC has gone the way of many useful projects that are no longer funded by the government.) I was pleasantly surprised by the multiple resources available through The Educator's Reference Desk.

     The site is organized into four broad categories: Resource Guides, Lesson Plans, Question Archives, and Search GEM/ERIC.  The Resource Guides direct the site user to categories such as classroom management, building safety, peer counseling, and on and on.  Anything that you might need

Starting With Little Things

Jennifer DeBlois

Book Review #4

Starting With Little Things: A Guide to Writing Poetry in the Classroom
By: Ingrid Wendt

Ingrid Wendt’s book, Starting With Little Things: A Guide to Writing Poetry in the Classroom, is a very easy read with lots of information about incorporating poetry into the classroom. I actually found it similar to Teeth, Wiggly As Earthquakes by Judith Tannenbaum which I read and reviewed a couple of weeks ago.

To compare the two briefly, I think that Tannenbaum goes into a little more detail about the specifics of certain kinds of poems, as well as the theory and methodology of teaching poetry. However, I think that Wendt’s book is a little more organized and provides many examples of student poetry. Like Tannenbaum’s book, Wendt focuses mostly on free verse poetry.

Wendt starts each chapter with a poem from a famous poet, then provides a brief insight into the type of poem and its importance. She then gives student examples and brief commentary at times about the student poems. I think she relies a lot on the student examples to teach the reader about poetry in the classroom and its potential.

It has been very fun to read this book after having Wendt as a guest presenter in our class. I can picture her teaching a classroom of students as I read the book and because of the personal interaction we had with Wendt, I can sense through her book her passion and enthusiasm for poetry. It was also fun to see all of the poems done by local students. She must be amazing to have in the classroom and I hope to one day get to have her as a guest in my own classroom.

Poetry: Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages

Poetry:  Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages    

By Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons
(Reviewed by Jean Frantz)

      The title of this book says it all.  Look at this poem written by a five year old from the Bronx:

I am the kind of writer who writes
In peace and quiet.
I am the kind of writer who really feels
The rain and the wind.
That feeling makes me want to sway from
One way to another.
It’s all in the heart.

      We wonder how these young minds can come up with such poetic words.  The authors guess that it is because poetry is the genre of childhood. 

      In this book Calkins explains that she believes poetry can do many things for young minds.  It can teach children to deliberately craft language, to see what kind of special effects they can create.  It can encourage children to see the world with different eyes, to study it closely.  They can also learn to see with their hearts.  And they can have fun just playing with words, to be gymnasts with language.

      From the beginning Calkins and Parsons call their students poets.  Instead of saying “boys and girls” or “you guys”, they use the term “poets”, which is a clue into their approach with children, that they respect them as people and expect them to produce real poetry.  I like that.  I bet the students like it, too.

      This book is a series of lessons, planned out from the “getting ready” stage to the sharing and assessment stages.  Each lesson is scripted, so that we teachers can hear the language of the experts as they guide students through an introduction of a mini-lesson, through the active engagement stage, through a conference and then a revision.  The comments made by teachers are often questions, always positive and always helpful.  More than anything else, I have learned from this book how to talk with children in a way that guides rather than coerces and celebrates rather than criticizes.  At the side of each page is a running commentary for us, the teachers, which suggests, clarifies, gives examples and illustrations which help us navigate through each lesson.   

The Art of Teaching Writing

The Art of Teaching Writing

By Lucy McCormick Calkins

(Reviewed by Jean Frantz)

“I argue that as human beings we write to communicate, plan, petition, remember, announce, list, imagine…but above all, we write to hold our lives in our hands and to make something of them.” Lucy McCormick Calkins inspires us to want to learn everything possible about how to instill in our students a desire to tell their stories. In this book she will teach you by example how young writers can be guided to want to write – to be on fire to write – and to work with their writing through the help of peers, mentors and teachers to make it clear and concise, truthful and inspiring.

There are other books about The Writer’s Workshop which will explain its environment, set-up, and what its parts and routines are. This revised version of The Art of Teaching Writing is one of the best, and all of The Writer’s Workshop know-how is in it, but if you have the time to read only part of this book, I would recommend the first ten chapters. Through experience Calkins learned that students have a great deal to write about and that she did not need to supply topics for them. In fact, supplying them was indirectly teaching them that their lives weren’t worth writing about, that they didn’t have their own cherished bits of life. She used to provide prompts for writing, but then she had not yet experienced the power of writing in her own life so she didn’t yet understand that there was a world of difference between “motivating writing” and helping people become deeply and personally involved in their own writing.

