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Writers' Workshop and Beyond

Education is changing at an incredible rate. New teaching methods and assessment strategies are dramatically transforming the way educators teach English Language Arts – and these new methods are producing marvelous results. These new instructional strategies and assessment methods are student centered, personalized, and focused on producing growth in all students. This workshop is designed to help teachers implement the writer’s workshop method of instruction in their classrooms, understand and apply the Common Core State Standards for their grade level, use assessment data to inform lesson design and instructional strategies, and prepare students for the Smarter Balance test.

Course
Understandings
  • Writers' workshop creates a classroom environment that is student-centered and formative-assessment intensive.
  •  Teachers need to work face to face with students to improve skills.
  • Organized assessment is key to tracking growth and creating productive formative feedback and lesson design.
  • Effective teaching should advance all students along a continuum based on the Common Core State Standards. Students need to be involved in self-assessment and tracking their growth.
  • Effective assessment honors growth, builds “growth mindsets,” and assigns grades based on the progress achieved. 

Workshop
Agenda
(Full day)
  • Introduction
  • Writers' Workshop
  • Implementing Common Core State Standards
  • Student Growth Process
  • Organizing Data to Inform Instruction
  • Planning for Implementation of Writers' Workshop 
Testimonials

"This workshop model is great and can be applied to any subject/topic," teacher, Battle Ground, WA

"Great simple ideas that can be incorporated easily into the classroom from day one," teacher, Battle Ground, WA

"I've been using writers' workshop but struggled with conferring and grading. The tips today will be very helpful," teacher, Battle Ground, WA

"This workshop showed the specifics of conducting a writers' workshop. It was well done, compassionate and easy to follow," teacher, Battle Ground, WA

"Excellent, organized, well presented. Valuable information beneficial to my teaching skills," teacher, Battle Ground, WA

"This is an effective way to teach writing...highly effective, I think," teacher, Battle Ground, WA

"I've used writers' workshop in my classroom for years, but a different model. This model puts the emphasis on the student," teacher, Battle Ground, WA