Educators Tune in to Enhance Teaching Techniques

Over 30 educators from across the state recently learned how to enhance their language arts teaching through the use of music.

The educators attended a workshop, called “Reading & Writing ‘With a Little Help from’ Contemporary Music,” organized by the Jones Institute for Educational Excellence and held May 4, 2007.

At the workshop participants learned popular music can be utilized to enhance students’ skills in the following areas:

• making intertextual connections to classroom texts,
• providing a purpose for reading,
• developing a deeper understanding of basic literary elements: plot, characterization, theme, setting, and point of view,
• comprehending classic literary terms through music lyrics,
• using the writing process to produce effective communication, and
• enhancing personal, biographical writing.

Roger Caswell and Chris Goering, the workshop’s presenters, have nearly 30 years experience in teaching middle and high school students. Caswell is a national board certified teacher and is the cirector of the Great Plains Center for National Teacher Certification at Emporia State University. Goering is a national board certified teacher and co-director of youth programs for the Flint Hills Writing Project at Kansas State University.

For more information about this workshop, contact Toni Bowling at 620-341-5372 or 1-877-378-5433, mbowling@emporia.edu.

Educators in attendance at the workshop included:

USD 377, Atchison –

Robyn Allen

USD 337, Royal Valley –

Stephanie Allen

USD 234, Fort Scott –

Ronette Center

USD 243, Lebo-Waverly –

Katie Akins

USD 251, Noth Lyon County –

Barbara Schmidt

USD 253, Emporia –

Ginger Robert

Signe Truelove

USD 257, Iola –

Ona Chapman

Annette Rexwinkle

Beth Wille

USD 264, Clearwater –

Terri Shurleff

USD 266, Maize –

Emily Armstrong

Laura Ferguson

USD 323, Rock Creek –

Tracy McGuyer

USD 345, Seaman –

Amy Broome

USD 346, Jayhawk –

Theresa White
USD 362, Prairie View –

Christy Nickelson

Roger Sims

USD 365, Garnett –

Don Hilliard

Vicki Markham

Peggy Quirin

Dennis Richards

USD 398, Peabody-Burns –

Dorothy Rucker

USD 409, Atchison –

Nichole Honeywell

Kylee Kottman

Michelle Lang

USD 413, Chanute –

Max Ruark

USD 417, Morris County –

Kacie Evans

USD 498, Valley Heights –

Lora Whetzal

Unaffiliated –

Pam Lauer

Horizons High School –

Debra Callaway

 

Last Updated July 2, 2007>