The Art of Teaching Writing is a wealth of inspiration for the teacher, but it is also a step by step guide to learning to teach writing by use of mini-lessons during which the teacher models some of the following: writing lead sentences, using one’s eye like a photographer and choosing what to focus on, using the writer’s notebook to gather entries about one’s topic, practicing mental pictures of the writer’s subject before writing what he sees. Ms. Calkins guides us in how to use the writing conference to help our students evaluate and revise their writing.

Every writing teacher needs to read this book, whether developing a writer’s workshop in the classroom or using a ready-made curriculum and just wanting to make it better. The teacher will find inspiration here.

 

 

A Community of Writers

A Community of Writers

By Jean Frantz   

 

Originally I thought that I would come to class for four weeks, hear and read about writing, share ideas, argue points, do some writing, use the computer in some way or another, receive my nine credits and go home. What has happened in this class was all of those things, but something surprised me. A community has happened!

In this paper I will look back at our class structure, activities, leadership and intent to try to ascertain how this community was built and why. Finally I will write about how the same community building can happen among children through writing, and how that can be mutually nurturing-the writing will nurture community and community will nurture writing.

First let me define community as I think of it. I believe that community is a group of people that knows one another, cares about one another, and wishes the best for them. It is a group of people that begins to know some of each other’s respective past history and becomes aware of that person’s history in the making.

The structure of our group consisted of twenty women ranging in age from twenty-four to fifty-eight, all teachers at different grade levels, and all presently living and teaching in Oregon. The class was organized and taught by Dr. Nathaniel Teich and Karen Atikajian, both teachers and writers in their own right. We have been present with one another for four weeks, mornings and afternoons, sometimes sharing our lunch hours as well. Although much of our time was spent as a whole group, we also broke into assigned small “response” groups no larger than four, to share and edit our writing.

The activities of this illustrious group of twenty women were to write a personal essay each week, read and review four books and a web-site about writing and how to teach it, and finally, to share with the class at least one activity which we use in our classrooms which teaches an aspect of writing.

The intent of this class, I assume, was to familiarize teachers with writing, the very task they are trying to impart to students. It was to go through the process of editing with a peer group. To study the teaching of writing from the experts’ point of view was a goal, and perhaps indirectly, to network with each other for present and future reference was another goal.

The structure, the activities and the intent of this class have all built community, none of them mutually exclusive. Logistics were an important factor, too-we sat in a rectangle facing one another. Our leaders guided our discussion, but at no time did we feel that we could not share ideas. In fact, ideas were welcomed. The response groups, the ideal size of four, were essential to examining our writing and our feelings about our subject matter.

The most important activity of this class, I believe, was the personal writing that was required of us, both the essays that were assigned, and the stories and poems, which we were asked to write by the students and guides as they demonstrated their lessons to the class. Inherent in this activity of personal writing and the reading of it to each other was the kernel of community building. Miraculously over a very short period of time trust was built, the ingredient one needs to be able to uncover ones beliefs and stories through writing. As we trusted and shared over time, we were beginning to care about one another and learn each other’s histories.

Now that this class is drawing to a close, I have learned the power of writing and sharing stories and ideas. It has been a privilege to have spent the better part of each day with people whom I now call friends. If we were to continue to meet, our writing and our sharing of it would deepen the community that we already have.

I believe that writing can have the same result within our classrooms-to build community. This can happen especially when we encourage our students to write their own stories, to look for the nuggets of their passions, concerns and celebrations and to find words to express them. To create a safe place to do student writing, teachers will need to provide an atmosphere for that to happen. Teachers can model trust by sharing their own writing with the students and letting them see the laughter and tears that their stories stir up in them. They will build confidence by showing students how to respond to peer’s writing by giving positive and constructive feed-back rather than put-downs. When teachers react to student writing with enthusiasm and interest, and when they show the students how important it is, the students will react in turn by taking their writing seriously. As teachers model their own writing, as they write their stories and share them with the students, as they show their care and concern for their students, the students will “catch on” and want to do the same. The classroom will become a community of writers.

 

 

 

 

The Power of Poems

 

 

The Power of Poems, Teaching the Joy of Writing Poetry

By Margriet Ruurs

(Reviewed by Jean Frantz)

“Why poetry?” Because poetry can be so satisfying and support a wide range of learning. Because the rhythm of poetry comes naturally to children. Because the potential of poetry lies within the minds of all children. We need to nurture it with an abundance of words and then hand them the skills to refine and polish their poems. “  Margriet Ruurs

Margriet Ruurs has been a writer of stories and poetry since age six and has a wealth of knowledge about how to teach children to write. In a clear and down to earth manner, she lays out a case for teaching children to write poetry, how to set up your schedule and room, and how to plan the classes. This book is packed full of ideas for teaching poetry to students in grades three through eight.  Not only will students learn the craft of writing poetry, but they will also discover the joy that it brings them.

