The Comenius 2.1 Project „Scriptorium“

2005-2008

Shaping a New Generation of Teachers of Writing Through International Collaboration

Gerd Bräuer (University of Education Freiburg, Germany)

Comenius Funding

European Commission (http://europa.eu.int/comm) Steering entity for any issue maintaining the EU

Socrates (same address) Entity of the European Commission Support of school and higher education, adult

education Lifelong learning, equal access to education,

languages

Comenius (same address) Entity of Socrates K through 12 Development of teacher training (2.1) and teaching

materials (2.2)

What is this project all about? (I)

Developing a teacher training program for the establishment of primary and secondary school writing and reading centers

Writing and reading competence in school must succeed in diverse and continuous ways in order to do justice to the ever-diverging learning profile of the student.

This can no longer be achieved by lessons in L1/L2 alone. The provision of extra curricular activities becomes

necessary for students. Further in-school training is needed for teachers to

successfully plan and run these extra curricular activities. The model of writing and reading centers in schools is

suited to the initiation, co-ordination and supervision of such learning and training provision.

What is this project all about? (II)

Aims:

To develop, test, and evaluate training modules for international, online instruction (e-learning platform) and regional workshops

To initiate the setup of writing and reading centers and their further development in primary and secondary schools

To establish an international network of writing centers in primary, secondary, and higher education

Team Members

Initiator and Coordinator:Writing Center, University of Education Freiburg

(Germany)

Partners: Storkobenhavn University, Denmark Pedagogical Institute Bolzano, Italy University of Education Aargau, Switzerland National Center for the Professional Development

in Education, Finland University of Education Eupen, Belgium Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands University of Education Nysa, Poland

Other Participants

Model schools:Each partner brings to the project a primary or secondary

school where a writing/reading center will be developed over the course of the project

Associated Partners:Any primary or secondary school of any country interested

in setting up writing/reading centers or parts of the WRC concept can apply. Schools receive access to the training material of the project for in-house use. They provide feedback about the quality of the training material.

Network Partners:Any teacher training institution of any country interested in

including aspects of the WRC concept into its curriculum can apply. Institutions receive access to the training material of the project for in-house use. They provide feedback about the quality of the training material.

Teacher Training Modules (I)

1) Module Manager: Providing information on the training program and on key terminology

2) Concepts for the animation of writing3) Concepts for the animation of reading4) Strategies of primary/secondary school development for

the setup of writing/reading centers5) Concepts for in-house teacher training in reading/writing

pedagogy

Teacher Training Modules (II)

1) Concepts for the animation of foreign/second language reading/writing

2) Strategies of reflective practice in the classroom (especially journal writing and portfolio work)

3) Strategies of managing heterogeneous groups of learners4) Strategies for the transition of learners from secondary

school to higher education or vocational training5) Concepts for reflective practice in professional

development and practice research

Main Goal of the Primary/Secondary School Writing and Reading Center

Initiate fundamental changes in the:

Attitude of students and teachers toward text work

Focus on process and product Write and read a broad variety of genres Establish feedback culture and reflective practice Present your accomplishments (be critical and

proud!)

Curricular structure of writing and reading instruction (cross-disciplinary, project-based, reflective practice)

Role of extra-curricular reading and writing activities

Structure of the E-Learning Platform

Comenius Project

Teacher Training Program„Scriptorium“

Direct Study: regional workshops

Internet: Independent LearningGoals:

- Basics in reading and writing

pedagogy- Work on individual concepts for new reading and writing centers- network development

Goals:- Specific knowledge about reading and writing pedagogy- exchange of personal experience with developing writing/reading center- Reflective practice

Writing/Reading Center

continuing program development

Teacher Training

Network WRC

Region College Writing Center Vocational Training

Transatlantic Roots of the Comenius Project

United States: The idea of the writing center Process writing approach Writing and reading across the curriculum Writers‘ workshop Portfolio concept Peer tutoring National Writing Project („Summer Writing Institute“)

Europe: Concept of lifelong learning Schreibwerkstatt (workshop method) Connecting writing and reading Freiarbeit (fostering the autonomous learner) The idea of the learning center

Ideas for Transatlantic Collaboration

Areas Training of writing tutors Collaboration among writing tutors Writing across the curriculum Teacher training

Ways Collaboration in module development Online discussion forum for writing tutors Transatlantic website for school writing and reading

centers “International Writing Project” Application for transatlantic funding (EU-US): teacher

education

Interested in Collaboration?

Write to:braeuer@ph-freiburg.de

For more information on the Comenius project:

www.scriptorium-project.org