Prairielands

I see a whole year has come and gone since I last posted to this blog.  PLWP Summer Institute 2008 had a lively group of teachers who as always found they never had enough time to write.  Discussions about writing and teaching of writing take up a lot of time.

June 2008 saw the largest group of TCs from all over the state of MO attending the annual PLWP writing retreat.  Rebecca closed the registration at 25 participants.  Britton Gildersleeve of the OK. writing project acted as the guest editor.  This retreat is held just 1.5 miles from where I live.  It is held at the Conception Abbey Monastery in rural NW Missouri.  I get to be the meet-and-greet person each year.  This year I conducted two tours of the newest sites in rural MO–24 electricity generating giant windmills dot the landscape.  We have two on our property so I could get people up close and personal with the windmills.  Rebecca wrote a little about the windmills during the retreat. See http://plwp.wetpaint.com/page/PLWP+2008+Writing+Retreat  .

July 31 and Aug. 1 saw 8 PLWP TCs attending the Missouri State Writing Project Network in Columbia, MO.  It was a rewarding two day retreat complete with a writing marathon and open mic.  My writing marathon group chose two art galleries, an ice cream shop called Sparkys and a tatoo parlor as our writing marathon stops. 

Some of the activities ahead for PLWP are the Fall Finish, Oct 4th with Kevin Hodgson as the keynote speaker.  I am looking forward to visiting with Kevin.  The Fall Finish is the final meeting for the SI and also provides workshop sessions as professional development opportunities for area teachers.  October 14th is the annual When Writing Teachers Write meeting.  It is an evening opportunity for teachers to read some of their writing and discuss writing and teaching of writing with like minded teachers.  Following October is the November NWP meeting.  I am looking forward to seeing many friends I have made in the area of writing.  Mary