Margriet Ruurs addresses the teaching of poetry to all students, including those classes that have special needs students and English language learners.  She suggests fitting poems into the schedule throughout the day whatever the content areas, and she has lists of poetry books from which you can choose them. Why not include poetry that informs, as well as excites, into the curriculum?

This book contains some great ways to generate ideas for prewriting, including “Poems in a Box”, making a picture file and a newspaper file.  Chapter three consists of the meat of the book – thirty-one writing activities which are clearly explained and ready to do with your students.

The editing process and publishing and sharing are addressed as well. Invaluable is the bibliography, including books of poetry as well as books about writing for both teachers and students.

Response to OWP 2006

RESPONSE TO

OREGON

WRITING PROJECT 2006

  Wow! What a great class this has been. I was thrilled when I found out that I had been accepted for this project. This met all of my expectations with many new methods to try with my students.   This class impacted my personal experience with writing, professional strategies, and instructional methods.

 

Web Review

Pam Schmieding

http://owl.english.purdue.edu

 

Even though I’ve taken a graduate level grammar/syntax class two summers ago, I still have to stop and think through what the differences are with (for example) gerunds, infinitives, and participles. It’s not like I use those terms in the classroom regularly. I use less technical labels, but I still want to remember the differences.

OWL’s website allows you to move around quickly from term to term to refamilarize yourself with the nomenclature. The definitions are pretty good too if it’s not familiar at all. I spent some time just clicking around to remind myself of different things (oh yeah, I remember now…).

 

Among other references, there are MLA and APA references guides. I always have to go back to the guides for the rules with the different needs for citing work. Examples are as easy to reference as a click. There is even tutorial help if you get stuck—at no cost.

 

I found this site to be very user friendly. I’ll go back to it for refreshers.

 

 

 

Pam Schmieding

Book Review #4

 

Larson, Randy, (1993). Hot Fudge Monday, by Randy Larson. Fort Collins,CO: Cottonwood Press.

 

If you were a pop can, and had just been squished, how would you describe it to your psychologist? This is an activity on writing vivid verbs in this book. Not your standard fare when it comes to grammar. It just might keep LA students alert for 50 minutes whilst learning what an active verb is. Hmm, what a concept.

 

The author’s intention is to use humor to counteract grammarical catatonia. He’s partitioned it out into eight chapters, each focusing on a part of speech: verb, noun, preposition, adjective, conjunction, pronoun, interjection, adverb. As the students use the language in off-beat ways, they practice it, thereby honing their language/grammar skills. All’s fair in love and grammar.

 

 

Web Review by Rene Cobb: National Writing Project: http://www.writingproject.org

National Writing Project Website Review by Rene Cobb

The National Writing Project's (NWP) website (http://www.writingproject.org) is a treasure trove of valuable information, resources and opportunities for professional growth in writing and the teaching of writing. A complement to those that have participated in the Writing Project's Summer Institute, the website is also useful to those not yet exposed to NWP. 

NWP publishes many resources which are available for free and mostly on-line. The Voice is a traditional newsletter while E-Voice is a bi-monthly e-mail newsletter that includes updates, links (e.g., student publishing ideas, SAT/ACT testing)  and announcements. A professional journal, The Quarterly, is provided. NWP also publishes annual reports, technical reports and papers from the National Center for the Study of Writing and Literacy. Viewers can read through an extensive list of relevant publications including many works written by former participants of the NWP Summer Institute programs across the nation.The E-Anthology is a web publication of writings and conversations from Summer Institute participants thereby providing a forum for colleagues, publishing opportunities and a written response group. NWPi (i=interactive) is an on-line community with discussion groups and on-line conferences and forums. It is free and open to all.

Four NWP special focus networks are in operation. The focus networks include English Language Learners, Rural Sites, Teacher Inquiry Communities and Urban Sites. Related are National Programs and Initiatives such as the National Writing Initiative, New Teacher Initiative, Teacher Exchange and the Technology Liasons Network.There truly is something for everyone on this site!

One of my favorite aspects of the site is its responsiveness to what is currently happening in the world and how to interface that in classrooms. For example, there are many resources included regarding 9/11. Suggestions for lesson plans, classroom resources, multimedia features and ways to support all students during times of crisis, especially Muslim and Arab-American students who experienced greater levels of bias following 9/11, are provided. A power point program is accessible to show elementary students helping them understand what happened on 9/11. Information is easily obtained from this site. In times of crisis, a teacher could find useful tools to help students understand and deal with tragedy.

