Working & Study Groups

Working groups are at the heart of the Writing Project. Active Writing Project Fellows plan and coordinate ongoing professional development activities. If you're interested in joining a group or learning more about what a group does, contact the chair listed below. New members are welcome to join at any time. Maybe you have an idea of your own for a group. Let us know.

See the Calendar for meetings and activities. Scroll down or use these links for more information:

Continuity

Publications

Technology

School-Based Professional Development

Young Writers Programs

Summer Institute

Continuity Working Group

Co-Chairs and Co-Coordinators:
Jen Ernsthausen, Susan Gradeck, Natalie Pleczynski, Lucy Ware

The Continuity Group plans and coordinates continuity activities for Writing Project Fellows, i.e., ongoing opportunities for professional development, writing activities to support professional and personal writing and publication by member teachers, inquiry groups, seminars and discussions on teaching and learning. Some activities are open to all teachers to help other teachers to become acquainted with the Writing Project. Please see the calendar for specific information on activities. Continuity is comprised of four interweaving strands:

Teachers Celebrate

Coordinator: Jen Ernsthausen

• July: Summer Potluck
• December: Holiday Party
• March: Poe.Art Reading and Exhibit, of poetry and visual art
• June: Annual Dinner

Teachers Inquire

Coordinator: Natalie Pleczynski

Teacher Inquiry groups are continuing their work this year. We began the school year on October 10, when WPWP hosted an Open House for all interested teachers and members of established groups at Joe Mama's in Oakland. The purpose of Open House was to explore more deeply the "what" and "why" of teacher inquiry. After some reading and a writing exercise, each of the Inquiry groups shared their plan and focus. A second open meeting for sharing work and protocols was held January 16. The Inquiry groups will come together once more this school year: May 14, 2008 (4:30-6:30, Panera on Blvd. of Allies).

Small groups meet at individually set times and places, usually once a month. Fellows can pursue inquiry with the support of other Fellows when and where it's convenient for them. All groups are initiated by WPWP Fellows. Some are open to other teaching colleagues. Groups are small (three to five members), and work is defined by each group according to their own needs and interests. Groups may read and discuss a shared text, research literature around a topic of interest, write, review student work, try things in their classrooms and bring their experience back to the group, explore the use of rubrics and protocols, or anything the members identify as relevant to their teaching practice.

If you would like more information about the inquiry groups, joining one or starting you own, contact Natalie Pleczynski. We welcome all inquiring teachers to join us!

Some of the active Inquiry groups:

1. Dilworth Study Group: Student Motivation, Student voice in writing and the book "The Energy to Teach"
2. Teacher Leadership Group: Leadership and Mentoring
3. Mt. Lebanon Inquiry Group: Writing and Teaching
4. Project Outreach (PO3) Group: Access, Relevancy, Diversity and work on WPWP's action plan
5. Pine-Richland Group: Book Studies
6. Teacher Study Group: Writer's Workshop

Teachers Learn

Coordinator: Lucy Ware

Presents speakers and discussions on topics of interest to teachers. See the calendar for events. Have a topic of interest? Email us.

Teachers Write

Coordinator: Susan Gradeck

Offers writing activities to maintain the Writing Project community of writers and to help classroom teachers stay engaged in writing.

• October: Fall Writing Retreat
• February: Writing Renaissance
• Occasional writing marathons and creative writing courses.

Back to top

Publications Working Group

Co-Chairs: Barbara Dahlberg, Megan Ciliberti Whiteford
Members: Laurel McMahon, Christine Wolfe

Threads, the Publication Group's annual chapbook, features the writing of WPWP Fellows. The 2006 edition, Threads One, is both online and available in hardcopy from the Writing Project office for $10. Threads Two (2007) includes teachers who completed the Summer Institute this summer; the hardcopy is available through the WPWP office, and the online edition is coming soon.

School-Based Professional Development (SBPD) Working Group

Chair: Leslie Wessner
Members: Nancy Addy, Marnie Arnold, Don Bialostosky, Cindy Biery, John Davis, Jerry Halpern, Kellie Jenkins

(more details coming soon)

Technology Study Group

Chair:Mara Linaberger, Technology Liaison
Members: Nancy Addy, Barbara Dahlberg, Patsy K. Eagan, Carolyn Luck, Connie Sowinski

Explores the use of technology by WPWP and the uses of technology in teaching and writing. This year's focus is on the redesign and management of the WPWP website to facilitate the goals of our site. The group needs input from teachers who are using technology in their classrooms. If you are interested in technology and its connections to teaching and learning or have suggestions for the Technology Study Group, please contact Mara Linaberger.

Back to top

Young Writers Programs

Chair: Beth Voltz

A new working group has been formed to make recommendations to Fellows Council regarding programs for young writers, including

• Young Writers Institute

 

• District-based summer writing camps

 

• After-school workshops

 

• Family and community writing groups

We are looking at current, past and possible programs for young writers in terms of how they serve the Writing Project mission and benefit students and teachers and how they can be offered and sustained.

The group will work from recommendations in the strategic plan and the Project Outreach action plan and will make recommendations to Fellows Council.

Meetings are scheduled for

• February 21
• March 20
• April 17
• May 15

Thursdays, from 4:30-5:30, at Panera at the Blvd. of the Allies in Oakland.

Please come to a meeting if you are interested in developing and leading programs for young writers.

 

Summer Institute Working Group

A new group assists SIT co-directors in planning for the SIT. The group is currently developing recruitment and marketing strategies for the 2008 Institute.

Contact Don Bialostosky if you are interested in participating.

Back to top