Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum Workshop

24 February 2001

For Rockford School District Participants in the

National Science Foundation Grant

Workshop facilitators: Susan Callahan, Michael Day, Brad Peters

In this workshop, we’ll:

· Observe the differences between reading & writing in our own & others’ subject areas.

· Compose a number of activities that enhance the connections between reading & writing.

· Discuss ideas about reading & writing activities with our colleagues.

· Work with resources that facilitate reading & writing skills on the Internet.

· Experience the principles of portfolio assessment by assembling mini-portfolios of our own.

Please be prepared to read and write together!

8-8:15—Arrival, distribution of materials, & getting into mixed subject-area groups. Overview of the day.

8:15-8:45—Greetings & exchange: introducing ourselves by celebrating a successful “teaching

moment” of the week.

8:45-9:15—Approaching a challenging text.

9:15-10:00—Selecting & planning a reading-strategies exercise with a text that challenges students.

10:00-10:15—Break.

10:15-11:00—Designing & doing an exercise that strengthens the reading/writing connection.

11:00-11:45—Some portfolio assessment techniques for short writing assignments; assessing our own

reading & writing activities.

11:45-Noon—Checkpoint: questions, answers, & trouble-shooting on classroom applications.

Noon-1:00—Lunch.

1:00-1:45--Interactive discussions about texts: designing an “open prompt” & getting conversational

responses using technology.

1:45-2:30—Evaluating and using internet resources: website critique.

2:30-2:45—Break.

2:45-3:30—Assembling & assessing our portfolios: reflecting on our work & gathering others’ response.

3:30-3:50—A discussion about uses of technology: anticipating problems, voicing concerns, adapting to

issues of access.

3:50-4:00—Workshop evaluation.