Writing for a Change

The National Writing Project (NWP) is a professional development program for teachers founded in 1974 at the University of California. Through its nationwide network of teachers and training sites, the NWP seeks to promote exemplary writing instruction in every classroom. Kristina Berdan has been a teacher for eight years and currently teaches language arts to seventh graders at the Stadium School in Baltimore,Maryland. She also works with sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade Youth Dreamers at school and is president of the Stadium School Youth Dreamers, Inc., working alongside youth officers. A National Board Certified Teacher, she is also a part-time faculty member at Towson University and a teacher-consultant with the Maryland Writing Project.Ian Boulton has worked as a trainer and community worker for twenty-five years. He is a partner in The Social Action Company, a group of consultants that use Social Action methods to develop social care and community projects in Eastern Europe.Elyse Eidman-Aadahl directs national programs and site development for the National Writing Project (NWP) at the University of California, Berkeley. A former high school English teacher and university teacher educator, she has been both a teacher-participant and a national leader in a range of teacher learning networks in the NWP and in other professional organizations. Her founding work with the collaboration between the NWP and the Centre for Social Action grows out of a long-standing interest in teachers’ learning from literacy work and youth work in out-of-school settings.Jennie Fleming began her working life as a youth and community worker on voluntary and statutory youth work projects in the United Kingdom. Since 1995, she has worked actively to develop Social Action practice at the Centre for Social Action (CSA) at De Montfort University in England. She has been part of the collaboration between the CSA and the National Writing Project from its inception.Launie Gardner has been a teacher for sixteen years and currently teaches eleventh- and twelfth-grade English, civics, and economics at Truckee Meadows Community College High School in Reno, Nevada. She also serves as co-chair of the board of directors of Rainshadow Community Charter High School, a school that is attempting to integrate interdisciplinary, project-based, and communitybased hands-on learning. She served as director for the Northern Nevada Writing Project and remains involved with its professional development activities focused on Social Action.Iana Rogers is national programs manager for the National Writing Project (NWP) at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been working with the collaboration between the NWP and the Centre for Social Action since 2001.Asali Solomon has been working with the National Writing Project collaboration with the Centre for Social Action since 2000. She is currently assistant professor of English at Washington & Lee University in Lexington,Virginia, where she teaches African American literature, composition, and creative writing and often uses Social Action activities with her students.

"This informative paperback discusses the development of teacher-facilitated and student-driven social action projects." (Childhood Education, Fall 2007) "This book engages with an integrative framework of literacy acceleration and critical social action." (PsycCritiques, 09/06/2007)

• Foreword, Richard Sterling xiSponsors xiiiPreface xvEditors and Contributors xxiONE Exploring Student-Driven Learning and Literacy Through Social Action 1PART ONE Social Action in Practice 9TWO Power Play 11Paula LaubTHREE Lending Student Voice to Curriculum Planning 19Dietta Poston HitchcockFOUR The Story of the Youth Dreamers: In Their Own Words 25Mildred Harris, Chantel Morant, Shanta Crippen, Chris Lawson, Chekana Reid, Cierra Cary, Tiffani Young-SmithFIVE Reflections on the Youth Dreamers 31Kristina BerdanSIX Community Action in a Summer Writing Institute 43Chinwe “La Tanya” ObijioforSEVEN Changing Our World 51Lori Farias, Critics of Society ClassEIGHT Poetry and Power in the Creative Writing Workshop 57Maggie FolkersNINE Shall We Dance? 63Connie Ellard BunchTEN The March on John Philip Sousa 67Elizabeth A. DavisELEVEN Social Action and Parent Involvement 73Mildred SerraPART TWO Getting Started with Social Action 79TWELVE Learning from Social Action: Reflections on Teaching and Social Action 81THIRTEEN Principles for Practice: What Is Social Action? 87Jennie Fleming, Ian BoultonFOURTEEN Recommendations for the Classroom: Before You Start 97Jennie Fleming, Ian BoultonPART THREE Stuff You Can Try: Activities for Social Action 107Metro Map 111Naming the Group 113Community Vocabulary 115Devising the Vision 117How We Behave in Groups 119Movie Poster 121Four Faces 124But Why? 127Codes 132Changing Your Mind 134Sculpts 136The Three C’s 138SWOT 140Ideal Specimen 142Force Field Analysis 144Worst Nightmare 147Now/Soon/Later 149The Swimming Pool 151Messages 153References 155Resources for Further Reading 157Index 159