I recommend this website for teachers of all grade levels, specialties and content areas. Classroom supports and professional growth can be accessed and improvements achieved by educators. It is a flexible, thorough and helpful resource.

Book Review by Rene Cobb: In the Middle by Nancy Atwell (1987)

Book Review by Rene Cobb

Nancy Atwell's, In the Middle: Writing, Reading and Learning with Adolescents (1987) resonates with the makings of effective writing instruction. Both learning writing and adolescence are challenging; Atwell wisely focuses on these areas.

Atwell presents the information she has reaped from her years as a successful public school teacher. She provides the viewpoint and classroom examples to motivate teachers and students that great writing from all students can be taught, learned and delivered. Literacy is a new (yet old) buzzword today and Atwell is still part of the literacy solution.

Responsiveness to her students is a hallmark of Atwell's teaching. Like Ross M. Burkhardt (see previous book review) who strives to make writing real to students, Atwell values relevancy in engaging students to write. Sharing written work with other students encourages the immersion strategies recommended by Atwell. She also supports adoption of the writing habits of published authors (e.g., daily writing, writers choosing their own topics, individual pacing). A literate and a literary classroom community is developed and nurtured in these ways.

Atwell's book is full of student writing samples with discussion about each student's learning profile. Examples of specific problems with students are included with strategies and solutions to improve that student's written language weaknesses. It is very helpful to study these scenarios. Writers, teachers (special education and general education) and students alike can benefit from studying this book.

OWP Reflection

The

Oregon

Writing Project

One Participant’s Perspective

By Athena Sullivan

Want to know what the Oregon Writing Project is like . . . read on to find out!

Website: The Teacher's Desk

Web Review

By: Athena Sullivan

 
Website Title: The Teacher’s Desk

Website Creator: Angela Ackley, Sts. John and Paul Catholic School, Ashtabula, Ohio

URL: http://www.teachersdesk.org/index.html

Book: Interactive Writing

Interactive Writing, How Language and Literacy Come Together, K-2
By Andrea McCarrier, Gay Su Pinnell, and Irene C. Fountas

Reviewed by Athena Sullivan

July 18, 2006

Book: Primary Poetry

Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes, Writing Poetry in the Primary Grades
By Judith Tannenbaum

Reviewed by Athena Sullivan
July 13, 2006

Paper 4: Reflection

Paper #4
Reflection on the Oregon Writing Project
Elizabeth Schunk
July 17, 2006

After participating in the Oregon Writing Project, I feel less intimidated and overwhelmed by the process of teaching writing. Writing is one of the most difficult and complex subjects for students to tackle. I now have many ideas that I can use to help students come up with, organize, and communicate their ideas in a meaningful way. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from other educators as they shared actual activities and lessons they have used in their classrooms. With modifications, most lessons can be used by teachers at all grade levels. As a teacher of multiple grades, I have gathered activities that I can use with all of my students, from those who can barely write their names to those who have skills well beyond grade level expectations.

Book Review #4

Book Review #4
Elizabeth Schunk
July 19, 2006
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott

Book Review #4

Nonfiction Writing: Procedures and Reports
By Lucy Calkins and Laurie Pessah

Review by Anita Nott

     Cute covers and the fact that this book is part of a collection drew me to Calkins' books in the FirstHand series of writing books for primary grades.  I realize now that this series of ten books includes all that a primary teacher might need to run a writing workshop in the classroom.  The volume I chose to review is the sixth in the sequential seven units that give teachers explicit instructions on teaching writing to primary students. 

10 Reasons to Participate in OWP

10 Reasons to Participate in OWP
Anita Nott

       I dedicate this piece of writing to Merrill Watrous who first introduced me to the Oregon Writing Project (OWP).  Her enthusiastic encouragement prompted me to enroll in this 4-week summer class.  Even though I am a homeschool teacher and primarily a science teacher, she saw promise in my participation in the workshop.  She believed I would benefit from this experience, and she also shared her conviction that the project would benefit from me.  That was very reassuring.  Thank you, Merrill.
      So now I come to the end of the class and in looking back I realize how grateful I am that OWP was available for me.  I would encourage other homeschool teachers as well as public classroom teachers to take advantage of this worthwhile program.  Following are ten reasons to enroll in the OWP.

"Mrs. Elster"

"Mrs. Elster"

Early Writing Exercise with Nathaniel Teich:  Write about A Childhood Memory

I was on my to the hospital, sitting on the console between my Auntie Judy and Mom, (remember we didn't wear seat belts in those days), being rushed to the hospital for an emergency tonsillectomy.  I was four.  All I remember was being left in the hospital bed with the book, Little Red Riding Hood as my companion.  I knew the book by heart.  Since my Mom wasn't allowed to stay the night, I had only the book to keep me company.  I literally taught myself to read that night.

