NCTE prep (early exchange, immediately following WPA): Part II

>> ----------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > From: Cella, Laurie [mailto:LJCella@ship.edu]
>> > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 10:48 AM
>> > To: Shannon Carter; Dominic Francis
>> DelliCarpini;
>> > Becky Caouette; Stephanie Roach; Glenn Blalock
>> > Cc: Mary Goldschmidt; Donna Dunbar-Odom
>> > Subject: RE: NCoW Planning (NCTE and web
>> interface)
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Hi Everyone,
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > I am finally settled into my new office, and I'm
>> > able to collect my thoughts in a more orderly
>> way,
>> > with a fresh coffee and view of the construction
>> > going on outside my window.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > 1. The NCTE Connection: Dominic had mentioned
>> that
>> > there might be funds to bring more of us to
>> NCTE,
>> > but I will have to (regretfully) pull myself out
>> of
>> > that trip - too many conference trip this fall
>> as it
>> > is. However, I am very excited about this
>> > connection to high school/middle school
>> teachers,
>> > and I'd love to continue this conversation, esp.
>> > because I have a number of preservice and
>> > professional teachers in my classrooms. This
>> fall,
>> > I will meeting informally witha small group of
>> > middle school English teachers to hear more
>> about
>> > their classrooms and to see if/how wwe might
>> build
>> > connections with these teachers. I am be able
>> to
>> > offer more in the way of assignments after
>> talking
>> > with these teachers. I am also hoping to bring
>> my
>> > freshmen into a local high school to talk to one
>> > class about what to expect from college writing.
>> > This teacher, Rich, took my summer class, and
>> seems
>> > interested in ways to build a better connection
>> > between high school and college. I'm also
>> thinking
>> > about creating a public blog where my students
>> can
>> > write about ..well, writing - respond to the
>> texts
>> > we've read with an eye toward thinking about
>> what
>> > ACADEMIC writing is - (a term that I think is so
>> > flexible, but sometimes, they don't, maybe
>> because
>> > I'm in a field where lore (happily) holds
>> sway). In
>> > any case, we could video tape the in-class
>> > discussion between high school students and
>> > freshmen - and maybe showcase that on NCOW. In
>> > terms of assignments, I don't really have any -
>> but
>> > the main question seems to be: what should the
>> > assignments DO? What kind of writing are we
>> looking
>> > for fromhigh school teachers/students?
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > 2. The NCOW website: I love the idea behind
>> this
>> > website - that EVERYONE IS A WRITER and that the
>> > discussion claiming that "Johnny Can't Write"
>> misses
>> > the point, or disregards all the good writing
>> that
>> > is being done in and out of the classroom. But
>> now
>> > I think the question is: what specifically are
>> we
>> > saying about writing? Are there categories to
>> > consider here: Writing in Your
>> Community///Writing
>> > in the High School Classroom//Personal
>> Writing/// -
>> > I worry that since the sweep is broad right now,
>> > that there is no good way to understand what
>> KIND of
>> > writing we are promoting or talking about. Do
>> we
>> > mean that: good writing is happening in
>> programs
>> > that take the time to create thoughtful
>> > assignments? Do we mean that: good writing
>> happens
>> > when students/writers craft their personal
>> > expression? Do we mean that: good writing is
>> > happening all around us, we just need to take
>> the
>> > time to see it? OR: that the process of writing
>> is
>> > different for everyone (like a comparison
>> between
>> > the lawyer and the musician, who took his cue,
>> > unconsciously, from the fiction writer?) OR:
>> that we
>> > all gain "something" when we write, whether it
>> is
>> > perspective, self-knowledge, a clear argument,
>> clear
>> > thinking ( always a far-off goal of mine....).
>> I
>> > think a clear list of categories would help
>> clarify
>> > our thinking, and make the website easier to
>> > navigate, a list of 5-7 themes that would change
>> > each semester.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > For example, just get us thinking about what/how
>> to
>> > showcase high school writing, there is great
>> work
>> > being done is writing centers - both in schools
>> and
>> > in the community, and a writing center (forgive
>> my
>> > bias, I used to work in one) seems to epitomize
>> the
>> > excitment of one-on-one work. Check out this
>> > website for a high school/communiy writing
>> > center supported by Montclair University, in NJ:
>> > http://www.writersroomprogram.org/index.htm .
>> The
>> > website itself is well done, but click the link
>> to
>> > Montclair, and you can see how it got started.
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Would it be useful to showcase excellent high
>> school
>> > writing center programs, like the McCallie
>> School,
>> > the Souhegan Writing Center, or programs that
>> > sponsor writing like these? If we start with
>> high
>> > schools, then maybe we should showcase excellent
>> > programs, and writing centers. However, this
>> > doesn't help with a translation into
>> assignments,
>> > but it seems to me that assignments need to stem
>> > from sustained conversations with teachers - to
>> see
>> > what would work best in each school, for each
>> > teacher. Just a thought...
