Session 2: 2021 BAWP Forum

2021 BAWP Forum: Welcome Participants!

This year our world as we knew it changed. For months now, shifts in our instructional contexts have led us to think more deeply and differently about our practice and, more than ever, about meeting the needs of our students. While holding on to our core values of equity and social justice, we are reaffirming what works in writing instruction—in any context—and innovating to meet the demands of the moment. This year’s Bay Area Writing Project Forum offers educators a place to share individual stories of what has reoriented and grounded us over this past year, and provides a time to share...

6. Creativity As A Door to The Self--As a Place to Form and Transform Knowledge

This workshop highlights the ways that art can support comprehension of complex texts, enrich student expression, and develop students’ sense of self. Participants will explore identity through the lens of double- and mestiza-consciousness, and consider the ways that art can be employed to build student confidence and strengthen classroom community.

Intended Audience: High School Teachers

Zoila Lara-Cea teaches English and Ethnic Studies at the Stern School in San Francisco.

8. Write NOW?! WRITE now!

We find ourselves challenged in a school year when we have insufficient time to prepare lessons, when we are forced to pivot our delivery systems, remain responsive to the requests of students, parents and administrators. It surely appears that writing, as teachers, change-makers, visionaries and story-tellers, is very low on the priority list. But now more than ever is a time to write: to your students, for your students, for your colleagues and for yourself! Come share compelling reasons to write, explore key ideas from recent teacher-writer research and write to several departure points...

7. Thriving in the Thick of It: Hip hop as Foundational Practice for Fostering Learning During Times of Crisis

This workshop offers educators a space to shape their instruction using the hip hop elements. Given the unprecedented shift educators have experienced this year, it’s important to shift instruction as well. The hip hop elements will be shared as an anchoring toolbox to help educators: foster critical conversations in the classroom, prioritize rigor; and honor creativity. Participants are invited to bring in an existing lesson, essay prompt or assignment to practice shaping their instruction in real-time. By the end of this highly interactive workshop, participants will gain a sense of how...

5. Debating the Narrative: Using Collaboration and Discussion to Re-write History

Who makes history? Well, us, of course! The goal for this workshop is to investigate the perspectives that are often left out of the historical narrative, and to evaluate how the narrative changes when these perspectives are reintroduced. We will work together to create a collaborative timeline, all the while moving between small and full group conversations to support our thinking and writing. Our focus for this timeline will be the AIDS epidemic, but we will close by considering how a collaborative timeline could be used across a variety of topics and content areas to support critical...

4. Nurturing Student Engagement: Interactive Digital Learning - Part 2 Praxis

Engaging students in this new pandemic world has never been more important nor more difficult. The topics will be covered in two workshops, one focused on pedagogy and one on praxis. With each focusing on building a safe nurturing, equity focused digital community that engages our students in deep meaningful learning, while balancing empathy and rigor. Utilizing a variety of digital tools; such as Google Classroom, Docs, Presentation, Sites, Flipgrid, Adobe Sparks, or padlet to break through the constraints of distance learning and focus on the unique opportunities for opening up student...

3. The Power of Paraphrasing in Developing Student Voice

We often assume paraphrasing is a lower-level skill, akin to rote memorization and regurgitation, so why do students often freeze or plagiarize when asked to paraphrase or summarize? In truth, paraphrasing is a fundamental process of language and concept development that brings out the student’s personal voice. When a student converts a concept or idea into words that they use more naturally, they are taking ownership of that knowledge, but this is not a natural or easy process for everyone. This workshop will show how teachers can support students of all ages in using paraphrasing as a...

1. The Power of Exploration: Building Autonomy, Perspective, and Storytelling Through Geo-Inquiry

Where is it? Why is it there? Why should we care? If these three questions piqued your curiosity, you’re in good company here. Exploration is a powerful pathway to liberation and storytelling. The Geo-Inquiry Process, developed through the National Geographic Society, helps young people develop a spectrum of perspectives to analyze the interconnections between the human and natural worlds, share their voice, and effect change. Through this workshop, participants will engage in hands-on activities and explore technology, tools, and ideas to bring to your favorite units - no matter your...

2. Elevating Equity and SEL through Writing

The writer’s workshop is a place where we move both into and out of the self in order to create. It should be a place of agency, creativity, and belonging. In this workshop we will write and analyze student writing using SEL as a lens. We will think about how writing tasks and instructional practices can elevate student SEL skills, build community, and become transformational spaces for deep learning.

Intended Audience: This workshop is appropriate for K-8 grades teachers.

Aija Simmons, Program Manager for the Office of Social and Emotional Learning in Oakland Unified...