tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46833608782167717442011-09-21T12:56:04.088-04:00eZine for the Eastern Michigan Writing ProjectSarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-91917829879757431362011-09-04T23:59:00.005-04:002011-09-21T12:55:10.888-04:00

In this edition... Reading and Writing in a Decade of Standards Teacher Research Group Receives Funding for Self-Study EMWP to Create Disciplinary Literacy Curriculum with Science and Social Studies Teachers Summertime Journey at EMWP Where's My Evidence? EMWP Writing Retreat 2011 Wherefore the National Writing Project? NWP Connects: A Social Medium Def Leppard Epiphany The Mayonnaise jar & stuff

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-3907861005343077742011-09-04T23:48:00.004-04:002011-09-07T23:15:29.401-04:00

Reading and Writing in a Decade of Standards In a year of funding-anxiety, EMWP will put on its "game-face" with a series of workshops organized round the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science (announcement). The monthly presentations at EMU will exhibit our most recent explorations of topics, such as narrative writing, social justice, digital

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-52550627056197449132011-09-04T23:43:00.004-04:002011-09-07T12:32:23.030-04:00

Teacher Research Group Receives Funding for Self-Study Cathy Fleischer Another year and another exciting new venture for the teacher research group—a venture that grew out of a question raised by last year’s members. Frustrated that far too many “others” (legislators, administrators, other teachers, parents) just don’t understand the hard work that we teachers do, the focused attention we

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-18029093197190480222011-09-04T22:58:00.042-04:002011-09-07T12:32:43.623-04:00

EMWP to Create Disciplinary Literacy Curriculum with Science and Social Studies Teachers Co-Directors Doug Baker and John Staunton In August nine teachers of English, Science and Social Studies met at the EMU Student Center to discuss opportunities of a $5,000 minigrant from the National Writing Project to pursue “understanding the disciplinary literacy demands suggested by the Common Core

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-48297235530266472412011-09-04T22:39:00.009-04:002011-09-07T15:09:40.169-04:00

Summertime Journey at EMWP Cassy Korinek We came from teaching experiences in private and public school; from rural and urban communities. Some of us teach at the college level, others teach middle or high school learners. Some of us teach primary school and even have experience teaching the very, very young! We came from districts like Monroe, South Lyon, Ypsilanti, Adrian, Farmington

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-39344718377523177532011-09-04T22:35:00.003-04:002011-09-07T15:14:37.589-04:00

Where's My Evidence? Lisa Eddy One of the biggest struggles I face as a teacher is balancing the needs of my students with the demands of THE TEST. Obviously, my first priority is THE STUDENT. Every single human being is a valued and celebrated member of the classroom community. I have concerns about the recent “school reform” that I see happening in schools. I am concerned about the

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-67798199633623177832011-09-04T22:30:00.002-04:002011-09-07T11:40:15.222-04:00

EMWP Writing Retreat 2011 By Ellen Daniel, with Kris Gedeon and Angela Knight A mixture of confusion and curiosity was the most common reaction people had when they learned that I was going to be “up north” for a “writing retreat” with some colleagues from the Eastern Michigan Writing Project. Questions that followed generally addressed two items: “What do you DO on a writing retreat?”

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-49512236182390083262011-09-04T22:26:00.002-04:002011-09-07T15:22:09.782-04:00

Wherefore the National Writing Project? Bill Tucker We wish we knew. The National Writing Project persists, with its annual meeting (Chicago, November 18), with its online network (see NWP Connects below), with its targeted grant programs, but no one has stepped up to renew funding as we have known it these eighteen years. NWP is applying for Title II (professional development) funding, but

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-29887304037236513202011-09-04T22:22:00.005-04:002011-09-07T15:23:36.659-04:00

NWP Connects: A Social Medium The following describes how to join the National Writing Project's national conversation. It is a key medium for keeping the network together for the future. ------------------------------------------ Smooth launch for NWP Connect ------------------------------------------ Hundreds of teacher-consultants and general NWP.org members jumped right into NWP Connect

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-69236459772553292042011-09-04T22:14:00.004-04:002011-09-08T20:45:37.684-04:00

Def Leppard Epiphany Andrea Gillies DTE was packed. The pavilion and lawn reflected a sea of faces mouthing familiar words. Most faces in the crowd were lined like those of the band members onstage, but every now and then younger faces appeared. I found that despite my initial hesitation to attend, I knew more songs than I wanted to admit and found myself singing right along. I watched

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-89341156797671748962011-09-04T22:03:00.005-04:002011-09-07T12:41:41.566-04:00

The Mayonnaise jar & stuff Jim Schaefer A pleasant bit of sentimental nonsense that has been bouncing around the Internet involves a professor who tries to make a huge metaphysical point by filling a mayonnaise jar with golf balls, pebbles, sand, and two cups of coffee (or two bottles of beer, depending on the storyteller). My thanks to Ilka Flood (2011) for her version. The moral of the

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-52851986699740110642011-09-04T20:53:00.003-04:002011-09-07T12:42:21.332-04:00

Teaching Insights Jim Schaefer With the deep ongoing interest in creativity and creative writing in both non-fiction and fiction, I thought that it would be interesting to mention Robert S. and Michele M. Root-Bernstein (2001), who characterize creative thinking as essentially pre-verbal, intuitive, and emotional. In addition, I thought that I’d mention Segin Lukose, a student of mine from

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-70925100393396503262011-09-04T11:59:00.004-04:002011-09-21T12:56:04.100-04:00

