Prairie Lands Writing Project Holds Graduation

Western hosted the Prairie Lands Writing Project (PLWP) camp graduation for 117 campers from 26 area elementary and middle schools in ceremonies on June 25.

The “Writers Under Construction” elementary school campers and the “Cyberwriters: Publishing Our Generation” middle school campers conducted readings for parents and friends and held closing celebrations in Kemper Recital Hall and Eder Hall, room 210, respectively.

Beginning June 2, the campers met at Western as a part of PLWP’s ongoing partnership with the St. Joseph School District. The students were nominated by their teachers for their outstanding writing and reading skills and had to submit a letter of application describing their literacy practices before being accepted for the camps. During the four-week camp, the students participated in literature circles, completed daily journal writings and workshopped several longer pieces that were published in camp anthologies, along with other student writings. This year the elementary campers participated in a writing marathon at the Mt. Mora cemetery in St. Joseph, and the middle school campers completed a number of digital projects, merging images and sound with their creative writings.

The 2009 camp directors and teachers include Jerri Fischer of Lindberg Elementary; Ann Dotson, Shannon Harris, Betty Stacey and Christie Hofmeister of Skaith Elementary; Jill Steinmetz of Maryville High; Tyler Carlson of Savannah High: Tia Frahm of Neeley Elementary; and Stacia Studer of Bode Middle.

(This text and these photos are from the June 29 edition of Tower Topics: http://www.missouriwestern.edu/TowerTopics/)

Two Recent Grads Hired

Two 2009 EFLJ graduates in technical communication will be working together in Kansas City starting this summer. Ashley Rainsbarger and Katy Strasser will be employed by Cerner, the leading U.S. supplier of healthcare information technology (HIT) solutions. Ashley tells us that she'll be employed as a Documentation Developer, as which she'll edit healthcare software documentation to make it more user friendly.

Congratulations to Ashley and Katy on thumbing their respective noses at a down economy!

Jenéy is Promoted

The MWSU Board of Governors approved the promotion of Dr. C.J. Jenéy to Associate Professor of English and granted her tenure. Congratulations to Dr. Jenéy on this great accomplishment!

Dibella a Finalist for Teaching Award

Denise Dibella, at left in the picture, is a 1999 graduate of MWSU with BSE degrees in French and Spanish. Denise was a finalist for the St. Joseph Public Schools 2009 Teacher of the Year award.

Denise is a foreign language teacher at Robidoux Middle School.

Congratulations, Denise!

(Photograph by August Kryger; published in The News-Press: http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/may/01/central-educator-wins-teacher-year/)

April Faculty and Student Accomplishments

Prairie Lands Writing Project (PLWP) site has received a matching grant of $46,000 in federal funds from the National Writing Project (NWP) to support its Invitational Institute and core program for teachers, for the year beginning June 1, 2009. Prairie Lands will also receive additional NWP $5,000 Technology grant and an $8,000 National Evaluation Study grant.

Eighteen teacher leaders from throughout Northwest Missouri have accepted invitations to participate in the 2009 Prairie Lands Writing Project Invitational Institute. The 2009 institute participants include: Carol Bunse, Savannah High School English teacher; Gina Calvin, St. Joseph Middle School instructional coach; Tyler Carlson, Savannah High School English teacher; Jacqueline Conn, Maryville High School English teacher; Chandler Cooper, St. Joseph Spring Garden Middle School language arts teacher; Diana Deatherage, St. Joseph Neely Elementary School grade four teacher; Brandon Haskey, St. Joseph Central High School English teacher; Elizabeth Hendrix, Missouri Western education professor; Valerie Hutton, Cameron Middle School reading and language arts teacher; Lynn Laipple, Benton High School communication arts teacher; Rachael Monroe, St. Joseph Humboldt Elementary School grade three teacher; Kati Reid, Pattonsburg High School English teacher; Yvonne Sexton, North Kansas City Winnetonka High School English teacher; Stacia Slagle, Cameron Middle School language arts teacher; K’Lea Snyder, Benton High School English teacher; Kira Thaler, Savannah Middle School social studies and English teacher; Libery Usera, Platte County High School English teacher; and Renee Wilson, Smithville Elementary School grade six teacher. Tom Pankiewicz, MWSU English instructor, will lead the Invitational. Co-leaders are Jane Frick, MWSU English professor, and Christie Hofmeister, St. Joseph Skaith Elementary School grade two teacher. Mary Lee Meyer, PLWP technology liaison, and Amy Miller, PLWP technology cadre member and Benton High School talented and gifted teacher, will provide educational technology support for the Invitational.

