January+2010

Upper Peninsula Writing Project January 2010 Start recruiting for the 15th UPWP Summer Institute. The application information is available on this wiki so you can have your colleagues click on "About the Summer Institute."

Saturday Sessions Our first Winter Semester Saturday Session was held January 9 with almost all the seats full. It's still not too late to earn 1 credit. The remaining three sessions are **February 13,** **April 17**, and the **SI Kick-off May 15**. The group on Jan. 9 chose to read //To Kill a Mockingbird// this semester. We decided to select a novel and not a professional book to give us a break during these winter months.

 Upcoming Opportunities __Advanced Institute:__ Paula Diedrich will lead an Advanced Institute **May 15, June 28, 29, and 30.** Following NMU's guidelines, a minimum of 12 TCs are needed for the course to be held. The focus of the AI will be writing assessment, using the NWP's Analytic Writing Continuum (AWC) as a springboard. TCs will be trained in the use of the AWC and then gain the access to using the tool in their own classrooms. One day will be spent developing possible action research if TCs are interested. At this point, it appears there will be enough funding to support 10 TCs with tuition. The AI is 2 credits and 1 credit may be covered by the UPWP grant funds. Please email Paula pdiedrich@mapnset.org as soon as possible if you are at all interested.

__MARESA Summer Workshops__: There will be up to 3 workshops in partnership with MARESA. More details will be forthcoming as plans are finalized, but at least one will focus on digital literacy. These workshops will be open to TCs and non-TCs.

NWP Opportunities JOIN DISCUSSIONS AT NWP BOOK GROUP NING –– Beat the winter blahs. Join the timely upcoming book discussions in the NWP Book Group Ning. J.M. Coetzee's Booker Prize winning novel, DISGRACE, will be the focus of an online book discussion, January 25–February 5. Mike Rose's WHY SCHOOL?, a challenge to the current climate of high-stakes testing, will follow from February 15–March 1. Then journey to Iran with Marjane Satrapi's PERSEPOLIS, a young woman's memoir of the effect of the Iranian revolution on her and her family, March 12-19. If you are not a member, join and spread the word at your site for what promise to be engaging discussions. [| http://nwpbookgroups.ning.com]

In Other News No Fall Conference in October 2010. The Mqt-Alger Superintendents decided to not support the annual Fall Educator's Conference this year. At this time, the UPWP is not sure how individual districts will handle the change.

Our Continued Funding Application was filed in earlier this month. Along with our annual request for funding, this year Marsha Page took the lead on writing a supplemental grant for a Family Writing Night in the fall of 2010. If approved, the Family Writing Night will provide an opportunity for TCs to help with the planning of the first one and then bring the same or similar program to their schools. More information will be provided if the grant is funded.