The DWP Electronic Newsletter

August 29, 2006

by Michelle Rogge Gannon, Temporary Editor

Welcome to the first electronic newsletter of the Dakota Writing Project! As some of you know, we’ve been working on articles and other pieces at Writely.com, an online web space that allows us to invite others to revise and edit the pieces, too. From there, we’ve been publishing the pieces to our new weblog at edublogs.org. This is an experiment, so please let us know what you think of the newsletter by filling out a brief survey form at http://www.usd.edu/dwp/newsletterfeedback.cfm . (Using your name is optional.)

We’re hoping, in the future, to publish articles, news, and other items for the newsletter more frequently, in true weblog fashion. We’re also hoping, however, that combining this e-writing newsletter in email, with links, will successfully draw you into the weblog and the writings of your fellow DWP teachers.

At this point in time, we could have included some additional pieces, on the upcoming fall reunion and the preservice teachers’ retreat. But creating those additional articles, at this time, would have delayed the e-newsletter further. Be assured that news about those events will happen later.

You’ll note that I’ve labeled myself “temporary editor.” That’s because we’d like to see another DWP teacher take up the challenge of editing the DWP e-newsletter and weblog. This person would, of course, receive a small stipend and tech assistance from the technology liaison (me). What would be expected of such an editor?

• You relish the thought of coming up with article ideas and brainstorming additional ideas with the DWP director and/or co-directors, as well as fine-tuning those ideas with them.
• You welcome the opportunity to tap other DWP teachers on the virtual shoulder to write those articles or collaborate with you and/or other DWP teachers.
• You like playing with technology . . . and you’re patient when things don’t work perfectly.
• You feel comfortable with the idea of editing text online.

If interested, contact me at mrogge@usd.edu for more information.

Enjoy reading our newsletter! And don’t forget to fill out that survey.

From the classroom

Choices in the classroom. Karen Rahn says, “A simple vocabulary assignment with my juniors opened my eyes to the value of choice in the classroom, and I have been experimenting with this idea ever since. I was giving yet another long list of vocabulary words for the class to learn and then be tested on in a few days. . . .” Read more .

Senior citizens and third graders—the perfect fit. Connie Jensen describes a unique project that brings her students and senior members of the community together: “If someone were to walk into our school cafeteria on a particular day, they might see twenty-five third graders eagerly reading, writing, visiting or doing an art project with an equal number of senior citizens. The visitor’s presence would probably go unnoticed, as the two generations have eyes only for each other. . . .” Read more .

Taking risks to make a difference. Nancy Kampfe shares her struggles and successes in transforming her classroom into a reading and writing workshop: “It’s May 10, 2006. Seniors have been counting the days remaining on their handmade, red wooden calendar since Easter. Seven days left of high school. Every student is. . . .” Read more .

Teaching sentence structure with purpose. Stacy Hawkins fuses learning sentence structure and writing creatively: “When I first started teaching accelerated ninth grade English, the prospect of correcting advanced writing excited me. Sure enough, after I had assigned the first writing exercise of the year, my students impressed me with their creativity and style; strangely enough, something was missing. . . .” Read more .

In the news

Creative Writers’ Camp at the U. “The Dakota Writing Project and the Vermillion Literary Project (VLP), a USD student organization, are coming together to plan and host “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: A Creative Writers’ Camp.” The camp, which will be held October 14th. . . .” Read more.

DWP 2006-07 Electronic Writing Marathon underway. “We’ve started the second year of our DWP Electronic Writing Marathon, in which DWP teachers can explore and write in a variety of online technology environments. . . .” Read more .

DWP teachers participate in Gifted Education Workshop. “DWP teacher-consultants took part in ‘Models for Effective Teaching,’ the keynote workshop for USD’s Institute for Teachers of Gifted Youth on July 17, 2006. Since all teachers have students with differing gifts, the workshop was valuable for all teachers. Much of this interactive workshop was devoted to. . . .” Read more .

DWP 2006 Summer Institute successful. “Dakota Writing Project teachers from around the state participated in the 2006 Summer Institute, from June 6th through June 29th, 2006. With us—institute co-directors Nancy Kampfe and Michelle Rogge Gannon—leading the way, this able group. . . .” Read more .

Heckenlaible attends writing retreat in Leavenworth, Washington. Cindy Heckenlaible writes, “I attended the NWP Professional Writing Retreat A held in Leavenworth, Washington, August 3-6. The setting was this fabulous mountain retreat nestled in the pines at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. That alone was an inspiration to write. . . .” Read more .

A tech treat: the NWP Writing-and-Technology Writing Retreat in Nebraska. “Nebraska City’s Lied Lodge brought together an intelligent, talented and multi-faceted group of teacher-writers who integrate technology in their classes at the schools where they teach. The group of organizers, facilitators, and participants arrived from ten different states on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 26. . . .” Read more .

Washington, D.C., NWP, and Lost Luggage. Patti Lee Konechne tells an exciting tale of lost luggage, workshops, and visits to our legislators: “I had been to Washington, D. C. before this spring—last summer, in fact. I am a seasoned traveler. My family and I have taken many trips by car throughout the United States. Plus, I’ve lived in some pretty big cities in my time—Fort Knox, Kentucky and the South Bronx in New York, to name a few—so I felt pretty prepared to take on flying as a travel experience. It didn’t take long, however, for me to find out that traveling via plane. . . .” Read more .

Writing to Win draws DWP teachers. “Ten DWP teachers participated in the three-day Writing to Win Workshop in Mitchell in June. Earning certification as Writing to Win Phase 1 coaches were. . . .” Read more .

From another angle

Enjoy some poetry and creative non-fiction by your colleagues, including Krista Bruggeman, Cathie Carlson, Michelle Rogge Gannon, Stacy Hawkins, and Connie Jensen, on the Creative Works page.

Writing new teachers into the profession. Carmen Graber asks, “Have you ever walked down the hallways of a high school while classes are being taught? The doors are closed, and if you peer inside, the activity does not invite you to interrupt. Think for a moment what impact an isolated setting like this has on a new teacher. . . . ” Read more .