Eleven Westminster College Students Attend Literacy Workshop

Eleven Westminster College elementary education majors attended a literacy workshop held at Connoquenessing Elementary School in October.

The workshop, "A Conversation with Jane Hansen," featured Hansen, a nationally-known author and literacy speaker, who explores three aspects of evaluation: to find value in the content of writing, to promote writing growth, and to rethink the role of teachers who value themselves as learners.

"When I refer to the word evaluation, I refer to its root, which is value," said Hansen. "My view of evaluation differs from our customary actions of giving tests and determining whether students have met certain criteria. I focus on the importance of finding value in the content of a piece of writing, and on a way to promote a writer's growth."

Hanson currently teaches writing and evaluation classes at the University of Curry School of Education in Charlottesville, Va.

"Jane Hansen challenged all of us to think critically about the choices we make when we have children write," said Pamela McCalmont, senior elementary education major from Hickory. "As teachers, we should convey to students what their writing is&it's theirs and they are the authors."

"I learned that teachers should give students a day's notice of a writing assignment," said Darcy Sutton, junior elementary education major from Pittsburgh. "That gives students time to think of a possible topic, reduces anxiety, and makes students more eager to work on that piece."

"I really learned a lot in the workshop," said Nicole McDorman, junior elementary education major from Rapid City, S.D. "I like how she let us observe children in the classroom as they discussed topics for their coming writing assignments."

In addition to the Westminster College elementary education majors, 14 Westminster College graduate students also attended the event.

"This was a joint effort between Connoquenessing's Read to Succeed program and Westminster College's Graduate Program," said Dr. Charlene Endrizzi, associate professor of education and co-organizer of the event. "Diana Duncan, teacher at Connoquenessing and graduate student at Westminster, helped me organize the event."

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