Hudson Valley Writing Project

SEMINAR SCHEDULE: 

8:30-9:00 - SIGN-IN REGISTRATION, WELCOME & REFRESHMENTS 

9:00-10:30 - SESSION ONE WORKSHOPS:

SENSORY WRITING: Writing Using the Five Senses

Kristen Schneider, JFK Elementary School

COVID robbed many students of opportunities to learn language, develop new literacies, and form relationships with teachers and peers. Together we will explore the impact of hands-on sensory experiences as a way to help children rebuild their capacities to connect with each other and to express themselves and their ideas in writing. (Grades K-6)

STUDENT WORK PROTOCOL: A Shared Experience of Exploring Student Writing

Elissa Apar, C.V. Star Intermediate School

When teachers come together and take a learner's stance we “can do powerful things to improve [our] own teaching and, in turn, improve student learning” - Robert John Meehan. In this session, we will analyze one student’s piece of narrative writing by sharing our observations, takeaways, and discussing ways to support the writer. (K-12)

FROM PREFERENCES TO POEMS: Using Personal Journals to Make Public Poetry

Carolyn Herman, Pawling High School

“Ask students to write meaningless texts, and writing will be meaningless for them. But let them write in ways that matter to them, and they will … [use] writing to … make sense of their lives.” - Robert Yagleski. In this workshop, we will explore how personal, ungraded journal writing can be an important stepping stone toward polished, publicly shared work. (Grade 9-College)

10:30-12:00 - SESSION TWO WORKSHOPS: 

USING AN ASSET-DRIVEN APPROACH TO ASSESS STUDENT WRITING

Eileen Barrett, Brewster Central Schools

What has the writer accomplished? How do we know? What might we do next? In this workshop, we will analyze elementary students’ writing for voice, identify strengths, and suggest next steps. See how this asset-driven approach to writing assessment allows us to honor children, their writing, and development while also generating great teaching ideas. (Grades K-6)

STORY EXCHANGE: Encouraging Empathy and Understanding in a Divided World

Kristen Masson-Diedhiou, J. Watson Bailey Middle School

Tamara Natoli, Marlboro Central School District

Join us for an immersive storytelling and writing activity that supports careful listening and perspective taking as ways to build empathy and compassion for others. We will examine work from HVWP Young Writers Programs for girls and teens, considering the NYSED Social and Emotional Learning Goals. (Grade 5-College)

PASSION INTO PURPOSE: The Natural Draw of Project Based Learning, Community Engagement, and Digital Literacy

Emily Perez, New Paltz Middle School

Students have many passions. When invited to generate their own ideas for projects, they hold themselves to a high standard, especially when they create for an authentic audience. In this session, we will examine the proposal process as a medium for guiding students in finding their prospective issue and using digital tools to get their message out to the wider community. (Grades 6-12)