_Thank you to all of the educators who participated in our 2011, 2012 and 2013 courses:
Poetry as Informal Assessment and Literacy Enhancement!
We are currently looking for grant funding to support this program. Contact use with ideas/interest in supporting this ground-breaking professional development for teachers.
Dates of Teacher Poetry Expansion Labs - locations TBD
February 23 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
March 9 1:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
April 6 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Dates for Poetry Circles (community & teachers)
(informal-not for credit) Monday January 14th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Buchanan's Coffee Pub
(informal-not for credit) Thursday January 31st 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Cafe
Thursday February 28th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday March 4th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday March 14th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday March 18th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday March 28th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday April 1st 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday April 11th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday April 22nd 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday April 25th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday April 29th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Credit Options:
Participants applying for recertification/salary credit through BVSD are required to attend
7.5 hours of class (Saturday and/or evening circles) and dedicate 7.5 hours of out-of-class time for each .5 hours of salary credit participants choose to earn. Other Districts contact your HR Department for requirements for transfer of credits.
Participants applying for University of Colorado Boulder Continuing Education credit are required to complete either in-class hours or out-of-class hours according to the number of credit(s) you are seeking. Detailed information available upon registration and payment of tuition fee. Maximum available is 3 credit hours.
“The reason for writing Poetry is that Poetry knows
more than those that write it.”
Robert Bringhurst
The Poetry Expansion Labs are also designed to be a writing “spa” for teachers. The daylong classes will provide you with many exercises and materials for developing poetry units in any curriculum area. The poetry units that you develop can serve as both literacy extension and informal assessments. A basic rubric will be provided as well as exemplars. Poetry Circles allow for practice and development of specific writing exercises and their outcomes.
All participants applying for credit will be required to attend 7.5 hours of class (a Saturday or 5 evening poetry circles) and dedicate 7.5 hours of out-of-class time for each .5 hours of credit you choose to earn. If you take the course for credit a framework for your out-of-class reading and unit development will also be provided. Teachers who would like to take the course for recertification credit will be guided in developing content area poetry units based on the mentoring provided in the classes and the poetry circles.
A primary objective of the Expansion Lab is for teachers to become inspired, (through being immersed in poetry and writing their own poetry), to embed poetry into their established units as literacy enhancement and to use poetry as an informal assessment. All of these poetry activities work to improve patterns of achievement in ALL students while supporting differentiation for all levels of development. Specific success has been noted with ESL students, students with exceptionalities, and reticent writers.
Readings from the text will support the development of the units. The text we are using is Poetry Everywhere by Jack Collom and Sheryl Noethe. Jack Collom has mentored teachers and students in schools across the nation. He has written and published 28 books on poetry. Four of those focus on activities, poems, instruction, and analysis related to children and youth creating poetry. We recommend that you purchase a copy of Poetry Everywhere prior to your first session.
Expected Course Outcomes:
1) To explore the possibilities of poetry as a curriculum unit asset that provides literacy enhancement and informal assessment of unit concepts and vocabulary comprehension.
2) To write and recite your own poetry and reflect on the poetry of others as a means for understanding the possibilities and benefits of poetry in the classroom.
3) To understand poetry is a modality that enhances achievement for all students in our content-area classrooms regardless of language ability.
4) To collaborate with others in creating group poems and understand the value of the group process in engaging emerging readers and writers.
5) To participate in a “Writer’s Community” to develop the poetry that you write, and to use that experience to guide you in developing a writer’s community and supporting collaboration in your classrooms.
6) To relax, refresh, and revel in time dedicated to poetry writing as you learn how to develop a useful unit insert for your content-area class.
Materials and Products:
The textbook we will use is Poetry Everywhere by Jack Collom and Sheryl Noethe. This is a book with 62 activities designed to help teachers get students to write poetry. Teachers will be using the textbook as a guide for classroom writing activities that serve as both literacy enhancement and informal assessment in any content area.
Teaching packets will be provided and include poetic prompts, devices, and forms that can be used in your classrooms. A rubric for assessing poetry will be provided along with exemplars for a poetry insert that can be added to an established content unit. Guides for the use of poetry as both literacy enhancement and informal assessment will be available.
Out of Class Work that is required will depend on the requirements of your district and whether or not you are taking the class for recertification credits in your state.
Boulder Valley School District teachers register through AVATAR BVSD. All others contact us at wordbywordjourneys@hotmail.com for more information or to arrange for us to come work with you in your school district!
