Thank you all for another great conference! See you in 2017!
-Please click here to read Brookdale Community College's coverage of the 2016 NJWA conference.
-Please click here to read The Writing Program Institute's coverage of Brian Mooney's keynote address at the 2016 NJWA Conference.
-Please click here to read The Writing Program Institute's coverage of a presentation given by faculty members on Rutgers University's Writing Program at the 2016 NJWA conference.
-Please click here to read Brookdale Community College's coverage of the 2016 NJWA conference.
-Please click here to read The Writing Program Institute's coverage of Brian Mooney's keynote address at the 2016 NJWA Conference.
-Please click here to read The Writing Program Institute's coverage of a presentation given by faculty members on Rutgers University's Writing Program at the 2016 NJWA conference.
2016 Conference Program
2016 Conference Presentation Materials
Listed below are the conference presentations/workshops from the day, with available presentation materials/handouts linked below individual presentations/workshops in orange. These handouts and presentation materials are the intellectual property of the presenters; please use these to inform your classroom practices and credit the authors appropriately.
Keynote Speaker: Brian Mooney, educator, scholar, and author
Mooney's innovative writing pedagogy recently attracted the attention of Grammy-award winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. He is the author of the upcoming Breakbeat Pedagogy: Hip Hop and Spoken Word Beyond the Classroom Walls.
Brian Mooney's Poem: "30 Days of American Schooling"
SESSION 1: 10:45AM - 11:45AM
A. SLC 208 (Fort Hancock Room), Connecting Reading and Writing Using Signposts and the ICE Strategy, Shannon Orosz and Megan Fritz, Point Pleasant Borough High School
Participants will learn about utilizing the Notice and Note Signposts created by Beers and Probst in a secondary school setting with students of all levels, from inclusion to Advanced Placement. These reading signposts will be used as a springboard for critical thinking. Presenters will connect these signposts with ICE, a quote integration strategy that can be used across grades and levels. These two strategies combine to create a reading and writing connection that is accessible to all students and makes them analytical readers, thinkers, and writers.
Fritz-Orosz--PowerPoint
B. SLC 209 (Trustees Conference Room), Crossing the Boundaries of Writing Instruction: Moving Students from Rules and Formulas to Strategy and Purpose, Greg Van Nest, Leonia High School
As English teachers, we know that good writing is not simply adhering to formal grammar rules or structures. We know that it is inventive, has voice, takes risks, and communicates meaningfully. This interactive workshop will demonstrate ways in which we can move beyond teaching rules and formulas and help our students become more strategic and purposeful in their writing.
Van Nest-Presentation Materials
C. MAC 210, From Senioritis to Self-Startup: Growing 21st Century Skills in the Secondary ELA Classroom, Oona Abrams, Chatham High School
It is projected that by 2020, over 60 million American workers will be freelancers, contractors or temporary workers. How might the work we do in the ELA classroom help students prepare for a workforce that will require radical autonomy, ongoing self-assessment, and a spirit of global collaboration? This workshop will take participants through the “instructional moves” that lead upperclassmen out of teacher dependency and into a more autonomous and accountable mindset as they head into college and careers. The workshop will help attendees reflect on how intentional reading and writing experiences can change classroom culture, help learners develop collaboration skills, enhance instructional design, and diversify assessment. Activities covered are designed with use of Falling in Love with Close Reading (Lehmann and Roberts), Notice and Note (Beers and Probst) Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles (Daniels and Steineke), Learn Like a Pirate (Solarz), and Crafting Digital Writing (Hicks).
Abrams-PowerPoint
D. SLC 104 (Molly Pitcher Room), Monkeys and Macbeth: Improv as Educational Expression, Eric Farwell, Monmouth University
The presentation/workshop will cover ways one can use skills from improvisational comedy to be effective in the classroom. Along with a thorough explanation of these improv methods, attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice basic improv skills, as well as learn how to use them in small ways to enliven their classes.
