Since 2004, the author has been facilitating a creative writing program for teenagers at the historic Paul Robeson House, centrally located in the urban community of West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Begun as an intensive five-day summer workshop, Teen Writers Academy has expanded to offer ten-session Saturday workshops during the spring, two…

Research on incarceration and educational access continues to reveal the stark reality for many adjudicated youth: without access to educational opportunities recidivism is probable. Yet conventional methods of teaching critical reading, writing, and thinking skills are not always successful for juveniles who have found little success (or hope) in…

The stereotype of the poet or novelist working in unappreciated solitude got a workout recently at the Carbondale campus of Southern Illinois University. The 9th annual Young Writer's Workshop brought 30 high-school students onto the campus for four intense days of poetry and fiction writing, critiques, panels and readings. The workshop is one of…

Teachers are faced with a dilemma when they know what good teaching is but feel pressure from their colleagues and administrators to use published test preparation materials to teach reading and writing. However, effective instructional practices and mandated testing demands can coexist if teachers choose methods that not only provide authentic…

Teachers who have participated in Summer Institutes of the National Writing Project (NWP) have often claimed "it changed my life." What do teachers mean when they say this? What does it mean to "transform" in a professional development setting, and what might researchers and professional development providers gain from an…

Electronic portfolios have developed as a medium for learning that makes use of the learners' own reflections on connections among portfolio artifacts. This study used a portfolio-based, mid-program reflection of undergraduate students to elaborate a framework for reflective learning and raise questions about related assessment practices.…

The Zine Project helps students and teachers consider the assumptions and expectations we have about how literacy functions in school and community contexts. In this article, Tobi Jacobi examines the relationships among composition theory, community literacy practices, and service learning, taking into account the complex possibilities and…

Teacher educators have found portfolios to be a valuable way to judge readiness for student-teaching and initial certification as well as an effective means of examining and validating teacher preparation programs. Tension exists between using the portfolio as a product for evaluation and maintaining its focus as a personal examination, synthesis,…

This publication describes a dialectical process that emerged at 18 New Teacher Initiative (NTI) sites as they planned and implemented their new teacher support programs. From the inception of the initiative and throughout its duration, the process of developing, improving and refining the NTI programs was fueled by two potent entities: (1) the…

This workbook is about producing the "Inquiry Brief" or "Inquiry Brief Proposal" for TEAC (Teacher Education Accreditation Council) accreditation. It is designed as a companion to the TEAC "Guide to Accreditation." The exercises in this workbook are selected by the writing workshop presenters to help program faculty get started on their "Brief."…

There is nothing worse than hearing moans and groans when writing time is announced to students. Motivation for writing begins when students' interests are mixed with opportunities for creativity. This article presents an idea shared by a writing coach who found a way to spark students' interest in writing by developing recipes for more…

While writer's workshop provides a nurturing environment for many students, others struggle with the independence it gives. This may be due to the difficulty of coordinating the cognitive and self-regulatory demands of the writing process. Self-regulation refers to thoughts, feelings, and actions that individuals use to attain personal goals.…

This article presents the experience and emotional responses of the two authors and the content of the Writing Workshop Manual that they created for the Caretta Community Center in McDowell County, West Virginia. Their technique shows not only the contrast of their private and public personas but also some of the outsider/insider dialogue that…

The National Writing Project at Work (NWP) monograph series documents how the National Writing Project model is implemented and developed at local sites across the country. These monographs describe NWP work, which is often shared informally or in workshops. Richard Koch and Laura Roop present a model of standards-based professional development…

A prominent writer and researcher studied a 1st grade writing workshop to understand why the students had such insight into the craft of writing. Videotape footage revealed the importance of authenticity as an aspect of expert teaching, particularly as it relates to authentic questions, authentic studies, and authentic work. Authentic…