MVSI Courses
July 2 - 12, 2008

Righting Writing for the 21st Century:
Theories and Practices in Teaching Writing
Bonnie Stone Sunstein, University of Iowa <bio>

This course will consider the historical changes in the teaching of writing and how those shifts have allowed students and teachers to think of themselves as writers. It will discuss and challenge the mandates that pressure teachers to meet standards that often work against individualized writing instruction. Based on the best practices of teaching writing in grades K-college, it will employ a workshop approach based on the theories that inform them. Some of the topics to be covered include grammar and language diversity, reading and writing connections, assessment and portfolios, revision, technology and rhetoric.

Literacy and Leadership:
Professional Research in English Studies
Elizabeth Chiseri-Strater, University of North Carolina-Greensboro <bio>

This course will focus on the professional research skills needed to define literacy curriculum goals for a department, school, or program. It will consider how to craft strategies, presentations, and written texts about literacy for a broad public audience. The topics will include the challenges to the contemporary classroom, such as how to help struggling readers, how to support English language learners, how to prepare for AP exams as well as ways of integrating visual rhetoric and media into the English/language arts curriculum. Participants will leave this course with an action plan for their own classrooms and/or departments.