Action+Research+2010-11

This is where we'll post our AR questions, working proposals, and any other pertinent documents. Each of you will get a page to keep your email conversations if you like.--Paula

Who we are:

__Michelle Bradley__ currently teaches 8th Grade English, 7th Grade Character Building, and 6th Grade Title I Reading at Ironwood Area School District. In previous years, Michelle taught middle school READ 180 (A Scholastic Reading Intervention Program for struggling students), writing courses for middle school students, and Elementary Title I Reading, Writing, and Math. Michelle participated in the UPWP Summer Institute in 2009 and has since provided writing professional development in her own school district. Michelle enjoys teaching a variety of subjects across a variety of grade levels and is always looking for ways to integrate writing meaningfully into the classroom. It is Michelle's goal to help all students discover the joy of writing.

__Marty Paulsen__ teaches fifth grade at Bothwell Middle School in Marquette. He has taught P.E., 1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. It is very exciting to be in the same building two years in a row! Marty has been an alpine ski coach for…years, and stays active in many year round sports. Marty is a fellow of the 2010 summer institute. His educational and work background is rich in the sciences. As it turns out, science blends wonderfully with writing curriculum.

__Jolene Hetherington__ teaches 4th grade at Mather Elementary in Munising. She's taught all grades 2nd-8th except 6th in her 20 years of teaching. Although her majors are math and science, she has embraced writing from her experiences with UPWP since 2003. Jolene continues to be interested in her students' perceptions of writing before, during, and after teaching the AWC and its associated lessons throughout the school year.

__Paula Diedrich__ teaches 8th grade ELA at Bothwell MS in Marquette and is in her 5th year concentrating on the 8th grade curriculum. She also teaches Scholastic Zone which is a reading program purchased from Scholastic called Read180. She tends to have a difficult time following the script in this class and tries to add more writing. Her first experience with the UPWP was in 1999 and has continued to be active. She currently serves as a member of the Leadership Team and cannot "sit" on new knowledge she gains through her NWP networking experiences. This gets her in a little trouble as she doesn't know when to stop talking sometimes. She never takes it personally when people remind her of this.

__Debbie Goldsworthy__ is a 5th grade teacher at Gilbert Elementary in the Gwinn Area Community Schools. She has taught a range elementary students for 25 years, some of which were in Mesa, Arizona, with the last 12 years in Gwinn. She has been a fellow of the UPWP since 2009. Debbie is known for being an "author groupie" and has participated in many conferences which involve reading, writing and meeting authors of children's books. Debbie has been a member of the board for the Marquette-Alger Reading Council for the past 11 years. Her love of teaching and learning is what drives her to continue to seek answers to the meaning of great teaching and learning.

__Heather Nayback__ is an English and Spanish teacher at Munising High School. She loves teaching and is especially fond of writing with her students. She has been a fellow of the UPWP since 1996 (I think). Nayback is interested in researching and working with writing with students at the freshman level to AP English senior level.

2010-11 Timeline September 18 Meeting Minutes