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > OK, that's all for now. I looking forward to
>> > hearing what you all think...
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Happy August,
>> >
>> > Laurie
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Dr. Laurie JC Cella
>> >
>> > Assistant Professor of English
>> >
>> > DHC 005
>> >
>> > Shippensburg University
>> >
>> > Shippensburg, PA
>> >
>> > Email: ljcella@ship.edu
>> >
>> >
>> ----------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > From: Shannon Carter
>> > [Shannon_Carter@tamu-commerce.edu]
>> > Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 4:52 PM
>> > To: Shannon Carter; Dominic Francis
>> DelliCarpini;
>> > Becky Caouette; Stephanie Roach; Cella, Laurie;
>> > Glenn Blalock
>> > Cc: Mary Goldschmidt; Donna Dunbar-Odom
>> > Subject: RE: NCoW Planning (NCTE and web
>> interface)
>> >
>> > Hi, all--
>> >
>> > Just wanted to share with you some info I
>> promised
>> > Friday and to thank you all for all the smart PR
>> > work (and other related work) regarding the NCoW
>> > project. Mary has been contacting colleagues
>> about
>> > potential campus involvement in NCoW (response
>> on
>> > that soon! thanks, Mary!). And Stephanie:
>> Friday's
>> > mail had a treat for me--the images from your
>> fine
>> > presentation regarding who said Johnny can't
>> write!
>> > I have story-boarded a very rough draft and look
>> > forward to where that will take us. A great way
>> to
>> > help frame the exigence for NCoW!
>> >
>> > Speaking of exigency:
>> >
>> > I. NCTE and NCoW
>> > As I mentioned in a previous email, I had the
>> good
>> > luck of running into Kathi Yancey at the airport
>> on
>> > our way back from Denver. We had a burger
>> together
>> > while we waited to board our planes, and I took
>> that
>> > opportunity to pick her brain about how we might
>> > best sell NCoW at NCTE.
>> >
>> > We are talking about two things here, of course:
>> (1)
>> > the NCTE presentation I'll be doing with Greg
>> > Mitchell (our Director of Libraries) and Donna
>> > Dunbar-Odom (from my department and a regular
>> > collaborator) and (2) some other forum
>> generating
>> > interest in NCoW--likely a table in the exhibit
>> > hall. Probably via flyers. I've attached the
>> > proposal for our NCTE panel. I think we can
>> tweak it
>> > however we wish for maximum NCoW exposure.
>> Whatever
>> > will yield the most productive session.
>> >
>> > In more general terms, here's what Kathi Yancey
>> > suggests:
>> >
>> > 1. K-12 teachers are unlikely to find the
>> current
>> > conversation on writing problematic.
>> > 2. "Everyone is a writer" might not resonate
>> with
>> > them as much as we'd like. As much as it does
>> with
>> > us.
>> > 3. K-12 teachers--like most of us (certainly
>> > me)--need scenarios that are obviously and
>> directly
>> > relevant to them. From our work with area
>> teachers
>> > (especially via a Professional Development
>> Workshop
>> > we hosted recently), I'm beginning to learn that
>> > K-12 teachers are especially interested in
>> > assignments they can adapt to their classrooms
>> with
>> > little tweaking. At least at first. That's what
>> > makes the current NCoW guide so useful.
>> >
>> > But maybe even more useful at this stage might
>> be a
>> > one- or two- page collection of classroom
>> > assignments. Perhaps assignments that yield
>> projects
>> > we have showcased at NCoW. I know that was the
>> > original goal and we have a space for it at
>> NCoW's
>> > current website.
>> >
>> > But what could we do to get at least one example
>> > from a high school teacher? Or Dominic: from
>> your
>> > video from the perspective of high school
>> students,
>> > can you develop an assignment that a high school
>> > teacher could use in her classroom--with little
>> > alteration. Maybe that'd be the assignment we
>> sell?
>> >
>> > And those very questions would be useful for all
>> of
>> > us. Everyone sees the importance of that
>> > information. What do high school writers need to
>> > know to succeed in college? What would college
>> > writers tell high school writers? What do high
>> > school writers think about what'll be required
>> of
>> > them at the college level?
>> >
>> > And maybe this will make our Celebration of
>> Student
>> > Writing videos even more useful. Invitations to
>> > share these videos with their own students and
>> talk
>> > to them about writing in college, perhaps?
>> > Invitations to come to our campuses (if one is
>> in
>> > the area) and meet with the researchers, one on
>> one.
>> > High school writers learning about writing by
>> > talking to first-year writers at the college
>> level.
