8)+Teaching+Demonstration

=**Teaching Demonstration **=

===="The most successful demonstrations communicate not only what the teacher does but also **why** the teacher thinks this particular practice works. The emphasis upon the //why// as well as the //what// is important: it provides a theoretical underpinning and it accents a considered approach to writing beyond mere gimmickry." ====

~Jim Gray, National Writing Project Founder
**TASK:** Choose a teaching practice that is useful for you and your current students and could do significant “work” for other teachers. Some presentations deal with ideas that are useful in general teaching situations, while others deal with very specialized teaching contexts or curricular issues. The presentation should be grounded in the authority of your professional practice.

**PURPOSE:** One of the principles of the National Writing Project is that teachers are the best teachers of other teachers. Think about it. Which professional development activities have you been to that were most useful to you? Who is better to share best practice than a practitioner? Who is more able to “try out” strategies and collect data on their effectiveness than the classroom teacher? Our purpose is to share what we know in a safe and collaborative environment as well as to receive feedback on our demonstrations so we can revise and use them to share with other teachers.

**AUDIENCE**: Remember that the summer institute audience is comprised of teachers from all grade levels and all subjects, k-university. Your teaching should inspire all teachers to revise how they think about their practice. Consider what you expect your audience to gain from your presentation and take away with them.

**CRITERIA:**
 * An inquiry question that your demonstration will explore.
 * An introduction or overview of the topic and how you will address it.
 * An abstract or summary of the teaching demonstration and the principles underlying the practice.
 * Front-loading activity: engage your audience and activate or build background knowledge that will highlight what they know and/or need to know about your topic.
 * Involve your audience as colleagues rather than as your students. Have them participate in the activities that you are modeling for use in the classroom.
 * Give your audience an action plan or suggestions for what to do next.
 * Include models of/excerpts from student work.
 * Research that is relevant to the success of the strategy, i.e. statistics, quotations, summary of research, connections between researchers. The research gives the audience an orientation into the professional conversation surrounding the topic and where you are positioning yourself in that conversation.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Demonstrations last 75 minutes; they should be thought through enough to be able to adapt in case of the need for longer or shorter time slots.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Bibliography of suggested readings/resources.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Engaging!

==

=<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">**Teaching Demonstration Packet** = = =

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**TASK:** Create a packet of resources that supplements the teaching demonstration presentation.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**PURPOSE:** The packet serves to provide your colleagues with an outline of your presentation as well as a resource to refer back to as they implement your ideas.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**AUDIENCE:** Your colleagues in the summer institute are the audience for this packet. Also consider that you may choose to present your teaching demonstration to another group of educators, so you should not assume your audience has the same background knowledge as a typical writing project fellow.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**CRITERIA:**
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Professional document.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Organized and easy to follow.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Includes the following components:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Cover page with title, name, BSWP affiliation, school information, and contact information.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Outline of presentation with key ideas you want your audience to take away.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Abstract or précis that outlines the underlying principles of the demonstration.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Copies of materials teachers will need to participate in your activities.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Some type of note catcher.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Bibliography with references.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">EXAMPLES: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Shantell Mullanix, BSWP 2011 -- Enough: How to Turn Obstacles into Opportunities [[file:Enough How to Turn Obstacles into Opportunities.pdf]]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Jess Westhoff, BSWP 2010 -- Entryways to Empowerment: Structured Opportunities for Student Discussion [[file:Entryways to Empowerment.doc]]

= = =**<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; text-align: center;">Teaching Demonstration Response Letters **=

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**TASK:** Collaboratively write a letter in response to each of the teaching demonstrations.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**PURPOSE**: To provide feedback for the teacher consultant, and to think about what principles are offered in the demonstration that you can apply to your own teaching.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**AUDIENCE**: Person who presented.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**CRITERIA**: Fill out the teaching demonstration response note catcher during the presentation. Then as a group write a letter to the demonstrator that lets him/her know what you learned from the demonstration, how you might apply those principles to your own teaching, and what suggestions you have for this demonstrator as a thinking partner when they present this material to other teachers.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">