E. SLC 105 (Atlantic Room), Preparing First-Generation and Minority Students for College Writing: A Dialogue Between Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield College, Fiona Harris-Ramsby and Tina Powell, Bloomfield College, and Krystal Chiaravallo, Bloomfield High School
This panel, which consists of high school and college instructors from Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield College, will discuss collaborating on writing pedagogy to better address the gap between college writing and high school preparation for state assessment. Based on a workshop between Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield College, this panel will present a discussion addressing the academic gaps of unprepared first-generation and minority students, and we will invite attendees at NJWA to contribute further to our discussion.
F. SLC 103 (Monmouth Battleground Room), Teaching Writing to Second-Language Learners: Focusing on Vocabulary over Grammar, Michael Goeller and Agnieszka Goeller, Rutgers University
A dramatic rise in the undergraduate international student population at Rutgers has forced both an expansion in ESL course offerings and a significant shift in pedagogy, from an emphasis on grammar to a new emphasis on vocabulary instruction. This presentation by administrators of the Rutgers Writing Program will offer strategies and materials for helping a variety of second-language learners in both high school and college contexts.
Goeller-Handout
Goeller-Presentation
SESSION 2: 1:00PM - 1:45PM
A. SLC 208 (Fort Hancock Room), Breaking the Boundaries of the Classroom: Incorporating Campus Resources into First-Year Composition and Rhetoric to Support Significant Learning Experiences, Carol Barnett and Arlene Young, Centenary College
The interactive presentation describes curricular objectives and pedagogical benefits of breaking the classroom boundary to incorporate on-campus resources into the syllabus and writing assignments in first-year composition and rhetoric courses. The presenters will share their experiences and suggestions for including a range of on-campus "field trips" in designing relevant and stimulating course content and assignments to support significant learning experiences for diverse student groups and student learning styles. Participants will leave with practical ideas for enhancing existing coursework with resources right next door.
Barnett-Handout
Barnett-PowerPoint
B. SLC 209 (Trustees Conference Room), Converging Latin and Greek Based Vocabulary with Hip Hop Beats , Theresa Ciccone, Monmouth Regional High School
This workshop presents a path from the power of words to the appreciation of the spoken word to provide a roadmap from academic to hip-hop culture. Academic lessons as well as practical recording tips for the classroom will be covered.
Ciccone-Presentation
C. SLC 103 (Monmouth Battleground Room), Integrating New Media in the Writing Classroom, Maria Geiger, Georgian Court University
This workshop introduces simple ways to use free digital media apps in the writing curriculum. Web apps that engage students and ultimately facilitate critical thinking and writing will be demonstrated, including apps for interactive polling, video editing, and video creation. This workshop is particularly informative for instructors who are just starting to integrate technology into the writing curriculum.
Geiger-Handout #1
Geiger-Handout #2
Geiger-Ed Puzzle
Geiger-Intro to Poll Everywhere
Geiger-Web Apps for the Writing Classroom
Geiger-Presentation
D. MAC 210, Kickin' It AP Style , Lori Elkins-Solomon, Middlesex County Vocational & Technical Schools
Why should the most in-depth methods for analyzing literary texts be reserved just for Advanced Placement students-- instead of teaching these techniques to students on all levels? It is counter-intuitive to deny those students who most struggle with literary analysis access to the most effective tools for developing these skills. This presentation will reveal the basic techniques used to teach reading and writing in AP English Literature and Composition classes, and how to utilize these techniques to enhance the skills of students of all abilities.
Elkins-Solomon--Presentation
Elkins-Solomon--Handout
E. MAC 212, Reading with the End in Mind: A Dual Approach to Learning How to Read College-Level Texts , Susan Arvay, Raritan Valley Community College
How we teach students to read is inextricably bound up in how we teach them to write and in what we expect from them as writers. This presentation will explore the need for a two-pronged approach to teaching reading in the context of writing: reading to “get it” (i.e. to understand an author’s argument) and reading to “use it” (i.e. to “see” the concepts and examples with which a writer can connect one author’s ideas to another’s). My presentation will include time for attendees to discuss their own expectations about what their students will do with texts in their own writing and to reflect on how they teach (or might teach) their students to read for more than just “what the author means.”
