Institute/Session Summary:

CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW OF CONTENT:

Organized around the pedagogical principle that writing improves knowledge acquisition, synthesis, and retention in all subjects, this interactive session is designed for faculty and academic support staff across the disciplines and skill areas.  The session’s content is relevant to classroom teaching, supplemental instruction, and academic support and will include the presenter’s demonstration of dynamic, usable writing activities for different disciplines (mathematics, the sciences, history, and literature, to name a few) along with participants’ workshopping to brainstorm, outline, or develop similar usable and dynamic practices.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

Specifically, participants will become familiar with summary points about

• Writing to learn theory
• The relationship between writing processes and active learning
• Writing across the disciplines initiatives, to include objectives and activities
• Using writing to learn without increasing workload.
  

In conjunction with the above, attendees will

1. review a number of interactive writing assignments/activities that are used to help students remember, understand, and synthesize classroom learning [This material will be included in an abbreviated handbook to be distributed and will be modeled/described by the presenter. Attention will be paid to the specific learning contexts in which the assignments are used.]
2. evaluate the objectives, outcomes, and quality of these writing activities
3. discuss the integration of writing to learn activities into the curriculum
4. workshop to plan or develop usable writing to learning activities for their respective contexts for teaching and learning
5. share and respond to each other’s ideas
   

Underlying principles support the session activities that will engage participants:  (a) that writing to learn activities are linked to course objectives and expected outcomes and (b) that connections exists among writing, critical thinking and learning and that writing is a means for making these connections explicit to learners and for manifesting students skills/performance.  These principles will be highlighted in the session wrap-up.  Throughout the period, audience input about personal experiences, positive or negative, with writing to learn and examples of the activities they have developed or used will be welcome. 

OVERARCHING GOAL FOR THE SESSION

The overall goal is to have attendees from all disciplines and levels understand what it means to use writing for learning, both from theoretical foundations and through specific examples across the curriculum.  The session’s content is applicable to diverse learning circumstances, such as ESL, remedial classes, and curriculum not typically associated with writing assignments.

ABOUT THE PRESENTER

The presenter is an expert in writing with over 30 years’ experience in the teaching of writing and over 15 years’ experience guiding faculty and staff to writing in the disciplines. 

METHOD OF DELIVERY AND HANDOUTS

She will present/model a number of disciplinary writing activities and will facilitate participants’ reflection and workshopping to consider or develop usable writing to learn activities.  A variety of handouts will be available, including writing activities, articles, and an abbreviated writing across the curriculum handbook.

Presenter1 Name: Linda Best
Presenter1 Institution: Kean University
Presenter1 Bio:  Dr. Linda Best is a specialist in cognition and instruction for studies in writing and literature. She has published extensively on learning processes and writing to learn, her expertise having expanded to the acquisition of knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Dr. Best earned her degree from University of Rochester (NY). Throughout her career she has overseen major academic programs, such as General Education, Developmental Studies, and ESL, and has played a critical role as a result in faculty development and the assessment of student learning. Currently, she serves Kean University as Chair of the Department of English.