College of Education & Human Development

Maine Writing Project

 

Events & Programs

Experienced Maine Writing Project staff offers a wide variety of professional development workshops and inservice days for schools and districts across Maine.

From one-day to full-year offerings, MWP promises current, research-based programs in topics such as writing and reading across the curriculum, portfolio pedagogy, Weblogs and your classroom, and gender and learning. An approved supplier through No Child Left Behind, the writing project offers a popular teachers-teaching-teachers model of professional development.

• Summer Institute
• Young Authors’ Camps
• Effective Practices Conference
  
• Literacy Through Technology Initiative
• Adolescent Literacy Institute
• Northeast Writing Institute

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Summer Institute

June 30 - July 25, 2008

Would you like to improve your writing and learn more about the teaching of writing? Do you see yourself as a teacher of teachers or would you like to be? The Maine Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, welcomes applications for our 2007 class of Fellows.

We are an association of 265 educators from across the state of Maine. Each year we invite sixteen (16) educators to join our ranks by participating in our summer institute. Our membership includes kindergarten teachers and college professors, physics teachers and principals. Many of us teach English language arts and others work as literacy specialists. We all feel deeply about learning-centered classrooms and schools. We are National Board Certified Teachers, authors, award-winning educators, songwriters, doctoral students, artists, editors, poets, actors, and musicians. The common thread: all of us know the importance of writing in our personal and professional lives, and in the lives of our students.

Fellows who complete the summer institute become teacher-consultants (TCs) of the National Writing Project/Maine Writing Project. This past year MWP teacher-consultants staffed our tenth Summer Institute, five Young Authors’ Camps, an Adolescent Literacy Institute, and several grant-funded opportunities. Scores of TCs presented professional development workshops and inservice days across the State of Maine and beyond.

The National Writing Project is the premier effort to improve writing in America. Through its professional development model, NWP builds the leadership, programs, and research needed for teachers to help their students become successful writers and learners. The project fosters an interdisciplinary community and support system of teachers, administrators, and specialists from all grade levels and content areas. We encourage applications from all grade levels, K-University, and from all subject areas. We particularly encourage applications from secondary science and math teachers.

After reviewing applications and conducting interviews, our board of directors (made up of local educators) will invite up to sixteen (16) educators to participate as Fellows.

The Summer Institute is a six-credit graduate course. School districts typically pay the University of Maine tuition (approximately $2098) for their teachers, specialists, or administrators. In addition, each Fellow receives a stipend of at least $250. The stipend may be used to pay for books, housing, conference expenses, or travel.

The Invitational Summer Institute is an opportunity to look closely at your own writing and student writing; to talk with colleagues about issues and ideas in the teaching of writing; to work toward becoming teacher leaders; and to share classroom practices or activities.

Summer Institute information and registration form in PDF format

Summer Institute information and registration form in HTML format (text)

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Young Authors' Camps

Encouraging writing during the summer, MWP Teacher Consultants work with students in week-long sessions at several sites during July and August. Young writers entering grades 3 to 12 celebrate their work and share their creative pieces in a relaxed summer atmosphere with peers and Teacher Consultant mentors.

Summer 2008

Orono Site:

Monday, July 7th to Friday, July 11th
Grades 3 to 12 8:30 AM to noon each day
University of Maine-Shibles Hall

Please contact Jean Plummer plummerjean@hotmail.com for the Orono site.
For more information, click here.

Benton Site:

Monday, July 7th to Friday, July 11th
Grades 1 to 12 8:30 AM to noon each day
Benton Elementary School

Please contact Darlene Armstrong darmstrong@msad49.org for the Benton site. For more information, click here.

Newport Site:

Monday, July 7rd to Friday, July 11th
Grades 3 to 12 8:30 AM to noon each day
Sebasticook Valley Middle School-Newport

Please contact Sheila Cochrane scochrane@msad48.org for the Newport site. For more information, click here.

Brunswick Site:

Monday, July 21rd to Friday, July 25th
Grades 3 to 12 8:30 AM to noon each day
Brunswick High School

Please contact Jean Plummer plummerjean@hotmail.com for the Brunswick site. For more information, click here.

Portland Site:

Monday, July 28th to Friday, August 1st
Grades 4 to 6 8:30 AM to 1:30 each day
The Telling Room, Commercial St., Portland

Please contact Tim Hebda heb_heb@hotmail.com or click here for the Portland site information.
For registration materials click here.

Bar Harbor:

Monday, August 4th to Friday, August 8th
Grades 3 to 6 8:30 to noon each day
College of the Atlantic-Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor:

Monday, August 4th to Friday, August 8th and Monday, August 11th to Friday, August 15th (optional)
Grades 7 to 12 8:30 to noon each day
College of the Atlantic-Bar Harbor

Please contact Jean Plummer plummerjean@hotmail.com for the Bar Harbor site.For more information, click here.

Each site will provide a midmorning snack, T-shirts, a Young Writers’ Anthology, group picture and certificate of accomplishment.

University contact for a registration form: Heather Pullen, 581-2443

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Effective Practices Conference

Effective Practices K-12 Conference

October 3, 2008

University of Maine Hutchinson Center – Belfast

The annual Effective Practices Conference brings together exemplary teacher-consultants of the Maine Writing Project to share innovative and exciting reading and writing practices from across the curriculum. For information contact Heather Pullen (heather.pullen@umit.maine.edu).

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Literacy Through Technology Initiative

The Literacy Through Technology Initiative began in 2005 when the Maine Writing Project won a $15,000 grant to pilot an innovative approach using technology to help students improve their writing. Six public school teachers piloted digital storytelling with their students the first year and began mentoring colleagues in this literacy-intensive program. In a second year of the program the Maine Writing Project will offer seminars for educators on using the approach with student writers at all skill levels.

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Adolescent Literacy Institute

Sponsored by the Maine Writing Project, the Advanced Adolescent Literacy Institute within the College of Education and Human Development serves a school district’s literacy leaders and emerging literacy leaders by offering a course of study that integrates theory and practice, reflection and inquiry.

2008 DATES:
July 17, 18, and 21-25 (3 credits)
Five follow up days through the 2008-2009 year (3 credits)

Adolescent Literacy Institute registration form in PDF format

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Northeast Writing Institute

July 14-18, 2008

University of Maine

Orono, Maine

Harvey Kail, Professor of English

Rich Kent, Assistant Professor of English Education

Guest Faculty

Come join a writers’ community. Bring a manuscript or create one at the Institute. Be prepared to know yourself and your writing in new ways.

At NeWI you will:

• Move your writing to the next level
• Spend time with fellow writers as colleagues in the work of writing
• Talk, write, revise, and enjoy your own writing and creativity
• Learn how to give and accept valuable criticism of your work and others' work

At NeWI you will:

• Share your writing in a supportive setting
• Attend seminars & discussion groups
• Work one-on-one with faculty on your writing

The one-week institute fee is $750. If you wish to take the Institute for Three University of Maine Graduate Education Credits, the cost is approximately $1000 for tuition & fees.

For further information, contact Rich Kent—rich.kent@maine.edu—Maine Writing Project, 205 Shibles Hall, Orono, Maine 04469-5766