Arvay-Handout
Arvay-Suggested Readings
F. SLC 104 (Molly Pitcher Room), Writing About Data Across the Curriculum, Michelle Rubano and Siobhan McVay, Delran High School Drawing on their experiences developing an interdisciplinary approach to helping students work with complex information, an English teacher and a chemistry teacher will discuss a method for writing and analyzing data that can be incorporated in any subject area. This includes proposing a common language used to discuss writing components and the use of questioning to prompt in-depth analysis. Their approach has been adopted in science, English, and history classes at Delran High School.
SESSION 3: 2:00PM – 3:00PM
A. MAC 210, “Formal” and “Academic” Are Dangerous Words, Ken Kaissar, Rider University
This presentation is based on the notion that the standard of “formal, academic” writing is overrated. We will explore techniques that encourage students to think informally in order to tap into their honest and authentic voices. New techniques for helping the student pair down complex thoughts into well-structured and smoothly flowing sentences will be covered, such as The “Say It Better” Tournament Challenge and the “Hey, Dude” Roommate Test. By encouraging the student to abandon ideas of “formal” and “academic,” we will help the student achieve successful and elegant writing that is both formal and academic.
B. MAC 212, Discordant Voices: Scholarly Arguments and Colloquial Blogs, Laura DeSena, West Milford High School
This presentation offers a study of formal and informal writing, the scholarly academic argument and the more colloquial blog, with a focus on transitioning from secondary education to college: to the conventions of writing in an academic discipline. We will consider apprenticing students to the master nonfiction writers -- the scholars – much as the novice artist paints in the style of the master. We, too, need to teach the craft of writing alongside the masters of academic argument.
DeSena-Presentation
C. SLC 104 (Molly Pitcher Room), Leaping from the 5-Paragraph without the Net, Anne Erickson, Marshall Warfield, Valerie Booth, and Sheila Sandapen, Drexel University
Our presentation will present several key challenges: the breadth of college experience and some trends in FYWPs, self-structured and self-disciplined approaches to work, and the effect of digital developments on communication needs. We will engage in activities to integrate skills into secondary education and prepare students for the challenges ahead.
Sandapen-PowerPoiint
Sandapen-Handout #1
Sandapen-Handout #2
Sandapen-Handout #3
D. SLC 105 (Atlantic Room), Reading and Writing: Bridging Strategies that Work, Leslie Puente-Ervin, Willingboro High School
This presentation will feature strategies on how to successfully bridge reading and writing. Participants in this presentation will learn how to teach students the skill of annotating with a purpose; how to successfully integrate Interactive Student Notebooks into the classroom; how to use literature as models for exemplary writing; and how to use online discussion forums to enhance the reading experience.
Puente-Ervin--PowerPoint
E. SLC 208 (Fort Hancock Room), Teaching Literature with the Raspberry Pi, Sarah Roman, Raritan High School
Teachers will get a chance to explore how to integrate elevated writing assignments within high tech projects, such as video game creation. The main focus will be upon constructivism in English class and how to foster strong writing skills.
F. SLC (Trustees Conference Room), Two Roads, One Destination: Two Dynamic Bridge Programs Preparing High School Students to be Successful College Writers, Sheri Stanford, Brookdale Community College, and Tara Stephenson, Poseidon Early College High School
Brookdale Community College’s English Department offers two dynamic bridge programs designed to prepare high school students to become successful writers. One is a summer writing preparatory institute with Brookdale’s Equal Opportunity Fund (EOF). The other is a workshop with Poseidon Early College High School, a partnership between Brookdale and the Neptune Township School District through which students earn a high school diploma and associate degree in four years by concurrently completing secondary and post-secondary coursework. This presentation will provide an overview of both programs and examine the distinct curricular approaches and educational support strategies that help students successfully transition to college English. There will be time for questions and conversation about bridging the writing gap.
G. SLC 103 (Monmouth Battleground Room), Wired… Connecting Research Pathways to Future Careers: How Research Writing Students Discover and Evaluate Trends and New Technologies in Their Chosen Career Paths, Barbara Burke, Brookdale Community College
This forward-looking, interactive presentation will give an overview of how Research Writing students can use keen critical thinking skills to investigate and evaluate trends and new technologies in their chosen career paths. It will highlight how students present their findings in both modern Research Writing papers and creative visual presentations, using modern information sources, including surveys and interviews. Participants are strongly encouraged to share findings and experiences... Let's have some fun exploring the future!
