The professional development provided by Oklahoma Writing Project is led by Oklahoma classroom teachers. Each OKWP Teacher Consultant has completed the OKWP Invitational Summer Institute and has experience teaching in Oklahoma classrooms. Each presentation features research to support the best-practices shared.

Dr. Lawrence Baines, University of Oklahoma
Areas of Expertise: writing for publication; multisensory writing
Areas of Expertise: writing for publication; multisensory writing

Sara Bugg, Adams Elementary
2019 Summer Institute
"Dear Wondrous Writer: Using Writing to Build a Meaningful Classroom Community"
Integrating writing throughout the day and year to build a close classroom community.
Areas of Expertise: connecting reading and writing; creative writing; mentor texts; motivating students to write
Grade Levels: early childhood; elementary
2019 Summer Institute
"Dear Wondrous Writer: Using Writing to Build a Meaningful Classroom Community"
Integrating writing throughout the day and year to build a close classroom community.
Areas of Expertise: connecting reading and writing; creative writing; mentor texts; motivating students to write
Grade Levels: early childhood; elementary

Simone De Cleene, English
2019 Summer Institute
"In Their Shoes: Developing Intercultural Competence Through Writing"
Intercultural competence is a key social skill students need to acquire to become responsible citizens in our diversified society. This presentation demonstrates writing activities that prompt awareness by experiencing some of the struggles students with other cultural backgrounds face.
Areas of Expertise: genres/modes of writing; creative writing; mentor texts; assessing writing; ESL
Grade Levels: middle school; high school
2019 Summer Institute
"In Their Shoes: Developing Intercultural Competence Through Writing"
Intercultural competence is a key social skill students need to acquire to become responsible citizens in our diversified society. This presentation demonstrates writing activities that prompt awareness by experiencing some of the struggles students with other cultural backgrounds face.
Areas of Expertise: genres/modes of writing; creative writing; mentor texts; assessing writing; ESL
Grade Levels: middle school; high school

Robyn Hays, 3rd grade Writing and Social Studies
2019 Summer Institute
"The Power of Positive Peer Editing"
During this presentation, teachers will explore how to promote positive peer editing in a collaborative classroom community Hint: Students are teachers too!
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; 6 traits of writing; motivating students to write
Grade Level: elementary
2019 Summer Institute
"The Power of Positive Peer Editing"
During this presentation, teachers will explore how to promote positive peer editing in a collaborative classroom community Hint: Students are teachers too!
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; 6 traits of writing; motivating students to write
Grade Level: elementary
Jenny Jones, Secondary Library Media Specialist
Areas of Expertise: writing across the curriculum; planning writing activities; mentor texts; poetry
Grade Level: middle school
Areas of Expertise: writing across the curriculum; planning writing activities; mentor texts; poetry
Grade Level: middle school

Shelly Lee, NBCT Library Media Specialist
2017 Summer Institute
"Mrs. Lee's Legit Literacy, Learning, and Loving the Library"
Do your students groan when you ask them to write? No more, my friend! In this presentation, you will participate in a broad spectrum of fun activities that can be implemented immediately. Activities include focus on descriptive writing, using mentor texts, interactive writing, characterization, and setting.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; connecting reading and writing; digital literacy; creative writing; multimodal writing; motivating students to write; creating and/or using rubrics; content area writing; mentor texts
Grade Level: middle school
2017 Summer Institute
"Mrs. Lee's Legit Literacy, Learning, and Loving the Library"
Do your students groan when you ask them to write? No more, my friend! In this presentation, you will participate in a broad spectrum of fun activities that can be implemented immediately. Activities include focus on descriptive writing, using mentor texts, interactive writing, characterization, and setting.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; connecting reading and writing; digital literacy; creative writing; multimodal writing; motivating students to write; creating and/or using rubrics; content area writing; mentor texts
Grade Level: middle school
Devin Martinez, English
Areas of Expertise: writing across the curriculum; planning writing activities; the writing process; interactive writing; genres/modes of writing; preparing for state assessments; motivating students to write
Grade Level: high school
Areas of Expertise: writing across the curriculum; planning writing activities; the writing process; interactive writing; genres/modes of writing; preparing for state assessments; motivating students to write
Grade Level: high school

Jaymie Morgan, Junior High ELL
2017 Summer Institute
"Writing with ELL Students" / "Making Modifications for English Learners Across Content Areas"
Adapting lessons for differentiated learning.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; connecting reading and writing; creative writing; digital literacy; state standards; assessing writing
Grade Level: middle school
2017 Summer Institute
"Writing with ELL Students" / "Making Modifications for English Learners Across Content Areas"
Adapting lessons for differentiated learning.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; connecting reading and writing; creative writing; digital literacy; state standards; assessing writing
Grade Level: middle school

