Category Archives: education

17

Jan. ’12

Congratulations to Helms Elementary Students!

Three Writers in the Schools (WITS) students at Helms Elementary (HISD) will have their winning poems published in the Young Writers of America Annual Students Anthology!

Congratulations to 3rd graders Joshua Martinez, Bella Corona, and Emily De Leon, who are students in Ms. Jennifer Martinez’s class and work weekly with Writers in the Schools (WITS) writer Yolanda Schulte-Ladbeck.

Here is Bella’s poem:
What I Learned from my Uncle

I learned from my Uncle how to be funny.  I know how to make my Mom and Dad laugh.
I learned from my Uncle how to communicate in sign language.  I can teach my friends now.
I learned from my Uncle how to look for pictures in the sky.  I can find me riding horses in clouds.
I learned from my Uncle how to say kind words.  I don’t say bad words and I stay away from strangers.
I learned from my Uncle how to decorate my room.  I have stars in my room that glow.

To read the other winning poems, please visit Helms Elementary website.  Go, students!Writer at work 259/355

Photo by immsm via Flickr

Posted by . Categories: contest, education, Houston, poetry, publishing, student, student writing contest, writers in the schools. Tags: , , . Leave a comment

12

Jan. ’12

My Passions

Radio Lollipop logo

Image via Wikipedia

I love music because it clears my mind.  When I’m in a good mood, I listen to Indie music on the radio.  The first time I ever heard Radio Lollipop (a fully equipped radio station staffed by a team of volunteers at Texas Children’s Hospital) was January 31, 2011.  I was in a bed feeling down on the 9th floor.  It was just my second day, and I was thinking about home.  When the music came on, I listened for a while.  Music is a way to daydream for me.  Someday I’d like to be a professional cello player. I learned how to play in 5th grade, and I feel in a better place when I play.  I had to quit when I got sick, but I want to start again.  Writing is another art that I like.  I use it to express myself.  I don’t share everything I write, but I think it helps me to get it out.  I remember I wrote a story once about two kids in an enchanted forest.  I don’t get writer’s block usually.  The words just flow out and onto the paper.  If I could tell people something, I would say that there are lots of ways to express yourself and to go out and find your passion.  For me, it is music and writing.

By Jasmine, 10th grade

Posted by . Categories: creativity, education, essay, Houston, illness. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a comment

09

Jan. ’12

2012 January Early Literacy Conference

Every summer Writers in the Schools (WITS) partners with Rice School Literacy and Culture Project (SLC) to host Summer Creative Writing Workshops across the city of Houston.  We are pleased to let you know about their January Early Literacy Conference, which takes place this Saturday, January 14th, at Rice University.  If you value creativity in the classroom, then you won’t want to miss this!

Here is a blurb from their website:

A 2010 IBM survey of international business leaders cited creativity as the most important skill in today’s economy. How does this finding impact the real world of schools, teachers, and students? Join the School Literacy and Culture Project of Rice University’s Center for Education for our 13th annual half-day early literacy conference as we focus on practical ideas for supporting creative thinking and problem-solving in the classroom.

Dr. Patsy Cooper (SLC’s Founding Director), Associate Professor of Education at Queens College, City University of New York, and Karen Capo (SLC’s current Director) will deliver the opening address. Karen will set the stage by asking the question, What is Creativity and Why Does It Matter? Patsy will provide our first perspective, The Very Practical Role of Imagination in Early Literacy.  This year we will offer two featured breakout sessions. We are pleased to welcome Anthony Brandt, Associate Professor of Composition at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, who will inspire all educators with his session, Why Young Minds Need Art.  Also,Patsy Cooper will reprise her popular keynote from last year, Let’s Try It Again: A Positive Approach to Helping Young Children Recover from Their Missteps and Misbehavior.

Other breakout sessions for teachers of toddlers through second grades, led by School Literacy and Culture Project (SLC) staff and guests, will include several on SLC’s renowned language/literacy based storytelling curriculum for first time attendees as well as a variety of other sessions addressing special interests such as toddler literacy, bilingual concerns, integrated curriculum, and creative writing for the school-age child. Details will be available in mid-December on this web page.

Attendance is limited, so please register early! For the past few years, the conference has filled quickly.

Posted by . Categories: creativity, education, Houston, writers in the schools. Tags: . Leave a comment

25

Oct. ’11

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMO) for Kids!

