ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS IN AUTHENTIC WRITING?
- …or scroll for more information.
WHY TEACH MPOWRED WRITERS?
Students are increasingly reluctant to write
Two weeks into the second semester, during my fifth year of teaching, my second hour sophomores decided they'd had enough.
“Why do we have to write so much? This is stupid!” they declared.
At the time, I didn't understand why they were so upset.
A few weeks later, a group of students opened my eyes. They explained that in their previous English classes, the only writing they did was fill-in-the-blank on reading tests and grammar worksheets.
The fact that I was making them write for five minutes every day–and then choose one of those quick writes to turn into a longer piece–was mind-boggling to them.
As a former newspaper reporter who has interviewed hundreds of people, I know that everyone has a story. But not everyone has the tools to tell that story. I decided then I had to find a way to help those students reclaim their voices.
And that is how Teach mPOWRED Writers started.
Research shows that traditional test prep and skills-based writing instruction don't work...
Decades of research by Don Graves, John Hattie, George Hillocks, Carl Nagin, Kelly Gallagher, Penny Kittle, and others shows that students learn better when they're having fun. They're more engaged in writing when it is important to them. My experience as a classroom teacher, along with the research I've conducted as a graduate student in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum, with a concentration in English Education, and as a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards candidate, is the foundation on which I've built a writing framework that has enabled students to write more than they ever thought they could, win awards, and see their work published.
BUILD HIGH-IMPACT PERSONAL NARRATIVES
MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION
AVAILABLE NOW!
Learn why students are increasingly disempowered in the classroom and how you can help them reclaim their voices.
MODULE 2: TEACHING WRITERS
AVAILABLE NOW!
How project based learning and writer's workshop can revolutionize your ELA classroom --and improve student learning.
MODULE 3: THE MESSAGE
AVAILABLE 7/17
How finding a purpose and audience for their writing first can help students value and engage in their writing.
MODULE 4: PREWRITING
AVAILABLE 7/24
If you're going to take a journey, you start with a plan. Help students understand the importance of knowing where their writing is going.
MODULE 5: ORGANIZING
AVAILABLE 7/31
Help students break out of the 5-paragraph essay box by teaching them these text structures instead.
MODULE 6: WRITING
AVAILABLE 8/7
Encourage students to focus on their message, even if the writing is ugly. Investigate tech integration in the drafting process.
MODULE 7: REVISING
AVAILABLE 8/14
Help students move beyond surface revisions to find the most effective ways to communicate their messages.
MODULE 8: EDITING
AVAILABLE 8/21
Help students polish their final drafts so they can effectively communicate their messages to real audiences.
MODULE 9: DISSEMINATING
AVAILABLE 8/28
Help students share their works with different audiences both in person, in print, and with their local and global communities.
MODULE 10: RESOURCES
AVAILABLE 9/4
I've collected all the printable and downloadable resources here for you to access easily even after you've finished the course.
MODULE 11: YOUR ACTION PLAN
AVAILABLE 9/10
Professional development does no good if you forget it before you return to your classroom. Make a plan to enact your learning today!
Michelle Waters' mPOWRED course will help any teacher improve student writing. This is PD teachers can do in their homes at their pace. The first module was very easy to navigate and included all the needed resources to set up this course. The skills introduced can easily be modified for any grade band.I know the passion Michelle has for helping students find their voice and she has poured all of that into writing this course. I have taken a peek at the outline, and upon completion of these modules, teachers will have all the tools and resources necessary to support empowered writers in their classrooms.
MICHELLE BALDWIN
ENGLISH DEPT. HEAD
Features
Focus on one key concept in each module and develop a plan of action
to incorporate it into your physical or online learning classroom.
VIDEO LESSONS
For those who prefer learning on-the-go, videos are accessible on any device.
PRINTABLE TRANSCRIPTS
Organize and annotate as a visual reference to supplement each unit.
STUDENT & TEACHER RESOURCES
Includes resources such as rubrics and checklists for teachers and students.
Choose your plan
Both plans include credit card and purchase order payment options.
Individual Teacher
(Early Bird)
$299
/Lifetime
Team/Department
$1299
/Lifetime
Faq.
mPOWRED is an acronym I designed to reflect the concept that the message is the most important part of writing. And to effectively communicate a message, students must use a process: Prewriting, Organizing, Revising, Editing, Dissemination. As for the “misspelling” at the end of the word, I explain that in Module 1 of the course.
mPOWRED is designed with both the struggling and proficient writers in mind. Students will start where they are in their writing journeys and move forward from there with your guidance.
mPOWRED isn't so much a lesson plan or unit as it is a paradigm shift. Once you've gone through the course, you'll be able to evaluate your existing lessons and units to determine if they're truly meeting your students' needs. I do include resources for you to manage project based learning and writer's workshop style units, but this mPOWRED isn't designed to more lessons. Rather, it's meant to transform your existing lessons.
Since I am certified in 5th through 12th grades and have taught 6th through 11th, I am designing this course primarily for secondary English teachers.
I do think that with some modification, the concepts can be useful for upper elementary teachers, but I'm not going to promote the unit for that purpose.
Yes! We do accept purchase orders from your school. Just select “offline payment” in the order form. Then, on the payment page, follow the instructions to email a copy of your purchase order.
Your order will be manually approved after we have verified the purchase order or received your check.
If you have questions, please fill out our contact form.
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