OWP THEN AND NOW

It was a warm September morning. The air was dry the leaves on the trees were golden, amber and crimson. The excitement in the air went from jittery, giggle, to teary. Today was the first day of school.

As for many this was a new experience. Suspense, fear, and trauma filled the classrooms. As the day moved along, the atmosphere settled down and the rooms began to whisper with calmness. As the days came and went comfort came. Reading and writing was foreign and difficult. Time marched on?first grade, fourth grade, eighth grade, the SENIOR year. Each year a deeper depth of reading and writing appeared, the same format, the same difficulties. A handful became readers and writers, but there were always the strugglers. Struggling to get that pen to the paper and create something, anything just to pass the class.

Many years after that senior year in high school, the decision to return to school was necessary. College level, ugh! (more reading and writing). Why do we put ourselves through this? Five years later after many long nights, a lot of special trained instruction and too many tears?graduation. Another struggling reader/writer reaches the end of the journey. A bachelor's degree in what? Why?teaching of course. A way to help other intelligent, but struggling learners get past their anxieties and fears. Then after many workshops on different views and teachings methods, a way to present reading and writing in creatively useful ways appears. The Oregon Writing Project (OWP) a true adventure.

A relaxing, refreshing, rejuvenating way to learn how instructors, Kindergarten through College level correlate their skills in reading and writing to enhance each other's perspectives and views in teaching. The presentations are fabulous. From play doe to essay writing. (Non-threatening and fun). What a fabulous way to experience writing?from each other. Motto: No excuses, just read the crap. This takes off the pressure and brings out the child. Each week a new response group is formed. The group consists of four classmates with positive reinforcements for individual styles of writing. The response groups do not focus on punctuation and spelling. Their focus is content, rhythm, and praise.

The OWP provided many local authors and instructors such as: Doug Herman, TMS, Power point; Bill Strong, author, Strong Rhythms and Rhymes; Ingrid Wendt, poet/author, Starting with little things and Karen, retired, Inspiration/Kidspiration computer skills. The guest speakers presented poetry, writing skills, and perceptions on teaching. They were gentle, exciting and informative. They presented writing in a fun easy and positive way.

The papers grow as the words flow. The pen does not want to quit. For years much was locked up inside. Now with a keyboard and the help of Tara and Chris, new computer skills enhance the ability to expand and format words of past and present in a non-threatening way. The frustration is because the machine froze up or we forgot to save the piece. Not because we could not find something to write about. The words are exploding in the brain, the fingers can't work fast enough, and I need more time to get this down.

Great job Nat! He tricked us into writing. Response groups, pairs, demonstrations these were all well organized ways to learn the computer methods of web pages, power point demonstrations, and the creativeness of inspiration and Claris. What a fun way to learn and share. Two thumbs up to the OWP.

Trina Roberts

16 July 2001