Studer Community Institute

UWF hosts workshop to help teachers write better

April 16, 2015
/ Reggie Dogan
/ education

Teaching school from coast to coast for nearly a decade, Susan James discovered a common thread among students and teachers: They lacked confidence in their writing. James set out to help. She became a National Writing Project fellow, earned a doctorate in education and now wants to put her skills and training in practice. James, an education professor at UWF, believes the university is the perfect place to be a National Writing Project site. In June, UWF and Escambia County School District will host a Summer Invitational Institute for educators, as part of an ongoing effort for to make the dream of a NWP site a reality. Of nearly 200 programs in the U.S, it would be the first in Northwest Florida. “Because the National Writing Project is a network of sites that will be anchored at UWF, we can not only serve teachers across all disciplines at all levels, we will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other universities who house NWP sites,” James said. “It is the spark of NWP at the University of West Florida that will allow us to see its vision come alive in our city, where every person is an accomplished writer, engaged learner and active participant in a digital, interconnected world.” During a three-week workshop — from June 8 to June 25 — teachers will become the students, participating in engaging writing activities to take back and share in their classrooms. In its first year, the institute will train about 25 educators as National Writing Project fellow. Writing instruction in math, science, language arts and social studies will be led by UWF Department of Teacher Education and Education Leadership. An added treat will include sessions via Skype led by National Book Award author Kimberly Willis Holt. The aim is to give teachers skills and confidence in their writing to share with their students and pass along to future institute fellows. “It is critical for teachers to see themselves as writers before becoming a facilitator of writing in the classroom,” James said. “Once I saw I could write and model my writing for students, I realized what had been missing in my instruction.” UWF has worked closely with the School District to bring the summer institute to Northwest Florida. Kelly Aeppli-Campbell, the district’s Elementary English Language Arts Specialist, wrote the project’s application. “This presents us with an excellent opportunity for our teachers to learn more about teaching writing from an outstanding training team without having to travel,” Aeppli-Campbell said. “This experience will ultimately help our students become better writers.” For more information about the National Writing Project, contact Susan James at [email protected].

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UWF hosts workshop to help teachers write better

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