The Long Island Writing Project
 @ Nassau Community College

Darshna Katwala, Director 
Heidi Atlas and Kathy Sokolowski, Co-Directors


ABOUT US: 
The Long Island Writing Project, based at Nassau Community College, is the local site of the National Writing Project (NWP), the premier research-driven, teacher-led national organization to improve the teaching of reading and writing. Over the past 40 years, NWP has established more than 200 sites across all 50 states, based on a unique model of partnership between university and K-12 teachers.  The LIWP offers workshops and in-service programs on a variety of topics and areas of interest. Our program facilitators are teacher-consultants whose experience and expertise are grounded in local schools. While working with teachers to develop classroom strategies, we consider current pedagogical theory, best practices, and the push for success in standards-based testing. In addition, we believe that teachers should have the opportunity to experience our approaches in action, and be provided with time to work on their own writing. Because we use a variety of techniques, our consultants work effectively with teachers whose students have a range of abilities and learning styles. A description of our programs follows; however, LIWP can design a workshop series tailored to the needs of a specific school or district. We can work with teachers after school, on weekends, and during the summer.  

 
SAMPLE WORKSHOP TOPICS:

• From Brainstorming to Final Draft: The Journey of Writing

In this series, teachers look at ways to guide students to effectively generate a range of writing skills required to succeed in school and beyond, with an eye towards helping them establish control of different genres. Teachers also consider effective ways to structure writing tasks for students. Shared reading, writing-to-learn activities, memoir writing, writing groups, active listening techniques, and revision strategies are addressed.   

• Writing in the Early Elementary Grades

Writing workshop for our very youngest students draws on similar principles as those we apply to older students, involving topic choice, sharing, re-visiting work, pride in authorship, and other elements.  In this series, LIWP teacher-consultants bring their experience and knowledge as teachers in the early elementary grades to work with teachers in exploring the nature, structure, and student choice of writing workshop. The work of Katie Wood Ray, among others, provides a solid theoretical and practical base for this series. 

• Argument Writing

This workshop enables our students to truly understand and entertain multiple sides of a controversial issue.  Effective ways to teach argument writing is explored.  Techniques from the National Writing Project’s College Ready Writers Program are addressed.  The goal of this NWP Initiative is to assure that more teachers have the ability to teach college and career-ready writing – with a specific emphasis on writing arguments based on non-fiction texts, an important skill every young adult needs. This workshop series provides scaffolded teaching and formative assessment resources that support the development of students’ argument writing and prepares them for college, career, and community engagement.

• Reading and Writing Non-fiction

This workshop series guides K-12 teachers in exploring how their students can use low-stakes writing approaches as tools for understanding non-fiction.  We will look at the work of Kylene Beers, Robert Probst and Donalyn Miller as we discuss ways to effectively teach non-fiction.  Resources such as the New York Times’ Learning Network and the National Writing Project’s “Letters to the Next President” Initiative are examined.  Using picture books and shared reading strategies are also a part of this inquiry-based workshop series.

• Recent Adolescent Fiction

Middle and high school teachers often look for great new adolescent fiction for their classes, whether for whole-class, small groups, or independent reading.  Nancy Atwell's and Donalyn Miller’s work with independent reading and Harvey Daniels' work with reading groups provide some of the theoretical underpinning for this series as we collaborate on effective approaches for using fiction with our students.

• An Inquiry Into Race and Schooling on Long Island

One area of consideration that arises in teaching on Long Island is what it means to work in one of the most racially segregated areas in the country. Approaches that are particularly effective in discussing and confronting our biases are examined. Theoretical underpinnings for this workshop include the work of authors such as Linda Christensen, Jonathan Kozol, Pedro Noguera, Ademi Stembridge, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.

• Poetry Matters: Teaching and Writing Poetry, K-12

This series takes teachers on a journey through poetry: writing, reading, understanding and using the genre in the classroom, whether students are just gaining literacy skills or are in A.P. literature courses. Through writing workshop, the course leaders help participants experience innovative techniques and ideas first-hand.  The workshop is student-centered and creative but also addresses the presence and challenge of poetry in standards-based teaching and testing. 

• Blogging

Blogging has been a game-changer for many educators as well as their students. The workshop addresses how blogging helps both teacher and students build a writing identity, discover an authentic audience, and strengthen writing skills in an engaging way. Blogging flattens the walls of your classroom and connects you and your students to the world.  

• The Transformative Power of Twitter for PD

Twitter has become an important and helpful professional development tool. Teachers look at ways that Twitter can inform, involve, and connect teachers to a larger professional community. Multiple uses of Twitter are demonstrated for classroom purposes as well as a means to communicate with families and the community.
 
CONTACT US:
The Long Island Writing Project looks forward to working with teachers in a two-hour, half-day, after-school series, weekend series, or week-long summer format.  Introductory workshops for any of the above series are available.  For further information and details about fees, please contact Darshna Katwala, Director, Long Island Writing Project, at darshna.katwala@ncc.edu, or 516-572-7464 extension 25373.  
Visit us at http://longislandwritingproject.weebly.com/