There’s Something About Inkstains . . . Kim Pavlock TC’ 92 It’s amazing to consider: twenty-five middle school students and thirty-nine high school students devoting an entire week of their summer vacation to writing, writing, and more writing on the campus of Eastern Michigan University in the middle of July! Monday through Friday each week, Inkstains instructors Sean Eldon, Alli Kaplan,

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-49478060802411300402011-09-04T11:00:00.003-04:002011-09-09T00:10:59.265-04:00

EMWP Tech Update Over the summer Karen Chichester, our Tech Liaison, has revamped and updated our website http://emichwp.org/wp/. Our site has a cleaner look and has been reorganized to make it easier to navigate. Included in this transformation are easy to follow links to our online accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Sildeshare, Diigo, Flickr, and YouTube. You’ll also want to check out the

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-19848844804741134112011-04-26T20:17:00.007-04:002011-04-26T22:18:52.204-04:00

In This Edition:Summer in April: The Invitational Institute Begins English Studies for Teachers and EMWP Course Announcement: Visualizing Pedagogies: Teaching Literature and Art Inkstains 2011: Inviting and Inspiring Teens to Write   EMWP is Going Social Digital Is... Resource Development Retreat Blogging: An Excellent Fit For My Classroom Finding ways to carefully untie the wisdom knot in

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-70627717619341465732011-04-26T19:34:00.011-04:002011-04-26T21:46:38.776-04:00

Summer in April: the Invitational Institute Begins Bill Tucker For fourteen teachers and three institute leaders, summer began on April 25. Metaphorically-speaking. The 2011 Invitational Institute technically begins on June 23. The annual Pre-institute dinner and orientation was held in the EMU Student Center, where the latest participants and their mentors met Monday evening. The

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-26434885196160466082011-04-26T19:25:00.002-04:002011-04-26T19:29:23.490-04:00

English Studies for Teachers and EMWP Cathy Fleischer Some of you may already know about the close connection between EMWP and the MA program in English Studies for Teachers offered at EMU. A number of teachers have decided to work on this MA after participating in the Summer Institute and continuity groups (just participating in those two experiences is good for 6 of the required 30 credits

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-50927584206180010032011-04-26T19:11:00.008-04:002011-04-26T21:57:39.506-04:00

Course Announcement LITR 585: Visualizing Pedagogies: Teaching Literature and Art SUMMER 2011 July 25-August 5 LITR 585: Visualizing Pedagogies: Teaching Literature and Art (NOTE: This course satisfies one of the Literature for Teachers requirements for the MA in English Studies for Teachers) This section of LITR 585 Literature for Teachers will invite students to investigate the

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-64201163960949714832011-04-26T18:59:00.008-04:002011-04-26T21:52:51.238-04:00

Inkstains 2011: Inviting and Inspiring Teens to Write Kimberly Pavlock, TC ‘92 With spring finally here, students and their families are looking ahead to the end of the school year and searching for rewarding, fun, and affordable summer activities. Inkstains, the EMWP Summer Writer’s Camp for middle and high school students, is a wonderful opportunity for young writers to come together on

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-10191890332247352292011-04-26T18:56:00.001-04:002011-04-26T19:30:52.569-04:00

EMWP is Going Social! Did you know that the EMWP has a Facebook page and a Twitter Account? Social media has become an integral part of our lives as a way to share information between and among people. For that reason, we are attempting to improve communication within our site and with other NWP sites across the country using social media. Anyone who “likes” our Facebook page is encouraged to

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-59998550467062898132011-04-26T18:39:00.008-04:002011-04-26T19:21:29.166-04:00

Digital Is... Resource Development Retreat: Thoughts on Why I Was There Karen Chichester (EMWP Technology Liaison) In January, I was one of fifteen educators from across the country that was invited to attend the National Writing Project’s Digital Literacies Resource Development Retreat at the Purple Sage Ranch about an hour west of San Antonio, TX. During my three days there I met some

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-44991125978775095662011-04-26T18:36:00.005-04:002011-04-26T22:17:13.278-04:00

BLOGGING- AN EXCELLENT FIT FOR MY CLASSROOM Deb Hetrick  After spending all of the time making a "homemade" spiral notebook version of the Fountas and Pinnell Reading Journal, I can't seem to use it efficiently. Not all of my assignments fit neatly into their categories and collecting them for teacher response is a nightmare. Being a proponent of using technology in the classroom, I wanted a

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-37488179092155404372011-04-26T18:33:00.001-04:002011-04-26T19:21:51.243-04:00

Finding ways to carefully untie the wisdom knot in teaching writing Jim Schaefer While I was doing some research on the University of Ghana, I discovered an old African proverb called the wisdom knot, or nyansapo, which goes like this: When a wise person ties a knot, it takes a very intelligent mind to untie it. I read about this proverb in a book by Okrah (2003), who indicated that untying

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-22723896316766865622011-04-26T18:21:00.017-04:002011-04-27T08:45:37.981-04:00

Teaching at the 21st Century Intersection of LEP, NWP, and IB: People, Pedagogy, and Planet Lisa Eddy Recently, my LEP (Leopold Education Project) colleague, Kim Kaseman, posed the following questions to me in an email: Would you say that your work with the International Baccalaureate program and work you’ve done as a consultant on the National/Eastern Michigan Writing project are both rooted

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-5731821934338432582011-04-26T18:17:00.002-04:002011-04-26T18:19:39.444-04:00

Kudos! We are so very excited to announce that Beth Harris (TC 2007) and her husband have adopted a baby boy! Nicholas Christopher Harris was born on March 3, 2011. He weighed 7 pounds, 8.5 ounces and was 20 inches long. The proud parents were able to bring him home from the hospital and have been enjoying every moment with him! Congratulations!! Nicolas Christopher Harris

