PA Distance Learning teachers will present at the Drexel University School of Education Virtual Conference for K-12 Online Learning on October 5, 2018.
Megan Miller and Hannah Lewis will present on their topic, “Bringing a Writing Center to a Cyber Charter School.”
They will discuss the benefits and significance of a Writing Center in an Online K-12 School, as well as the process of starting one.
“Megan and I are presenting on the relevance of writing centers in secondary schools, and in particular online schools,” shared Lewis. "They're uncommon in K-12 cyber charter schools, so we discuss the impact they have in our setting and how we were able to establish one here at PA Distance.”
Piloted last year through a PADIE Grant, the Writing Center was a great success. It's now an elective course for 10th-12th grade. To enroll, students must apply and have teacher recommendations.
Using the Bedford Guide for Writing Tutors and teacher-created content, they arm their students to become tutors. After this, tutors work with students in 7th-12th grade who stop by the Writing Center during the week. This Writing Center is, of course, in a virtual classroom.
The tutors will also push into classrooms when a big writing project is on the horizon. For example, they worked with 8th Grade English for a Narrative Writing project last year. Tutors spent time with students working on organization, content, and style.
The second half of the course adds a research project for the students, in addition to their tutoring. They research and create presentations for their final project. If they choose, they can enter their presentation to speak at a conference. Ultimately, Lewis and Miller hope to connect them to a larger community of writers.
The Writing Center provides student-led learning, as well as a place for conversation and dialogue among students. This is important in any educational setting, and Lewis and Miller have made it available in a whole new way for PA Distance students.
With questions about starting and piloting a Writing Center in a cyber school, feel free to reach out to Megan Miller or Hannah Lewis.
hannah.lewis@padistance.org | megan.miller@padistance.org
The Writing Center is available to students in grades 7-12 every Thursday from 10:30-11:15 AM. You can visit the Writing Center through the Student Resource Center linked in the SIS.
PA Distance Learning exists to change lives for the better. We blend proven classroom teaching techniques with educational technologies to promote academic growth for all students by personalizing their learning experience and providing a supportive online community.
