Funded by the National Writing Project to cultivate a local professional teacher community to improve the teaching of writing in our nation's schools, the Piasa Bluffs Writing Project has its roots and routes in the former Mississippi Valley Writing Project (1982 to 1995). Grounded in a rich long history, our teachers-teaching-teachers model was conceived by Jim Gray and others in 1974 in the Bay Area. Now, among 200 Writing Project Sites in the United States, we are strong and made even stronger with your participation. Come be part of the change.
Three Critical Foci that Ground our Work:
The Invitational Summer Institute: Creating a Professional Community — One Teacher at a Time. (PDF)
During our 2009 Invitational Summer Institute, exemplary Early Childhood to University level teachers who are locally nominated convene to study, in a graduate-level setting, the latest theoretical and pedagogical approaches in the teaching of writing. In doing so, each teacher participant also demonstrates a particular approach to the teaching writing, reading and literacy development, among the group. From this, the participants further refine their teaching approaches, often times grounding them more deeply in larger theoretical approaches, as well as learn from each other.
When our participants complete the 4 week intensive Summer Institute, June 8 - July 3, they emerge as NWP/PBWP Fellows, Teacher Leaders and prospective Teacher Consultants who work with the PBWP to offer quality professional development experiences/workshops to the teachers and school districts in our service area.
Continuity: A Place to Belong, Grow and Contribute to Change (PDF)
When teachers become NWP/PBWP Fellows, we support their growth as Teacher Leaders who can guide and strengthen PBWP with their continued participation. We will conduct a series of 'renewals' where Fellows from previous summers come together over the course of the year to: meet national experts and guest presenters; learn in symposia; join the Steering Committee in our Leadership meetings; Reading/Writing/Paint-Outs, and more. There are many ways for us to build a strong community to which we all contribute and belong.
Professional Development: Offering High Quality and Transformational Experiences (PDF)
After our Invitational Summer Institute and during the academic school year, PBWP offers professional development opportunities tailor-made for local school districts seeking high-quality, theoretically and research-based, professional development in the teaching of writing, reading and interdisciplinary-based learning. Schools contact us, and together we develop a systematic plan to address their professional development needs. Our Teacher Consultants will then develop workshops, seminars and professional develop experiences decided by teachers for teachers.