So when I went into Kindergarten with Mrs. Elster, I loved her because she let me read.  Mrs. Elster was wonderful.  She was in her last year of teaching.  I loved her because she taught me how to color in yellow, and when she came back from a vacation in Hawaii, she brought back hundreds of plastic flowers so we could all make leis.  She also taught us how to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Hawaiian.  I was amazed!  I sang that song all summer; I still remember it.  Much to my father's dismay, during the heat of the vacation I attached the Mrs. Elster's plastic flowers to my polyester Winnie the Pooh set with a multitude of bobby and safety pins, proudly parading through my Indiana town. 

It is astounding how powerful early lessons with caring teachers can be.  Looking back, I am certain Mrs. Elster sparked my desire to travel, speak foreign languages, become an artist-and teach Kindergarten!

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Gina Partos

Besides buying a house, driving across America, and setting up my new household, I attended the Oregon Writing Workshop.  Both ventures were equally stimulating, but of course in very different ways.  While the moving adventure was a challenge of my physical stamina and a test of courage, the writing adventure was a challenge of my intellect and creativity.

First there were the writing assignments.  Initially I composed a piece entitled, "How Jeru Lost His Mind."  The work described how the caregiver of my four-year-old son lost his mind in Venice, Italy while I was in the midst of an intense graduate painting program that would culminate in a M.A. degree from New York University.  Naturally the writing was interesting because it had all the elements of tragedy:  insanity, life and death, betrayal.  However, after classroom discussion I became aware of possible negative and far-reaching consequences to Jeru (whose name has been changed to protect privacy), as the piece was to be published on the web for a worldwide audience.

I could have switched to another topic, drawing from fifteen years of exotic overseas experience as an international teacher, but this didn't seem much of a challenge to me.  I realized that over time, we repeat our interesting stories, editing each time to delete the incidents that make us look bad, expounding on the parts of our personal histories that make us look heroic, and that basically, these "compositions" are completed through a long period of trial and error.

Encouraged to experiment, I stretched to try a topic I hadn't written about: "feminism", almost a dirty word today.  While women have made advances in equality, violence against women is endemic in American society and women still earn 73% of the pay men do for performing the same work.   Social consequences of the women's movement are evident.  Many of today's couples are both working to pay someone to keep the house and nurture the children, as families haven't been able to reach a compromise as to who should perform traditionally low status, financially unrewarding domestic work.  (I personally think we should consider rewarding homemakers with media coverage and financial incentives as countries like France and Italy do-but that's another essay.)  Nevertheless, something had to be said about women's roles in American culture, however unpopular, because lack of stable childcare is having a profoundly detrimental affect on our children, our future.

Since the Writing Project does not censor, it was tempting to continue with the topic, but I felt it important to avoid the temptation to use the Oregon Writing Project as a platform for "grandstanding" feminism.  I had to be open to new ideas and difficult writing tasks.   Nathaniel Teich, our professor, suggested writing a story for example, from a llama's point of view.  Thus was born Dog Adventures I and II.  What a fabulous exercise!  Writing from an animal's viewpoint was hilarious because I got to make fun of myself and I found that my writing style changed.  Additionally, writing from another viewpoint about a fresh experience is more truthful.

Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes

Teeth, Wiggly as Earthquakes, Written By Judith Tannenbaum

Reviewed By Kristin Archer

Every primary teacher can relate to the title of this book. It brought back many memories and even made me miss the daily teeth problems that I do not get to enjoy during the summer. :) Not only is this title perfect for primary teachers, but the content inside is relevant and worthy of exploring.

Tannenbaum starts off with a brief introduction on how to use the book. She quickly goes in to teacher mode while she explains how to teach what a poem is to your students. The book continues as she discusses how to teach group and individual poems within your classroom. In these sections, she breaks down into smaller areas that address specific skills or types of poems, such as: writing about feelings, personifying emotions, questions poems, onomatopoeia, alliteration, repetitions, heart poems, and much more! She ends the book with ideas on how to incorporate poetry deeper into your classroom and how to share the poems the children write. There is also a section that is relevant for kindergarten teachers; which I know is greatly appreciated.

I highly recommend this book to primary teachers because of many reasons. What is valuable about this book is the way Tannenbaum explains the teaching of each poem. She uses teacher language that can be directly used with the students. She gives example of questions to ask the students within a whole group and/or individual setting. She gives examples of what language to use and questions to ask with struggling writers that are having difficulties visualizing their poem. The examples of student poems that you can read to your class are amazing, insightful and inspiring. Ordering this book is on my to-do list. I find that the flowing structure, examples, and explanations provide information that I can reference to on a daily basis as I continue the journey of teaching poetry to my second and third graders.

