CDWP Upcoming Events
CDWP Teacher Research Group Presentation
Sept.26, 2009, 9:00AM-12:00PM in the UAlbany Education Building
Contact: Christopher Mazura, christopher.mazura@gmail.com
CDWP Advanced Invitational Institute
Oct.9-11, 2010, Friday 5:00PM-Sunday 1:00PM
Minnowbrook Conference Center
Contact: Robert Yagelski, rpy95@albany.edu
National Day of Writing CDWP Celebration
Oct.26, 2009 6:00-8:30PM
Capital Repertory Theatre
Contact: Leah Claron,
Register: www.mylearningplan.com
National Writing Project National Conference
Nov. 19-21, 2009, Philadelphia, PA
Check www.nwp.org for details
CDWP Annual Winter Retreat
Jan. 30, 2010, 9:00AM-3:30PM, UAlbany Science Library
Contact: Aaron Thiell, aaroncdwp@gmail.com
Saturday Morning Seminars
The reality of being an educator today is that the time and energy we spend thinking about test scores can shift our attention away from our students' needs, voices and learning. We can forget that writing is a powerful tool for learning, a major component of balanced literacy, and is not solely tied to literature study.
The Capital District Writing Project (CDWP) has developed series of highly interactive seminars intended to encourage teachers to see more ways to create learning and student focused classrooms full of authentic, learning-rich writing experiences. Each session offers model lessons that can be used for immediate practice and serve as springboards for reflection, inquiry, and prioritizing professional decisions.
Each Saturday seminar is dedicated to a particular topic or issue of concern. Some of these topics are: engaging reluctant writers, the reading-writing connection, reading and writing across the curriculum, the use of new technologies to enhance content learning, and issues of assessing student writing.
The presenters for these seminars are trained Teacher Consultants from the Capital District Writing Project. They are currently practicing teachers who have been selected to participate in one of the CDWP's summer invitational summer institutes, have developed and analyzed these presentations with other teacher consultants, and have experience working as facilitators with professional groups.
Come to one session or join us for them all!
Course #WS3236, Saturday Seminar: Engaging Reluctant Writers
When: Oct. 17, 2009 Sat. 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: TBA
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Facilitator: Molly Fanning
Course #WS3237, Saturday Seminar: Developing Reading/ Writing/Literacy Connections
When: Nov. 7, 2009 Sat. 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: TBA
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Facilitator: Molly Fanning
Course #WS3238, Saturday Seminars: Writing, Learning, Technology Integration
When: Mar. 13, 2010 Sat. 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: TBA
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Facilitator: Molly Fanning
Course #3239, Saturday Seminars: Assessing Student Writing
When: Apr. 24, 2010 Sat. 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: TBA
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Facilitator: Molly Fanning
To register, go to www.teachercenter.org for registration instructions or register at www.mylearningplan.com.
For information or questions about Saturday Seminars, contact Molly Fanning at fanningm@guilderlandschools.org.
Writing Matters: Exploring Literacy Lessons with the Capital District Writing Project
With whom do you really talk about your good lessons—why they work, why they are good? Where do you get more great ideas for great lessons?
Members of the Capital District Writing project have been working—passionately and collaboratively --to develop, share, analyze, and refine lessons about literacy and writing for all age groups. They would like to expand the conversation and share the lessons and the discussions with other teachers.
In each session, participants will be able to experience several writing lessons. Each lesson will be presented by a teacher in an interactive way with actual materials used in the classroom. Each lesson has been through at least one lesson study with the Capital District Writing Project team. Following each lesson, there will be a discussion session in which participants can respond to the ideas and activities of the lesson and ask questions about its context and development.
In the follow up discussion, the teacher presenter and other members of the CDWP will discuss how adaptations can make this lesson suitable for learners in all grade levels. They will also discuss the research findings, assumptions about learning, and concepts from critical and literary theory that frame each lesson.
The format of these lesson demonstrations and follow-up discussions make them very useful for new teacher and mentor teams or grade level or curriculum teams to attend together! Most of the lessons are aimed at developing writing and literacy across the subject areas and are not limited to English and language arts content. Get the conversation rolling! Come to one or all! Each one will feature a different set of lessons.
Fall sessions:
Course #WS 3069: Writing Matters
When: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: Sand Creek Middle School Library
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Coordinator: Carol Forman-Pemberton
Course #WS3070: Writing Matters
When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: Sand Creek Middle School Library
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Coordinator: Carol Forman-Pemberton
Spring Sessions:
Course #WS3071: Writing Matters
When: Saturday, Mar.6, 2010 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: Sand Creek Middle School Library
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Coordinator: Carol Forman-Pemberton
Course #W3072: Writing Matters
When: Saturday, Mar.27, 2010 8:30AM-12:30PM (4 professional development hours)
Where: Sand Creek Middle School Library
Presenters: Members of the Capital District Writing Project
Coordinator: Carol Forman-Pemberton
To register, go to www.teachercenter.org for registration instructions or register at www.mylearningplan.com.
For information or questions about Writing Matters: Contact Carol Forman-Pemberton at CarolCDWP@aol.com.
2010 Summer Invitational Institute
The Summer Institute is an intensive professional experience in which participants focus on their own writing in a sustained and serious way and explore effective strategies for teaching writing. Participants in the institute will meet daily, Monday through Thursday, with mornings devoted to whole-group meetings for discussion, teacher presentations of writing lessons, and guest speakers, and afternoons dedicated to writing and response groups. Fridays will generally be reserved for writing time. Teachers who are selected for this institute will receive a stipend for their participation.
- Dates for the CDWP 2010 Summer Institute:
Overnight retreat at the Rensselaerville Retreat Center, May 14th and 15th
Summer Institue on SUNY Albany Campus, June 28th through July 22nd - Due date for Applications for the CDWP Summer Institute: April 15, 2010
Write Now! Teen Writers Workshop
The Capital District Writing Project, the local site of the National Writing Project, is dedicated to improving writing in our nation's schools. For the past seven years, we have offered a summer workshop for area K-12 teachers. This year for the fifth time, we will be offering this seminar for teen writers entering grades 8-12. The seminar allows participants the time to write what you want and receive immediate feedback from fellow teen writers from around the Capital Region and from experienced teachers who are also writers. Workshops are offered on the various aspects of writing- from generating ideas to developing characters and publishing your work.
- The 2010 Teen Writers Seminar will be held July 12-16 from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm at the University at Albany's uptown campus. Click here to see our pamphlet and registration form and sign up today. Registration is due no later than July 2, 2010. There is a $25 discount for those who register by June 1.
- For more information contact Molly Fanning at mhull@nycap.rr.com or call 518-229-0813
Email CDWP at cdwp@albany.edu with questions about any of these upcoming events