>> > Face to face. Maybe the assignment for the high
>> > school writer could be to bring that script to a
>> > Celebration of Student Writing and then record
>> (via
>> > video or audio) their answers, which could
>> become a
>> > contribution to NCoW.
>> >
>> > Whatever we do for NCoW, it should probably
>> include
>> > some K-12 students and/or K-12 teachers. A
>> scenario
>> > that obviously includes K-12 folks. Even better
>> may
>> > be some concrete assignment or two that they can
>> > take with them and carry out in their own
>> > classrooms.
>> >
>> > So when we revise the abstract for the NCTE
>> program
>> > (the abstract to be included in the program
>> > regarding our A&M-Commerce presentation),
>> perhaps we
>> > can include lots of rhetoric about what our
>> incoming
>> > high school students need to know about writing
>> at
>> > the college level (a practical issue) and what
>> we
>> > can learn from the students themselves. Then we
>> hit
>> > them with how we are collecting this information
>> and
>> > information like and and would love their help.
>> >
>> > Hmm. I'm thinking aloud here, of course. But I
>> think
>> > that's useful.
>> >
>> > II. On the web interface:
>> > What can we learn from Storycorps
>> > (www.storycorps.net)? What can we learn from
>> > activist sites? What's next? Glenn is planning
>> on
>> > coming out here to A&M-Commerce soon, and from
>> there
>> > we can really get into how to best shape the
>> NCoW
>> > site for the next phase.
>> >
>> > One thought: Since we already have the NWP
>> > partnership and we are planning on doing some
>> > serious selling at NCTE, might it be useful to
>> think
>> > of the K-12 audience first and then in future
>> > incarnations think about how to expand it more
>> > productively into community literacy venues?
>> Will a
>> > "campaign" model help us focus the conversation
>> more
>> > easily?
>> >
>> > Just throwing it out there. I really don't know.
>> >
>> > More from me when I have it. Look forward to
>> hearing
>> > what you guys think.
>> >
>> > Thanks!
>> > shannon
>> >
>> > Shannon Carter
>> > Associate Professor of English
>> > Texas A&M-Commerce
>> > shannon_carter@tamu-commerce.edu
>> > http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/scarter/
>> > 903-886-5492
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Shannon Carter
>> > Sent: Fri 7/18/2008 12:40 AM
>> > To: Dominic Francis DelliCarpini; Becky
>> Caouette;
>> > Stephanie Roach; Laurie Cella; Glenn Blalock
>> > Cc: Mary Goldschmidt; Donna Dunbar-Odom
>> > Subject: RE: NCoW Planning
>> >
>> > Thanks so much, Dominic. This is what I remember
>> > emerging from our Sunday meeting. And ditto on
>> the
>> > excitement. I also left Denver just thrilled
>> about
>> > all the NCoW energy and ideas! It was really
>> great
>> > to meet all of you--taking Dominic's brainchild
>> here
>> > in some fascinating and important directions.
>> >
>> > Dominic mentioned the slight rewrite/update I
>> did
>> > for WPA. I borrowed heavily from the planning
>> > document Dominic attached to the previous email,
>> but
>> > I did offer a few updates and a first stab at a
>> > missions statement. It's attached.
>> >
>> > I'll just jump in in response to the points
>> Dominic
>> > offered below. See *
>> >
>> > Shannon Carter
>> > Associate Professor of English
>> > Texas A&M-Commerce
>> > shannon_carter@tamu-commerce.edu
>> > http://faculty.tamu-commerce.edu/scarter/
>> > 903-886-5492
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Dominic Francis DelliCarpini
>> > [mailto:dcarpini@ycp.edu]
>> > Sent: Wed 7/16/2008 11:05 AM
>> > To: Shannon Carter; Becky Caouette; Stephanie
>> Roach;
>> > Laurie Cella; Glenn Blalock
>> > Cc: Mary Goldschmidt
>> > Subject: NCoW Planning
>> >
>> > Hi, all. First, thank you all so much for the
>> great
>> > work you've been doing to help bring the vision
>> of
>> > NCoW to fruition. I left Denver more excited
>> than
>> > ever about the project after hearing the really
>> > exciting ideas and feeling the energy you are
>> > bringing to it. At our Sunday a.m. meeting
>> (with
>> > all but Mary and Laurie), I think we agreed to
>> the
>> > following:
>> > 1) In advance of NCTE, we would develop some
>> talking
>> > points and publicity materials to quickly and
>> > directly summarize the goals of the project (for
>> > various constituencies) and provide teachers
>> with
>> > ways to involve themselves and their students;
>> >
>> > *Interestingly enough, I ran into Kathi Yancey
>> at
>> > the airport. Over burgers while waiting to board
>> our
>> > planes, we talked a bit of NCoW and NCTE. She
>> had
>> > some great suggestions for us, though I didn't
>> get
>> > to ask her about a table or other ways of
>> featuring
>> > NCoW beyond the panel session. After we chat a
>> > little more about what we want, I can contact
>> her
>> > about it. Or I think Dominic suggested he
>> > would/could.
