June 21 – 25, 2021
8:30am – 12:30pm online
Plus two Saturday follow-ups during fall semester 2021 TBA (in-person or online option)
Workshop Facilitators
Marlene Carter, UCLAWP Professional Development Co-Director
Kate Rowley, Culver City HS
Jason Torres-Rangel, National Writing Project
Albert Vazquez-Mejia, El Camino Real HS
Soon we’ll be welcoming students back to the classroom, the in-person one. They’ve learned about life’s challenges during a pandemic and a time of racial strife. They’ve experienced a spectrum of emotions as they, their families and communities . . . fended as best they could. Some students didn’t fare well with virtual classes, missing them, not turning in assignments. Our goal is to meet each student where they are and help them grow as thinkers and learners. In particular, we’ll want to coax back their confidence, skills, and enthusiasm for writing.
This workshop series looks at ways to help students learn to write better by making meaningful connections to writing tasks and “owning” some of the strategies that effective writers use.
Join us as we share strategies and lessons that focus on how to
- use a writing continuum to assess student strengths and needs in writing and reading
- create—or co-create—relevant and engaging writing tasks
- plan lessons that address student needs in four areas: responding to a topic, development, organization, and mechanics
- build student confidence and motivation by affirming students’ cultures and languages through anti-racist pedagogies
- use effective digital writing strategies to provide teacher and peer feedback to student writers.
Marlene Carter is Co-Director of Professional Development for the UCLA Writing Project. She previously taught English at Dorsey High School in the Math Science and Technology Magnet. She has worked closely with other teachers in the California Writing Project to develop the ISW strategies and lessons that lead to student growth. Marlene
Kate Rowley is National Board Certified and teaches high school English in Los Angeles. Her interest in digital literacy has allowed her to work with the Youth Participatory Politics Research Network, Ahead of the Code with the National Writing Project, and within the UCLA Writing Project as a teacher leader. Her work on language acquisition and digital resources has been published by California English, Voices From the Middle, and other professional spaces. She is a Carlston Family Foundation Outstanding Teachers of America award recipient.
Albert Vazquez has been a social studies teacher in Los Angeles for 12 years. He focuses on incorporating literacy and cross-content curriculum through a collaborative approach. He has also worked extensively with ELD curriculum focused on content and language development in history.
Jason Torres-Rangel is a Los Angeles High School English teacher of 17 years. He is currently Senior Research Associate at the National Writing Project, facilitating writing assessment conferences that measure student growth. He is a teacher consultant for the UCLA Writing Project and scores for the AP English and UC English placement exams. He was a 2015 United Way Inspirational Teacher.