Information for 2009 Summer Institute

General Information
Designed for teachers across disciplines and grade levels,
the Capital Area Writing Project (CAWP) provides an intensive
Summer Writing Institute for sharing practical classroom strategies for using writing as a learning tool and for enhancing composing ability. Alternatives to traditional approaches are emphasized, with attention given to the process of composing as well as to final products. The smaller units of language (i.e., the grammar of the sentence) and the product features of composition (i.e., spelling, punctuation, form) are addressed as part of the whole writing process, but not as the primary focus of instruction. Strategies for successfully completing the NC state writing tests and meeting state standards are addressed within the larger context of writing curriculum. To exemplify writing as a means of communication and as an instrument for increasing our potential for learning, a teacher-as-learner model is used in the summer institute in which participants become writers themselves, sharing in peer response groups. Thus, participants enhance their own writing skills while internalizing the strategies that they can incorporate into their own teaching and learning. Participants read extensively during the project, conduct a demonstration lesson for their colleagues, and create a Position Paper and an Implementation Plan. Additionally, instructors review relevant composition theories and research, lead discussions, introduce new books and materials, and make some presentations.

Project Objectives
Participants will demonstrate:
• knowledge of the issues and trends in the teaching of composition.
• knowledge of issues and assumptions in using writing in the content areas.
• understanding of the features of the process model of teaching composition and how it differs from traditional approaches.
• knowledge of current research findings relevant to teaching composition.
• ability to evaluate effective materials for teaching writing, including software.
• ability to organize, train, monitor, and evaluate peer writing groups and partnerships.
• ability to create, execute, and evaluate a writing assignment.
• ability to identify and use a variety of evaluation instruments and strategies to assess growth in writing, and to create an evaluation rubric for a composition assignment.
• ability to evaluate the cognitive skills that come into play in various writing tasks.
• ability to design a sequence of writing assignments and experiences.
• ability to formalize a philosophical position on how to teach composition.
• ability to assess own power and confidence as a teacher and writer.