The National Writing Project

Paper Summary:

This paper traces the early history of the National Writing Project (pre 1974-1984) within a historical framework of educational reform and theory articulated by participants in the Project's first years. It investigates how a small group of innovative educators spanning all levels of education came together across curriculum barriers, across theoretical stances, and individual practices to focus on a new approach to classroom writing and teaching. It also explores the historical education background that led to this innovation, eventually named the National Writing Project, that started as a local (The Bay Area of California) response to problems in the American educational system.

Outline
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Research Questions
Research Study Methods
Qualitative/Quantitative Mixed Approach
Participants
Literature Review
Significance of the Research
Proposed Chapters
Bibliography
Appendix A: Informed Consent Letter
Appendix B: Interview Questions
Appendix C: Questionnaire

From the Paper:

"Gray and his colleagues felt a need for change due to dismal testing scores for entering students at the college level. They turned from the existing theoretical educational background of Piaget and Skinner through a collaborative effort to offer, "teachers a program unlike any other they had experienced. The BAWP [Bay Area Writing Project] vision, conceived by a small group of classroom teachers, faculty and administrators at UC Berkeley, moved to improve writing in the schools by creating a new model for continuing education, one that recognized the expertise, knowledge and leadership potential of classroom teachers" (Gray and Sterling 1). They were prodded to action by the failure of the profession to understand that writing is fundamental to learning. New teachers were trained to teach reading but not writing. No teacher training courses offered a course in the teaching of writing in any university in the country. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Bay Area Writing Project Celebrates Twenty-Fifth Anniversary." GSE Term Paper 2 (Spring 1999): 1-2. http://www-gse.berkeley.edu/admin/publications/termpaper/spring99/bawp.html.
• Blau, Sheridan. "Teacher Development and the Revolution in Teaching." English Journal 77.4 (April 1988): 30-36.
• Bleich, David. "Genders of Writers." JAC 9 (1989): 1-18.
• Bernstein, Ruby. Personal Interview. 17 January 2007.
• Cochran-Smith, Marilyn and Susan L. Lytle. "Research on Teaching and Teacher Research: The Issues that Divide." Educational Researcher 19.2 (Mar 1990): 2-11.

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