Area educators to attend Northern Plains Writing Project Institutes
More than 30 North Dakota educators will be on both Minot State University's campus and in Bismarck for MSU's annual Northern Plains Writing Project Summer Institute and Advanced Summer Institute. The Summer Institute runs from July 7 to July 30, and the Advanced Summer Institute is from July 7 to July 23. NPWP is in its seventh year of existence.
"The Writing Project is an intense, life-changing experience for many teachers. Each year, teachers from across the state come together to discuss what they do as educators in the classroom, experience the joy of writing and share educational theories and practices that build and improve our learning communities," said Ron Fischer, associate professor of English and NPWP co-director. "The institutes provide them a chance to talk to each other about what they teach and why they are teachers. The daylong activities really build a shared sense of community among them."
"What surprisingly happens at the institutes is that they reconnect to those early desires and concerns that moved them to become teachers," Fischer continued. "I can't say when it happens, but after teachers go back to their schools, a change begins. They start to teach differently and interact with their students differently. As a result, the students end up benefiting the most - becoming better writers, better communicators, better learners."
One of two National Writing Projects sites in North Dakota, NPWP, receives funding from the university, the state and the federal government. This year, stipends pay for nearly all of the teachers' tuition, credits and housing. All 200 Writing Project sites across the nation bring about real educational reform by following the model of "teachers teaching teachers."
MSU President David Fuller will host a social and luncheon on July 8 in the Conference Center, noon-1 p.m. The current NPWP participants, community leaders and MSU administrators, faculty and staff will attend the social and luncheon.
In June, NPWP in conjunction with MSU's College for Kids offered student writing classes. This year's offerings included Poetry on the Move and Seuss-a-like Writing.
For further information about NPWP, contact Chad Gifford, co-director, at chad.gifford@minot.k12.nd.us.
07/06/10