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-4761999712657743862011-04-26T17:44:00.001-04:002011-04-26T21:53:58.454-04:00

How Has the Writing Project Influenced You?   A narrative response from Jim Schafer For this edition of eMuse, we asked for your narratives about the writing project – a brief narrative that would show how the EMWP has impacted you. Please enjoy the narrative below from Jim Schafer, TC 2004: My involvement with the Eastern Michigan Writing Project, including my training as a Teacher Consultant

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-35518606828745379072011-01-17T14:46:00.004-05:002011-01-17T16:42:44.276-05:00

In this edition... Teacher Researchers Take NCTE by Storm You can't spell "employment" without "em[w]p" Invitation: To an Urban Sites Study Group National Writing Projects: The State Network Professional Development Spreading the Word: Family Literacy Continues to Grow Satellite EMWP at Monroe Community College Digital Is... Teaching and Inner Peace Kudos! Home

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-15975129648778167712011-01-17T14:33:00.010-05:002011-01-17T20:10:49.653-05:00

Teacher Researchers Take NCTE by Storm Cathy Fleischer, Co-director Strong voices from the EMWP Teacher Researcher Group made their presence known at November’s NCTE Convention in Orlando. Sarah Andrew-Vaughan and Cathy Fleischer,  Winners of James Britton Award for Teacher Research Sarah Andrew-Vaughan, Molly Fichtner, Kris Gedeon, and Carrie Melnychenko offered a session entitled “

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-75221985460611903852011-01-17T14:26:00.006-05:002011-01-17T16:30:21.383-05:00

You can’t spell “employment” without “em[w]p” Bill Tucker The good news is that the Eastern Michigan Writing Project has jobs. See the accompanying announcement. The bad news is that you have to apply and not everyone gets to work. But don’t assume the jobs are hereditary. Every year we have new faces, and we’re grateful for every one. So take a chance and apply by February 1. On a related

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-15175242075901807332011-01-17T14:23:00.002-05:002011-01-17T16:32:51.587-05:00

Invitation: To an Urban Sites Study Group The Standards insist that instruction in reading, writing, speaking and listening is a shared responsibility within the school (CCSSI ELA Standards, 4). The new Common Core State Standards affirm what teachers of literacy have long known: the skills of literacy are across the curriculum. This is a focus of the EMWP’s mini-grant proposal “Disciplinary

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-83368189496871588172011-01-17T14:15:00.002-05:002011-01-17T16:32:03.315-05:00

National Writing Projects: the State Network Bill Tucker A dozen or so EMWP teachers have benefited from the summer retreats of the National Writing Projects of Michigan, and NWPM has recently benefited from our teachers’ sharing about teacher research and Family Literacy. Next summer the NWPM will sponsor a number of special interest groups, inviting small groups of teachers from each Writing

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-10528255571630353932011-01-17T14:08:00.003-05:002011-01-17T14:11:37.630-05:00

Professional Development PD requests continue to trickle in, almost always as a result of TCs advocating for us at their schools (or sometimes their kids’ schools). Remember our mantra: Shameless Self-Promotion. It works both individually and collectively, so get on those curriculum and accreditation committees, knock on that principal’s door, email that curriculum director. EMWP is now an

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-27187518579510563672011-01-17T14:00:00.004-05:002011-01-17T16:34:15.631-05:00

Spreading the Word: Family Literacy Continues to Grow Karen Watts, TC ‘93 FLI’s elementary workshops continue to be in high demand and we are quickly filling up our winter/spring calendar. We will be presenting several Parent/Family Workshop combinations in Berkeley and Ann Arbor in January and February. We are excited when schools bring us in for both parent and family workshops because

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-41637948751183063742011-01-17T13:51:00.000-05:002011-01-17T13:51:04.915-05:00

Satellite EMWP at Monroe County Community College Good news for the Writing Project orphans in Monroe County! We are pleased to announce the Eastern Michigan Writing Project Monroe Summer Open Institute. Co-directed by two alumni of the EMWP, Judy Kelly and Carol Sliwka, the Summer Institute will take place June 14-July 1, 2010 from 9:00 a.m.-3:00p.m., at the Monroe County Community College.

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-83014812820647536482011-01-17T13:48:00.003-05:002011-01-17T16:26:19.170-05:00

Digital Is... Karen Chichester, EMWP Fellow 2010 Karen Chichester Writing has changed. The process hasn’t changed so much, but the types of writing we produce, the methods we use, and how we publish is changing. Our students text, tweet, blog, post status updates, create video/photo stories, and other types of content that they share with an authentic audience over the Internet. They can

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-57933128291038524002011-01-17T13:46:00.000-05:002011-01-17T13:46:27.404-05:00

Teaching & Inner Peace Jim Schaefer A simple story from Buddha may offer some insights into finding inner peace and teaching. The story goes like this. A teenage mother who had lost her infant to death was frantic with grief and outrage. She traveled from village to village with her child on her hip, looking for a miracle to bring the child back to life. Someone told her that the Buddha,

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-55617138639648069062011-01-17T13:43:00.000-05:002011-01-17T13:43:46.016-05:00

Kudos! Congratulations to Sarah Lorenz on the birth of her daughter! Clarissa Rosaline Lorenz was born on July 8, 2010, joining brothers Bradley and Trey. She was 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and 19 inches.

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-20789424868018175462010-09-07T23:50:00.000-04:002010-09-07T23:50:56.294-04:00

In this edition... Second Annual Writing Retreat Writing Beyond Expectations - September Conference Family Literacy to Offer New Elementary Workshop Pictures from the 2010 SI Institute and Inkstains Writing Camp Retreating: In and Out of Cyberspace Cow Toenails: What's Writing Got to Do with Them?!?