>> >
>> > I'll share some of the highlights from our convo
>> > when I get my notes unpacked. Actually just got
>> back
>> > home yesterday (after leaving Denver, I got to
>> spend
>> > a few days with friends over in Fort Worth).
>> >
>> > 2) In order to accomplish #1, we would attempt
>> to by
>> > email to conceptualize in economical language a
>> > definition of the project and its goals, as well
>> as
>> > "ways to get involved" (I'm attaching an earlier
>> > version of those materials to this email as a
>> > starting point--it will need serious revisions,
>> of
>> > course, and we'd add names to the list of
>> contacts,
>> > etc.). Shannon has already revised some of the
>> > materials, and may be able to send those to this
>> > group as well. IF POSSIBLE, we may try to get at
>> > least some of us together in the Pennsylvania
>> area
>> > at some point.
>> >
>> > *My revision is attached. A meeting in the
>> > Pennsylvania area sounds like a great idea. So
>> much
>> > great stuff is happening there!
>> >
>> > 3) Consider if we can produce a shorter version
>> of
>> > the video as part of the publicity package. I
>> may be
>> > able to get a Communications student to work on
>> > this, but if any of you have anyone on your
>> campus
>> > who could help with an edit, let me know.
>> >
>> > *I'll think through other potential support.
>> Perhaps
>> > this is a project I can embed in my fall class.
>> I'll
>> > think more about how. We do have someone who can
>> > create video for us, but I've not worked with
>> him
>> > before--not directly. On our campus anyway,
>> > sometimes getting the info about what we want to
>> the
>> > people who can do it for us loses something in
>> > translation. But maybe not in this case. I'm
>> > hopeful.
>> >
>> > Also: those seeing it for the first or second
>> time
>> > might be in a great position to pull those
>> > highlights from the current video. I've done
>> some
>> > work with Stephanie's great presentation to try
>> to
>> > pull it into a video format, and I'm excited
>> about
>> > where that might take us. I'm loving how this is
>> > helping me think through the NCoW project, and I
>> can
>> > see how a highlight or two from the current
>> video
>> > might help that project along as well. Thanks SO
>> > much for that.
>> >
>> > Also from that group: I understand Laurie is
>> looking
>> > into some excellent opportunities for community
>> > literacy involvement and Becky has some
>> additional,
>> > great ideas about pulling the various
>> Celebrations
>> > together. An aside: Kathi (Yancey) thinks that
>> > Celebration of Student Writing stuff is likely
>> to
>> > yield the best results at this next NCTE. Please
>> let
>> > me know how/if I can help with that and/or any
>> of
>> > the community literacy outreach. Or anything
>> else.
>> >
>> > And did you say Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow
>> > Coalition, Mary?! So cool!
>> >
>> > 4) Shannon and Glenn will be at NCTE. We will
>> also
>> > see if at least some of the rest of us could be
>> at
>> > NCTE and set up a table in the exhibit hall to
>> > promote NCoW among college, hs, and maybe even
>> > elementary teachers. This, in addition to
>> Shannon's
>> > already-scheduled session. And, if several of
>> us
>> > are there, we might also have time to talk
>> further
>> > plans. To that end, I've asked Linda A-K about
>> > possible WPA funding. She's open to the
>> possiblity,
>> > if we can come up with a proposal with some
>> > numbers. I can do that, but here's what I'll
>> need
>> > to know: a) Would you be willing to attend
>> NCTE? b)
>> > Would you have access to any funds to attend
>> from
>> > your college? c) About how much funding would
>> you
>> > need to attend (just an estimate--maybe give me
>> a
>> > number you'd like and a number you'd accept).
>> We
>> > should also ask for some funds to produce a
>> > reasonably attractive publicity packet, within
>> > budget constraints.
>> >
>> > *Great plan!
>> >
>> > That's what I recall from our conversations, but
>> do
>> > add whatever else you'd like to add. Once we
>> agree
>> > upon parameters, we can get rolling. Again,
>> MANY
>> > thanks. Dominic
>> >
>> > *Yes! Thanks!
>> > --Shannon
>> >
>> > Dominic F. DelliCarpini
>> > Associate Professor of English
>> > Writing Program Administrator
>> > York College of Pennsylvania
>> > 717-815-1303
>> > dcarpini@ycp.edu
>> > homepage: http://dragon.ycp.edu/~dcarpini
>> > Writing Program Homepage:
>> > http://departments.ycp.edu/department/writing/
>> >
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