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 29 - July 24, 2009

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 2009 class of Fellows.

We are an association of 260 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, English language arts teachers, and principals. 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 twelfth Summer Institute, five Young Authors' Camps, 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 $2380) 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.

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

Sites: (click here for a full listing of site and dates)

Orono Site
Benton Site
Newport Site
Topsham Site
Brunswick Site
Portland Site
Bar Harbor

For more information and a registration brochure, click here.

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

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Effective Practices Conference

Effective Practices K-12 Conference

October 2, 2009

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).

Effective Practices Workshop Descriptions (.pdf version)
Effective Practices Registration Form (.pdf version)

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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.

DATES:
Next session will be in the Summer of 2010 (3 credits)
Five follow up days through the academic year(3 credits)

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Northeast Writing Institute

July 13-17, 2009

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