VOICES

Teacher Renewal Credits and Basic Information for the Online Writing Workshop

Three Objectives for TRC

Wake County requires that teachers applying for teacher renewal credits fulfill three objectives as they complete this online class:

• Read the online materials, which include specific curriculum samples
• Discuss/develop the ideas  in the material you read – this can be done in a variety of ways, including
  *Conversations with colleagues taking the class (before school, after school, during lunch,
  on weekends, at night,etc.)
  *Via email, letters, or phone calls with colleagues taking the class
  *Participating, at your convenience, in our online discussion group.  Comments and responses will be available 24 hours a day.
  *Via email or letters with the workshop instructor.
• Produce and implement a lesson plan.  Teachers will produce a lesson plan using or adapting the curriculum presented online.  This lesson plan may  be done individually, or as part of a team effort.  Instead of a final test, after delivering this lesson plan, teachers will submit a summary report of their experience, and include at least three samples of student writing that were produced as a result of this lesson plan.

What else does the class entail?

Throughout the workshop, the instructor will give feedback on ideas, responses,lesson plans, summaries and student writing.  In addition, the instructor will be available for questions or comments via email.  You must have an email address to participate in the class. 

There will be one social gathering to which all who are enrolled will be invited to meet  informally and discuss what they are learning.  Attendance at this social will be optional, but we believe it will provide you with a great opportunity to talk shop with colleagues in a supportive environment.

There will be no weekly deadlines.  You choose when to complete your assignments.  You may wish to complete the course in two weeks.  You may wish to spread it out over four months.  The choice is yours. However, participants in the fall workshop (September - January) must complete the class by January 31, and those in the spring workshop (February - June) must complete the class by June 30.   

Upon satisfactory completion of the workshop, participants will be sent a document they may submit to their staff development office for TRC.

How does an online class work?  If you've ever navigated a website, you'll find an online course works in much the same way.  Underlined blue type, like this, provides a link to more information, an email address, or another page.  You can also navigate between pages using the left (for back) and right (for forward) pointing browser arrows at the top of your screen (usually in a gray bar area.)  Each page of the workshop also has two pencil icons, or pictures; the one pointing left will generally take you back a page, while the one pointing right will take you to the next page. (In other words, there are always several ways to go back and forth between pages.)  If you are directed to send email or post to an online bulletin board, a link will be provided for you.  Before you leave any page, you may wish to bookmark it in your "favorites", or jot down the URL (the page address on the web, beginning with   "http" -- we've noted each one on the bottom of the page for your convenience) so that you can return to the page you left more easily.  To return to a specific page, simply type the URL into the box at the top of your screen, or bookmark your page. 

In each lesson, headings, important information and assignments will be in green.

You may wish to print out this page and submit it to your Staff Development Office when requesting prior approval for TRCs.

This page last updated July 17, 2001.    (c) VOICES, PO  Box 2444, Raleigh, NC 27602, 1999-2000.

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