eminutes July 21

eMinutes for July 21. 2010

We had an early start this morning in preparation for the arrival of our invitees for Guest Day. Lots of delicious food was arrayed for the breakfast buffet and the fridge was filled with dishes for our lunch Potluck.

Following breakfast and much animated conversation, we began the session with introductions. Each ISI participant introduced themselves and then their guest(s) for the day. Rachel presented our first activity for the morning which was a Quick Write and Partner Share on the role of writing in our personal/professional lives. It was interesting and energizing to share our experiences and thoughts about writing, in the context of the Summer Institute, with the guests who have not been with us this summer.

The next activity took place in the computer lab as Tracy introduced our guests to the social bookmarking site Delicious. We had the opportunity to explore Tracy’s bookmarks, and create and share bookmarks among ourselves.

After our Tech Time, we returned to the meeting room and participated in a CRAT Talk. The article selected was “Teachers, Writers, and Leaders” which discussed the evolution of Writing Project teacher consultants as professional development change agents in their schools. The reflections, comments, concerns and questions which followed the reading were thought-provoking as usual.

Following the CRAT, we had a fantastic Mediterranean Potluck! At the conclusion of lunch, we bade goodbye to our guests and turned our attention to our afternoon agenda.

Stefanie and Rachel explained the Writing Marathon on tomorrow’s schedule and we then met in our small groups to devise a plan for the day.

And last, we ended our day with a final Response Group session, as we all strive to reach Friday’s deadline for our Inquiry Papers.