Young Authors Camp

PAWP, NWP, the Department of English and Philosophy, and the Center for Continuing Education and Academic Outreach are proud to sponsor the Young Authors Camp June 7-11 at Murray State University.

The goal of this week’s camp is for participants to learn to enjoy writing. Young authors will practice a variety of styles (poetry, fictional stories, true stories, essays, skits, etc.) under the direction of a combination of local teachers, visiting writers, and college English majors, who will serve more as writing coaches or consultants than as traditional class-room instructors.

Emphasis will be placed on generating ideas, choosing a style and audience, ways of composing, and doing necessary revision. Each morning will include an art activity in conjunction with the writing projects.

Click here for more information.

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PAWP Student Anthology Contest

Attention All Purchase Area Writing Project Teacher-Consultants - You are invited to enter your students’ writings and your writings in the 2nd Annual PAWP Anthology relating to the themes: I Think I Can in the Elementary Division and Because I Can in the Middle/High Division.

Click here for more information.

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2010
Send electronic entries to Pam.miller@murraystate.edu
Questions: contact doris.cella@murraystate.edu

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The New 4 R's of Education

I first heard about the 4 R's from Greg Gierhart, a PAWPer and former teaching peer, at the PAWP advisory board meeting. Immediately, I felt behind in current pedagogy since I'd never heard of the 4 R's. At NCTE I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop about these 4 R's, especially as they relate to writing.

The first R stands for "Relationships." Nancie Atwell addresses creating a "community of writers" which build relationships.

The second R targets "Relevance." As writing teachers, we know the importance of having real-world purposes for student writing.

"Rigor" is the third R. Writers must develop analytical questioning skills to enhance revision. Rigor challenges students through their own passions and interests with real world contexts.

The last R is "Reflection." Students who continue to write in a journal often reflect and evaluate life choices.

This brief look at the 4 R's barely touches the surface of the significance of each and its impact on instruction. I challenge you to look into this new terminology. It seems to support the principles we're already using in the writing classroom.

Wow! We're definitely forerunners in instruction. Keep up the good work PAWPers.