The National Writing Project at

The National Writing Project at Central Arkansas

Members

Stephanie Vanderslice, CAWP Director I'm looking forward to getting to know you all and learning from you as people and as professionals. Often in the summer, I am asked, "Are you teaching a summer course?" When I say yes, the person often regards me with an odd sympathy. What they don't understand, and what is often too hard to explain to the uninitiated is that the NWPCA summer institute isn't really teaching in the traditional sense of the word. Yes, it's quite something logistically to pull off between me, Monda, Lisa, Mary and Sophie, but as I've said before, it's really more about facilitating than teaching.

And, more than anything else, it's about learning from all of you, about life, about experience, about great teaching. Sometimes when I'm standing in front of one of my writing classes at UCA, usually after a successful assignment or workshop that the students have enjoyed, instead of patting myself on the back, I think, "thank goodness for the Writing Project." Because that's where I've usually gotten the idea from. In fact, thanks to six years of involvement with the writing project I can now say that I both write and teach with a "writing project view of the world," a view that in the teaching and doing of writing values encouragement, support, constructive critique and so much more. As a result, most of my classroom successes and much of my enthusiasm for teaching can be traced directly back to my experiences with the writing project and for that and to you all, I am extremely grateful.

By the end of the 120-hour Institute, Fellows will have had the opportunity to write creatively and practically on a variety of topics, examine the effectiveness of their teaching, and develop skills in conducting composition workshops for other teachers. Running Monday through Thursday, the daily schedule of the institute will devote morning sessions to teaching presentations and demonstrations. Two afternoons each week will be given over to discussion of writing by the Fellows in editing/response groups. Other afternoons will feature consultants, guest speakers, and topics of special interest. Each Fellow will deliver one presentation based on a successful teaching plan.

The National Writing Project of Central Arkansas offers:

A Summer Writing Institute for teachers K-12 in all subject matter areas worth six hours of graduate credit (grant funded). For five weeks teachers study contemporary composition theory, experience the act of writing, and devise effective pedagogy
In-service workshops in teaching writing across the curriculum. Teacher Consultants develop a series of presentations that cover topics ranging from the writing process to portfolio assessment. Teachers who participate in these presentations bring what they learn to thousands of students.
A vibrant support network of outstanding educators like themselves who meet regularly to renew and update skills and knowledge and talk about the challenges and successes they face as education professionals. The NWPCA will sponsor several workshop/coalition meetings as well as writing, reading and research groups that will meet throughout the year. Both a hardcopy and web-based newsletter will also be available for Teacher Consultants.
Opportunities to grow professionally by participating in local, national, and international meetings. Participation in national reform movements in education. We are pleased to say that the National Writing Project is listed in the Catalog of School Reform Models as one of 50 school reform models that is available to schools for the US Department of Education's new Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration Program (also known as Obey-Porter).
We have a lot to be excited about this year. As a result of increased funding, the NWPCA is pleased to be branching into some new directions. For the first time in our history, we are offering a one week Open Institute, directed by Lisa Mongno, to give interested teachers a taste of the writing project. We'll also be hosting The Writer's Cafe, a week long writer's camp for high school students directed by Monda Fason. So there will be lots of new faces to welcome to the Central Arkansas Writing Project this summer.

I hope you enjoy and benefit from the Summer Institute as much as I have and on behalf of the almost forty awesome Arkansas teachers who now form the network of ongoing support and encouragement that is the National Writing Project of Central Arkansas, I welcome you.

Stephanie