Teachers from Pennsylvania schools met recently for the Southcentral Pennsylvania Writing Project's annual conference, held at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The conference, “Coming Together XVI for Best Practices in Literacy Teaching: Conversations about Reading and Writing, K-College,” featured Dr. Barry Lane, who presented the keynote speech, “Laughing and Writing across the Curriculum.”
Lane is a nationally known writer, teacher, and musician who has served as a writer-in-residence at elementary and high schools across the country. He taught writing at the University of New Hampshire and was instrumental in starting literacy programs in Vermont prisons.
He is involved in the Discover Writing program and is the author of several books on writing, including 51 Wacky We-Search Reports, After THE END: Teaching and Learning Creative Revision, Reviser's Toolbox, The Healing Pen, and Why We Must Run with Scissors.
Teacher consultants in the program from several Pennsylvania schools presented classroom-proven teaching methods to help students enjoy writing and improve writing skills and ability. Area presenters included John Dunn, United High School; Janice Noonan, Holy Name School, Ebensburg; Megan Neumeister, Kiski Prep, Saltsburg; Rebecca Feldbusch, Derry Area High School; Marissa Cumo-Widmer, Clarion-Limestone High School; and Mary Manges and Ellen Sautter, both of North Star Middle School, Stoystown
The SPWP is a site of the National Writing Project. Nearly 250 teachers of English language arts and various other subjects from kindergarten through college have been involved in the project since 1992. Dr. Jo-Anne Kerr and Dr. Helen Sitler, IUP English faculty members, are cochairs and directors of the program.