Dr. Kaye Adkins, Associate Professor of English, presented at the7th Regional Society for Technical Communication Student Conference, "Poster Sessions for Technical Communicators," Missouri State University, Springfield, MO.

Dr. Jane Frick, Professor of English, co-facilitated and presented at the Shoot and Write Marathon/Fun with Flickr Workshop, Prairie Lands Writing Project, Missouri Western state University. (April 25, 2009).

Dr. Cynthia Jeney, Assistant Professor of English, presented "Teaching/Practicing Rhetoric-Centered Web Writing" at the Workshop for Teachers of Technical Writing, Society for Technical Communication, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO. (April 17, 2009).

Dr. Cynthia Jeney, Assistant Professor of English, presented "Study Away, England 2009: In Search of King Arthur" as part of the EFLJ seminar series. (April 2, MWSU)

Dr. Elizabeth Latosi-Sawin, Professor of English, and graduating technical communications major Kathryn Strasser have edited a publication for the National Collegiate Honors Council. This collection includes essays written by participants at the Experiential Teaching/Learning Faculty Institute called PRAIRIE ATTITUDES AND URBAN REALITIES that took place in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sawin and Strasser also selected, arranged and designed three collages of photos taken by Sawin and other institute participants.

Dr. Susan Hennessy, Professor of French, was Guest Speaker at Career Day at Spring Garden Middle School, St. Joseph, MO. (April 9, 2009). Dr. Hennessy spoke to five middle school classes about careers with foreign languages.

Foreign Language faculty met with high school teachers from Northwest Missouri to collaborate on Missouri Western's Foreign Language Day. In attendance were teachers from Central High School, Benton High School, Cameron High School, and Oak Park High School in Kansas City.

Dr. Karina Vazquez, Assistant Professor of Spanish, presented the paper "Desplazamientos y cambios de signo: La reescritura de El juguete rabioso (1926), de Roberto Arlt, en Si yo muero primero (1991), de Susana Silvestre y La nueva rabia (2008), de Marcelo Eckhardt.” At the
62nd. Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference" on April 16/17.

The "New Lit Out Loud" reading series, organized by English Instructors Dana Andrews, Bill Church, and Meg Thompson" met at Foster's in downtown St. Joseph on April 15. Nearly twenty MWSU students joined community members and alumni to read their original poetry and prose.

Creative writing student staff members of Canvas the MWSU Literary and Arts Magazine, held a public reception and reading on April 25 in Hearnes 102 to celebrate the 2009 edition of the journal, an applied learning project.

EFLJ Instructor Defends Dissertation

Cynthia Bartels, now with a shiny new "Dr." before her name, defended her dissertation ("The Home as Public Space and Creative Initiative") at the University of Missouri-Columbia on April 28.

Congratulations, Dr. Bartels!

Spanish Class Performs for ESOL Students at Humboldt

On April 21st, students from Dr. Karina Vazquez's SPA 312 class adapted "Los degolladores de estatuas" (The Statues Killers) by Argentina writer, poet, and feminist Alfonsina Storni and presented the play in Ann Miller's ESOL program at Humboldt School. There were 29 children in the audience.

This plays is about two girls' toys that are tired of nobody consider their feelings. They declare a rebellion to catch the attention of their little owners.

Students of SPA312 (Spanish Advanced Conversation I) worked in adapting the play to contemporary times, preparing the set design, costumes, and performance programs. Students also prepared the play presentation and the role play at the end, which was very successful with children's participation.

This experience helped students to improve their Spanish fluency throughout constant practice and group commitment, and also it presented an opportunity to communicate in Spanish within the community. For the ESOL students it was a demonstration of how valuable the Spanish language is and how interested members of the community are in talking with them about their topics (that in this case were toys, games, playing with their parents, going to the square, riding bikes, learning English, etc.).