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-90359466736464415942010-09-07T23:40:00.005-04:002010-09-08T10:12:08.436-04:00

Second Annual Writing Retreat In a little more than a week, The Eastern Michigan Writing Project will sponsor its second annual Writing Retreat. All communication should go to Angela Knight and Kris Gedeon, who are hosting the retreat. Please RSVP to Angela Knight (angela.k.knight@gmail.com) by September 10th. First come, first served, and the available vacancies are limited. This is a

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-10636058731963546542010-09-07T23:34:00.004-04:002010-09-08T00:02:36.994-04:00

September Writing Conference: Writing Beyond Expectations Eastern Michigan University and the Eastern Michigan Writing Project are presenting a conference on September 25th called “Writing Beyond Expectations,” with keynote speaker Troy Hicks, author of The Digital Writing Workshop. For more details and registration information, please download the flyer here. Eastern Michigan University

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-49704384889523013872010-09-07T23:18:00.003-04:002010-09-08T10:24:50.823-04:00

Family Literacy to Offer New Early Elementary Workshop Karen Watts TC ‘93 As we reach out to principals in the first weeks of the school year, we are excited to be offering a new option for making literacy connections for their families. Along with our well-received family writing project series, parent workshop and family writing workshop, we will be offering an early-elementary workshop

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-82040936074818491542010-09-07T23:10:00.006-04:002010-09-08T10:38:11.886-04:00

Pictures from the 2010 Summer Institute and Inkstains Writing Camp! A lot of fun was had writing this summer, and you can definitely tell from the pictures! 2010 Summer Institute Group Photo Liz Wolkowicz Doug Baker and Sharon James in the Student Center Inkstains Writing Camp (Outside the Student Center)

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-5304654965764207592010-09-07T22:45:00.006-04:002010-09-08T10:25:21.151-04:00

Retreating: In and Out of Cyberspace Bill Tucker The 2010 Retreat of the National Writing Projects of Michigan had a digital and a network presence unlike any meeting in my experience. It began on a wiki, it developed in concurrent meetings, wiki discussions, and tweets flitting across the twin auditorium screens, and it concluded with the launching of new interest groups for the coming year:

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-54975201859512282462010-09-07T22:36:00.010-04:002010-09-08T10:25:48.478-04:00

Cow Toenails—What’s Writing Got to Do with Them?!? A Bit of Serious Fun. Jim Schaefer I personally like to savor stories that make me laugh out loud but have a really serious meaning behind. One such story that I encountered very recently had to do with cow toenails. The story goes like this. Robert Kegan, a scholar who has fascinating research into meaning-making, said that a mother told

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-51747834755398527112010-05-02T15:40:00.004-04:002010-05-02T15:55:14.285-04:00

In this edition:Protect our fundingInkstains Writer's Camp 2010Teacher Research Updates and HighlightsNo Retreat without Advancing: An Invitation Writing Beyond Expectation:A Mini-conference for Writing Teachers Family Literacy Initiative Gears up for a Busy SpringTap into Writing for Readers and the Young at HeartAnnouncements

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-31129789447687331392010-05-02T15:37:00.001-04:002010-05-02T15:39:56.548-04:00

Protect Our Funding Jim Schaefer, Advisory Board MemberPlease think about and act on thisLiteracy groups like our parent organization, the National Writing Project, are not that far from the edge of non-existence, so we must keep up the pressure on our Congressional representatives and U.S. Senators!Like most of you, I'm aware of the ongoing funding issues facing all literacy organizations like

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-6509005430463712142010-05-02T15:32:00.001-04:002010-05-02T15:36:25.659-04:00

Inkstains Writer’s Camp 2010 Aimee GrantKnow of any great middle school and high school writers that would jump at the chance to go on a writing marathon, create oodles of poetry and stories, and publish a cool anthology with their writing in it? Each July, Inkstains Writer’s Camp does all of this, along with tons of other fun activities, with student writers from all over Southeastern

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-25532939626661200312010-05-02T15:29:00.001-04:002010-05-02T15:32:22.843-04:00

Teacher Research Updates and Highlights EMWP's ongoing Teacher Research will meet two days this summer to pull together work from this year as well as get a jump start for next year. Meeting dates are July 8 and August 17. Any TC is welcome to come and join this group of amazing teachers who have integrated classroom research into their every day teaching. For more information, contact Cathy

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-40199401001886543602010-05-02T15:26:00.001-04:002010-05-02T15:28:59.544-04:00

No Retreat without Advancing: An Invitation NWPM State Network RetreatAugust 9-11, 2010Central Michigan UniversityCollege of Education and Human Services In 2004, the year before Write-Link was born and before it transformed into the wildly-successful “Inkstains” writing camp, the National Writing Projects of Michigan met at Gull Lake in western Michigan, including some sixty teachers from

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-28316467350590970492010-05-02T15:23:00.003-04:002010-05-02T15:26:11.365-04:00

Writing Beyond Expectation:A Mini-conference for Writing Teachers Bill Tucker Troy Hicks, author of The Digital Writing Workshop and director of the Chippewa River Writing Project, will keynote a fall conference for teachers of writing. EMWP will stage its annual fall conference, “Writing Beyond Expectation,” in the Student Center at EMU on September 26, 2010.The conference will feature local

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-65220912521414787882010-05-02T15:14:00.009-04:002010-05-02T21:14:58.469-04:00

