Carl Anderson: Conferring with Student Writers in Grades K-8

"Many teachers have discovered that one of the most powerful ways to teach students to be better writers - if not the most powerful way - is to sit beside them and confer with them as they write." -- Carl Anderson

Carl Anderson will guide us through the writing conference, discussing the how-to's of conducting effective writing conferences with students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Carl will demonstrate the teaching moves and intentional language that can be used to help students become better writers. Lots of video and Carl’s teaching tips will bring the content to life, giving us a clear image of effective conferring.  By the end of the day, we will have learned new ways of thinking about writing conferences, and practical conferring strategies we will be able to put into practice and bring to life in the classroom right away.

Participants will:

• Navigate the three parts of a writing conference.
• Gain strategies to help students talk about their writing so as to discover what they are doing as writers.
• Learn to assess how well students are doing their writing work, and make quick, but accurate decisions about what to teach students.
• Understand the methods used to teach powerfully in every conference.

Who Should Attend?

Grades K-8 teachers (classroom, special education, EL and support specialists), reading specialists, and literacy and instructional leaders, such as coaches and principals.

Participants of the Literacy Center's Tooling Up for Literacy Coaching Network had this to say about Carl Anderson’s December 2017 workshop:

 ♦ “Engaging presenter; great to listen to. Lots of great, practical information in a short amount of time.”

 ♦ “I really enjoyed the conferring videos and student work. Carl was well prepared and he clearly communicated his points.”

 ♦ “I enjoyed how responsive he was to audience questions. I appreciated the age range of examples.”

 ♦ “Carl made conferring seem less overwhelming. He was AWESOME!”

Cost*:

$225 per participant

• Early Bird Discount: $25 discount if registered before Friday, October 26, 2018.

--OR--

• Team Discount: $25 discount per person for teams of at least 3 participants registered from the same district / school / organization.

* Principals’ registration fee is just $50 (cannot be combined with discounts) if attending with a team of at least 4 staff members.
* The CESA 6 administration has changed the policy for workshop / event payment beginning with this 2018-2019 school year.  A purchase order (PO) is required in order for CESA 6 to invoice the school district.  CESA 6 will also accept payment via check, ACH transfer, or credit card.

Location:

Oshkosh Convention Center
2 N. Main Street
Oshkosh, WI  54901

Lodging:

Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel
(920) 230-1900
CESA 6 block rate = $85 per evening.
CESA 6 block closes on November 13, 2018.

For more information or questions about registration, please contact:
Amy Ruppert, Literacy Center Program Assistant
(920) 236-0562
aruppert@cesa6.org

Carl Anderson is an internationally recognized expert in writing instruction for Grades K-8, working as a consultant in schools and districts around the world. A long-time Staff Developer for the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Carl is the author of numerous books on teaching writing, including his most recent publication: A Teacher’s Guide to Writing Conferences (Heinemann, 2018). His other titles are How’s It Going? A Practical Guide to Conferring with Student Writers (Heinemann, 2000); Assessing Writers (Heinemann, 2005); and the series, Strategic Writing Conferences: Smart Conversations that Move Young Writers Forward (2009).

Disclaimer:

CESA 6 makes every effort to accommodate basic dietary needs such as vegetarian, gluten free and basic food allergies. Because of the number of meals served and the number of items used each day, along with food product changes from our food vendors, we cannot guarantee that every allergen in the food served will be identified and labeled. Guests concerned with food allergies must be aware of this risk. CESA 6 does not assume liability for adverse reactions to food consumed or items one may come into contact with while eating at a CESA 6 event. To better serve our guests with dietary restrictions or allergies, please go into your myQuickReg account and update the special accommodations section. Notice of a special dietary need must be made in advance of the event.

Cancellation Policy:

Any registration cancellation must be received at least 8 business days before event in order for a full conference fee refund to be issued (full refunds do not include service fees. Service fees are nonrefundable).Registration cancellations received 1-7 business days before an event, a refund, minus $50 for each participant, will be issued. Persons who are registered, but not in attendance on the day of the session ("no call, no show") will be charged the full registration fee. CESA 6 reserves the right to cancel any session due to insufficient enrollment. Participants will be notified by email if a cancellation occurs.