workshop session descriptions

comprehensive workshop sessions:

Best Practices for Literacy Instruction
This session introduces NCTE beliefs on the importance of developing a writing community, integrating reading and writing instruction, and incorporating formal and informal writing, and provides tips for streamlining assessment.

Designing Effective Writing Assignments
This session focuses on creating writing assignments for audiences beyond the classroom. Participants will investigate ways of using technology as a means of communicating effectively.

Implementing Writers Workshops
This session focuses on planning and implementing writers workshops, including tips for managing the various components of this approach to writing instruction.

The Reading/Writing Connection
This session focuses on responding to reading through informal writing that can serve as a means of increasing writing fluency, generating ideas and using these ideas as seeds for drafting more polished papers. This session will emphasize short informal writing as a way to promote deeper understanding of a subject and to encourage reflection.

special topics workshop sessions:

Embedding Grammar in Writing Instruction
This session will provide an overview of research from national professional organizations on the teaching of grammar, practical strategies for helping students learn skills within the context of literature and writing instruction, and an awareness of the broad range of resources on the topic.

Integrating Art and Writing
This session will focus on the practice of making meaning and the translation of visual ideas into writing.

Preparing for Large-Scale Writing Assessment
This session focuses on teachers helping students be successful in on-demand writing.

Promoting Writing Using Online Technology
This session will explore using 21st century technology to improve writing instruction.

The Struggling Reader/Writer
This session focuses on developing the literacy skills of diverse students, especially ELL and/or special education students.

Reading in the Content Areas
This session focuses on before, during, and after comprehension strategies, as well as vocabulary development to promote best practice reading instruction within content areas.

Responding to and Assessing Student Writing
This session focuses on analyzing student writing to inform instruction. Participants will explore alternate methods of examining student writing.

Teaching for Success in College-Level Writing
This session focuses on ways to prepare students for writing in college. In addition to suggestions for promoting college-level writing, both text and online resources will be provided.

Tools for Revision
To help students rethink their writing, not just edit, this session focuses on both surface and deep revision strategies.

Using Mentor Texts
This session focuses on ways to use fiction and nonfiction texts, including picture books, to provide models of exemplary writing.

Using Writers Notebooks for Generating Ideas
This session focuses on using writers notebooks as a means of increasing writing fluency, generating ideas, and using these ideas as seeds for drafting more polished papers. Lots of practical ideas for student writing and managing logistics will be shared.

Working with Organization
This session focuses on teaching organization and investigating alternative text structures beyond the five-paragraph essay.

Writing in the Content Areas
This session focuses on using informal writing as a way to promote deeper understanding of a subject and to encourage reflection. These informal writing tasks can be used as seeds for drafting more polished papers.

6+1 Traits Instruction and Assessment
This session focuses on an overview of the 6+1 Traits and includes practical applications for teachers to integrate them into their writing curriculum.