New Book Outlines Steps for Establishing Student-Staffed Writing Center in Schools
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — In Shadowlands, playwright and screenwriter William Nicholson notes, “we read to know we are not alone.”
We do the same with writing, according to author and University of Maine Assistant Professor of Education Rich Kent.
“Writing is not only a powerful way to learn and to become a more effective reader, it’s a vital skill in today’s society,” says Kent, author of the new book, A Guide to Creating Student-Staffed Writing Centers, Grades 6-12. “We write to make meaning of our lives. When we do that, we feel a part of something greater. Even with an audience of one, the writer walks away feeling he or she has something to say in the world.”
Kent’s research is dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of writing using such tools as writing centers and portfolios in middle and high schools. He directs the Maine Writing Project in UMaine’s College of Education and Human Development, a network of nearly 200 teachers in the state established in 1998 as an affiliate of the National Writing Project, which champions a model of teachers teaching teachers.
Like his higher education colleagues around the country, Kent knows the difference writing centers can make, which is why the facilities are now widely found on college and university campuses. In 6th