Vivian Nida
1987 Summer Institute
"A Picture's Worth a Thousand Poems"
A picture is worth a 1000 poems, more or less. Choose a work of art to serve as a prompt for writing poetry. Practice generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing, and sharing in this workshop that combines art and language arts.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; creative writing; motivating students to write; creating and/or using rubrics; assessing writing
Grade Levels: middle school; high school
1987 Summer Institute
"A Picture's Worth a Thousand Poems"
A picture is worth a 1000 poems, more or less. Choose a work of art to serve as a prompt for writing poetry. Practice generating ideas, drafting, revising, and editing, and sharing in this workshop that combines art and language arts.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; creative writing; motivating students to write; creating and/or using rubrics; assessing writing
Grade Levels: middle school; high school

Terry Phelps, Professor of English, Oklahoma City University
1978 Summer Institute
"Teaching Persuasive Writing"
Examining factors in writing persuasively: considering audiences, including opposition and counter arguments; being objective; structuring arguments.
Areas of expertise: the writing process; 6 traits of writing; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; connecting reading and writing; creative writing; motivating students to write; assessing writing
Grade Levels: middle school; high school
1978 Summer Institute
"Teaching Persuasive Writing"
Examining factors in writing persuasively: considering audiences, including opposition and counter arguments; being objective; structuring arguments.
Areas of expertise: the writing process; 6 traits of writing; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; connecting reading and writing; creative writing; motivating students to write; assessing writing
Grade Levels: middle school; high school
Heather Pogue, Kindergarten
Areas of Expertise: 6 traits of writing; writing across the curriculum; interactive writing; mentor texts; motivating writers
Grade level: early childhood
Areas of Expertise: 6 traits of writing; writing across the curriculum; interactive writing; mentor texts; motivating writers
Grade level: early childhood

Lisa Raiber, NBCT Reading Specialist
2014 Summer Institute
"Want to Boost Achievement? Using Non-fiction Writing to Boost Comprehension"
Hands-on, ready-to-use writing response ideas that will work with multiple types of literature, across all content areas.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; 6 traits of writing; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; connecting reading and writing; motivating students to write
Grade Levels: early childhood; elementary; middle school
2014 Summer Institute
"Want to Boost Achievement? Using Non-fiction Writing to Boost Comprehension"
Hands-on, ready-to-use writing response ideas that will work with multiple types of literature, across all content areas.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; 6 traits of writing; genres/modes of writing; content area writing; connecting reading and writing; motivating students to write
Grade Levels: early childhood; elementary; middle school

Lisa Smith, Northmoor Elementary
2017 Summer Institute
"Using Critical Thinking and Reading"
Critical thinking? Critical reading? How does that relate to writing? Real-world experiences for real-world writes! Using critical thinking and real-world experiences to encourage writing poetry and real-world writing.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; connecting reading and writing; creative writing; motivating students to write; state standards; 6 traits of writing
Grade Levels: elementary; middle school
2017 Summer Institute
"Using Critical Thinking and Reading"
Critical thinking? Critical reading? How does that relate to writing? Real-world experiences for real-world writes! Using critical thinking and real-world experiences to encourage writing poetry and real-world writing.
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; connecting reading and writing; creative writing; motivating students to write; state standards; 6 traits of writing
Grade Levels: elementary; middle school
Jason Stephenson, Director of Secondary English Language Arts, Oklahoma State Department of Education
Areas of Expertise: 6 traits of writing; the writing process; creating/using rubrics; mentor texts; genres/modes of writing; poetry; preparing for state assessments
Grade level: high school
Areas of Expertise: 6 traits of writing; the writing process; creating/using rubrics; mentor texts; genres/modes of writing; poetry; preparing for state assessments
Grade level: high school

Anna Wilburn, 8th Grade ELA
2019 Summer Institute
"Using Novel Studies to Foster Critical Reading and Writing Skills"
How pairing illustration and music with literature encourages deeper thinking for all students.
Areas of Expertise: content area writing; digital literacy
Grade Level: middle school
2019 Summer Institute
"Using Novel Studies to Foster Critical Reading and Writing Skills"
How pairing illustration and music with literature encourages deeper thinking for all students.
Areas of Expertise: content area writing; digital literacy
Grade Level: middle school
Kathy Woods, NBCT
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; genres/modes of writing; poetry; motivating students to write
Grade level: high school
Areas of Expertise: the writing process; genres/modes of writing; poetry; motivating students to write
Grade level: high school