Project WRITE (Writing, Reading, Inquiry, and Technology Education)
Type: Full Paper Topic: English Education
Room: 8
Thu, Mar. 6 9:45 AM-10:15 AM
Authors:
Troy Hicks, Central Michigan University, USA
Abstract:
Adolescents are not achieving the levels of literacy learning that teachers, parents, and policymakers believe they should despite the development of rigorous standards and teacher professional development. Integrating technology and newer literacies remains even more difficult. Because no compelling research on which to base additional curricular or pedagogical revisions to our practice exists, we have adopted an inquiry- and project-based, community-specific approach through a Title II professional development grant: Project WRITE (Writing, Reading, Inquiry, and Technology Education). Begun in October 2007, forty teachers have formed a learning community to closely examine student work with the intent of identifying pedagogies and materials that improve adolescent literacy and thoughtful integration of technology. Through professional development that models best practices in English language arts as well as uses of the read/write web, our project-in-process takes an inquiry-based approach to teaching adolescent literacy that, we believe, can lead to greater literacy gains.