Family Literacy Initiative Gears up for a Busy Spring Karen Watts, TC ‘93 There may only be a few weeks left of school, but Family Literacy is packing a lot in between now and June. We have two Family Writing Projects continuing into May in Wayne-Westland, Family Writing Workshops scheduled in Hamtramck, Ann Arbor, and Detroit, and a parent workshop in Hamtramck to round out the year.At our

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-39806584630063390782010-05-02T14:55:00.005-04:002010-05-02T15:10:18.696-04:00

Tap into Writing for Readers and theYoung at Heart Bill TuckerOn a sparkling spring afternoon, we held a fiesta of reading for the young-at-heart. Carolyn Berge and Carol Sliwka brought stacks of books to the subterranean section of LaFiesta, Dundee and fascinated us with new developments in literature, from picture books to steampunk. Viewing the dizzying assortment of new genres, serial

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-40067290690552218982010-05-02T14:46:00.006-04:002010-05-02T15:13:45.766-04:00

AnnouncementsCongratulations to Val and Ward Tomich on the birth of their daughter!EMWP announces the 2009 TC Teacher Podcast!Birth announcement!Pictured below is Danica Louise Tomich, born January 15, 2010 to Val (Johnson) Tomich (TC 2002) and husband Ward. Congratulations Val and Ward!EMWP announces TC Teacher podcast!We are in the process of finalizing the 2009 TC Teacher "Shining a Light"

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-2278355928820583162010-02-05T15:46:00.007-05:002010-02-06T12:03:33.958-05:00

In this edition:Saugatuck Writing RetreatMaking Ripples and WavesEMWP 2010 Summer Institute Application and BrochureTeacher Researcher in the TrenchesBright Futures: A New EMWP Family Literacy Collaboration MA in English Studies for Teachers: A Perfect Fit for EMWPers Inkstains 2010 Middle and High School Writing Camps The EMWP Website Has Embarked on Web 2.0!Co-directors Win Grants for EMWP

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-18462591588622556362010-02-05T14:45:00.006-05:002010-02-06T12:05:20.657-05:00

Saugatuck Writing Retreat Angela KnightOctober 2009 was beautiful in Saugatuck: fall colors, cool weather, a Lake Michigan view, and the company of supportive writers.Eight EMWP participants spent a late October weekend in three of the cottages at Timber Bluff. From Friday evening until Sunday afternoon, we had a flexible schedule of writing, sharing, eating, and relaxing. Progress was made on

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-24131082550225310732010-02-05T14:38:00.001-05:002010-02-06T12:05:08.039-05:00

Making Ripples and Waves Bill Tucker Every summer the National Writing Project invests $15,000 in our Invitational Institute to encourage instructional leadership in classroom teachers. Imagine if your school suddenly had that money to spend on professional development. Probably some of your schools do have it! Why would the NWP choose to disperse its funds among fifteen teachers instead of

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-68068519546239190492010-02-05T14:28:00.005-05:002010-02-05T15:05:56.762-05:00

Summer Institute 2010!The deadline for the EMWP Summer 2010 Invitational Institute is March 1. We hope you will consider applying for the institute! We also hope that all you Teacher Consultants will encourage your colleagues to attend! You can download the brochure and application by clicking the links below:BrochureApplication You can learn more about the Institute at our website: http://

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-9658286583224386302010-02-05T14:12:00.002-05:002010-02-06T12:04:47.415-05:00

Teacher Research in the Trenches John Staunton, Co-directorThrough a Teacher Inquiry Community mini-grant from the National Writing Project, the EMWP has begun its first on-site, school-based teacher-research group. Including Kris Gedeon, 5 out of 29 teachers at Britton-Macon Area School are participating in the year-long teacher-research group. In addition, John Staunton, co-director of the

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-12535802281488514232010-02-05T14:11:00.005-05:002010-02-05T14:27:57.349-05:00

Bright Futures: A New EMWP Family Literacy Collaboration By Kimberly Pavlock, TC ‘92This has been an exciting year for the EMWP Family Literacy Initiative as we have begun a new collaboration with Eastern Michigan University and the Institute for the Study of Children, Families, and Communities. Through Bright Futures, an after-school program which is funded by the Michigan Department of

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-47912731752915915392010-02-05T14:08:00.000-05:002010-02-05T14:10:55.758-05:00

MA in English Studies for Teachers: A Perfect Fit for EMWPers Cathy Fleischer, EMWP co-directorWhat do EMWP Teacher Consultants Jill Fyke, Liz Scott, Kelly Hart, Dale Palmer, Kristin Grahek, and Alli Kaplan have in common? They’re all students in EMU’s new MA in English Studies for Teachers. Specifically designed for middle and high school English teachers, this graduate program provides

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-65097498498469365152010-02-05T13:48:00.006-05:002010-02-05T14:07:39.795-05:00

Inkstains 2010 Middle and High School Writing Camps In summer, the song sings itself. -William Carlos WilliamsIt is winter, and what better time is there to be thinking about the summer? With the Inkstains middle and high school camps less than six short months away, we encourage you to spend some time with your students daydreaming about warm summer days in July walking around Eastern’s

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-55948234871174722482010-02-05T13:42:00.000-05:002010-02-05T13:45:52.425-05:00

The EMWP Website Has Embarked on Web 2.0! Natalie Tomlin In the last six months, with the help of a web designer as well as the EMWP Advisory Board, I have moved our old site to a new site hosted by Wordpress. While the URL remained the same, (http://emichwp.org), the new site allows all members of the advisory board to easily insert, update and alter the look of the site. With this transition

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-56138625447283960962010-02-05T13:37:00.002-05:002010-02-06T12:06:24.646-05:00

Co-directors Win Grants for EMWP ProgramsCongratulations to Cathy Fleischer and John Staunton, who have each been awarded the Dean's Program Development Initiative Award for 2009-2010! Congratulations to Cathy Fleischer who was awarded funding from the Dean’s Program Development Initiative to further develop a collaboration with EMU’s University Writing Center (UWC) to design an expansion of

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-57838911991119021432010-02-05T13:31:00.005-05:002010-02-05T13:42:21.408-05:00

Congratulations!!Congratulations to Beth Harris and her husband Dave!After a long wait, they are finally officially on their way to adopting a baby! It could happen any time now, and Beth and Dave are very excited to share their good news! Congrats, Beth and Dave!!!