Book Review #4

A Fresh Approach to Teaching Punctuation

By Janet Angelillo

Review by Amber Mitchell

I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand the ideas were very useful, but on the other had going by the title I thought I would be learning something new and yet the ideas are all things that I have heard before, and have used in some form or another. The book focuses on using everyday activities to see how punctuation is being used. Such as when you read a book aloud to the class point out what function the punctuation is serving. Does it cause a change in voice, a pause, is the author excited? Possibly focusing on one author that uses a lot, or a wide variety of punctuation. Incorporating mini units that pull apart each form of punctuation on how it can be or is used in different ways. As well as doing dictation activities that allow the whole class and individual students to practice correcting punctuation. The more that students are exposed to punctuation the easier it is for them to use, and recognized how it works best. This book is definitely not an ah ha book however it does have good ideas just not ideas that I have not already been exposed to.

Paper 4 Reflection

Reflection
By
Hafeeza McKinnis

 
    4^th Grade - a new grade level, new curriculum to teach, new units to develop and oh yes, the dreaded state writing test. Would I survive? Just thinking about the state writing test was nauseating. School began in September, and the students had to take the test in January. Impossible!  My students could never be ready for that demanding test. Even as my mind struggled with what was ahead of me, my organized brain was formulating a plan. Relax!
    Yes, time does fly when you don’t have to work. It was already September. This was my chance to put my plan into action. A thorough assessment of my students' writing revealed I had a lot of work ahead of me. How could I bridge that big of a gap? How could these students become writers? Like everything else – I knew we would have to practice, practice, and practice again. The only way to develop fluency in writing is by writing, so we wrote 45 –60 uninterrupted minutes everyday. We brainstormed, we organized, we created sloppy copies, we revised, we edited, we published - and then we did it all over again. It seemed an eternity to January, but it arrived like a bolt of lightening. Fortunately for us, the test could be done in February.
    Finally, the state test arrived. One look at the prompts and I heaved a sigh of relief. If my students did what they were doing all along, we’d be OK. But would they do it? I had five agonizing days of standing by the door watching them labor, too scared to look at what they were writing. But they seemed to be engaged. They were working hard. They were going through the steps. They were using their highlighters, dictionaries, spell checkers, and yes, they were taking their time. From where I stood, it looked good, and the test scores supported it.
    Now summer is half over, and it's just atrocious I am still attending a writing workshop, but effective as I have to constantly reflect on my own writing skills and how I teach it to my kids. My students have certainly come a long way as writers, but now I know we had only been scratching the surface, or maybe laying the foundation. As a result of my positive experience from being a participant at this workshop, I am no longer content to have my students respond to the writing prompt. Now I want students to create, not just write, to craft, not just organize, to reflect, not just revise, to write for themselves, not just for me. And the challenge is how to lead my students into this new dimension of discovery!
    One of the surest ways to help my students is to become a writer again, to relive the passion that once consumed and compelled as I put pen to paper, to relish the fluency of words as they fill the white pages. I need to create, craft, reflect, and write for myself. Through my writings at the workshop, I have rediscovered the strengths and weaknesses of my own writing style, and have challenged myself to write from perspectives I had not even considered before.
    Sharing the fruits of my labor from this workshop with my own children also inspired them to write their own stories. My special needs daughter, the most reluctant writer ever encountered, wrote several stories in her journal – a journal that was lost for the past three years, but suddenly emerged.  My younger daughter, inspired by the writing of several stories posted on the blog, also wrote many pieces using lots of adjectives. Watching them write and enthusiastically reading their stories to me was the most rewarding, encouraging, motivating, and fulfilling experience I had as a writing teacher. I can see my writing having the same effect on the students I am fortunate enough to teach. This is only one of the gems I will be taking with me from this workshop.
    Through this workshop, I was introduced to a multitude of valuable skills for assisting my students and myself in becoming better writers. I am even more aware of the power of collaboration in writing and can see the value of writing as a social process. The variety of lessons, book reviews, and hands on demonstrations gave me an arsenal I am eager to use. I enjoyed the art projects and loved making Picasso faces.  I could see my students totally engaged in activities like these and plan on emulating them.   The many websites and software presented broadened my knowledge and gave superb examples of how easy it was to integrate technology into my everyday writing and that of my students.  Our work with Inspiration inspired me, and I know my students will enjoy creating their stories and reports using this software.
    There is so much to do and teach. My mind is bombarded with ideas, but how will it all come together? That will be the welcoming challenge I now have to work with, and I will embrace it  with eager arms.

