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THE SHOES : WRITING PROJECT

,Anonymity unshackled their pens

,authentic audience gave them a purpose

and students journeyed to the

.uncharted territories of their peer s lives

Kim Blevins

Teacher-Consultant, Ozarks Writing Project

Mt. Vernon High School

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.n the words of a Shoes writer

,row a heartwouldja?

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My experience with the National Writing Project-Writers Retreat Fall 2008-Summer Institute 2009-Advanced Institute Digital Storytelling July 2009

-Missouri Writing Projects Network Annual Conference July 2009-National Writing Project Convention, Philadelphia November 2009-Participated in NaNoWriMo November 2010-Ozarks Writing Project Leadership Council August 2009-Present-Presented my digital story at the Ozarks Heritage Days, Missouri StateUniversity

-Published personal essay in OzarksWatch magazine Spring 2010-Published After the Bell in School & Community Spring 2010-Spring Conference Washington D.C., March 2010-Planning Team for Advanced Institute for Summer 2010-Participate in monthly small writing group with other teachers

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Introductions

-Name-School

- What is or was your

favorite pair of shoesand why?

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Freewriting

Keep writing the WHOLE .time

Don t worry .about being eloquent

Don t worry .about spelling or grammar

.Don t worry

.just write

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWt5oswXarE

AnonymityHow can writing something

without putting your nameon it create connections?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWt5oswXarEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWt5oswXarEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWt5oswXarE

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Anonymity

that lets us maintain our public image andcherish the truly authentic. We find outhowever different we are we all need to beknown.

Someone is fighting the same battle

Those people I see walking down the streetthey have feelings and thoughts

I think that kind of brings people together.

Anonymity- The PostSecret Effect

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The Shoes :Background

+

-

= MagicMagic

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Student Excerpts

It really hurts my feelings when people call me

a slut, whore, and all the other names in thebook. I honestly think its just because they areunhappy with themselves, so they feel like theyneed to say things about others to makethemselves look better. They call me those

names because I had a lot of boyfriends inmiddle school. High school is different and itchanges people. Some people it changes for thebetter and some it changes for the worst.Luckily, I feel like Ive been changed for thebetter.

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Student Comments About the Shoes Project

Speaking of personal things, Shoestouched me pretty deeply. I likeexpressing my mind with what I reallyfeel. And even more so, I like hearingother peoples truths, too- what peopleare really thinking and feeling. It wakespeople up and lets them know that lifesnot a big bowl of cherries.

-Caleb

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Student Comments About the Shoes Project

The Shoes assignment was intense. I

thought my life sucked and wasnt good,but hearing about others made me realizethat my life isnt too shabby. It also mademe realize that you shouldnt judge

people, especially if you dont know theirbackground. Actually, I wasnt planning ondoing that assignment, but I did.

-Damon

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Research

1.Students need to talk to each other with their ownvoices to create change in their school. Teacherscant speak to the problems because we dontsee them most of the time.

2. Students need a real purpose and an authentic

audience for their writing.

3. In the actual process of writing about theirstruggles and pain, students can achieve somehealing.

4. Students can become better academic writers byfirst writing about themselves.

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1. On your own:

Choose what you feel to be the most powerful one-two sentences from astudent to read to your table.

2. With your table:From the research statement number your table receives, as a group seeif you can find a place where the research matches up with what the

student wrote or did.

3. With your table:Discuss and choose one student quote with your group, which you feelmost matches or doesnt match the research and why.

4. Report to the room:You will need to be ready to read the quote from the student, the researchsnippet, and then tell the whole group whether the student writing provesthe research to be true.

:YOUR ASSIGNMENT

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!Your Turn

You will now have the amazing

opportunity to write your ownShoes paper and possibly hear it.read

I will random draw just like I.do in class

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What thoughts or struggleswould you like to share with

the room anonymously that willhelp us to understand others

better?

!Your Turn

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:An added benefit

The Shoes writingreminds US whatstudents go throughon a daily basis and

helps us see ourstudents differently.

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Debrief

Uhhh what justhappened here?