It’s time for young writers (and their teachers!) to sign up for National Novel Writing Month, which begins Nov. 1, 2011.  In 2010, 41,000 young writers participated in this fun, free event.  They committed to writing an entire novel in one month. Visit the NaNoWriMo website to register, and you will find support, resources, curriculum guides, and plenty of encouragement to help you meet your daily word count goal.

Once you sign up, you will be able to visit with fellow writers on the young writers forum, receive pep talks to keep you motivated, and even post your novel-in-progress at Figment!  It’s a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors.

Posted by . Categories: education, event, fiction, story, student, writer, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

14

Oct. ’11

YA Best-Selling Author Pseudonymous Bosch in Houston 10/16/11

Here’s some big news from our friends at Inprint. Young adult author Pseudonymous Bosch will this Sunday, October 16 at 3pm (doors open at 2:30pm) at Johnston Middle School, 10410 Manhattan Drive. This event is FREE. Here’s the scoop:

“Cool Brains! Inprint Readings for Young People” presents this event with the award-winning young adult author, who will read from his fifth book of the New York Times bestselling “Secret Series” called You Have To Stop This. Bosch launched the “Secret Series” in 2007 with the novel The Name of This Book Is Secret; in his current book, a trip to the local natural history museum turns dangerous. Each of the novels in the series is based on one of the five senses—smell, sound, taste, sight and touch – and You Have To Stop This currently ranks #3 in children’s books under the category of mysteries, espionage, and detectives on Amazon.

Pseudonymous BoschPseudonymous Bosch’s publisher maintains that his identity is a secret. According to www.pseudonymousbosch.com, “Not much is known about him other than that he has a passionate love of chocolate and cheese and an equally passionate hatred of mayonnaise. Rumors of Boschian sightings are just as frequent and about as reliable as reports of alien abductions.” To this day, many continue to conjecture about his true identity. It is known that the “Secret Series” is copyrighted by Raphael Simon, who has written episodes for programs on Nickelodeon.

Bosch will present his work, followed by a Q&A with the audience and a book sale and signing, giving families a chance to visit with the author. Admission is free and open to the public. “Cool Brains! Inprint Readings for Young People” is presented by Inprint, a Houston-based nonprofit fostering the art of creative writing with the mission to inspire readers and writers.

Posted by . Categories: education, event, Houston, Reading, writer, writers in the schools. Tags: , , . Leave a comment

13

Oct. ’11

October: National Arts and Humanities Month

National Arts and Humanities Month (NAHM) is a coast-to-coast celebration of culture in America. Held every October and coordinated by Americans for the Arts, NAHM is the largest celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation.

President Obama issued a White House proclamation that states that “we must recognize the contributions of the arts and humanities not only by supporting the artists of today, but  also by giving opportunities to the creative thinkers of tomorrow.”

Writers in the Schools (WITS) understands the power of developing imaginations through arts education. We do it everyday in schools across the city.  We even do it on the weekends!  So, bring your “creative thinkers of tomorrow” to Discovery Green any Saturday in October, 10:30-11:30 AM, to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month. WITS teams up with Houston Public Library (HPL) Express and Discovery Green to provide Houston’s only year-around free and open writing workshop for children. See you there!
Posted by . Categories: art, creativity, education, event, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , . Leave a comment

10

Oct. ’11

Get WITS in YOUR School!

Writing

Writers in the Schools (WITS) is offering a second price reduction for qualifying schools.Through a generous donation from the Simmons Foundation, Writers in the Schools (WITS) announces a second price reduction for the 2011-2012 school year. The new price—which is nearly half of last year’s fee—is available for Title 1 schools with 60% or more students eligible for the free/reduced lunch plan.  The discount is available on a first-come first-served basis.

Why consider WITS?  Research has shown that students who complete the WITS program perform better on standardized tests than their counterparts.  Over 10 years of data collected by University of St. Thomas Professor Dr. Carl Scott indicates that students who complete the WITS program demonstrate:

  • improved writing skills
  • greater self-efficacy, and
  • higher test scores

than those who did not participate in the program.  In a new study called “The Effect of Creative Learning on Student Achievement” by the Houston Arts Partners found that WITS students maintain:

  • Increased attendance
  • Better behavior in school

If you choose WITS for your school, we will tailor the project to fit your needs..  The cost of the program includes:

  • Professional writers who teach the writing process from a practitioner’s expert point of view
  • Bilingual writing teachers (upon request)
  • Optional field trip to a local art museum or other cultural venue, and
  • Publications of student writing free-of-charge for every participating student.
The discount for Title 1 Schools with 60%+ free lunch students are:
Full year           $1,000/classroom        (compared to last year, $1,800/classroom)
Half year           $500/classroom           (compared to last year, $900/classroom)
Typically we serve several classrooms in each weekly visit. For more information, please contact WITS Associate Director Long Chu (713.523.3877 or lchu@witshouston.org) for more information.


