Educators’ Workshop Friday, July 20, 2007
THE PEN OR THE SWORD?
The Student Writer As SuperHero
For the Delta Kappa Gamma International Educators’ Conference, July 18-22 at the University of British Columbia (Call 512.478.5748 for more information.)
“I wake up each morning determined both to save the world and have one hell of a good time. This sometimes makes planning the day quite difficult.” (E.B. White)
The ability to write is power–when you know how to wield a pen! This workshop will provide educators with the skills and tools to transform classroom writers into SuperHeroes. From the old-fashioned Letter to the Editor to the modern-day blog, there are myriad ways for students to make their voices heard about the issues that matter to them most.
Young people have a “leverage” today that they have never had before in history–just ask the marketers who are angling for their attention, or the retailers who are competing for their dollar. They can use this leverage, if they want, to boost sales for La Senza Girl or iPod. But they have other choices as well. As an educator, be prepared to say, “It’s SuperHero time … will you use your powers for good or evil?”
Every young person will have to choose for him- or herself. But you can make that choice a little easier, by providing the phone booth and the cape, and showing them how to fly.
Hear author and animal activist Diane Haynes talk about the writer as SuperHero, writing as a tool for change, and the power of the pen as an instrument of self-expression, communication, community-building, and transformation.
Workshop take-aways:
- hand-out exercises to get students writing, talking and collaborating
- discussion/improv scenarios that pit the pen against the sword–which choice leads to the result a student is looking for?
- “Class Actions” — group activities that involve writing and have the potential to make changes, in class, at school, in your community
- reading list: books and other written materials that have led to positive social, legal or humanitarian change in a range of areas
For more information on in-school workshops offered by the author, click on EDUCATORS in the navigation bar at the top of the screen, or email janeraybooks@gmail.com