Here are the materials for Williams' presentation on using APA formatting
Williams-PowerPoint
Williams-APA Handout #1
Williams-APA Handout #2
Williams-APA Handout #3
Williams-APA Handout #4
Williams-APA Handout #5
Keynote Speaker: Brian Mooney, educator, scholar, and author
Mooney's innovative writing pedagogy recently attracted the attention of Grammy-award winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. He is the author of the upcoming Breakbeat Pedagogy: Hip Hop and Spoken Word Beyond the Classroom Walls.
Brian Mooney's Poem: "30 Days of American Schooling"
SESSION 1: 10:45AM - 11:45AM
A. SLC 208 (Fort Hancock Room), Connecting Reading and Writing Using Signposts and the ICE Strategy, Shannon Orosz and Megan Fritz, Point Pleasant Borough High School
Participants will learn about utilizing the Notice and Note Signposts created by Beers and Probst in a secondary school setting with students of all levels, from inclusion to Advanced Placement. These reading signposts will be used as a springboard for critical thinking. Presenters will connect these signposts with ICE, a quote integration strategy that can be used across grades and levels. These two strategies combine to create a reading and writing connection that is accessible to all students and makes them analytical readers, thinkers, and writers.
Fritz-Orosz--PowerPoint
B. SLC 209 (Trustees Conference Room), Crossing the Boundaries of Writing Instruction: Moving Students from Rules and Formulas to Strategy and Purpose, Greg Van Nest, Leonia High School
As English teachers, we know that good writing is not simply adhering to formal grammar rules or structures. We know that it is inventive, has voice, takes risks, and communicates meaningfully. This interactive workshop will demonstrate ways in which we can move beyond teaching rules and formulas and help our students become more strategic and purposeful in their writing.
Van Nest-Presentation Materials
C. MAC 210, From Senioritis to Self-Startup: Growing 21st Century Skills in the Secondary ELA Classroom, Oona Abrams, Chatham High School
It is projected that by 2020, over 60 million American workers will be freelancers, contractors or temporary workers. How might the work we do in the ELA classroom help students prepare for a workforce that will require radical autonomy, ongoing self-assessment, and a spirit of global collaboration? This workshop will take participants through the “instructional moves” that lead upperclassmen out of teacher dependency and into a more autonomous and accountable mindset as they head into college and careers. The workshop will help attendees reflect on how intentional reading and writing experiences can change classroom culture, help learners develop collaboration skills, enhance instructional design, and diversify assessment. Activities covered are designed with use of Falling in Love with Close Reading (Lehmann and Roberts), Notice and Note (Beers and Probst) Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles (Daniels and Steineke), Learn Like a Pirate (Solarz), and Crafting Digital Writing (Hicks).
Abrams-PowerPoint
D. SLC 104 (Molly Pitcher Room), Monkeys and Macbeth: Improv as Educational Expression, Eric Farwell, Monmouth University
The presentation/workshop will cover ways one can use skills from improvisational comedy to be effective in the classroom. Along with a thorough explanation of these improv methods, attendees will have the opportunity to learn and practice basic improv skills, as well as learn how to use them in small ways to enliven their classes.
E. SLC 105 (Atlantic Room), Preparing First-Generation and Minority Students for College Writing: A Dialogue Between Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield College, Fiona Harris-Ramsby and Tina Powell, Bloomfield College, and Krystal Chiaravallo, Bloomfield High School
This panel, which consists of high school and college instructors from Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield College, will discuss collaborating on writing pedagogy to better address the gap between college writing and high school preparation for state assessment. Based on a workshop between Bloomfield High School and Bloomfield College, this panel will present a discussion addressing the academic gaps of unprepared first-generation and minority students, and we will invite attendees at NJWA to contribute further to our discussion.
