The Summer Institute is up and running!

The Red River Valley Writing Project's 2015 Invitational Summer Institute began this morning at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

Led by RRVWP Director Kelly Sassi with co-facilitators Pam Fisher, RRVWP Co-Director, and Karen Taylor, RRVWP Teacher Consultant, the Institute runs from July 7-July 23, 2015.

This year's Summer Institute emphasis is "Writing to Learn." The eleven participants are teachers of English/Reading/Writing and Social Studies at the middle school, high school, and university levels in Fargo, West Fargo, Valley City, Wahpeton, and Lakota, North Dakota; and Perham and Moorhead, Minnesota.

Several of the Summer Institute's activities, as listed below, are open to ALL RRVWP members. Please join us for these!

Write Around Fargo: Join the SI participants to write around Fargo the morning of Friday, July 10. We will meet at the Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N., at 8:15 am to be grouped and receive our writing prompts. Email Pam Fisher <pamefisher[at]gmail[dot]com> if you plan to attend (so we can make the appropriate number of copies) or if you have any questions.

The RRVWP is sponsoring an Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop in conjunction with the Summer Institute. Assignments Matter is a collaborative, knowledge-building and sharing experience that supports teachers in creating effective writing prompts for grades 6-12 across the curriculum. At the Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop, participants will be introduced to a framework for developing assignment prompts that are clear, concise, and connected with the Common Core State Standards.  Participants will generate and discuss classroom writing prompts paying particular attention to key concepts in the areas of reading, writing, synthesizing, and the application of content from all academic areas. Participants will also learn how developing effective prompts directly connected with the CCSS makes it easier to grade student work and how data from such assignments can help refine their teaching approaches. The Assignments Matter Task Jam Workshop will be held omn Thursday, July 16 from 9:00 am - 2:30 pm. Those attending will receive a certificate of participation. Contact Karen Taylor at <ktaylor[at]moorheadschools[dot]org> if you have any questions.

Visitors' Day at this year's Summer Institute will be Tuesday, July 21, from 8:30-11:45, followed by lunch. All RRVWP members are invited to attend to write with the current SI participants, hear about reading and research conducted during the SI, and take part in mini-demos. Please email Pam Fisher <pamefisher[at]gmail[dot]com> if you plan to attend and indicate if you plan to stay for lunch.