 

Walking Trees

Jennifer DeBlois

Book Review #3

Walking Trees: Portraits of Teachers and Children in the Culture of Schools
By: Ralph Fletcher

Ralph Fletcher’s book, Walking Trees: Portraits of Teachers and Children in the Culture of Schools, is both empowering and inspiring. Fletcher tells of his experiences as a writing teacher trainer in the New York City Public Schools. Fletcher’s job is to model, demonstrate, observe, and provide feedback to teachers about using writing process. He works for Teachers College at Columbia University under the supervision of Lucy Calkins.

This book does not provide a model, framework, or guide for teachers on how to use writing process. It does, however, provide compelling accounts of Fletcher’s experiences in his job using certain schools, teachers, principals, and student encounters as specific examples. While it is not a “how to” book, you learn a lot and gain a lot of knowledge about teaching writing process and conducting writing conferences through Fletcher’s insightful accounts of his trials, successes, and failures.

I highly recommend this book to every teacher! Walking Trees is heartfelt, as well as entertaining and suspenseful to read. It brings life to the challenging profession of teaching, allows you to visit other classrooms, and inadvertently gives you wisdom about teaching writing.

The Arms of Literacy

Pam Schmieding

Paper 4

 

The Arms of Literacy –To Reach Out and Involve, or To Entangle and Drown

 

We believe ourselves to be an inclusive nation. We strive on many levels to pull in the outcast, to strengthen those with weak skills, and to protect those who cannot help or protect themselves. One of the main focuses currently is the push for literacy. To most Americans, this means getting people of all ages to read English better, faster and more fluently. However, as anyone with a hand injury can tell you, we are not simply right or left handed; we are two handed. And so it is with reading. The other hand is writing. Without fluency in both areas, a person is severely hampered in where and when he/she is able to go.

 

As a middle school teacher, I have the opportunity to teach students the writing process. Most children, by the time I get them in my classroom, know how to read words. How well they can comprehend the material and then use it in other places is still being developed. It is my joy to teach kids how to think through that process and to practice it. In the teaching field, we call it Best Practice, i.e. the process of modeling, sharing, guiding, scaffolding, and providing a safe place to practice and revise. It’s a lengthy and detailed process. This process can be taught to everyone, and carried to excellence, achievable to those with a true gifting in the use of language. 

 

I have found tools to use in my classroom, both through the writing of papers for myself in class, and in the sharing with colleagues in the Oregon Writing Project this summer term. Even though elementary and secondary teachers were sharing their favorite lessons with each other, the basic writing elements were communicated and absorbed into new strategies to be used on many educational levels. Being able to talk, teach and edit together has reminded us again of the process, and how to fine-tune it to our own grade levels. There is entirely too little of this type of working together that is available in such a wonderful format. It reaches out to us, involves us in the joy of creative writing process ourselves, and lifts us up, encouraged again.

 

A big reason teachers bog down during the school year is because of the strain of a “teaching to the test expectation.”  It’s taken over the way we think through lesson plans. Teachers want to wake up/shake up sections of new, fertile student brains, and have students breathe life into their writing samples. We find instead that we’re worrying about whether TESA, etc., will accurately let their lights shine well, or how the school will look in some district report card. Does it serve the students best? Or is it just one more way for the admirable goal of literacy and closing the achievement gap holding a larger and larger portion of students away from that goal… entangling them in the bureaucratic process, and deferring them from an exploratory reading/writing learning process. It’s one of my concerns today. Will children’s test scores improve one way only to engender nonpassionate readers, writers, inventors, philosophers, etc? We need the passion. We need the colleagial cooperation. We need to rediscover the joys.

Writing For Me

Writing For Me

By: Jennifer DeBlois

What do you get when you put twenty female teachers in a room together for four weeks? A lot of conversing, years of knowledge, experience, and ideas, and Nat ringing his bell desperately at the front of the room trying to get us to quiet down. Everyone had apprehensions at some point during the beginning of the program about why they were dedicating a good portion of their summer to writing.

The Oregon Writing Project – four weeks, spending all day in a workshop learning how to better teach writing. This is not how I envisioned my first summer off as a teacher. Oh, wait! Nine credits for only $350 out of my pocket! I can’t think of a better way to spend four weeks of my summer break!

Like many people in the Oregon Writing Project, the number of credits and low cost to teachers was what baited me. Once hooked, I found a whole lot more than we anticipated! I went into the four week adventure with mixed emotions. I have never really enjoyed writing, but have felt for a while that if I did I would be a more effective teacher in the subject area. After all, everything I have learned has told me to model, model, model writing for my students. I guess that means I need to write. So, while I wasn’t looking forward to the weeks to come in the classroom while the sun was shining outside, I was looking forward to learning lots of new things and to improving my own writing skills.

