The writer’s conference we attended this past Saturday was my first conference ever. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I found myself amazed and inspired by the speakers and presentations, beginning with Linda Christensen. Until our class and reading her textbook, I never really considered teaching social justice in the classroom. I knew I wanted to prompt students to be active participants in society, but didn’t really know the means to do so. Linda Christensen has presented those means. I loved the different activities she presented during her speech and believe they could very easily be implemented in the classroom. Her central question, how do we build a better society? really resonated with me. I also really appreciated the idea that students should be activists and use what they learn in real world situations. I truly believe I will use many of her theories and strategies in my own classroom one day.
The first presentation I attended was “Comics and New Literacies” by Michael Giarfraresco. Michael is a teacher at North Providence High School and uses graphic novels in his classroom religiously. He had so many different texts: social studies, history, science, etc. I was so impressed when he pulled out versions of Beowulf and The Scarlet Letter. I had an english course last semester where we read a graphic novel and discussed its potential use in the classroom, which really inspired me to attend this presentation. When considering students who are visual learners, it’s a no-brainer that graphic novels have value in educational lessons. What’s even cooler is that Michael is part of a team that is making it possible for teachers all across the country. Pop Culture Classroom is a company where, for very little money, you can pay to receive an entire set of graphic novels and curriculum for your classroom. This service, which starts up in September, should be utilized by all teachers.
The second presentation I attended was “Miracle Minis” by Dr. Karen Kurzman. She discussed teaching students to write narratives and focus mainly on “a piece of the pie” verses “the whole pie.” I enjoyed this description, and had to admit that it was something I hadn’t considered. If one moment can be selected and then “exploded out” you’ll get a much more descriptive piece of writing from your student. I also really appreciated the way Dr. Kurzman modeled writing for us, the way we should model it for our future students. We went through a narrative, working through the five senses, as if we were students in a classroom. It was eye-opening to be on the other side of the lesson. I know I learned some strategies I’ll use in my own classroom one day.
Attending this conference made me want to attend more. Working with teachers and students with similar ideals to my own, hearing from professionals making strides in the education world: it was all so incredibly inspiring. There are so many activities and ideas out there that should be brought into the classroom, and conferences are a valuable resource.
The second workshop sounds really interesting. I always found that when I was assigned to write a narrative I would become so frustrated when I'd try to re-write it with more details. I would never know where to add more detail and if I got carried away. I think the idea of breaking the stories down into smaller sections is a great way to help students improve their writing.
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