Lehigh Valley Writing Project

01/05/2022

Hello, Fellows and Friends!

COVID continues to challenge our daily teaching lives in numerous ways; however, it is the hope of LVWP that we can once again begin conversations around our students, their languages, and the expression of their ideas on the page.

Lisa Delpit's text, The Skin That We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom, provides rich opportunities to learn about the role of language and provides a "thoughtful exploration of the varieties of English we speak and the politics, power, and identity issues embedded in them."

If you are interested in joining an online book discussion of Delpit's text with teachers from across the Lehigh Valley, please complete the Google Form below.

**A limited number of texts are available for pick-up at Penn State's Center Valley campus.

Please use the following form to sign-up to participate in Lehigh Valley Writing Project's three-part discussion of Lisa Delpit's The Skin That We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom. Our goal in discussing this text is to become more familiar with the politics, power, and ident...

06/12/2020

This four-hour course begins on Monday! Don't miss Remote Teaching: Tools, Tips, & Hints! Act 48 approved!

This four-hour training session will provide basic tools for any educator to use today for remote teaching. While learning about the tools, they will be learning best practices, tips and hints.

06/09/2020

Teachers, are you looking for Act 48 hours? Check out PSU's 4-hour course: Remote Teaching: Tools, Tips & Hints!

Dates: June 15 & 17, 2020
Times: 7 – 9 pm
Location: Students are able to attend class from your home using Zoom Video-conferencing software.

This four-hour training session will provide basic tools for any educator to use today for remote teaching. While learning about the tools, they will be learning best practices, tips and hints.

Register now as space is limited!

This four-hour training session will provide basic tools for any educator to use today for remote teaching. While learning about the tools, they will be learning best practices, tips and hints.

06/09/2020

GRADUATE CREDIT COURSE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!

Join Lehigh Valley Writing Project Fellow, April Silimperi, via Zoom as she shares her passion for using high-quality children’s literature to teach writing. During the week of July 13-17th, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how to use Mentor Texts to notice the choices and moves authors make and inspire students to use these literary examples to improve their own writing. Learn how to plan mini-lessons organized around the characteristics of good writing—focus, content, organization, style, and conventions. This robust course is a must-take for every writing teacher!

Using your best loved children’s literature and Dorfman & Cappelli’s (2017) Mentor Texts, Second Edition Teaching Writing Through Children's Literature, the course will cover how to.....

Connect literary devices to specific writing activities

Define what a mentor text is and establish a rationale for using mentor texts to teach writing

Examine a variety of children’s literature and identify characteristics of effective mentor texts for classroom use as scaffolds for student writing

Select quality mentor texts and identify focus lessons for teaching writing across the domains for focus, content, organization, style, and conventions

Design focus lessons across the domains using literature to promote the craft of writing

Use fiction and nonfiction texts as a catalyst to promote narrative, informational/explanatory, poetry, and opinion/argumentative writing

This class can begin you on your journey of completing Penn State Lehigh Valley's Writing Specialist Certificate Program.

Contact Nicole Moschberger [email protected] for information on how to enroll in this 3-credit course!

05/23/2020

Ian Bell is the son of LVWP Fellow, Stephanie Bell, and he is a finalist for a contest in NYC:

NY Governor Cuomo's office is running a competition for a PSA to get people to wear masks. Ian's PSA is one of 5 in the finals (of 600 entries). To see all 5 and (hopefully) vote for his, go to https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/node/2871.

Vote today.

04/09/2020

A collection of PBS and WPSU educational resources to help support educators, students and families adapt to learning and teaching at home is now available through WPSU, thanks in part to a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the state’s seven public media stations. http://ow.ly/beTK50z3ASi

04/08/2020

An elementary teacher who has worked for an edtech start-up argues that it’s important now—with teachers and students working separately—to promote reflection and social connection as tools for learning.

04/01/2020

Jennifer Serravallo provides some great tips here!

In addition to some calming and inspirational advice, Jennifer Serravallo and friends have pulled together an easy-to-scan roundup of ideas to help with the transition to remote teaching.

03/28/2020

KQED explains the importance of social distancing. Check out their educational resources that help students gain perspective on the pandemic.

To slow the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, public health experts are telling us to stay home and practice “social distancing.” Think social distancing doesn’t matter if you’re young and healthy? Think again. It’s not about you-- it’s about protecting the community. What has your...

03/23/2020

Greetings Fellows & Friends!

Please join Penn State LVWP in creating primary sources that capture the individual & shared experiences of living through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Whether you keep a detailed daily journal, a line-a-day journal, or just spend some time capturing your feelings during this time with captioned photos on social media, it is important to recognize that one day these documentations will comprise primary sources of information for those seeking to understand this period of history.

Journals, letters, photographs, & personal narratives offer much to the study of history, including the power to humanize events and build empathy across generations. With that knowledge in mind, LVWP is offering a number of ways to share the stories, experiences, photos, and reflections of our community during this historic time period.

Today, we are providing a four-square tool to help facilitate daily conversation around current events and to empower students to process their observations, questions, thoughts, and actions during the on-going quarantine period.

Feel free to share the tool widely & don't forget to share how you are creating primary sources around the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Wishing you well!
Nicole

See, Hear, Wonder, & Do During COVID-19 Pandemic for Primary Source Creation, a Penn State Lehigh Valley Writing Project Living History Initiative Today’s Date:__________________________________ TODAY I SEE... TODAY I HEAR... TODAY I WONDER... TODAY I p...