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-63123904634642780582009-09-19T20:08:00.002-04:002009-09-19T20:35:36.100-04:00

What is “Writing for Real”? Bill TuckerThe EMWP presents its second annual “Writing for Real” Conference at the Student Center, October 17, 8:30 – 3:30. We have gathered amazing projects from across the grades, K-college, that show how to engage writers with audiences beyond the classroom. Who are these audiences and why should we care about them? They range from our immediate peer group to the

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-72617912134229973892009-09-19T20:02:00.004-04:002009-09-19T20:37:03.771-04:00

Sacred Writing Time: Saugatuck Edition"If you want to be a writer, write."We like to think we are committed writers, but sometimes it helps to have the company of writers. Writing retreats are born of this need. Angela Knight and Kris Gedeon will lead a group of intrepid writers to the shores of Lake Michigan the weekend of October 23-25. We’ll write and share and create a space in time to

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-10593350262757678932009-09-19T19:48:00.006-04:002009-09-19T20:19:05.544-04:00

Announcements/Kudos!Congratulations to Sarah Lorenz on her new position, Lauren Nizol on the birth of her son, and Michielle Coberley-McLemore on producing her own script!Sarah Lorenz has accepted a new position as a Title I English Language Arts Instructional Coach with the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators. She’ll be working

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-26819706856378992762009-09-19T18:46:00.033-04:002009-09-19T20:21:52.529-04:00

Inkstains 2009: Writing to “Unlock the Traffic Jam” Kimberly Pavlock, TC ‘92Imagine . . . thirty-two middle school students one week, thirty-five high school students the next, waking up early to walk a writing marathon across the campus of Eastern Michigan University. With notebook and pen in hand, talking and laughing with friends, they look for the perfect spot to rest and continue writing.

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-53982950086129991882009-09-19T11:05:00.009-04:002009-09-19T20:13:47.118-04:00

Creative Inklings Angela KnightTake a few NWP TCs, add three or four more teachers, about 30 kids, and give them five days that are modeled after the month-long Summer Institute. Daily morning writing prompts, mini-lessons, writing groups, sacred writing time, camp t-shirts. Writing marathon on Tuesday; published by Friday. We even hired a few returning campers; these Junior Counselors were our

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-52618580177603527072009-09-19T11:01:00.002-04:002009-09-19T20:14:59.892-04:00

On-site Teacher Research Group Starts WorkOur first summer institute for an on-site teacher-research group was a success!This summer, John Staunton and Kris Gedeon led a small group of teachers at Britton-Macon Area School on a three-day journey into teacher research. As usual at an EMWP event, food played a significant role! :DOn a more serious note, by the end of the three days everyone had

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-29544061821024180462009-05-07T15:30:00.001-04:002009-05-07T15:30:37.150-04:00

National Day on Writing—October 20, 2009Cathy Fleischer, Co-director“Everyone is a writer!” That’s the message behind NCTE’s National Day on Writing/National Gallery on Writing—a time to celebrate, promote, and explore the amazing variety of writing that all of us (parents, teachers, students, community members) do in our everyday lives (from blogs and emails to poems and memos and everything in

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-53764962534117147492009-05-07T15:29:00.001-04:002009-05-07T15:29:36.785-04:00

National Day on Writing – Flat Rock Community High SchoolAndrea GilliesTo celebrate the National Day on Writing, we are going to host a writing marathon at Flat Rock Community High School. After speaking with our principal and media specialist, we have developed a potential format.Our plan is to have 3-4 staff members "man" the marathon all day.Students can either sign up for the entire day or

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-47826891814395380492009-05-07T15:24:00.002-04:002009-05-07T15:28:02.481-04:00

Third Graders Visit EMUDebbie YoungMy third grade students, from Flat Rock Community Schools, got their first taste of college life on April 8, 2009 when they spent most of the day on the Eastern Michigan University campus. For over ten years I have brought my students to EMU. The English department, on the sixth floor of Pray-Harrold, was one of our stops. The students and I were graciously

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-57303419235862468292009-05-07T15:22:00.000-04:002009-05-07T15:24:30.626-04:00

Stream of (semi) ConsciousnessAndrea GilliesCome wade with me…5am alarm rings. Barely in the bathroom and Derek wakes. Quick fill a bottle and rush to my four month old boy and feed him. Lay him back down and pray he goes back to sleep. Get ready for work, make sure the lunches and bags are packed, finish the newsletter for Kathleen’s preschool, clean up the puke from the cat, grab my stuff

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-38678789547760641172009-05-07T15:19:00.000-04:002009-05-07T15:21:52.670-04:00

Inkstains Writer’s Camp 2009Kim PavlockSpring is here; summer is just around the corner, and the Inkstains Writer’s Camp staff, under the direction of Aimee Grant, is already gearing up for the time that they will spend teaching, writing, and conferencing with middle and high school student writers on the campus of Eastern Michigan University this July.We are thankful to have returning teachers

