Purchase Area Writing Project

Purchase Area Writing Project

National Writing Project at Murray State University

National Writing Project
100 Faculty Hall, Murray State University, Murray, Ky 42071 - Telephone 270.809.4727

 

The Purchase Area Writing Project (PAWP) is dedicated to helping primary and secondary school teachers in the western Kentucky area build student success in writing. An official site of the National Writing Project, we share its beliefs about writing and teaching:

  • Writing is fundamental to learning in all subject areas and at all grade levels.

  • We promote the best that is known about the teaching of writing from literature in the field, research, and the insights and experiences of successful teachers at all levels.

  • Teachers are the best teachers of teachers.

  • Teachers of writing must be writers themselves.

  • Real change in classroom practice happens over time. Working as partners, universities, and schools can articulate and promote effective school reform.

  • Effective professional development programs are on-going and systematic, bringing teachers together regularly throughout their careers to examine successful practices and new developments (NWP, 1998).

LeAnna Pritchard's third grade classroom at Wingo Elementary
Journaling with a Friend - Students in LeAnna Pritchard’s third grade classroom at Wingo Elementary have been learning about animal classifications: mammals, reptile, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Third grade student, Madeline Brown, decided to share her collection of stuffed animals with her classmates. Each child picked an animal from the menagerie and then wrote about their animal friends in their daily writing journal. Students enjoyed making the science-writing connection, but especially loved taking their new friend home.

PAWP holds a variety of activities each year, including our Summer Institute in June at Murray State University. Teachers who participate in the PAWP Summer Institute return to their schools to administer workshops and in-service sessions.

PAWP also coordinates a series of outreach programs - workshops held at schools throughout the region. If you are interested in hosting a workshop at your school, please contact us and we'll make those plans work together. For more information on Professional Development Training programs available from PAWP, please download our brochure.

For more information about PAWP programs, please contact the program administrator. If you are a teacher interested in participating, please fill out the contact form and we'll be in touch with more information.

PAWP Summer Institute


PAWP is now accepting applications for the 2012 Summer Institute.

The annual Purchase Area Writing Project Summer Institute is a joint effort between Murray State University and the Kentucky Writing Project. Funded by the Kentucky Department of Education and the National Writing Project, the program provides public school teachers with four weeks of intensive training and practice to promote improved writing and literacy instruction in the public schools. The 2012 PAWP Summer Institute is scheduled for June 5 - June 29, 2012.

Click here to download the application, or here for more information.

Adobe PDF Documents are provided in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (pdf). To view or print these files you must install the free Adobe Reader. To download the latest version of Adobe Reader, please click here.

© 2008 Purchase Area Writing Project