Poetry as Informal Assessment and Literacy Enhancement!
We are currently looking for grant funding to support this program. Contact use with ideas/interest in supporting this ground-breaking professional development for teachers.
Dates of Teacher Poetry Expansion Labs - locations TBD
February 23 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
March 9 1:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
April 6 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Dates for Poetry Circles (community & teachers)
(informal-not for credit) Monday January 14th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Buchanan's Coffee Pub
(informal-not for credit) Thursday January 31st 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Cafe
Thursday February 28th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday March 4th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday March 14th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday March 18th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday March 28th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday April 1st 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday April 11th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday April 22nd 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday April 25th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday April 29th 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Credit Options:
Participants applying for recertification/salary credit through BVSD are required to attend
7.5 hours of class (Saturday and/or evening circles) and dedicate 7.5 hours of out-of-class time for each .5 hours of salary credit participants choose to earn. Other Districts contact your HR Department for requirements for transfer of credits.
Participants applying for University of Colorado Boulder Continuing Education credit are required to complete either in-class hours or out-of-class hours according to the number of credit(s) you are seeking. Detailed information available upon registration and payment of tuition fee. Maximum available is 3 credit hours.
“The reason for writing Poetry is that Poetry knows
more than those that write it.”
Robert Bringhurst
The Poetry Expansion Labs are also designed to be a writing “spa” for teachers. The daylong classes will provide you with many exercises and materials for developing poetry units in any curriculum area. The poetry units that you develop can serve as both literacy extension and informal assessments. A basic rubric will be provided as well as exemplars. Poetry Circles allow for practice and development of specific writing exercises and their outcomes.
All participants applying for credit will be required to attend 7.5 hours of class (a Saturday or 5 evening poetry circles) and dedicate 7.5 hours of out-of-class time for each .5 hours of credit you choose to earn. If you take the course for credit a framework for your out-of-class reading and unit development will also be provided. Teachers who would like to take the course for recertification credit will be guided in developing content area poetry units based on the mentoring provided in the classes and the poetry circles.
A primary objective of the Expansion Lab is for teachers to become inspired, (through being immersed in poetry and writing their own poetry), to embed poetry into their established units as literacy enhancement and to use poetry as an informal assessment. All of these poetry activities work to improve patterns of achievement in ALL students while supporting differentiation for all levels of development. Specific success has been noted with ESL students, students with exceptionalities, and reticent writers.
Readings from the text will support the development of the units. The text we are using is Poetry Everywhere by Jack Collom and Sheryl Noethe. Jack Collom has mentored teachers and students in schools across the nation. He has written and published 28 books on poetry. Four of those focus on activities, poems, instruction, and analysis related to children and youth creating poetry. We recommend that you purchase a copy of Poetry Everywhere prior to your first session.
Expected Course Outcomes:
1) To explore the possibilities of poetry as a curriculum unit asset that provides literacy enhancement and informal assessment of unit concepts and vocabulary comprehension.
2) To write and recite your own poetry and reflect on the poetry of others as a means for understanding the possibilities and benefits of poetry in the classroom.
3) To understand poetry is a modality that enhances achievement for all students in our content-area classrooms regardless of language ability.
4) To collaborate with others in creating group poems and understand the value of the group process in engaging emerging readers and writers.
5) To participate in a “Writer’s Community” to develop the poetry that you write, and to use that experience to guide you in developing a writer’s community and supporting collaboration in your classrooms.
6) To relax, refresh, and revel in time dedicated to poetry writing as you learn how to develop a useful unit insert for your content-area class.
Materials and Products:
The textbook we will use is Poetry Everywhere by Jack Collom and Sheryl Noethe. This is a book with 62 activities designed to help teachers get students to write poetry. Teachers will be using the textbook as a guide for classroom writing activities that serve as both literacy enhancement and informal assessment in any content area.
Teaching packets will be provided and include poetic prompts, devices, and forms that can be used in your classrooms. A rubric for assessing poetry will be provided along with exemplars for a poetry insert that can be added to an established content unit. Guides for the use of poetry as both literacy enhancement and informal assessment will be available.
Out of Class Work that is required will depend on the requirements of your district and whether or not you are taking the class for recertification credits in your state.
Boulder Valley School District teachers register through AVATAR BVSD. All others contact us at wordbywordjourneys@hotmail.com for more information or to arrange for us to come work with you in your school district!
