A National Day on Writing
It goes without saying that we couldn’t have reading (or Wordstock!) without writing. And the next generation of writers is, right now, sitting at a desk in a classroom somewhere, likely planning when they’ll be able to post their next Facebook update. This generation of students writes (mostly about themselves) all the time—and technology is integral to their daily practice. Teachers are standing up and paying attention: The National Council of Teachers of English is pushing to have October 20 declared a National Day on Writing, to draw attention to the integral role of writing in daily life in the 21st century.
From their website:
To draw attention to the remarkable variety of writing we engage in and help make writers from all walks of life aware of their craft, NCTE is asking the House of Representatives to considering a resolution declaring October 20, 2009, the National Day on Writing. You can write in to urge your Representative to vote affirmatively for H.Res.524.
We posted about this on the blog earlier this month. But just a reminder: If you’re a teacher grappling with these issues, consider joining us for Wordstock for Teachers—Wordstock’s professional development program, designed to help k-8 teachers improve their writing instruction and their students’ writing achievement. This year, for the first time ever, we’re bringing nationally recognized expert Jeff Anderson (a consultant to NCTE) to Portland.
