Southeastern NEWS
Southeastern Louisiana University
Public Information Office
publicinfo@selu.edu
SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
Date: 4/29/99
Contact: Christina Chapple 46
Editors: Photos accompany release Please note local interest
SLU PROJECT "TEACHES TEACHERS TO TEACH STUDENTS" ABOUT WRITING
HAMMOND -- Through a special grant program, the Southeastern Louisiana Writing
Project at Southeastern Louisiana University has been "teaching teachers to teach students about
writing" at four area schools.
In January, the SLWP granted $4,500 awards for writing workshops to Denham Springs'
Freshwater Elementary, Denham Springs High School, Springfield High School and Fontainbleu
Junior High School in Mandeville. The schools' proposals for writing workshops were chosen
through a five-parish competition and are being funded by the SLWP's "Rural Voices Country
Schools" program.
The SLWP was one of six National Writing Project affiliates chosen in 1997 to receive a
Rural Voices Country Schools grant from the Annenburg Foundation. The national Rural Voices
Country Schools program identifies "genuinely good, genuinely rural" teachers and students and
works to improve the teaching of writing in the nation's rural schools. SLWP has received the
$14,000 Rural Voices Country Schools grant for the past three years.
Through Rural Voices Country Schools, the SLWP recruited a team of "teacher-
researchers" and a network of teachers who research, document and share good teaching
practices in rural areas. RVCS "teacher-researchers" are SLWP co-director Leslie Gilliland,
Clearwood Junior High; Mary Beth Crovetto, Ponchatoula High School; Linda Greene, William
Pitcher Junior High; Lynne Vance, Sumner High School; Gary Porter, St. Helena Central High
School; Luora McNabb, Albany Middle School and Beth Calloway, Southeastern English
department. The teachers were selected from among the 125 local educators who have
participated in the SLWP since it was established at Southeastern in 1992.
(MORE)
RURAL VOICES COUNTRY SCHOOLS GRANTS Add One
The Rural Voices Country Schools network is linked by the Internet, compliments of
corporate sponsor I-55 Internet Services, headed by Brian Harper and Terry Cooper, who have
provided teachers with a free cyberspace link for the past three years.
For the first two years, Rural Voices Country Schools concentrated on research and
documentation. Its third and final year has been devoted to activities such as the inservice
workshops, which showcase area teachers and students, said SLWP Director Richard Louth.
At Freshwater Elementary, Louth and SLWP teachers have been presenting monthly 90-
minute inservice workshops to the school's faculty on techniques for improving the teaching and
learning of writing skills.
"In other words, this group is teaching teachers to teach children how better to write,"
said Freshwater fifth grade teacher Bettye White.
"There is much enthusiasm involved in this endeavor not only from the teachers, but also
from the students," White said. "The quality of the inservices is top notch." Freshwater teachers,
she said, are required to teach 30-minutes of writing a day, a requirement with which not all
teachers were initially comfortable. "The Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project asked us,
'What do you need?'," White said. "We recognized that we might need some structure on the
actual process of teaching writing. Dr. Louth and his teachers have been so creative, so
enthusiastic, so warm, putting everyone at ease. We have certainly not been disappointed!"
Louth said the schools' proposals for Rural Voices Country Schools grants were "as
different as can be. Fountainbleu's program was conducted all in one day. At Denham Springs
High, the inservices were conducted on Saturdays. Freshwater built their program into the school
day."
As the workshops progressed, Louth said the SLWP decided, as part of the Rural Voices
Country School's goal of documenting good teaching and writing, to "not just teach the teachers.
Let's ask if we can see students' writing." Freshwater Elementary, Denham Springs High School
and Fountainbleu Junior High are among schools that have submitted their students' work for an
anthology that the SLWP will soon publish through the Rural Voices Country Schools program.
Louth said the anthology will include approximately 70 pieces of "all kinds" of writing.
(MORE)
RURAL VOICES COUNTRY SCHOOLS GRANTS -- Add Two
The book will be dedicated to the late Susan Wren, the Southeastern English professor who was
the Rural Voices Country School's coordinator. Wren died in 1997. She was succeeded as
coordinator by Southeastern English professor Joan Anderson.
Several Freshwater students may see their writing used in the anthology, White said.
"They are so excited," she said. "They're driving me crazy asking when the anthology is coming
out!"
The SLWP is also publishing an anthology of student writing for St. Helena Parish
schools and helped Champ Cooper School in Robert publish its collection of student work.
Louth also said that Rural Voices Country Schools team member Lynn Vance is
coordinating the production of a 30-minute radio program showcasing the SLWP anthology's
writing. The show will be recorded on campus May 21-26 and will be marketed to National
Public Radio.
- SLU -
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