Educator and author Arthur Kelly's keynote address will open Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Southcentral Pennsylvania Writing Project Fall Conference on Nov. 8.
The conference will be held at IUP's Hadley Union Building. Kelly's keynote address is at 9 a.m. and is “Family Scribe Groups: Building Community, Rethinking Schools, Creating Writers.” Kelly will also offer a workshop on family scribe groups.
Kelly is known for his work with family literacy, having presented widely in recent years on his work with Family Scribe Groups. In Las Vegas, Kelly's teaching and family literacy efforts have earned him a nomination for Clark County School District Teacher of the Year, Best Teaching Practice in the East Region of Clark County School District, a Neighborhood Impact Award from the Neighborhood Congress of Las Vegas, and Teacher of the Month recognition for Las Vegas. The USA Today education website recognized Kelly's Family Writing Project, www.FamilyWritingProjects.com, as an “Educator's Best Bet” site.
“ ‘Coming Together for Best Practices' is always a worthwhile experience, and this year will be no different, as we will be offering a variety of presentations by classroom teachers from kindergarten through college,” said Dr. Jo-Anne Kerr, Southcentral Pennsylvania Writing Project director.
Kerr and Dr. Val Helterbran, a teacher-consultant for the project and a member of IUP's professional studies in education department, are co-chairs for the conference.
In addition to the keynote address, additional presentations will cover a variety of subjects related to learning and literacy, including using writing to build classroom community, using literacy to teach tolerance, how to foster student ownership in a prescribed curriculum and using film to teach literary concepts.
Conference attendees will receive Act 48 hours. Continental breakfast and lunch are included in the registration fee, which is $75 for regular registration and $30 for student registration.
A brochure and payment form are available on the Southcentral Pennsylvania Writing Project website, www.iup.edu/writingproject. For more information, contact Kerr at spwp-iup@iup.edu or at (724) 357-2617.