Fourteen teachers participated in the Dakota Writing Project 2011 Invitational Summer Institute, in which teachers from around the state wrote daily, did research on education-related topics of interest to them, shared ideas on the teaching of writing, and developed a strong community of teacher-writer-researchers!
Participants included Michelle Andrews (8th grade language arts, Yankton Middle School); Kay Bond (elementary/middle, formerly St. Joseph's Indian School); Jim Cosman (multiple grades, band, choir, show choir, Scotland); Peter Deming (art, Yankton High School); Cecilia Fitzsimmons, third grade, Lincoln Elementary School, Yankton); Kiera Frey (first-year composition and literature, University of South Dakota); Karen Harrington (8th grade language arts, Mitchell Middle School); Pat Kortan (grades 9-11, compositin, grammar, business/vocational English, Yankton High School); Audrey J. Larsen (first-year composition, Writing Center, University of South Dakota); Jill Mikkelsen (language arts, Yankton High School); Carrie Oorlog (grades 10-12, speech, literature, composition, grammar, Chester Area High School); Karen Thaler (7th grade, language arts, oral interp., Mickelson Middle School); Kathleen Trower (social studies, P.E., business, Rutland School District); and Mary Wienbar (elementary, special ed, Iroqois and Redfield School Districts),
Faciltating the four-week institute were Michelle Rogge Gannon (DWP Director, Writing Center Director, Engish instructor, University of South Dakota); Karen Rahn (DWP Invitational Summer Institute Co-Director, high school English, Rutland School District); Margaret Dalton (DWP Demonstration Coach, English, Washington High School, Sioux Falls); and Ginny Gaines (English, ESL, formerly University of South Dakota).
Highlights included a writing marathon in which teachers wrote and explored in different locations around Vermillion; a day with writer/editor Brian Bedard, in which teachers tried their hand at creative nonfiction; a morning with DWP professional development coordinator Anne Moege (Mitchell Middle School), who led them through the process of creating digital stories in Windows Movie Maker; and a poem slam, in which several DWP teachers participated or served as volunteer judges, with a DWP teacher (Liz Merrigan) winning the whole event.
