Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Pick Your Brains, Please
Hi ISI friends,
I am writing a proposal for my district to have an invitational after school writing workshop for K-8 teachers. Besides building in a budget for vast amounts of fruit salad, I'd like to hear from you what elements to make sure I include. I'm thinking we'll meet whole group and then in small (ala afternoon writing groups) groups for a time period in the fall and in the early spring. Then have a celebration, maybe in May.
Our curriculum supervisor mainly wants more collegiality and the experience to filter into the classroom and positively affect student writing. I want to try out some of the best of Lucy Calkins.
What, besides offering units or hours of professional development should I say? If it were yours, what would you do?
:-) Thank you for feedback.
I am writing a proposal for my district to have an invitational after school writing workshop for K-8 teachers. Besides building in a budget for vast amounts of fruit salad, I'd like to hear from you what elements to make sure I include. I'm thinking we'll meet whole group and then in small (ala afternoon writing groups) groups for a time period in the fall and in the early spring. Then have a celebration, maybe in May.
Our curriculum supervisor mainly wants more collegiality and the experience to filter into the classroom and positively affect student writing. I want to try out some of the best of Lucy Calkins.
What, besides offering units or hours of professional development should I say? If it were yours, what would you do?
:-) Thank you for feedback.
# posted by L Romaine : 5:18 PM
Comments:
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Laura,
I don't really think you need my advise, but..don't forget the fun. Make sure to have a Mara like activity, or maybe you can just invite Mara. Great idea, be sure to tell us how it all turns out.
I don't really think you need my advise, but..don't forget the fun. Make sure to have a Mara like activity, or maybe you can just invite Mara. Great idea, be sure to tell us how it all turns out.
Hi Laura,
On the units, I use 12.5 contact hours (or 15 'class hours' of 50 minutes each) for each unit of credit. Alternatively, you can have fewer hours by 'replacing' x number of hours with x number of pages of writing, which might be appropriate for an after school writing workshop.
In this way of doing things, you might have 9 contact hours (like we do in our super saturday program) and then a 3 and 1/2 page paper. I'd be glad to send you sample papers, of which I have tons, along with the assignment I've generally used for teachers attending the super sat program.
I do need to be listed as the "instructor of record" for such courses, but they can be conducted entire off campus as "special session" courses (EDTE 150, Centering on Composition is the generic name we use for them), and by any person who knows the secret handshake and has been through the requisite initiation rites. You of course qualify on both counts.
On the units, I use 12.5 contact hours (or 15 'class hours' of 50 minutes each) for each unit of credit. Alternatively, you can have fewer hours by 'replacing' x number of hours with x number of pages of writing, which might be appropriate for an after school writing workshop.
In this way of doing things, you might have 9 contact hours (like we do in our super saturday program) and then a 3 and 1/2 page paper. I'd be glad to send you sample papers, of which I have tons, along with the assignment I've generally used for teachers attending the super sat program.
I do need to be listed as the "instructor of record" for such courses, but they can be conducted entire off campus as "special session" courses (EDTE 150, Centering on Composition is the generic name we use for them), and by any person who knows the secret handshake and has been through the requisite initiation rites. You of course qualify on both counts.
Jon, Thank you for the formula...I'm starting to look forward to this mini-workshop idea.
The more I'm reading Lucy Calkins, the more I'm wondering if our culminating event should be to plan units of study and design grade level writing plans for the following year. That would be a paper, in addition to the personal writing teachers would do.
The more I'm reading Lucy Calkins, the more I'm wondering if our culminating event should be to plan units of study and design grade level writing plans for the following year. That would be a paper, in addition to the personal writing teachers would do.
Luara,
I love the celebration factor. Maybe you could even get a quick read of a paragraph by different people at different staff meetings to start them off. I sure am sorry not to have the mental images and memories about Mara to take back to school with me! I'm so excited to find out how this goes for you. Which of Lucy's books are you in the midst of? It'd be fun to read at the same time as you to have more specific feedback.
I love the celebration factor. Maybe you could even get a quick read of a paragraph by different people at different staff meetings to start them off. I sure am sorry not to have the mental images and memories about Mara to take back to school with me! I'm so excited to find out how this goes for you. Which of Lucy's books are you in the midst of? It'd be fun to read at the same time as you to have more specific feedback.
Hi Writing Friends,
Pam, I've quick-read volume 1, Launching Writer Workshop as well as the last one, Memoirs, Writing Well...however, I'm closely reading the pre (not numbered) text, A Guide to the Writing Workshop now and using it to think through an overall year plan...this in turn is helping me filter and focus on what we can actually do with the time we get together in afterschool writing.
John, thanks for reminding me of the value of carousels - the conversations that happen there are invaluable.
After more coffee this morning I should get a sketch of the two, one-unit workshops on paper. I've done some grant proposal writing, but have to admit I don't know what all this kind of is supposed to contain. Proposals are not genres, are they?
I appreciate your comments and am carried along by your enthusiasm. Thanks.
Pam, I've quick-read volume 1, Launching Writer Workshop as well as the last one, Memoirs, Writing Well...however, I'm closely reading the pre (not numbered) text, A Guide to the Writing Workshop now and using it to think through an overall year plan...this in turn is helping me filter and focus on what we can actually do with the time we get together in afterschool writing.
John, thanks for reminding me of the value of carousels - the conversations that happen there are invaluable.
After more coffee this morning I should get a sketch of the two, one-unit workshops on paper. I've done some grant proposal writing, but have to admit I don't know what all this kind of is supposed to contain. Proposals are not genres, are they?
I appreciate your comments and am carried along by your enthusiasm. Thanks.
Oh, the audience piece is fantastic, Pam. Since it is a district project, I wondered how we could "post" work. You know I'd love to have a community blog like our ISI 06 that links to our district web site, but that doesn't satisfy the need for real and present audience. Hmm, ponder, ponder...
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