Delta Writing Project Seeks Applicants for Writing Institute
JONESBORO – Inquiry, writing, lesson plan idea exchange, and teacher collaboration — that’s what occurs in National Writing Project summer institutes.
From July 9-13, the Arkansas Delta Writing Project will host a week-long "Writing Institute for K-12 Teachers and College Instructors." All educators who are interested in improving their strategies for teaching writing are welcome to apply, including teacher educators who will graduate in May.
The institute will meet on the A-State campus daily from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The selected educators from varying disciplines will gather to engage in writing experiences, demonstration lessons, and discussions of professional readings related to literacy practices. Educators will interact with a community of writers to make a reserve of writing lessons to use with their own students. They will also have opportunities to work on their own writing and to learn more about how to use technology and visual media to enhance their writing practices and pedagogies.
In addition, 30 hours of ADE-approved professional development credit is available for participants who complete the week-long institute.
Beyond their days in the Writing Institute, the Arkansas Delta Writing Project new “Fellows” will belong to the national network of more than 200 National Writing Project (NWP) sites on college campuses in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. They will also be encouraged to participate in state and national conferences and in NWP continuity events, where Fellows share their professional knowledge and expertise and continue to become better teachers of writing by writing themselves.
The National Writing Project is a coordinated effort to improve writing in America. Through its professional development model, NWP develops the leadership, programs and research needed for teachers to help students become successful writers and learners. This year, the Department of Teacher Education and the College of Education and Behavioral Science will fund the A-State Writing Institute.
Those interested in applying can contact Dr. Karen Kleppe Graham, assistant professor of teacher education, at kgraham@AState.edu for the application and for more information. The facilitators will include Dr. Margaret A. Robbins, a middle school English language arts teacher at Mount Vernon Presbyterian School in Atlanta, and Debbie West, a technology coach from Nettleton Public Schools who has been involved with the Arkansas Delta Writing Project for several years.
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