Anniversary
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The Morehead Writing Project began in 1986 when Dr. Gene Young founded the first Summer Institute for 20 teachers. Over the years, the site expanded its outreach efforts and leadership roles under various directors. In recent years, the Morehead Writing Project has hosted professional development workshops, helped develop new state standards, held a Summer Institute for 21 teachers, and supported various state-wide seminars and conferences on topics like technology, social justice, and literacy. They are now accepting applications for their 2012 Summer Institute.
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Anniversary
- 1. MOREHEAD WRITING PROJECT http://moreheadwritingproject.org Follow us on Facebook & Twitter
- 2. OUR STORY • In 1974 first Summer Institute offered by Bay Area Writing Project in Berkley, CA, for 29 teachers; 1981, NWP comes to KY (U of L) • In 1986, Dr. Gene Young, then chair of English, Foreign Languages and Philosophy department at Morehead State University, founded the Morehead Writing Project and hosted the first Summer Institute for 20 teachers (5 other sites in KY) • In1992, associate professor in the College of Education Dr. Wayne Willis took over as director of the MWP and expanded outreach efforts to meet challenges created by KERA
- 3. CONTINUED • In 1993, new hire (and still ABD) Nancy Peterson took over as site director to lead the site for the next 15 years while expanding local programs as well as taking an active role in NWP leadership • In late 2007, Liz Mandrell returned to MSU and MWP after completing her MFA and found herself as interim director • In 2008, instructor Deanna Mascle accepted the role of site director for a (re)newed MWP
- 4. MOREHEAD WRITING PROJECT • This year: – Held a half dozen Spring and Fall Saturday Series Professional Development workshops on various topics – Helped KDE deconstruct the new standards – 21 teachers participated in 2011 SI – 20 young writers attended writing camp – Hosted 1 of 8 KWP Literacy & Technology Academies – Supported KWP Holocaust & Social Justice Seminar – Joined a NWP Literacy Design Collaborative funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – Participated in the KWP Conference – Held 3rd Writing Eastern Kentucky Conference • Next year? We are now taking applications for the 2012 Summer Institute.
Editor's Notes
- The National Writing Project was conceived and born at the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.Jim Gray, a teacher educator and former high school English teacher, was motivated to create a different form of professional development for teachers, one that made central the knowledge, leadership, and best practices of effective teachers, and that promoted the sharing of that knowledge with other teachers.In 1986, Dr. Gene Young, then the chair of English, Foreign Languages and Philosophy department at Morehead State University, founded the Morehead Writing Project and hosted the first Summer Institute, inviting 20 public school teachers to spend four weeks awakening the writer within themselves. Dr. Young used Ken Burn’s documentary on the Civil War and letters and diaries written by soldiers and their wives to inspire writing. Many people who went through the project during those early days talk about it as a religious experience. Dr. Willis leveraged additional federal support from the National Writing Project to stimulate professional development in the area of writing instruction – including offering MWP’s first writing conference in 1992. In one year, MWP went from serving 30 teachers a year to serving 600
- Dr. Peterson used her composition and rhetoric training to ground teaching practice in theory and research on the teaching of writing with the goal of striking a balance between the why and the how. She initiated a number of outreach programs and became a national writing project leader including work with the Rural Sites Network and Rural Voices Radio. One of her final legacies, initiated as she battled breast cancer, was to enroll MWP in Project Outreach – a three-year site study which dramatically changed the leadership and operational models of MWP.Due to her struggle with breast cancer, Dr. Peterson was not able to complete her final year as director and Liz Mandrell was forced quickly shift from leading outreach programs to directing the site. A long-time SI leader, Mandrell played a pivotal role in the process of MWP finding its new leadership rhythm. BTW, Liz is now teaching at Montgomery County High School and is now Liz Prather.As a long-time friend of both Nancy and Liz I knew OF MWP but not much more than that. When I stepped into the role, like my predecessors, I had to learn about NWP and their model for teaching and learning. But more than that I had to discover my job because in the aftermath of Project Outreach MWP was moving toward a more de-centralized leadership model which meant I often received very mixed signals about my new job.
- But we worked through those early rocky months and I survived. Even more important, the site survived the loss our long-time leader and an ongoing series of funding cuts. Not only did we survive, but we are thriving. I want to take this opportunity to thank my predecessors – especially Nancy and Liz who taught me so much and Dr. Willis who was able to join us today -- and all the teachers I have been so privileged to work with and among The work – and very existence – of MWP would not be possible if it was not for those teachers and our program assistant Becky Davison. Becky does so much behind the scenes for very little recognition. I would also like to recognize the members of our Leadership Team who are with us today: Allison Slone, Brandie Trent, George McKee, Tim Reding, and Jared Salyers – it truly takes a team to accomplish this much.
- One of the lessons that you learn early in writing project work is that the writing project experience is both very universal and very individual. We all enter the writing project in the same manner – through the Summer Institute. While each NWP site offers an SI on the same basic model – the actual SI experience varies from site to site and even from year to year within each site. And of course, because we are all individuals what we take from these experiences is very different as well.We invite you to share some artifact that highlights a memory or description of what is important about the Morehead Writing ProjectI will start off with a Wordle I created that highlights what I think is important about MWP. First and foremost, MWP is about writing and writers for me. It is about teaching writers and talking writing but also researching writing and writers. My dissertation was actually focused on studying MWP teachers and writers but it is more than that for me. That is the work I’m most passionate about and that is what helps me through all the not-so-fun parts of my job.I also have two additions sent in by teachers who could not be here today – Austen Reilley and Wendy Pack. Austen , along with Liz, was my first writing project teacher and Wendy also participated in my first SI so they are special to me.Now we invite you to come forward to share your stories and artifacts…