Conference+Review

Conference Review //Writing for Social Justice// and //Digital Portfolios//

On October 15th and November 12th of this year, Eastern Michigan University’s hosted the conferences //Writing for Social Justice// and //Digital Portfolios// for English Language Arts teachers. After attending the sessions, I can honestly say that both provided me with very useful resources that I can later incorporate into my own classroom. Speakers at //Writing for Social Justice// gave audience members lists of websites, books, cultural exhibits and even a unit plan as sources of reference when teaching the Holocaust to middle and high school aged students. Speakers at the //Digital Portfolios// conference similarly discussed online resources that K-12 teachers could incorporate into their students’ digital portfolios.

Overall, I felt that both conferences were well organized and very informative. I especially liked how the speakers at //Writing for Social Justice// had incorporated a hands-on activity into their presentation. This is something that I had wished the speakers at //Digital Portfolios// had done. At both sessions, however, speakers clearly articulated their classrooms’ learning objectives, and at times, philosophies in teaching. It was very encouraging to hear practicing teachers talk about their students in such a positive ways, and their discussions definitely sparked moments of self-reflection and creativity.

I would recommend any this type of professional development conference to any English Language Art teacher. I believe that they promote community and constant education for teachers, and they’re a great way to meet professionals from other school districts. After speaking with a couple of practicing teachers, I could tell the conferences were like a breath of fresh air to them, and that they found strength and encouragement from other’s experiences in the classroom.