Network Logic - Index of
Network Logic - Index of
Network Logic - Index of
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Untangling the threads<br />
These networks work on common problems identified by the TCs<br />
and brought to the attention <strong>of</strong> the national <strong>of</strong>fice. To date, the NWP<br />
has four such sub-networks: Project Outreach (formed when the<br />
NWP realised that it was not serving poor and minority populations<br />
equitably); the Urban Sites (which works through particular<br />
problems <strong>of</strong> language and low-achieving schools); Rural Sites (a<br />
network focusing on rural needs with a particular focus on<br />
technology); and the English as a Second Language network (focusing<br />
on second language learners). The national <strong>of</strong>fice coordinates the<br />
evaluation and documentation <strong>of</strong> all 167 sites, its quarterly and<br />
bimonthly publications and, increasingly, books written by and about<br />
the writing project.<br />
Teacher learning in the National Writing Project<br />
Also enmeshed in each summer institute (and the forthcoming<br />
workshops facilitated by TCs) is a view <strong>of</strong> learning that turns<br />
conventional pr<strong>of</strong>essional development on its head. Instead <strong>of</strong><br />
teaching teachers someone else’s ideas <strong>of</strong> how they should improve<br />
their teaching, the institute begins with what teachers know and then<br />
moves to what others have learned. This respect for teacher<br />
knowledge is so powerful that teachers eventually open themselves up<br />
to going public with their writing and teaching – in an environment<br />
that invites feedback and critique. It is not hard to see over time how<br />
teachers learn from one another, constantly thinking about how<br />
particular strategies can be adapted to suit their particular students.<br />
Besides learning from one another, teachers are introduced to a<br />
wide variety <strong>of</strong> reading materials including books to expand their<br />
own classroom library. They learn by reading and discussing research<br />
on literacy and by being taught by experienced TCs who have become<br />
expert in particular areas (such as assessment and multicultural<br />
literature). In turn, teachers, through the process <strong>of</strong> being in a new<br />
group, learn how to become good community members (for instance,<br />
sharing the responsibility for being a presenter on one day and an<br />
audience the next, or being the ‘logger’ <strong>of</strong> the day’s events). Teacher<br />
learning here becomes multifaceted. Teachers are learning by<br />
Demos 73