Posted by . Categories: art, creativity, education, essay, Houston, student, teaching, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , . Leave a comment

03

Oct. ’11

Getting Poetic on the Web 2

Here are some fun poetry games made just for kids:

1) The Funny Poem Machine is a mad-lib type of application. Fill in a short list of questions–crazy adjective, awesome verb, etc. And the machine will give pack a poem guaranteed to make you laugh.

2) The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) provides an app to help you create an acrostic poem. There’s even a brainstorming step built into the process.

3) Scholastic Books offers up a free Poetry Idea Engine on their site.

Writing is fun, and these applications might make it even moreso!

Posted by . Categories: creativity, education, humor, poetry, student, writers in the schools, writing prompts. Tags: , , , , . Leave a comment

27

Sep. ’11

Grants for High School Creatives

Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is accepting applications from exceptionally talented Texas youth (8th-11th grade) for its Young Masters grant program.Students of all artistic disciplines, including creative writing, may apply for this competitive grant program.  The most talented young artists will receive the title of Young Master and will be given grants of up to $2,500 per year for two years to further their advanced studies in their chosen arts disciplines.

Applications for the Young Masters program may be obtained on the TCA website by clicking here. All applications and support documents must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011.

Posted by . Categories: art, contest, creativity, education, student writing contest, writers in the schools. Leave a comment

21

Sep. ’11

Information Is Endless

Ring of fire

Image by kuddlyteddybear2004 via Flickr

I’ve studied a lot of countries around the world because I love knowing facts about places all over the globe.  I’ve visited El Salvador, which is where I was born.  El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America.  It’s in the volcano hammock of Central America.  It lies on a ring of fire.  The main language spoken in El Salvador is Spanish, which I speak.  The national food is pupusas, which are tortillas stuffed with cheese or meat.  El Salvador was explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century. Someday I hope to go back to visit, but I don’t plan to live there.

I’ll stay here and continue to study U.S. history and world geography.  The subjects are interesting.  I like learning about past civilizations, wars, treaties, documents, everything that has to do with culture and human evolution.  One of the recent places I’ve studied is Egypt.  I’m learning about what they’ve contributed to the world intellectually, socially, economically, and religiously.  Three interesting things I’ve learned are 1) the Egyptians discovered a way to preserve the human body through embalming 2) they built the largest pyramids in the world 3) the Pharaohs weren’t elected; their powers were inherited like a monarchy.  Information is endless.

by Manuel, 15

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20

Sep. ’11

Banned Books Week

Alphabetical by Author

Every year organizations dedicated to reading and freedom of speech unite to sponsor Banned Books Week (BBW).  This year the annual event will be celebrated September 24- October 1, 2011.

If you are unable to participate in a local event in your city, then please join in the first-ever national virtual read-out. Libraries and bookstores across the country will stage readings of banned books, and this year you are invited to record yourself reading a favorite banned book.

Here is all the information you will need from thte Banned Books Week website:

1) You can submit a video no more than two minutes long of a reading from a banned or challenged book. Here is a list of banned literary classics as well as a list of frequently challenged booksthroughout the years. You should also check out Mapping Censorship and Robert P. Doyle’sBanned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read for more ideas. Banned Books: Challenging our Freedom to Read is available for purchase at the ALA Store or can be found at your local public library.

2) A video of an eyewitness account of local challenges can be submitted. This video should be no longer than three minutes long.

How to upload your videos:

You will need a YouTube or Google account in order to participate. Once you have one, please sign into YouTube and follow their instructions on how to upload a video. A video tutorial on how to upload onto YouTube can be found here.

As the video downloads, you will need to update the TItle, Description, and Tag fields with the following information to help ensure that your video will be featured on the Banned Books Week Read-Out channel:

Title
The title of your video should include “Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out.” A good example is “A reading from The Perks of Being a Wallflower for the Banned Books Week Virtual Read-out” or “Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out: A reading from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Description

You may use the description to explain why the book you chose to read an excerpt from is your favorite banned/challenged book or offer more details about an eyewitness account of local challenges.

