Conversations in Literature: Moving Through

When readers are in and moving through a text, they interact very closely with the text, actually living within the world of its words. During this workshop, you will watch as readers weave a rich envisionment within the text, calling on all they have known or experienced before. The group works with two texts, Cathy Song's poem Lost Sister and Stephen Dixon's short story All Gone, building on their initial impressions to examine motives, feelings, causes, interrelationships, and interactions as they create a more complete envisionment of these texts.

Dr. Langer's comments during this workshop point to the diverse paths readers follow when they stand in this relationship to a text, and explain why their actions are an important part of the effective reader's arsenal.

Conversations in Literature: Rethinking

The community of readers demonstrates another important vantage point that competent readers adopt: stepping outside the text and using what they find there to rethink their lives. You will observe them as they discuss Shakespeare's Hamlet, looking at the various parts of the text that talk about familial relationships, and learn about the places in their lives where these themes resonate and the ways it has made them rethink what they have known, said, or did.

Dr. Langer stresses that, while not all texts speak explicitly to readers in this way, seeking to find the places where their life intersects with the lessons of literature is important for all readers.

Conversations in Literature: Objectifying the Text

This workshop showcases the reader as critic. Here, you will become part of the discussions that evolve as the readers look at Alice Walker's Revolutionary Petunias and Langston Hughes' Theme for English B. The readers examine the author's craft, the structure of the text and its various literary elements, and choice of language in order to evaluate both works as pieces of literature. They also objectify and analyze their personal journeys through the texts. Dr. Langer encourages teachers of readers by pointing out how the techniques readers used here can be explored in their classrooms.

Conversations in Literature: The Stances in Action

In order to show how readers move into and out of each of the stances as they build their envisionments, this workshop focuses on two extended discussions among the groups of readers. Individually and collectively, they enter and become immersed in their reading, step back and reflect on its lessons, and look at the piece as literary critics would. This workshop session can serve as your virtual workbook, helping you hone your understandings of the stances and how they contribute to rich and vital envisionments.

Conversations in Literature: Returning to the Classroom

In the concluding workshop session, you will observe the readers in this community talk about the ways in which Dr. Langer's work - and their own expertise as readers - can truly affect the language arts classroom. In addition to sharing in their stories of successes, you will also eavesdrop on classrooms throughout the country to see how teachers are encouraging their students to become rich envisionment builders.

Inside Writing Communities: Grades 3-5 - Building a Community of Writers

This workshop explores the essential characteristics of a successful writing community and shows examples of teachers who build community in their classrooms through a variety of ways. Explore how to nurture a structured classroom writing community that fosters trust among students, establish shared values about good writing, the work that writers do, and respect for others' work and participate as a member of the writing community by sharing your writing.

Inside Writing Communities: Grades 3-5 - Reasons for Writing

In this course, educators will explore practices that motivate students to write and help them develop into independent, motivated writers. These effective practices include allowing students to make their own choices about their writing, helping them keep a writer's notebook in which to record their thoughts and draw inspiration, and providing opportunities for students to write for authentic audiences.

Inside Writing Communities: Grades 3-5 - Reading Like a Writer

In this two-part course, educators will learn how to use "touchstone" and "mentor" texts to teach students new writing techniques to help them become better writers. Through interviews and classroom footage, this course will explore how educators in Grades 3-5 immerse students in literary genres and use engaging texts to set the stage for writing.

Inside Writing Communities: Grades 3-5 - Teaching the Writing Craft

This course examines whole-class instruction in the writing workshop, looking at why teachers choose this type of instruction and how they integrate it with other instructional strategies such as working with individuals and small groups.

Inside Writing Communities: Grades 3-5 - Conversations with Student Writers

All teachers understand the value of responding personally to student work. But how do teachers use that feedback to help students improve their writing? In this workshop, participants will examine examples of formal and informal writing conferences and study the practical issues that exist when planning and conducting such conferences.