Central New York Teachers will Host Writing Conference for Teachers

SUNY Cortland's Seven Valleys Writing Project will hold its first annual winter conference, "Teaching and Writing with Authority," a professional development conference by teachers for teachers, on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the College.

The Seven Valleys Writing Project is part of an ongoing national literacy initiative that aims to support teachers' use of writing in all content areas and at all levels, kindergarten through high school. At the conference, experienced teachers from the Seven Valleys Writing Project will lead practical presentations on writing strategies grounded in contemporary theory. These presentations will focus on the role of writing in learning.

David Franke, SUNY Cortland associate professor of English and professional writing and the College's project director, will deliver the keynote address on "Learning to be an Amateur" at 9 a.m. Concurrent sessions will run from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Shannon Maxson, teacher center director at the Lansing (N.Y.) High School, and Michael Brewster, English language arts teacher at Port Byron (N.Y.) Middle School, will present "Memoir Writing" during the interactive conference sessions. Other programs include "Exploding Poetry," "Cross-Curricular RAFTing" and "Gallery Walk."

This one-day conference, which will be held in Old Main, costs $48 and includes coffee and a light breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Jan. 6. Checks or purchase orders can be made payable to the Research Foundation of SUNY Cortland and mailed to the Center for Educational Exchange, Van Hoesen Hall, B-232, Cortland, N.Y. 13045.

"The presentations are innovative and practical ways of using writing to learn, which our teacher consultants developed with their colleagues in the Seven Valleys Summer Institute," said Franke. "The conference is open to all disciplines at all levels. I'm very pleased and impressed by the variety and depth of thinking and creativity of these teachers. They have a great deal of enthusiasm and insight about how writing can generate understanding for students and teachers."

SUNY Cortland's long-term, renewable federal Department of Education literacy grant established SUNY Cortland as the host site for the Seven Valleys Writing Project in 2008. The project serves the 79 schools districts in more than seven counties throughout the region. During a Summer 2008 institute held at the College, 14 Finger Lakes region educators selected from among all academic disciplines were trained as master teachers. These teacher consultants will share their knowledge during the conference.

Along with the federal grant, the event is co-sponsored by the SUNY Cortland English Department, the Lansing (N.Y.) Teacher Center, the College's Center for Educational Exchange and SUNY Cortland.

Free parking is available adjacent to Old Main. For more information, contact Franke at david.franke@cortland.edu or (607) 753-5945 or Brian G. Fay, a teacher at the Onondaga-Cayuga-Madison BOCES and co-director of the SVWP, at brian.fay@7VWP.com or (315) 440-1289.

Maps, directions, registration forms and payment information can be found at www.cortland.edu/svwp.