Tag
The most important part of the download is the tag. Please tag your video with “virtualreadout” to ensure that the video will be featured on the Banned Books Week You Tube Channel.

Final StepOnce you have posted your video, please send e-mail to bbw@ala.org with the link to your video. The video will then be featured on the Banned Books Week YouTube channel. Please allow a couple days for your video to be featured on the channel.

Posted by . Categories: books, education, event, Houston, Reading, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , . Leave a comment

09

Sep. ’11

Artists in the Schools Are the Answer!

The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities recently released a report entitled “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools.”   It describes an educational system in crisis and suggests that arts-rich schools may be the answer to this country’s dire situation.

One of the most potent recommendations is to increase the number of working artists in long-term residencies in schools, especially underserved schools.  Since the 1980s, childhood arts education has declined 49 percent for African American children and 40 percent for Latino children.  The children who most need an arts education are being denied.

According to the report, the arts are absolutely crucial because they teach:

  • synthetic ability or generating new and novel ideas;
  • analytic ability or critical thinking which involves choosing which ideas to pursue; and
  • practical ability or translating ideas into action

The report states that the IBM 2010 Global CEO survey found that CEOs in 60 countries believe creativity is the most important leadership quality.  A study by the Conference board reports that employers rate creativity and innovation among the top five important skills for workers.  The same employers rank arts study as the second most important indicator of a potential creative worker.

Writers in the Schools (WITS) is at the forefront of creativity education.  We are recognized across the country for our strong programming and solid results in the classroom.  We mentor other arts organizations and provide training for artists, teachers, and administrators. The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities validates what we’ve been doing for 27 years. Let’s help spread the word about how to build creative schools that work!

Posted by . Categories: creativity, education, Houston, imagination, teaching, writers in the schools, writing. Tags: , , , , . 1 Comment

30

Aug. ’11

“One Book, One City”

Have you heard about Gulf Coast Reads: On the Same Page, a “one book, one city” program that will take place through September 30th, 2011?  Everyone in the the city of Houston is invited to read and discuss the book One Amazing Thing by author Chitra Divakaruni, an internationally acclaimed writer who is featured in one of our  WITS public service announcements and a big advocate for the work we do in the community.

This educational and fun citywide reading initiative is being presented in partnership by the Houston Public Library, Fort Bend County Libraries, Harris County Public Library, and Montgomery County Memorial Library.

The goal of Gulf Coast Reads: On the Same Page is to cultivate a culture of reading in Houston by encouraging people to come together in libraries, bookstores, community centers, homes, places of worship, schools and parks to discuss the book. This program will take place Saturday, August 27 through Friday, September 30, 2011.

For more details visit www.gulfcoastreads.org. More information will become available on events, book discussions, and author visits.

Please submit your personal story of “one amazing thing” that you’ve experienced to Gulf Coast Reads!  Share your story with the rest of Houston.  This is a wonderful opportunity for the arts to unite our city!

Posted by . Categories: books, education, Houston, publishing, Reading, story, writers in the schools. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

22

Aug. ’11

WITS Writers Head Back to School

WITS  welcomes new and returning writers to the 2011-2012 school year with two exciting afternoons of training on Friday, August 26th, and Saturday, August 27th. Renee Watson, author, actress, and teaching artist for Community Word Project, will kick off orientation with a workshop on Talking Back to the World: Empowering Students to Define Themselves through Writing and Visual Art. The WITS orientation is designed to inspire and prepare writers with new ideas for developing their teaching skills. To get a WITS writer in your class today, email Long Chu at lchu@witshouston.org or call 713-523-3877.

More about Renee

Renée Watson is the author of two children’s picture books, A Place Where Hurricanes Happen and What Momma Left Me, which were both selected for the 2011 Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s (CCBC) Choices list. Her poetry and articles have been published in Rethinking Schools, Theatre of the Mind and With Hearts Ablaze.

When Renée is not writing and performing, she is teaching. Renée has worked in public schools and community organizations as an artist in residence for several years, teaching poetry, fiction, and theater in Oregon, Louisiana, and in New York City, where she currently resides. Visit Renee’s website here.

Posted by . Categories: art, creativity, education, inspiration, Lesson plan, teaching, writers in the schools. Tags: , , . Leave a comment