I did just that and then some. Each participant must present a writing lesson which they have taught before and found effective. It is amazing how many different ideas are out there. Seeing them all taught and being able to ask questions, participate, and observe is the best teacher training one can receive. I have learned more about effective ways to teach writing in the last four weeks than I ever did in a college course during my teacher training. It is refreshing and inspiring to get new ideas. It made me eager to plan for next year and to get my students thinking like writers and writing like experts.

I also now have a large list of books I want to buy for my classroom library, as well as a ton of resource books to draw ideas and activities from. I have numerous handouts to supplement my curriculum and lessons. I have knowledge not only about the writing process, but also about vocabulary instruction, punctuation and grammar, and tying art content into writing.

Much to my surprise, I also found the writer within myself. I learned that I can be a poet. I learned that I can write humorously and creatively. I learned that I can share my writing with my peers without being completely humiliated. I discovered that writing about life events allows me to reflect on them, capture them, relive and enjoy them. Finally, my mind has been opened and turned on to writing. Ever since the topics and ideas for my own writing have been vividly flashing through my mind. I learned to write for me and not necessarily for my audience. Good, authentic writing will reach your audience automatically.
So, it is the end of the four week project. I received much more than I had bargained for. I have more ideas than I know what to do with. I have grown as a writer and feel that I have grown as a professional. Nat is still ringing his bell, and we are still talking. But now, we get to go outside and enjoy the sunshine too!

Oregon Writing Project

Oregon Writing Project
By Amber Mitchell

        Writing is and has always been a personal struggle for me, which reflects in my discomfort of teaching writing and is why I signed up for this class. I knew it was going to be difficult from the time that I got the list of assignments in the mail. I had the best of intentions to get started on my paper right away so that I could be prepared for the first day, but this was much more difficult than I thought. Every time that I sat down to write my first paper I got a sick feeling in my stomach. I had an idea of what I wanted to say, and I sat down many times to get those ideas on paper but somehow I could never get them from my head to the paper. Due to this painful thought extraction process I ended up completing the assignment the night before it was due just like most of my papers in college. The only time I could write was when I was pressured by time. This feeling of worry was only emphasized by the first day of class when I realized that I would be expected to do “quick writes” on a daily basis, and present a writing lesson to a group of my peers. It was one thing to teach writing to students, painful, but to have to teach to my peers, very painful!
        This feeling of discomfort left me in the first couple of days due to the structure and environment of the classroom. Nat and Karen have worked hard to create an environment that is conducive to all learners. The classroom became a safe place to learn and explore, to share with others, and to grow on a personal level as a writer. Even when I gave my presentation, something that I was very nervous about, I was calmed by the way that my peers reacted. I was given positive feedback, and ideas of how to expand or to incorporate my lesson in other activities.
        I have slowly started to let go of my previous feeling about writing, even poetry, due to exposure to so much rich text, ideas, strategies and teaching styles in this class. Poetry is the main piece of writing that I have difficulty with. When I was a student I thought poetry had to rhyme, and I couldn’t come up with anything that sounded of any quality as well as rhymed, therefore I refused to write it. This concept was so difficult for me personally that I was apprehensive to introduce it to my students in fear of coming across questions that I myself still had. I definitely didn’t want to write poetry; therefore I was not going to plan for it. Now having seen so many good examples of what poetry really is, I not only enjoy writing poetry, I can’t wait to incorporate it into my writing units next year. I think it will be a great tool for some of my most reluctant writers who will enjoy the fact that poetry is usually shorter, and can be as simple as making a personalized list.
        Through the group discussions and presentations, I have come to realize that I have the right to be a poor writer. The most important and hardest part is to get my thoughts on the page and then go back and make sense of them. As I grew more and more comfortable I was able to come up with quality ideas faster and expand on them with different strategies learned through class.
        Even though writing has always been difficult for me, and definitely not something that I would voluntarily do during my summer, I knew I needed to better myself as a writer in order to become a better writing teacher. Writing will always be something that I need to work hard on but due to this class I now have an overflowing bag of tools to help me with my growth. In this course we used computers, created blogs, worked in whole and small groups, read our work aloud, listened to each other’s writing, and presented to our peers. All of these things have helped me on both a personal and professional level with my writing. I am eager to get back to my classroom and start creating units through what I have learned this summer. Through the process and experience of the class I have built a confidence in my ability to write, which has changed my view of writing from a major task to an enjoyable tool of expression.