Reading and Writing in a Decade of Standards

Session I – Narrative Writing

The Value of Writing Fiction

and the Common Core Standards

Presented by Rian Burke, TC’ 2011

Writing fiction in the classroom has many benefits and is well-suited to the learning of the Common Core State Standards.  In this demonstration we will address four standards and the elements of writing fiction that are conducive to teaching/learning the standards. We will look at a method of teaching fiction in the form of a short story.  The teaching approach will be shown in detail.  If time allows, the presentation will shift to other benefits of writing fiction that are based in research done during the Writing Project Summer Institute.

Standards Addressed

From “Facebook” to Memoir

Presented by Chelly Eifert, TC’2007

The students of 2011 and beyond are fascinated with one thing – technology.  More importantly, they love “social networking.”  The Facebook, Twitter, wiki, blog or yes, even Skyping page dominates their social lives for virtually every waking moment that they are not at school.  This particular lesson allows the instructor to become part of their social network (without actually being “friended”), and leads to a fun, functional activity for memoir writing.

Standards Addressed

Narrative Writing  in College