The Morehead Writing Project held its annual Writing Eastern Kentucky Conference on Saturday, Nov. 3, on the campus of Morehead State University. The NWP mission is to foster the teaching of writing and central to that mission is the belief that teachers who write are better writing teachers. The day featured programs focused on three of the National Writing Project’s themes:
- Teacher as writer
- Teacher as reflective practitioner
- Teacher as leader
The day was bracketed by plenary sessions. SI Returning Fellow Mandy Lawson of Sheldon Clark High School in Martin County led a poetry slam to get everyone thinking and writing at the top of the day and Site Director Deanna Mascle of Morehead State University wrapped up the day with a discussion of college and career readiness so we could apply our new knowledge to our classroom work.
In-Service Co-Director Jared Salyers and Outreach Co-Director Tim Reding, both of Morehead State University, organized the conference so that each hour included a mix of sessions for writers and sessions for teachers at every level. The sessions were led by three guest authors: R.D. Hall, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, and Annie Jones; three MSU faculty: George Eklund, Carrie Coaplen, and Lee Bessette; the Peer Writers from the MWP Writing Studio: Alexandra Reinke, Brynne Massie, Julie Rehkamp, and Whitney Jones; and the 2012 MWP SI Fellows: Diana Conyers Goodpaster of Owingsville Elementary in Bath County; Megen Gearhart of Olive Hill Elementary in Carter County; Wesley Cooper of Fleming County High School; Brittany Moore of Lewis County Middle School; Mandy Lawson of Sheldon Clark High School in Martin County; Christi Billings of Powell County Middle School; Lindsay Ellis of Rowan County High School, Melissa Barnett Fickey of Tilden Hogge Elementary, Tiffanie Helterbrand of Tilden Hogge Elementary, Terry Lewis of Rowan County High School, and Misty Litton of Rowan County High School, all in Rowan County; Kathy Miller of Hannah McClure Elementary School in Clark County; and SI Co-Director Brandie Trent of Fleming County High School.
The first sessions of the day included:
- Publication: A Beginner’s How-to led by Wes Cooper of Fleming County High School
- In Pictures and in Words: Teaching the Qualities of Good Writing Through Illustration Study led by Melissa Fickey and Tiffanie Helterbrand of Tilden Hogge Elementary
- Integrating Peer-Driven Learning in the Writing Classroom led by Lee Bessette of Morehead State University
- Reading Great Poems to Write Great Poems: Searching for Writing Apparatus led by George Eklund of Morehead State University
The second set of sessions included:
- Writing Poems in Series led by Katerina Stoykova-Klemer of Accents Publishing
- Finding Your True Voice: Getting Started, Overcoming Writer’s Block And Forming a Community of Writers led by Misty Litton of Rowan County High School and Megan Gearhart of Olive Hill Elementary
- “ Every Day Use”: Writing Daily in the Classroom to Become an Every Day Writer led by Terry Lewis and Lindsay Ellis Johnson, both of Rowan County High School
- Teaching Multi-Genre with Picture Books – Kathy Miller, Hannah McClure Elementary School
The first set of afternoon sessions included:
- Here’s The Story…. How to Survive the New Brady Bunch Dynamic of Modern Publishing! led by author Annie Jones
- Reflection in Nonfiction led by Carrie Coaplen of Morehead State University
- “Texting, Tweeting and Teaching: Interactive Writing led by Mandy Lawson of Sheldon Clark High School
- Using Music and Visuals to Inspire led by Brittany Moore of Lewis County Middle School and Christi Billings of Powell County Middle School
The second set of afternoon sessions included:
- Comic Books! Writing Graphic Narrative led by author R.D. Hall
- Digital Storytelling: Promoting Content-Area Literacy Through Technology led by Brandie Trent of Fleming County High School and Diana Goodpaster of Owingsville Elementary School
- Tales from the Writing Studio led by Alex Reinke, Julie Rehkamp, Bree Massey, and Whitney Jones of Morehead State University
Learn more about the 2012 Writing Eastern Kentucky Conference on Storify.
A special thanks to your sponsors: the Buckner and Sally S. Hinkle Endowment for Humanities; Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Morehead State University Arts and Humanities Council; Camden-Carroll Library; and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Morehead State Public Radio. Also, thanks to those contributing gifts and door prizes: Fuzzy Duck, Center for Regional Engagement, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, and Annie Jones.