The South Texas Writing Project (STWP) held its annual fall conference with keynote speaker Dr. Sheridan Blau on Oct. 6.
The conference consisted of fifteen workshops that focused on teaching writing in the classroom, as well as several readings.
Topics included the writing process, incorporating student creativity through the multi-genre research paper, and vertical alignment between the school districts and universities to ensure student success.
Local authors Mary Sue Galindo and Dani Jimenez, and teacher consultants Erika Garza, Mike Herrera, and Melissa Reyna read original pieces.
Also in attendance were several students who participated in the United Day Young Writers camp and were invited to read their work.
Each student showed their writing abilities, the result of intense practice.
“I was nervous, but once I finished, I was happy with the results,” said Weber Wallerstein, a camp participant.
Other students also expressed their sentiments toward the experience.
“I really felt excited to hear the wonderful applause from the audience,” said Walker Brown.
“When I walked into the conference hall, I was happy to be representing United Day School and the Summer Camp,” said Pedro Alegria.
As the event continued, Blau’s workshop, “Literacy Discipline,” took center stage. He presented his practice of “making notes” rather than “taking notes.”
“If I give you notes, then you’ll know what I know, but do YOU know?” he asked.
Blau repeatedly raised this question, stressing that students need to make notes, and that the first reading of any material should be treated as zero reading, meaning that it may take several readings to fully grasp the content.
Blau also emphasized that just as writing is a process, so is reading. Readers need time to organize their thoughts and impressions on a freshly-read piece; then, a second reading will begin to make sense, the third more sense, and so on.
Nearly 100 participants took advantage of the workshops and their variety of effective practices for the classroom.
Dr. Ellen Barker, STWP site director, plans to bring Blau back for another workshop.
“The STWP teacher consultants will have a spring writing retreat, and I hope Dr. Blau will return to present a half-day workshop at the university to kick it off,” she said.
“Teachers and other members of the educational community will be invited to attend his presentation,” Barker added.
For more information about the South Texas Writing Project and its activities, contact Dr. Ellen Barker at 326-2473 or ebarker@tamiu.edu.