F. SLC 103 (Monmouth Battleground Room), Teaching Writing to Second-Language Learners: Focusing on Vocabulary over Grammar, Michael Goeller and Agnieszka Goeller, Rutgers University
A dramatic rise in the undergraduate international student population at Rutgers has forced both an expansion in ESL course offerings and a significant shift in pedagogy, from an emphasis on grammar to a new emphasis on vocabulary instruction. This presentation by administrators of the Rutgers Writing Program will offer strategies and materials for helping a variety of second-language learners in both high school and college contexts.
Goeller-Handout
Goeller-Presentation
SESSION 2: 1:00PM - 1:45PM
A. SLC 208 (Fort Hancock Room), Breaking the Boundaries of the Classroom: Incorporating Campus Resources into First-Year Composition and Rhetoric to Support Significant Learning Experiences, Carol Barnett and Arlene Young, Centenary College
The interactive presentation describes curricular objectives and pedagogical benefits of breaking the classroom boundary to incorporate on-campus resources into the syllabus and writing assignments in first-year composition and rhetoric courses. The presenters will share their experiences and suggestions for including a range of on-campus "field trips" in designing relevant and stimulating course content and assignments to support significant learning experiences for diverse student groups and student learning styles. Participants will leave with practical ideas for enhancing existing coursework with resources right next door.
Barnett-Handout
Barnett-PowerPoint
B. SLC 209 (Trustees Conference Room), Converging Latin and Greek Based Vocabulary with Hip Hop Beats , Theresa Ciccone, Monmouth Regional High School
This workshop presents a path from the power of words to the appreciation of the spoken word to provide a roadmap from academic to hip-hop culture. Academic lessons as well as practical recording tips for the classroom will be covered.
Ciccone-Presentation
C. SLC 103 (Monmouth Battleground Room), Integrating New Media in the Writing Classroom, Maria Geiger, Georgian Court University
This workshop introduces simple ways to use free digital media apps in the writing curriculum. Web apps that engage students and ultimately facilitate critical thinking and writing will be demonstrated, including apps for interactive polling, video editing, and video creation. This workshop is particularly informative for instructors who are just starting to integrate technology into the writing curriculum.
Geiger-Handout #1
Geiger-Handout #2
Geiger-Ed Puzzle
Geiger-Intro to Poll Everywhere
Geiger-Web Apps for the Writing Classroom
Geiger-Presentation
D. MAC 210, Kickin' It AP Style , Lori Elkins-Solomon, Middlesex County Vocational & Technical Schools
Why should the most in-depth methods for analyzing literary texts be reserved just for Advanced Placement students-- instead of teaching these techniques to students on all levels? It is counter-intuitive to deny those students who most struggle with literary analysis access to the most effective tools for developing these skills. This presentation will reveal the basic techniques used to teach reading and writing in AP English Literature and Composition classes, and how to utilize these techniques to enhance the skills of students of all abilities.
Elkins-Solomon--Presentation
Elkins-Solomon--Handout
E. MAC 212, Reading with the End in Mind: A Dual Approach to Learning How to Read College-Level Texts , Susan Arvay, Raritan Valley Community College
How we teach students to read is inextricably bound up in how we teach them to write and in what we expect from them as writers. This presentation will explore the need for a two-pronged approach to teaching reading in the context of writing: reading to “get it” (i.e. to understand an author’s argument) and reading to “use it” (i.e. to “see” the concepts and examples with which a writer can connect one author’s ideas to another’s). My presentation will include time for attendees to discuss their own expectations about what their students will do with texts in their own writing and to reflect on how they teach (or might teach) their students to read for more than just “what the author means.”
Arvay-Handout
Arvay-Suggested Readings
F. SLC 104 (Molly Pitcher Room), Writing About Data Across the Curriculum, Michelle Rubano and Siobhan McVay, Delran High School Drawing on their experiences developing an interdisciplinary approach to helping students work with complex information, an English teacher and a chemistry teacher will discuss a method for writing and analyzing data that can be incorporated in any subject area. This includes proposing a common language used to discuss writing components and the use of questioning to prompt in-depth analysis. Their approach has been adopted in science, English, and history classes at Delran High School.