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-44715691833392445682009-05-07T15:00:00.002-04:002009-05-07T15:18:10.530-04:00

Continuing the Power of EMWP!Sound the demonstration lessons,Raise your pens,Follow the lead to preach the language to others,What is about to happen?Eastern Michigan Writing Project Summer Institute for 2009!Fifteen fellows, (educators with a range of grade level from elementary through college), along with their eager, assigned mentors,Will join up with Doug Baker, Co-Director of EMWP and

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-85752376129263184062009-05-07T14:56:00.007-04:002009-05-08T12:53:39.757-04:00

Birth Announcements!Congratulations to Kate Brohl (TC'07)!Congratulations to Jeff Taylor (TC '05)!Congratulations to Jeff and Jenny Taylor on the birth of their son, Brady Logan Taylor! Brady (pictured with Jeff below), was born on April 14, 2009. Congratulations to Kate Brohl on the birth of her son, Brady Paul Robert Jagiello! Brady was born on February 1, 2009.

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-52464995869285576072009-01-19T14:03:00.007-05:002009-01-20T10:54:08.663-05:00

Current EventsFall Conference: "Writing for Real"Book signing announcementNext "Tap into Writing"Monroe Summer InstituteLocal History: Community PrideKudos!Honorable mention for the Language Arts Journal of MichiganNew PositionsBirth AnnouncementAnnouncementsSummer Institute 2009 - accepting applicationsEaster Michigan Writing Project - 2009/10 positionsCourse Announcement: Poetry for Teachers

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-50841338875217730882009-01-19T13:46:00.007-05:002009-01-20T09:58:09.810-05:00

A Fall Conference for All: “Writing for Real”By Kimberly Pavlock, Teacher Consultant ‘92One highlight for the EMWP this past year was a special fall conference devoted to writing across the curriculum that we co-sponsored with Eastern Michigan University: “Writing for Real: Writing for Professional, Social, and Exploratory Purposes.”Twenty four presenters, most of them EMWP Teacher Consultants

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-47896361698769039222009-01-19T13:42:00.011-05:002009-01-20T10:41:18.198-05:00

Congratulations!The Language Arts Journal of Michigan, the bi-annual journal of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English, won one of the two honorable mentions for the 2008 Affiliate Journal Award (from NCTEintert link http://www.ncte.org/) for their Fall 2007 issue on "Digital Technology.” (Ohio won and British Columbia was the other honorable mention). Congratulations to the EMWP writers who

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-22718660706422602552009-01-19T13:34:00.004-05:002009-01-20T16:42:57.886-05:00

Summer Institute 2009 AnnouncementThe Eastern Michigan Writing Project 2009 Summer Invitational Institute will be screening applications until March 1st. Benefits in taking the Invitational include:* Five Graduate Credits* A stipend or fellowship towards tuition* The status of Teacher Consultant of the National Writing Project* New visions for the teaching of writing* Opportunities to participate

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-45287343858479087352008-09-05T12:23:00.024-04:002008-09-06T12:34:05.058-04:00

Welcome to the September edition of eMuse!Click here for the current "Tap into Writing" calendar and "Writing for Real" flier.Really Writing:A Conference for EveryoneBy Bill TuckerWhat do you write in the “real world”? How often have our students asked a version of this question or challenged some of our lamer writing assignments? In our first collaboration with the EMU Writing-Across-the-

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-15143745772036185632008-05-21T14:20:00.002-04:002008-05-21T14:53:53.008-04:00

Welcome to the May edition of eMuse!!

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-38233712835561522702008-05-21T14:18:00.004-04:002008-05-29T20:31:21.228-04:00

Writing: A Family Project By Kim Pavlock and Cathy Fleischer Since January of this year, we have had the privilege of presenting more than fifteen workshops for parents, teachers, and families through the EMWP Family Literacy Initiative. While we have received a number of requests in the past two years for our 90-minute workshop for parents and our 90-minute workshop

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-30545454905555651712008-05-21T13:00:00.007-04:002008-05-21T13:16:56.313-04:00

EMWP Partnership with Hamtramck Public Schools By Tricia Maslow Two schools in the Hamtramck School District had the opportunity to enter into a partnership with the EMWP this year. Along with two teacher consultants that are members of the school staff at each school, Dave Fisher was assigned to assist in the project. As a result of this partnership, three teachers from

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-87097620685484597002008-05-21T12:52:00.002-04:002008-05-21T12:55:40.249-04:00

National Writing Project UpdatesBy Sarah Lorenz Writing IntentionThe NWPM and the Michigan Reading Association recently collaborated to write a book entitled: Writing Intention: Prompting Professional Learning Through Student Work. Teacher Consultants from many sites across the state contributed, and the book has been quite successful, even earning some modest royalties. The National Writing

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-91090989222967365302008-05-21T12:33:00.002-04:002008-05-21T12:59:28.316-04:00

Teacher Research Group UpdatesBy Cathy Fleischer As this year’s Teacher Research Group prepares for its busy summer of writing (we’ll be meeting for one week in July to analyze data and write up our findings), we’re already looking forward to next year! Next year will mark a change in how the TR group is organized and will offer—we hope—even more opportunities for EMWPers. Our plan is

Sarah Soebbingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-80793463924984656322008-02-09T12:37:00.000-05:002008-02-09T13:13:17.627-05:00

Deadline for Summer Invitational Institute - March 1, 2008Institute runs from June 26 - July 24, 2008The Summer Invitational Institute, the core of the work we do at the Eastern Michigan Writing project, officially closes applications on March 1. Admittedly this “deadline” has had a life of its own in the past, but it’s only fair to warn our prospects that we already have a number of

