Last session for today. Bob Broad’s session on writing for Illinois English Bulletin

He’s asked us to share name, affiliation, & something you want to see in the journal, something you want to learn about teaching in the bulletin. I said, “my name” [I’m literal] and then talked about possible partnerships with ReadWriteThink.

His goals for the session: for us to leave more inclined to do research and write for the IEB. Spring issue is short write-ups of fall conference. Summer issue is fewer longer pieces.

We do writing territories (Nancie Atwell, In the Middle)—a bulleted list, broken into categories that you have written in/about, want to write in/about, are writing in/about. Atwell’s categories are topics, genres, audiences. Bob adds purposes/exigencies and forums. An activity done at the beginning of the term to encourage students and spark ideas.

Topics

• designing writing assignments
• multimodal literacies
• technology and popular culture
• student-centered literature
• specific techniques but more than cookbook recipes
• reviews of tech kids lit

Genres (sort of)

• lesson plans
• website
• short framing texts
• print journals
• book
• memoir, description
• proposals, resolutions, etc. governance material

Audiences

• english teachers: beginning teachers, teachers looking for new ideas and techniques
• not for cranky teachers who aren’t interested in change
• students: handouts, resource materials, feedback
• family in e-mails, etc.
• friends/general public in blog

Hmm. I got an idea for the beginning of a piece for Spring:

I’ll admit it. I didn’t present at IATE. But hey, I was present. I was here, or there, I guess now. Maybe I’m disqualified. Perhaps being there wasn’t enough. But there are ways that I did present. Many ways that we all present. Ways that may not be indicated in a conference program.

Well, maybe it’s not all that smart. I had this great idea, but as I review it now, I’m completely unsure. Oh well.

Tags: English language arts |
IATE Conference