SESSION 3: 2:00PM – 3:00PM
A. MAC 210, “Formal” and “Academic” Are Dangerous Words, Ken Kaissar, Rider University
This presentation is based on the notion that the standard of “formal, academic” writing is overrated. We will explore techniques that encourage students to think informally in order to tap into their honest and authentic voices. New techniques for helping the student pair down complex thoughts into well-structured and smoothly flowing sentences will be covered, such as The “Say It Better” Tournament Challenge and the “Hey, Dude” Roommate Test. By encouraging the student to abandon ideas of “formal” and “academic,” we will help the student achieve successful and elegant writing that is both formal and academic.
B. MAC 212, Discordant Voices: Scholarly Arguments and Colloquial Blogs, Laura DeSena, West Milford High School
This presentation offers a study of formal and informal writing, the scholarly academic argument and the more colloquial blog, with a focus on transitioning from secondary education to college: to the conventions of writing in an academic discipline. We will consider apprenticing students to the master nonfiction writers -- the scholars – much as the novice artist paints in the style of the master. We, too, need to teach the craft of writing alongside the masters of academic argument.
DeSena-Presentation
C. SLC 104 (Molly Pitcher Room), Leaping from the 5-Paragraph without the Net, Anne Erickson, Marshall Warfield, Valerie Booth, and Sheila Sandapen, Drexel University
Our presentation will present several key challenges: the breadth of college experience and some trends in FYWPs, self-structured and self-disciplined approaches to work, and the effect of digital developments on communication needs. We will engage in activities to integrate skills into secondary education and prepare students for the challenges ahead.
Sandapen-PowerPoiint
Sandapen-Handout #1
Sandapen-Handout #2
Sandapen-Handout #3
D. SLC 105 (Atlantic Room), Reading and Writing: Bridging Strategies that Work, Leslie Puente-Ervin, Willingboro High School
This presentation will feature strategies on how to successfully bridge reading and writing. Participants in this presentation will learn how to teach students the skill of annotating with a purpose; how to successfully integrate Interactive Student Notebooks into the classroom; how to use literature as models for exemplary writing; and how to use online discussion forums to enhance the reading experience.
Puente-Ervin--PowerPoint
E. SLC 208 (Fort Hancock Room), Teaching Literature with the Raspberry Pi, Sarah Roman, Raritan High School
Teachers will get a chance to explore how to integrate elevated writing assignments within high tech projects, such as video game creation. The main focus will be upon constructivism in English class and how to foster strong writing skills.
F. SLC (Trustees Conference Room), Two Roads, One Destination: Two Dynamic Bridge Programs Preparing High School Students to be Successful College Writers, Sheri Stanford, Brookdale Community College, and Tara Stephenson, Poseidon Early College High School
Brookdale Community College’s English Department offers two dynamic bridge programs designed to prepare high school students to become successful writers. One is a summer writing preparatory institute with Brookdale’s Equal Opportunity Fund (EOF). The other is a workshop with Poseidon Early College High School, a partnership between Brookdale and the Neptune Township School District through which students earn a high school diploma and associate degree in four years by concurrently completing secondary and post-secondary coursework. This presentation will provide an overview of both programs and examine the distinct curricular approaches and educational support strategies that help students successfully transition to college English. There will be time for questions and conversation about bridging the writing gap.
G. SLC 103 (Monmouth Battleground Room), Wired… Connecting Research Pathways to Future Careers: How Research Writing Students Discover and Evaluate Trends and New Technologies in Their Chosen Career Paths, Barbara Burke, Brookdale Community College
This forward-looking, interactive presentation will give an overview of how Research Writing students can use keen critical thinking skills to investigate and evaluate trends and new technologies in their chosen career paths. It will highlight how students present their findings in both modern Research Writing papers and creative visual presentations, using modern information sources, including surveys and interviews. Participants are strongly encouraged to share findings and experiences... Let's have some fun exploring the future!
Here are the materials for Williams' presentation on using APA formatting
Williams-PowerPoint
Williams-APA Handout #1
Williams-APA Handout #2
Williams-APA Handout #3
Williams-APA Handout #4
Williams-APA Handout #5