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-79689230908435211752008-02-08T23:54:00.000-05:002008-02-09T00:04:17.739-05:00

Our popular meetings continue monthly in locations hither and yon. This month we’ll meet in Saline for a “No-topics-barred” gathering at the welcoming “Drowsy Parrot.” The movable feast rambles through Adrian, Ann Arbor, and Plymouth in succeeding months. Please let us know by Tuesday if you’re coming. RSVP withSarah Soebbing

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-76079755602312389312008-02-06T21:53:00.000-05:002008-02-09T00:09:01.453-05:00

Since we have always valued continuity in the EMWP, we have maintained the same leadership over several years. This year it is safe to say we are in leadership transition. The only positions that depend on stability are the Coordinator for Professional Development and the Family Literacy Coordinator, which are growing so rapidly as to require continuity in leadership. We value the service of our

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-34909999656414232082008-02-06T21:32:00.000-05:002008-02-08T23:32:20.311-05:00

Second in a Series:EMWP Professional Development Workshops - The Family Literacy InitiativeKim PavlockOn Saturday, February 16, a number of us involved in EMWP's Family Literacy Initiative (FLI) will get together to not only talk about how the FLI has developed over the past eighteen months, but also to plan for future outreach possibilities.TC's new to the Family Literacy Initiative will have an

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-60230059159041009142008-02-06T21:27:00.000-05:002008-02-08T23:37:58.317-05:00

Living the Narrative LifeGian S. Pagnucci, author of Living the Narrative Life, says ,We ought to seek out stories. Even our troubles, the broken down car, the lost treasure, the embarrassing fall: when we become attuned to the ways these events create a storied life, they lose some of their bite, becoming, with some time and distance, moments to treasure. Once, walking out of an Eric Clapton

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-2707161268788758232008-02-06T20:43:00.000-05:002008-02-08T23:43:06.670-05:00

2008 Spring Meeting - National Writing ProjectJoin Me April 3rd and 4thSarah LorenzMeet your colleagues in the nation's capital on April 3–4, for the 2008 NWP Spring Meeting. Always an exciting event, the meeting provides writing project teachers and leaders an opportunity to share their classroom successes with members of Congress and with each other.I'd like to invite any of you to apply to

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-30993611703396387812008-02-06T20:29:00.001-05:002008-02-06T21:11:54.229-05:00

Teacher Narratives: Telling Our Storiesby Sarah SoebbingAs the focus for our continuing meetings, teacher consultants from the 2007 Summer Institute are currently investigating the genre of teacher narratives. Similarly to memoirs, teacher narratives involve stories and anecdotes from our experiences as teachers, writers, and people in general. We’ve discovered many possible approaches to writing

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-83211131606268930992008-02-06T20:16:00.000-05:002008-02-06T21:52:20.273-05:00

Because Global Warming Isn't HappeningTo the Science Department Only:10 Ways to Incorporate Outdoor Experiences in the Language Arts Classroomby lisa eddyHappy Yule, ms. eddy!During our Yule celebration with family and friends, Rebecca gestures toward the beautiful, dark-haired young woman in the recliner on my right. “Did you know,” she asks, “that this girl is really going to do something good

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-42781240605336865792008-02-05T21:01:00.000-05:002008-02-05T21:30:02.970-05:00

An Excert: NaNoWriMo Novel, 2007*Carol SliwkaSeriously, almost every time I get in trouble it’s because someone doesn’t understand me. I do not try to get in trouble, honestly I don’t. Well, at least most of the time I don’t. On that particular day, I was just coming from phys ed class and running late as usual. I like to stay after to help Mr. Gilbert pick up the basketballs or baseballs or

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-73880067283062416972008-02-05T20:52:00.001-05:002008-02-05T21:00:19.432-05:00

Writing is like a liquid. It can flow over you or drown you. When it flows...by Carol SliwkaWriting is like a liquid. It can flow over you or drown you. When it flows, it can engulf you in the rhythm of the waves and the tide, with ideas washing over you, refreshing you, carrying you to new places. As a liquid, it can be a cool drink to soothe you on a hot day or calm you like a hot drink in

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-31306267602419122542008-02-05T20:33:00.000-05:002008-02-05T20:50:48.259-05:00

Teacher as Writerby Tricia Maslowski What if I have what THEY call writer's block every single day?! "Don't worry," THEY tell me. "You will do fine. Many of these people say they are writers, but this doesn't mean they are GOOD writers."Easy for YOU to say – you are one of them. How do I decide what to write about? How do I choose the words to express myself? What if I have what THEY

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-78733412046608975642007-11-04T17:25:00.002-05:002007-11-04T17:31:39.262-05:00

Participants of the Eastern Michigan Writing Project's 2007 Invitational Institute were fortunate to work beside a dedicated educator and musician, Al Massey. When this electronic newsletter became a reality, we were looking for a name that would capture what the Writing Project is all about. Once Al softly spoke "eMuse," we knew we had a winner. Sadly, Al died before he could read this first

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683360878216771744.post-43434302678115713042007-11-04T17:25:00.001-05:002007-11-04T17:27:48.947-05:00

Up a Treeby Nick Kalakailoa dedication to Al Massey, October, 2007We could certainly pull out an ax and start chopping down all the trees, furiously fixing the problem, felling the timber and youth simultaneously, rejoicing in our power to take control over the situation. We all know an administrator or colleague who'd like the sound of that plan. But writers, teachers, and learners need the

Editornoreply@blogger.com